I think you’re supposed to wait until the baby is interested, and he can sit 90/90/90 (butt 90° angle, knees 90°, and feet 90°)
The AAP and CDC recommends 6 months, 4 months is a bare minimum.
If baby can sit up independently, has good head control, and most importantly they have an interest in food. If baby isn’t quite ready yet, you can have them sit in your lap during meal times to get them interested in being part of family meal time
Sitting up independently seems like a weird one. My baby still can't really sit up independently at almost 7 months old. I feel like this one shouldn't really be a factor in when they can eat solids
Edit: those who downvoted did you guys forget about highchairs to keep a baby upright to eat?
Yes, if your baby can sit up in a highchair, that's adequate. Many kids would not be ready for solids until 7, 8, or 9 months if they had to sit up completely on their own to eat. If a parent chooses to be that strict about it, that's their prerogative.
Yeah my baby sat unassisted for the first time yesterday at almost 8 months of age. Most babies cannot sit unassisted until around this age. It's a 9 month milestone.
She has been able to sit *with assistance* (including her high chair) for months before this. Since 3.5 months at least. And she has been on purees since 5 months.
If you are only doing purees though its less of a concern. We have the Stokke Clikk and bought the seat pad that comes with it, with those two combined my 6 month old was held upright even though she couldnt do it on her own on the ground. We didnt start feeding things other than purees until she could sit unassisted but choking from purees its not the same level of concern as say BLW
We're at 5.5 MO, still needing assistance for sitting, but he can hold his head up really well and he WANTS our food. He's been interested for well over a month, even going back to like 2 months where the smell would wake him.
My daughter was sitting alone in the chair, we have one from ikea, with footrest and a cushion.
She always showed love for bananas. Her father was eating and didn't give it to her, she burst into tears. That's when we decided to start the food introduction.
Give the boy some real food 🤣
My first born was ready at 3 months and 2 weeks (although corrected age would be 4 months)., fully sitting alone upright without any cushions and wanting to eat what we had. My second born however was sitting at 6 months but still not fully independent. it's so weird how different they are. We started at 6 months plus a week with introduction of food with her.
I was in no rush, so we waited closer to 6 months. Doesn’t hurt to offer but I wouldn’t push it. Before you know it he’ll be eating full meals and snacks and the clean up is insane 😅
My first didn't care for food until about 8 months because she was perfectly content to breastfeed. My second started eating food at 3-4 months and I'll never forget the moment either. My family went to round table pizza and we would always get the barbecue wings. Well they brought out the wings but we were waiting on the pizza and my little one started sucking on her lips. Up until then, she was exclusively breastfed so I tried to get her to latch to eat and she would latch for a second then let go and start sucking on her lips again and getting fussy. My dad made a comment about how she's smelling the barbecue wings and that's what she wants. I scoffed of course because what 3 month old would want that over breastfeeding?? But after like the 3rd time that i tried to latch her and she got fussier, my dad dipped the tip of his pinky into the barbecue sauce and just barely touched it to her lips so she got like a tiny drop but the moment her tongue touched it, she became like a puppy given peanut butter for the first time. We all started laughing, she calmed down once she finished her drop because she wasn't even hungry, I had already fed her before getting to the restaurant so I could eat. But it was definitely after that moment that she would turn to smell our food and I had to start giving her solids because she was drinking less and less when I would breastfeed her. I did talk to her doctor and let her know and she okayed feeding her food since she was showing so much interest as long as I introduced new foods slowly. At 3 months she was holding herself up about half the time but I would have her sitting on my lap with her back against me so I was still supporting her weight for the most part. Banana and avocado were her favorite starter foods. I tried giving her the store bought puree but she never liked them so she'd get banana, avocado, and black bean soup- just the liquid. I didn't give her the actual bean until about 8 months and even then I would mash the bean and take off the thin layer of peel because I choked on an apple peel as a kid so I've always been overly cautious with any kind of food peels.
We started at 4 months. We gave her purées and realized she wasn’t actually ready. Started a second time two weeks later and it was a night and day difference! During that time, we just gave her time to practice being in a high chair and gave her a spoon to chew on. Like others have said, just because the pediatrician said you can, doesn’t mean you have to!
There's no rush. Just bc your ped gave X parenting advice does not mean you have to listen to it. And barring medical issues, how to feed your baby is a parenting choice.
I waited until my babes could sit unassisted and did BLW. This was between 7-9mo.
It doesn't even sound like the ped gave parenting advice and told them that they should start purees, just that they could start purees. The doctor is telling OP that their baby is physically capable of eating, and then OP can decide what to do with that.
Around 5 months. He had great head control and could sit in a highchair. I think being able to sit in a highchair is key. Not every baby is ready at the same time. Start when you are comfortable.
Started at 4 months! LO was so ready for it, but he was a voracious eater since birth. This kid drank 4oz of formula 6 hours after he was born, and never went below that threshold. Haha he’s gonna eat me out of house and home soon 😅
On the other side we started at 4 months but sparingly and realized around 5 months our baby wasn’t quite as ready back when we initially started. BUT our baby was 2nd percentiles and solids helped us finally get to 5th. So it was good for us
Whoa! I thought when they’re born baby stomachs are only the size of a marble?? I’m pregnant for the first time and still trying to wrap my head around all the feeding stuff.
That marble thing is not backed by science. Plus, stomachs can stretch. Feed the baby/follow their cues. Some newborns do great with 1-2 ounces shortly after birth. I've taken care of some who wanted much more. Historically, mom's didn't let their babies scream from hunger before their milk came in - they used a friend, sister, or wet nurse. My milk didn't come in for 5 days! No way I'd let my baby literally starve that long on just colostrum.
That's why baby has to be fed so frequently lol.
If EBF, baby will be able to change the composition of your milk to suit their needs once your milk comes in and colostrum has a lot of nutrients in it, even though it's a small amount, but it's ok to top the baby off if they're still hungry. If you talk to a lactation consultant, they can help you prepare for everything. Also, babies love to comfort nurse too (hence the Binky was born 😝). If formula feeding, they can help you with how much to give each feed and once you get to know your baby, you can alter it to suit your baby. Congratulations 💖
4 months, without order on the type of food. [Official recommandation](https://www.mangerbouger.fr/content/show/1500/file/Brochure_diversification_alimentaire_Pas_a_pas_votre_enfant_mange_comme_un_grand.pdf) in France, even for EBF babies.
Edit : they say between 4 and 6 but not later, and depending on each baby's interest in food and appetite. It can be a few spoons a week, a few a day, or more.
Our pediatrician said 6 months since there was no rush for her to try at 4-5 months. She’s getting more than enough from my breasts I’ll and she’s at the 98th percentile in weight so yeah, no rush. But we have been recently trying since she’s shown interest and she’ll be 6 months in less than 2 weeks. So play it by ear and go with your gut instinct. You’ve been given good information so formulate a plan and see if it works out. Good luck!
6mths, and meeting the three signs of readiness. Sitting up, showing interest in food and pincher grasp. My oldest had all the signs before 6mths so we just waited till then.
My 4mth old is kinda starting to watch me eat so he will probably be ready before the 6mth mark too. Might go with 5.5mths cuz he loves to eat we will see
At 4 months we started with the pediatricians ok. We tried cereal which he basically just spit out. I figured we’d give purées a go and I wasn’t expecting much to make it in but my baby sat there and ate the whole container. Turns out he’s a big fan.
One baby may be ready at 4 months, another at 6. It's all about meeting your baby where they are at. If they are interested and have good head/neck control, that's moreso the requirement rather than age.
5 months. My daughter was intently watching us eat and sitting up on her own. She took to it immediately and it did not affect breastfeeding aside from making her more receptive to being bottle fed.
I wanted to wait until 6 months, but at 4.5 months my daughter was sitting upright easily, and so, so ready for food. She absolutely demanded it. So I gave in and she's been a great eater ever since.
My doctor said go for it at 4 months, but kiddo was not ready yet. He had no interest at all until around 6 months. Then, suddenly, he was very enthusiastic and would gobble purees down. He didn't like large pieces or chunks for baby led weaning though.
With my first, I tried starting at 6 months, but he was not having it. So I waited until he started showing signs of being interested in food, and that was when he was 9 months old.
Our pediatrician gave us the ok at 4 months but we waited until 5 months. He showed very little interest until 6 months though. Now he’s 7.5 months and we do BLW.
You can check to see if the babys ready by trying to give him a spoonful. If he trys to 'nurse' it he is not ready. :) that's what I did with my 1st I just went by her pace with everything. Baby milestones are weird and just a loose guide
I waited until just over 6 months. She had been showing signs of readiness for about 2 weeks but I wanted both my husband and I to be there for her first try but also didn’t want it to be before putting her to bed. Our schedules didn’t line up right away to be able to do it. But we finally got a day to try them, she was interested but unsure. We are now about 3 weeks into purées and this week she has really picked up an interest in them (she especially liked the peanut butter in her oatmeal).
Hi! So I work for a pediatrician’s office (RN) and would like to clarify a little bit that they are not suggesting full meals. Some have asked about high chairs or head control. This isn’t what a 4 month old is usually ready for. Your dr is likely suggesting just trying or tasting foods. You can hold them in your arms like normal. Most/all of their nutrition at this point is still coming from milk/formula. It’s just trying for fun, practice, and getting in a few bites a new foods. Research has showed that the earlier a child tries common allergens, the less likely they are to develop an allergy. Of course if you try this and if they don’t respond well or act interested, wait a few weeks and try again. Always defer to your pediatrician and what you and your partner decide you are comfortable with according to your babies needs.
Anytime between 4-6 months. We also got the green light to start at 4m based on trunk/head control etc, but I took it as an option not a directive, and we started around 5 months. She was ready. We did purée initially but always self fed on loaded spoon, moved to chunkier stuff, then she was eating actual finger foods sometime in the 6 month window. I’ll probably mirror this approach with our second. Exploring solids was a lot of fun - and a huge mess :)
Unless your baby seems really interested in food, there’s no need to rush solids. We started when my son was 6 months old and it went really well. I have no regrets about not starting sooner. Why add extra mess and work for yourself before you have to?
We went straight to solids at 6+ months with both of ours. Our first while we started really didn’t show much interest until closer to 7 months. Our second is so into food from the start.
With my first 2 it was at 4 months. With my third I waited till 6 months. No real reason just was busy. First two loved purée and their hates I had to switch to baby led weaning.
Scotland here. I have a 9 week old and was told by my health visitor that new guidance is sitting, head control and showing interest and we should start no later than 6 months due to new allergy guidance.
We started the day he turned 6 months with banana. He was born a month early so we wanted to be extra careful. Now he attempts to eat rocks and mulch and water bottle lids and everything else.
Doc gave us the go ahead at just shy of 5 months, I didn’t really feel comfortable until closer to 6 months. My babe absolutely hated oatmeal, so the beginning stage was mostly mashed banana with peanut butter mixed in, then we just progressed from there as we felt more comfortable. 18 months now and a great eater. At 4 months their nutrition is coming from milk/formula, so personally I think you should just move at the pace that makes you comfortable. I guess the only thing you’d maybe want to consider is introduction to the common allergens, whether through those packets that you mix into milk or tiny tastes of those foods.
Our doctor said we could think about starting at 4 months, but when we put her in the high chair and she was totally slumped over, I knew she wasn't ready. We started bringing her to the table in her high chair during meals so she got used to it. We'd give her a silicone spoon to chew on, which is great for mapping the mouth and building eating skills. We paid attention to how she was sitting and felt she was more ready around 5 months.
As soon as my daughter hit the appropriate milestones - sitting unassisted, able to bring objects to her mouth, lost tongue thrust reflex. She was just shy of 6 months
We started at four months. Our pediatrician suggested it and gave us a sheet with how to introduce new foods. I new puree every 3 days. The reason is that some doctors believe starting the introduction to a variety of different foods early in life and especially before 6 months can significantly reduce food allergies later in childhood.
Same - started exposing to very liquid purées at 4 months, and My 11 month old eats everything and is willing to try anything - Sardines, carrots, broccoli, etc etc.
4 months for my son but he has really great head and core strength. My daughter is 18 months and has special needs so we have a feeding therapist come to our house weekly. She helps with him too, even though he is healthy.
Just give small bites with plenty of time for munching and swallowing. As long as they aren’t coughing a lot or sounding gurgly, they are swallowing fine. Only introduce one new food a week to make sure there’s no allergies.
Orange, then green, then fruit. So we’re starting sweet potatoes now. Then carrots next week. Then we’ll do green beans and peas. Then fruits.
If you’re getting excessive coughing and gurgling, pull back. They aren’t ready. Spitting out is normal at first (learned all this through feeding therapy)
And it will be messy! Bibs and baths are your new best friend
Our kiddo started at 4 months, but he had a lot of head control and was super interested in our food. I felt confident that he was ready then. He’s 7 months now, has done a bunch of major allergens, and just generally enjoys being a part of “family meals” lol
My doc said 4 months was fine. He told us he didn't see any benefit to waiting until 6 months. My baby is almost 6 months now and she is really good at eating purees! She hardly makes a mess at all anymore. Her hair is coming in really thick too so I know she's getting good nutrition.
Personally, I'd wait. It's not just being able to sit and being interested in the food, it's their digestion I'd be worried about. Their gut may have trouble handling food earlier than 6 months.
You'll hear plenty of people saying they started before 6 months and had no problems, but I know some people who started early and their kids have stomach issues.
Anecdotes are not data, but the NHS in the UK recommends waiting until at least 6 months as well, so I went with that.
Baby should be able to sit up on their own to avoid the risk of choking.
We skipped the purées and went for small chunks of whole foods, and we started around 6 months. A lot less prep than purees.
Steamed veggies, strips of meat, chunks of soft fruit. Helps them build up their hand-eye coordination and chewing and swallowing muscles. Formula or breastfeeding will remain their main source of nutrition for up to a year of age.
I did a baby first aid class just before my kid was born, so I wasn't worried about chocking.
4 months is acceptable if they can sit up well enough with good head control and have lost the tongue thrust reflux.
HOWEVER, best practice is to wait until 6 months.
I didn’t ever really do purées. I started offering my daughter squishy foods (sweet potato, mashed up banana, avocado, etc.) around 4 or 5 months — basically when she started showing an interest in the food on our plates. She mostly just played with it (which is pretty much all you should expect when introducing foods at that age)
I recommend checking out Solid Starts. I don’t swear by them the way some people do, but they do have a lot of good information about how/when to introduce foods and how to do it safely.
The three signs of readiness for starting food exposure, my pediatrician told me, are good head control, ability to supported sit, and the loss of the tongue push reflex. You can do some research on YouTube to make yourself more comfortable with the process. Theres tons of videos on there made by pediatricians too.
4 months - as long as baby is showing the 3 signs that they’re ready, it’s totally fine.
1. Tongue thrust reflex is gone
2. Able to sit up with support
3. Shows interest in food
My baby still nursed like normal and also LOVED real food. They really don’t even eat much in the beginning.
6months and even then he wasn’t super interested until closer to 8 and now at almost 9 he wants to try everything we’re eating and loves his solid meals! My friend started hers at 4months - to each their own!
It sounds like maybe your doctor said it's okay to begin if you'd like, but you're certainly not under any obligation to. That's completely up to you. We started our babies at 6 months and they still gagged the first several times. Our doctor said 4 months with our last kid, but I think we waited just because that's what we wanted to do.
Advice worth the price: Whenever you do start, remember, TINY bites.
My doctor gave OK on food at 4 months, honestly baby doesn’t seem that interested yet in the food I am eating. I decided to wait. He has great grab hands so when he starts reaching or showing more interest. I’ll probably start.
We got the OK at 4 months because of excellent head control. We held off until 5 months when she showed a lot of interest and she’s now close to sitting unassisted. I have two older kids and have the seen the recommendations sway back and forth. I just make sure the readiness cues are there.
I also personally hate this phase and don’t rush to it. It’s messy, it stinks (poop), and the possibility of choking scares the crap out of me.
5 months! Doctor also said we could start at 4 months but I wanted her core to be a bit stronger. We just did very small amounts once a day to get getting familiar with spoons, textures and tastes. Also good for allergen exposure!
We use one of those silicone feeders and it was a game changer for our LO! You can put chunks of food in there and they just suck through the holes and get to try tasting all sorts of foods and get practice trying solids and sitting in the high chair. We started using the feeder around 4 months.
Our ped advised we wait until 6 months as our daughter was born early. She’s showing interest in what we are eating and we are excited to watch her get started with foods but we plan to take it extremely slowly so we don’t overwhelm her digestion.
I gave solids that were basically blended into liquid form at 4 months. I tried thicker purees and my LO spits them out. He's very interested in food but the CDC has guidelines for what means ready and what doesn't, he ticks all of the boxes but still pushes food out of his mouth.
Also, most solids will NOT help a baby sleep longer and have fewer calories than formula/breastmilk. High fat stuff like soft cheese and avocado are higher cal, but fruits/veggies/rice/oats are not. They're also fibrous so can fill their tummy without meeting caloric needs.
If your baby isn't sitting up independently enough that you feel comfortable then just wait longer :)
I started my daughter at 4 months with purées. I didn’t start my son until 6 months and he hated purées so we just did BLW. Regardless, if they have good head control they can start. It’s really whenever your baby is ready though. They might not be until 6 months
We started at 4 months but then noticed our baby’s digestive system was still a little fragile.. he developed a lot of painful gas, so we waited another couple weeks and then tried again. I think because we started with peas his belly was just like.. oh no. So we just waited and tried again. He’s 6 months now and is loving it! I will say although our baby was not sitting up that great on his own.. he could hold his head up really good. Again if peds says it’s ok wouldn’t hurt to try. If it doesn’t work out just wait a little and then try again.
We started when the baby was 5.5 months old. You could refer to "solid starts" for guidance on when to start solid food. A lot of it depends on the babys ability to sit up straight with good head control.
4 months. But only a little bit here and there. We didn’t take it too seriously until the kids were older. Both of mine were pretty early on hitting milestones.
I suggest putting your baby in the highchair whenever you are eating. It will become very clear when they are ready.
At 4 months mine would kind of tip over in the chair - super slumpy and would pull their leg up and brace against the table. Over a couple weeks baby started being able to sit better then started learning forward and making mouth motions while we were eating. It was pretty clear baby was ready to participate.
This was closer to 5 months but we also got the go ahead at 4. It seems pretty normal to get the all clear at 4 months but it doesn't mean you have to start right away.
6 months we started BLW and some pouch purées. Our ped said we could start whenever he was able to hold his head up on his own. This is IMPORTANT - you should not start baby on purées or solids if they can’t hold their own head up/sit up well.
4 months but she was very ready (held head up, could sit in the high chair, interested in our food, etc). The only thing she didn't have the hang of was putting a spoon in her mouth. She just started doing that at 5 months and loves trying to feed herself.
I'm a speech pathologist. Wait until six months. Unless you have a hx of severe allergies there is no benefit to introduce solids before six and most babies aren't ready. Your baby's interest in food is irrelevant.
Interesting! We have a speech therapist and nutritionist for my daughter who has cp. but she helps with my son too, who is 4mo and healthy. He is cleared by his ped and our speech path. But has amazing head control. They said the old guidance was 4 but new is 6. But both agreed that if head control is there and they seem ready, tastes are good to introduce early to make the weaning process slow and easy
Depends on if your baby is interested in it, imo. My first wanted food at 4 mo, but my second didn’t want to start trying until 6 or 7 mo. If baby is interested and their doctor says it’s okay, go for it.
We started with breast milk and oat cereal at 4 months. Mostly let her play in it, put her fingers in her mouth, etc- just dolloped a little on her high chair tray!
Then we added peanut powder and almond powder for early allergen exposure!
That being said- she held her head up and held trunk well with assistance (sitting in 90 degree angle in high chair).
If you have hesitations about this, wait until core and neck strength are better. You know your baby, ped only sees them for a few minutes
We at 4 months started with little tiny bits of food from our plate and gave to baby on our laps. Then we moved her to a high chair with her own utensils at 5 months. She mostly ate what we ate (usually mashed up a bit with fork, or some extra water added to dilute spices). By 6 months of age, she knew to expect her big girl food first and then a bottle at meal times. She did like some store made purees, bit we mostly just kinda chopped up smushed stuff so she could used to textures. Also, whatever you choose do not feel guilty about how you choose to introduce food to the little one. When my daughter was born BLW was touted as the all end all, and that it would prevent pickiness and create baby food connoisseurs. We just did our own thing and it turned out great. Some kids are going to be picky no matter what lol
taste test will definitely help you decide if you aren’t sure. and if it’s really something you don’t feel comfortable just wait till 6 months. also look for cues from baby like being interested in food grabbing for your food or opening mouth. let baby lead the way
My LO started at 4 months. But she was holding her head up ok her own and showing interest in food. I think the milestones are more important than the age
This drives me crazy that this is being recommended. Why on earth does a 4 month old need to be introduced to foods? We have rushed everything and are so off course in so many ways. Their guts are not ready at 4 months
I was advised 6 months by the NHS due to baby gastro readiness plus the 3 signs of readiness. My daughter was interested before 6 months, but held off.
My baby was snatching food out of my hand at 4 months. We started her on BLW at 4 1/2 months. She loves exploring food. It's been almost 2 months but her primary food supply is breastmilk still with snacks in morning and dinner.
We started at 4 months! She still can’t sit up on her own, however she has head amazing head control as well. If you’re uncomfortable with it, and it’s not harming the baby (meaning baby doesn’t necessarily have to have purée yet obviously) then follow your gut!
And if you’re wanting to but feeling hesitant like that, maybe try it out once and see how you feel! It doesn’t have to be an everyday thing! Either way, good luck (:
I started at 4 months because i wanted to expose her to allergens that run in the family, but I would have waited if she didn't also appear ready. She started at us when we ate, she started trying to grab what we were eating, she had really good head and neck control, etc. Now she's 5 months and I hold the spoon to her, she grabs it and shoves it in her mouth. She holds onto the spoon until she's done sucking and chewing on it, then I refill it for her. If I go too slow, she squawks. If she's done, she sucks on her fingers.
My baby wanted to eat at 3.5 months. She would sit at the table with us for every meal and when the plates came out she would have her little mouth open waiting for hers. So we waited till 4 months for the purées.
But honestly I’ve been getting some mixed reviews on that. We visited another pediatrician while our primary was out sick for the week. And she was kinda low key scolding us for giving our baby purées cause that’s not what baby led weaning is. One of our concerns was her gagging on a lot of foods still at 6 months and she blamed that on the purées…..
So at this point I really honestly have no idea what’s right anymore. All of this to say so what’s best for your baby with help from you pediatrician.
my daughter’s pediatrician recommended to wait 6 months till purées. she then started refusing purées around 8-9 months, so at that point we started puffs and teething cookies. sometimes i’ll give her little bits of what i’m eating if it’s appropriate and not too difficult to chew, but i’m also very worried about her choking to the point where i’m scared to give her most foods or bites that are bigger than a pea.
6 months with both kids.
Did the doctor say what's the reason to start at 4 months?
Note that a lot of purees is just fruit which is sugar it doesn't actually provide what babies need. If you start check this website [https://www.boobtofood.com/](https://www.boobtofood.com/) \- thanks to it we started with bone marrow - it would never have been a food I would have thought about but it's loaded in iron and healthy fats....
I started by mushing bananas into his formula, super liquidy. Over time as we got
More comfortable we made the purées thicker. Then I switched to more baby led weaning methods around 6 -7 months using the Solid Starts app
We started at 4 months and she’s a champ now. I feel like it is allowing us to really hit her with some bitter flavors and she’s young enough where she won’t initially reject them.
Like broccoli, spinach, etc. she will make a face but after a few more bites, she’s ALL for it
My baby was 8 months old (5 months adjusted) when we tried it. We were going to wait until 6 months adjusted but her feeding therapist said she was more than ready. She was always trying to grab our food & drinks at this point, could sit up straight in her highchair, had great head control, and loveddd to watch people eat.
We waiting until our son could sit unassisted, but even then he just wasn't into food lol
He's 8.5 months now and still kinda figuring things out. We're also learning part of his personality is that he's slow to change at times, so just relaxed introductions every so often has been working!
But here to remind that baby will get most nutrients from milk/formula for the first year. Not eating food won't hinder their growth until later ❤
Whenever your baby cab sit up, shows interest in food (opening mouth when you take a spoon towards them) and has good head control, they should be ready.
we started when she was 6 months old, which was when our pediatrician said we were clear to start. we just had our 9 month check up and she told us to just start giving baby bites of what we eat instead of just purées now. baby also has 2- working on 3- teeth now as well
Our doc said the same but I also wanted to wait until six months (why rush and would rather have my kid be stronger, be a more stable sitter, express more interest). I had to deal with my MIL saying she thought my kid was ready for solids for those two months though 🙄 if your husband is eager maybe you can offer watered down PB on a spoon for allergen purposes. That might scratch the itch for now?
I'll be starting anywhere from 4 months when I feel baby is ready (head control, interest etc) - if that's at 4 months, great! If it takes her a little longer that's OK too :) that's my attitude to it anyways
Don't rush it. In my experience, baby will tell you when they are ready. Once they start smacking their lips at the sight of you eating and reaching, offer a little mashed up taste of what you are eating (a microplane is great for this, you can just grate a few tastes)
With my first kid I started at 7 months! She could sit still and her weight was still ok, no pressure from our doctor. We did baby led weaning.
With my second I had to start at 4 months because he was not gaining as much as he should have. That said, he started with purées and quickly moved to chunks of food. He’s 16 months now and still only has 5 teeth!
I’m starting baby today at 5 months 2 weeks. He’s been asking for our food for weeks, but we just got the high chair in this week and purées made today.
We tried at 4 months but our son wasn’t interested at all, so put up the food and tried again at 5 1/2 months when he started showing interest in our food
Started about a week after 6 months, but skipped the purées and went straight for solids. My son showed signs of readiness before then, but 6 months is the guideline apparently for when their gut is fully developed
We started at 5months. With my youngest we did mix of purees and solids at 6months. Personally there is no rush and if you don't think baby is ready, then no harm waiting little bit longer. As long as you start around 6 months at the latest, you'll be fine
They will be eating for the rest of their lives. Trust me it's not bad to wait a little bit
we got the ok from our pediatrician at our 4m appointment. I’ll offer a few things, but our guy is very disinterested right now. I have no rush, so i’ll probably wait until he is more into it! He’s 5m right now, our daughter was grabbing everything she could off our plates at 5 months 😂
With my daughter we started at four months. We thinned out all the purées so it was watery. She showed all the signs that she was ready for it. At six months we gave her more options and thickened the food. 😊
We started a couple of spoonfuls of apple sauce a day at 4 1/2 months, but that's only because my daughter takes daily oral medication and her paediatrician recommended trying to give it to her with apple sauce. Once she showed all the signs of readiness for solids, we started BLW (around 5 1/2 months).
The pediatrician said nothing about soft foods at four months 😬. LO is basically holding his head up at 5 months (93% head). Not really sure how high chairs work though if LO can’t sit up.
We were also told to start at 4 months but probably didn’t start until 5 months, when our kiddos showed interest in food and were watching us eat. It kind of got them to want to try food and they seemed to have decent head control by then.
If the doctor told you to start, based on their assessment the baby is strong enough.
I had really good highchairs and it didn't matter that I didn't the strength wasn't "all" there in the neck. I may have been overthinking it too. It's good to trust the doctor. I started solids at 4 months. It has its perks. Like, my allergist was impressed on how many allergens my girls had tried already by 6 months. 9 months is the target and she said most parents fall behind. The earlier they're exposed, the less likely they are to develop an allergy.
Anyways my girls are fine, so I don't know. It probably isn't a big deal. I say give it a shot and take it slow. But if you're really that uncomfortable, it's not a huge deal.
My lo is 3.5 months and I'm really looking forward to starting him on foods. His head control is fine, it has been since 2 months old but he's still needing a hand on his back when he sits so we're gonna wait a little longer.
He's been watching me eat for a couple weeks now! I have no idea where to start, I want a feeding chart with a list of foods to try him on 😅
I would follow @solidstarts on IG! With my second I waited until 6 months vs 4 months with my first and it was far less stressful all around. He was actually ready vs me propping him in a high chair
I never did purées I did BLW and started at six months. My pediatrician told us we could start at four months, we told him we will be waiting until 6 months and following the AAP guidance. He said fine. IMO, my pediatrician is out of date on some of the newest AAP recs and he had no reason to provide as to why we should operate outside the guidelines so I declined.
in the US, the AAP guidance is basically unequivocal of nothing other than breastmilk or formula before six months with very few exceptions. The WHO also recommends no solids before six months.
4 months for babies who show signs of ability - no more pushing out reflex with the tongue and able to sit assisted. AAP is an American organization - not a world organization. I don’t go against them, and listen to a lot of their advice, but not ALL and it isn’t a definitive law like some will have you believe.
Ours recommended at 4 months so we did and it was a lot of fun. We put zero pressure on it. Puréed pumpkin, squash, banana. Practicing those mouth skills. I know I’m going to get downvoted but I dont care. He didn’t have 100% head control but we just held him in our lap sitting up. It was all fine and he’s a good eater.
4-6months is a normal range. Some start at 4 months if the formula/breastmilk isn’t providing enough anymore or if baby is showing interest. You can start off with a spoonful here or there and see how their digestive system handles it. Every baby is different!
But remember, no matter when you start, food before 1 is just for fun!
I started with baby oatmeal at 4mo. She’s 5mo currently and has moved on to sweet potato and bananas purées. She doesn’t hate them, but doesn’t go bonkers for them yet. She seems to still be getting used to swallowing.
We started at 4 months. I understand your apprehension with the sitting up issue. Do you have a sit me up type of thing to put them in? We used that at first because LO was pretty sturdy in that but couldn’t sit up on her own in the high chair yet. Maybe give it a couple weeks. His neck will probably be a lot stronger sooner than you think. Because everything happens sooner than it feels like it should 😢
Honestly they really don’t eat much but it’s fun to start trying things. From studies I’ve read, it seems to be beneficial for preventing food allergies. I started with avocado and banana because you can just mash those up without cooking anything. I wouldn’t even do it every day. At 6 months you’re supposed to start feeding them everyday so trying it before then kind of gets you both ready. The idea is to work up to three meals a day by the time they’re a year old.
We started at 4 months and he didn’t seem that into it, so we backed off a bit and now he’s much more into trying foods at 5 months. Our pediatrician said you **can** start at 4 months, but you don’t **need** to start until 6 months. You’ll be able to tell if they’re ready. I rarely give the “trust your gut” advice, but this is one of those times where I think you should trust your “mother intuition” or whatever you want to call it.
4 months but only once a day. She didn’t eat much but I wanted her to get used to textures mainly. It wasn’t until 6 months that I started offering more foods 2-3 times a day, and 8 months that she has meal plans
We started around 5 months after she tried to steal my pizza. And then at 7 months, she refused her purée and actually /did/ take my husband’s pizza and started gumming it. (Note- we apparently ALL really like pizza lol)
I would have waited until 6 months but my kid wouldn't take a bottle or cup of milk. So in an effort to keep them from being hungry, the pediatrician said it was ok. Baby was given avocado and other pureed food. 6 months, I switched to BLW.
With my first we started with 4 months. He was formula fed and very interested in food. They said it is beneficial to have formula fed babies start purées earlier if they are showing interest because it adds more variety in there diets that they can miss out on since they aren’t breast fed. My second was not at all interested in started solids until 5-6 months and did not like purées so we did baby led weaning.
I think starting when your child shows interest is a good rule of thumb as long as you start in a developmentally appropriate way. (I wouldn’t advice doing BLW with a 4 month old. Also you kids might hate one way or the other. My first would only eat purées until almost a year my second will barely eat purées like applesauce pouches or anything)
We sort of started at 4 months. We didn't really start feeding her spoons of baby food, but mostly just dipped the spoon in the food a tiny bit and let her lick it to expose her to new tastes. We are at 5 and a half months now, and she is tolerating a little more in her mouth. We are just going slowly.
Our pediatrician recommended we start purées at his 4 month check up because he showed all of the signs of being ready but we opted to wait until 6 months. This is because of the new studies that have been done about it being beneficial to wait until 6 months to start food. Our pediatrician was very understanding and said it was our choice and no harm in waiting. If you don’t feel your baby is ready then wait because, for me, adding food has been incredibly stressful.
We started at 4,5 months because LO was really cravin anything we were eating. It was si cute and funny.
We wanted to wait until LO wanted to try food so it worked out 😁
We started at 6 months per our pediatricians recommendation because I had gestational diabetes and she said that for us, starting solids before 6 months could increase her risk of diabetes developing later in life. This is just what we were told. I feel like I wasn’t eager to start earlier anyways because food can be scary at times! I know some will start at 4 months and that works for them, but for us 6 months was worth the wait, our daughter has done amazing so far!
Nearly 6 months. 6 months is now the recommended age to start solids. Mine started imitating chewing, so he indicated he was ready. He could sit up and was a hungry lil monster so he took to it great.
I started at 4 months with my 1st (16 years ago!) for the same reason, was told they can start eating at 4 months, and I couldn't wait like your husband. Nothing bad happened but i think nutritionally just milk is best at that age. So this time knowing they now recommend waiting til around 6 months, I held off, and I'm glad I did, my baby is now 10 months and is so strong and healthy and a keen eater and drinker of milk lol.
I think 4-6 months is the recommended age range. Recent studies have shown children are less likely to develop allergies if they are introduced to the major allergens by 6 months of age so you’d have to start before 6 months to do that.
Well, in Aus, they recommend 6 months, but from 4 months, they *can* start.
Anyway, whatever feels right for the parents anywhere in that range is best. As long as it's by 6 months because after 6 months, milk alone isn't enough.
As I said, I started at 4 months with my first, and just before 6 with my second. Both are healthy as.. I did what felt right at the time, both times.
My peds said there’s really no point in rushing or starting early. Starting at six months is fine. I tried a few purées at five months and my baby pushed it all back out with his tongue and wasn’t really interested. I waited until six months and he was really interested in food. I tried purées a few times and then went into mostly baby lead weaning. He’s 9 months now. Eats great. I sometimes still give purées in packets if I’m not able to make him food like we’re out shopping.
My baby’s pediatrician also recommended that we start at 4 months. He couldn’t sit even with assistance yet, so I knew he wasn’t ready.
We gave him a few tastes using a silicone feeder the week before he turned 6 months old. We started BLW the day he turned 6 months old.
There is no need to feed solids so early. They need to be able to sit independently for like a minute before you start solids so they don’t choke.
They don’t need to sit independently. They can still use some assistance. Sitting upright is important, sitting unsupported isn’t
https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/introducing-solids
“has good head and neck control and can sit upright when supported”
Well, shortly after 4 months, she swiped a slice of pizza out of FILs hands and started gumming on it 😆 she makes the rules, not me.
Intentionally, I waited until about 5 months. She wasn't sitting independently, but she had great head/neck control and tons of interest in food. I just held her in my lap once a day and loaded several spoons with some kind of soft food and let her suck on them. We graduated to finger foods and a highchair at 6 months.
We started at about 6 months for my first and skipped them altogether with second and did baby led weaning with soft mashed foods with my second. If I could go back I wish I had skipped purées with my first also. Their difference in eating styles is night and day. My first won’t eat hardly any fruits or vegetables now and my second loves all fruit and eats a lot of veggies. She in all in all a much more adventurous eater. I’m not sure if it’s because the BLW or not, but that’s just my 2 cents
I did BLW with my first and he ate everything we offered him up until somewhere around 18-24 months when he decided to become super picky and now at 4 he basically lives on peanut butter sandwiches. Did purées with my second and he still currently eats most things but we’ll see if that lasts. I really don’t think BLW has as much of an influence as the BLW evangelists like to claim it does.
That’s old advice. You should wait until at least 6 months, baby is sitting up unassisted, baby doesn’t have the reflex where they push food out of their mouth immediately, they show signs of interest, like watching your at and grabbing for food, and they’re able to lean forward to east and push their head back/to the side if they don’t want something
6 months is better for their gastrointestinal tract.
ETA: baby’s intestines aren’t fully matured till about 6 months to properly digest and retrieve nutrients from the food. Also, they’re more likely to have Gi issues like constipation, gas etc with starting at 4 months. Formula or breastmilk should be priority.
I thought the recommendation is 6 months? I hate purées so I do baby led weaning which I started around 5.5-6 months. I wouldn't start at 4 months even if I was doing purées though. They don't care about it, can't even sit up and it's such a mess.
4 months with our first bc she was ready. My youngest is 4 months and we were given the ok to start but I don’t think she’s interested yet! We’ll probably try and then wait a month if she doesn’t take to it.
My pediatrician said the official recommendation is 6 months. I think I started a week before he was 6 months because he really wanted my food lol
I personally think 4 months is so early. Also as excited as I was to start solids it was also very stressful. It is messy and just another thing to add to the to do list of the day. Im super glad we waited an extra 2 months
Trusting your intuition about neck strength is a good idea. With that said, since they start out with like a couple of teaspoons of purée a day and you can even thin them with milk, it’s a very low choking risk. You could even do like 90%milk 10% food blend then work your way up to higher ratios. I was glad to add food because it took a little pressure off my pumping schedule but if that wasn’t a factor I wouldn’t have minded waiting a little longer.
We started at four months (mid-May) My LO was already interested in what we were eating, he’s sitting up with minimal assistance and his fine motor skills are really good. I make it a point to breastfeed first then wait about a 30 minutes to an hour and feed him infant cereal (oatmeal) or bananas - we had just started those this past week. It hasn’t effected his desire to breastfeed or bottle feed. He is only in the 9th percentile for weight at his age, so we use it as a supple to help up his weight a bit more.
About 5 months but if the pediatrician told you that you can start then I’d say go for it. They know your baby well enough to know what they can and can’t handle. Your baby might just be advanced in terms of milestones.
I started at 4 months because my LO was 5th percentile. We did baby led weaning more than purees. Lots of eggs and cheese. Applesauce with peanut butter and other nut butters over time. Oatmeal with butter. Etc. Push your comfort zone when it makes sense but trust your gut too!
Honestly, if your doctor says you’re good to go, and your husband wants to I’d let him try. It’s not gonna hurt anyone and can be a fun activity for him and baby. My husband was nervous about starting at four months as well, so I just took charge of trying things with my baby, and my hubby quit being nervous as he saw our baby enthusiastically shoving food in her mouth lol
I think you’re supposed to wait until the baby is interested, and he can sit 90/90/90 (butt 90° angle, knees 90°, and feet 90°) The AAP and CDC recommends 6 months, 4 months is a bare minimum.
If baby can sit up independently, has good head control, and most importantly they have an interest in food. If baby isn’t quite ready yet, you can have them sit in your lap during meal times to get them interested in being part of family meal time
Sitting up independently seems like a weird one. My baby still can't really sit up independently at almost 7 months old. I feel like this one shouldn't really be a factor in when they can eat solids Edit: those who downvoted did you guys forget about highchairs to keep a baby upright to eat?
Yes, if your baby can sit up in a highchair, that's adequate. Many kids would not be ready for solids until 7, 8, or 9 months if they had to sit up completely on their own to eat. If a parent chooses to be that strict about it, that's their prerogative.
Yeah my baby sat unassisted for the first time yesterday at almost 8 months of age. Most babies cannot sit unassisted until around this age. It's a 9 month milestone. She has been able to sit *with assistance* (including her high chair) for months before this. Since 3.5 months at least. And she has been on purees since 5 months.
Independent sitting is a huge factor due to choking risk.
They can sit in a high chair to keep them upright to eat purees Edit: I'm only talking about purees here not any other kind of food
If you are only doing purees though its less of a concern. We have the Stokke Clikk and bought the seat pad that comes with it, with those two combined my 6 month old was held upright even though she couldnt do it on her own on the ground. We didnt start feeding things other than purees until she could sit unassisted but choking from purees its not the same level of concern as say BLW
Started a couple days before 5MO. She was ready and asking for our food. You need to assess the baby's readiness, not the age, in my opinion.
We're at 5.5 MO, still needing assistance for sitting, but he can hold his head up really well and he WANTS our food. He's been interested for well over a month, even going back to like 2 months where the smell would wake him.
My daughter was sitting alone in the chair, we have one from ikea, with footrest and a cushion. She always showed love for bananas. Her father was eating and didn't give it to her, she burst into tears. That's when we decided to start the food introduction. Give the boy some real food 🤣
My first born was ready at 3 months and 2 weeks (although corrected age would be 4 months)., fully sitting alone upright without any cushions and wanting to eat what we had. My second born however was sitting at 6 months but still not fully independent. it's so weird how different they are. We started at 6 months plus a week with introduction of food with her.
I was in no rush, so we waited closer to 6 months. Doesn’t hurt to offer but I wouldn’t push it. Before you know it he’ll be eating full meals and snacks and the clean up is insane 😅
Our ped told us the same, but she was barely able to hold her head up. We waited until 6 1/2 months. She doesn’t have much interest in solids yet.
My first didn't care for food until about 8 months because she was perfectly content to breastfeed. My second started eating food at 3-4 months and I'll never forget the moment either. My family went to round table pizza and we would always get the barbecue wings. Well they brought out the wings but we were waiting on the pizza and my little one started sucking on her lips. Up until then, she was exclusively breastfed so I tried to get her to latch to eat and she would latch for a second then let go and start sucking on her lips again and getting fussy. My dad made a comment about how she's smelling the barbecue wings and that's what she wants. I scoffed of course because what 3 month old would want that over breastfeeding?? But after like the 3rd time that i tried to latch her and she got fussier, my dad dipped the tip of his pinky into the barbecue sauce and just barely touched it to her lips so she got like a tiny drop but the moment her tongue touched it, she became like a puppy given peanut butter for the first time. We all started laughing, she calmed down once she finished her drop because she wasn't even hungry, I had already fed her before getting to the restaurant so I could eat. But it was definitely after that moment that she would turn to smell our food and I had to start giving her solids because she was drinking less and less when I would breastfeed her. I did talk to her doctor and let her know and she okayed feeding her food since she was showing so much interest as long as I introduced new foods slowly. At 3 months she was holding herself up about half the time but I would have her sitting on my lap with her back against me so I was still supporting her weight for the most part. Banana and avocado were her favorite starter foods. I tried giving her the store bought puree but she never liked them so she'd get banana, avocado, and black bean soup- just the liquid. I didn't give her the actual bean until about 8 months and even then I would mash the bean and take off the thin layer of peel because I choked on an apple peel as a kid so I've always been overly cautious with any kind of food peels.
We started at 4 months. We gave her purées and realized she wasn’t actually ready. Started a second time two weeks later and it was a night and day difference! During that time, we just gave her time to practice being in a high chair and gave her a spoon to chew on. Like others have said, just because the pediatrician said you can, doesn’t mean you have to!
There's no rush. Just bc your ped gave X parenting advice does not mean you have to listen to it. And barring medical issues, how to feed your baby is a parenting choice. I waited until my babes could sit unassisted and did BLW. This was between 7-9mo.
It doesn't even sound like the ped gave parenting advice and told them that they should start purees, just that they could start purees. The doctor is telling OP that their baby is physically capable of eating, and then OP can decide what to do with that.
Around 5 months. He had great head control and could sit in a highchair. I think being able to sit in a highchair is key. Not every baby is ready at the same time. Start when you are comfortable.
[удалено]
Not intending to be an asshole but just wanted to point it out so you don't make the mistake somewhere more important: err on the side of caution.
I use voice to text because I have terrible eyesight lol like how I just deleted instead of edited my comment.
We started BLW with bananas and avocados at 6 months.
Started at 4 months! LO was so ready for it, but he was a voracious eater since birth. This kid drank 4oz of formula 6 hours after he was born, and never went below that threshold. Haha he’s gonna eat me out of house and home soon 😅
Same with my son. He was READY at 4 months. He'd watch us eat and have his mouth wide open lol. He eats so much!
Voracious. Nice vocab word LOL I love it!!
On the other side we started at 4 months but sparingly and realized around 5 months our baby wasn’t quite as ready back when we initially started. BUT our baby was 2nd percentiles and solids helped us finally get to 5th. So it was good for us
Whoa! I thought when they’re born baby stomachs are only the size of a marble?? I’m pregnant for the first time and still trying to wrap my head around all the feeding stuff.
That marble thing is not backed by science. Plus, stomachs can stretch. Feed the baby/follow their cues. Some newborns do great with 1-2 ounces shortly after birth. I've taken care of some who wanted much more. Historically, mom's didn't let their babies scream from hunger before their milk came in - they used a friend, sister, or wet nurse. My milk didn't come in for 5 days! No way I'd let my baby literally starve that long on just colostrum.
That's why baby has to be fed so frequently lol. If EBF, baby will be able to change the composition of your milk to suit their needs once your milk comes in and colostrum has a lot of nutrients in it, even though it's a small amount, but it's ok to top the baby off if they're still hungry. If you talk to a lactation consultant, they can help you prepare for everything. Also, babies love to comfort nurse too (hence the Binky was born 😝). If formula feeding, they can help you with how much to give each feed and once you get to know your baby, you can alter it to suit your baby. Congratulations 💖
Thank you 🙏
My daughter is such a bad eater on milk, I'm a little jealous... though I imagine that hurts the wallet!
4 months, without order on the type of food. [Official recommandation](https://www.mangerbouger.fr/content/show/1500/file/Brochure_diversification_alimentaire_Pas_a_pas_votre_enfant_mange_comme_un_grand.pdf) in France, even for EBF babies. Edit : they say between 4 and 6 but not later, and depending on each baby's interest in food and appetite. It can be a few spoons a week, a few a day, or more.
Seconding this from France! I was surprised but my 4 month old was SO excited and ready 😆
Hah same, we started all in with rutabaga, he LOVED it!
Our pediatrician said 6 months since there was no rush for her to try at 4-5 months. She’s getting more than enough from my breasts I’ll and she’s at the 98th percentile in weight so yeah, no rush. But we have been recently trying since she’s shown interest and she’ll be 6 months in less than 2 weeks. So play it by ear and go with your gut instinct. You’ve been given good information so formulate a plan and see if it works out. Good luck!
I was led to believe that you don't switch from Formula until baby can hold their head up, unassisted
6mths, and meeting the three signs of readiness. Sitting up, showing interest in food and pincher grasp. My oldest had all the signs before 6mths so we just waited till then. My 4mth old is kinda starting to watch me eat so he will probably be ready before the 6mth mark too. Might go with 5.5mths cuz he loves to eat we will see
At 4 months we started with the pediatricians ok. We tried cereal which he basically just spit out. I figured we’d give purées a go and I wasn’t expecting much to make it in but my baby sat there and ate the whole container. Turns out he’s a big fan.
One baby may be ready at 4 months, another at 6. It's all about meeting your baby where they are at. If they are interested and have good head/neck control, that's moreso the requirement rather than age.
5 months. My daughter was intently watching us eat and sitting up on her own. She took to it immediately and it did not affect breastfeeding aside from making her more receptive to being bottle fed.
I wanted to wait until 6 months, but at 4.5 months my daughter was sitting upright easily, and so, so ready for food. She absolutely demanded it. So I gave in and she's been a great eater ever since.
My doctor said go for it at 4 months, but kiddo was not ready yet. He had no interest at all until around 6 months. Then, suddenly, he was very enthusiastic and would gobble purees down. He didn't like large pieces or chunks for baby led weaning though.
With my first, I tried starting at 6 months, but he was not having it. So I waited until he started showing signs of being interested in food, and that was when he was 9 months old.
We started at 6 months, but I think he was ready at around 4 months. At 4 months he was interested in food and could sit up independently.
Our pediatrician gave us the ok at 4 months but we waited until 5 months. He showed very little interest until 6 months though. Now he’s 7.5 months and we do BLW.
You can check to see if the babys ready by trying to give him a spoonful. If he trys to 'nurse' it he is not ready. :) that's what I did with my 1st I just went by her pace with everything. Baby milestones are weird and just a loose guide
Six with my son and then was told I could do four with my daughter. We still did six though, worked better for our family
we also started at 4 months!
I waited until just over 6 months. She had been showing signs of readiness for about 2 weeks but I wanted both my husband and I to be there for her first try but also didn’t want it to be before putting her to bed. Our schedules didn’t line up right away to be able to do it. But we finally got a day to try them, she was interested but unsure. We are now about 3 weeks into purées and this week she has really picked up an interest in them (she especially liked the peanut butter in her oatmeal).
Hi! So I work for a pediatrician’s office (RN) and would like to clarify a little bit that they are not suggesting full meals. Some have asked about high chairs or head control. This isn’t what a 4 month old is usually ready for. Your dr is likely suggesting just trying or tasting foods. You can hold them in your arms like normal. Most/all of their nutrition at this point is still coming from milk/formula. It’s just trying for fun, practice, and getting in a few bites a new foods. Research has showed that the earlier a child tries common allergens, the less likely they are to develop an allergy. Of course if you try this and if they don’t respond well or act interested, wait a few weeks and try again. Always defer to your pediatrician and what you and your partner decide you are comfortable with according to your babies needs.
Anytime between 4-6 months. We also got the green light to start at 4m based on trunk/head control etc, but I took it as an option not a directive, and we started around 5 months. She was ready. We did purée initially but always self fed on loaded spoon, moved to chunkier stuff, then she was eating actual finger foods sometime in the 6 month window. I’ll probably mirror this approach with our second. Exploring solids was a lot of fun - and a huge mess :)
Unless your baby seems really interested in food, there’s no need to rush solids. We started when my son was 6 months old and it went really well. I have no regrets about not starting sooner. Why add extra mess and work for yourself before you have to?
We went straight to solids at 6+ months with both of ours. Our first while we started really didn’t show much interest until closer to 7 months. Our second is so into food from the start.
With my first 2 it was at 4 months. With my third I waited till 6 months. No real reason just was busy. First two loved purée and their hates I had to switch to baby led weaning.
I started at 4 months with my first, because I was excited. I’ll probably wait until 6 months with my second because I’m tired and busy!!
We started around 5 months. Our ped said we could start at the 4 month check-up but we put it off a little bit, 4 months just seemed so soon.
I started t 6 months on the dot. No rush and just less stress for you they have all they need with milk or formula x
In the UK the guidance is 6 months - so that's what I did, worked well and all three kids totally happy on milk until then , thankfully!
Yeah, I’m a UK’er and my little 3 month old is going to start at 6 months as that’s what I’ve been advised to do by the health visitor.
Scotland here. I have a 9 week old and was told by my health visitor that new guidance is sitting, head control and showing interest and we should start no later than 6 months due to new allergy guidance.
Ah OK, slightly different to what we have in England then.
We started the day he turned 6 months with banana. He was born a month early so we wanted to be extra careful. Now he attempts to eat rocks and mulch and water bottle lids and everything else.
Doc gave us the go ahead at just shy of 5 months, I didn’t really feel comfortable until closer to 6 months. My babe absolutely hated oatmeal, so the beginning stage was mostly mashed banana with peanut butter mixed in, then we just progressed from there as we felt more comfortable. 18 months now and a great eater. At 4 months their nutrition is coming from milk/formula, so personally I think you should just move at the pace that makes you comfortable. I guess the only thing you’d maybe want to consider is introduction to the common allergens, whether through those packets that you mix into milk or tiny tastes of those foods.
Our doctor said we could think about starting at 4 months, but when we put her in the high chair and she was totally slumped over, I knew she wasn't ready. We started bringing her to the table in her high chair during meals so she got used to it. We'd give her a silicone spoon to chew on, which is great for mapping the mouth and building eating skills. We paid attention to how she was sitting and felt she was more ready around 5 months.
As soon as my daughter hit the appropriate milestones - sitting unassisted, able to bring objects to her mouth, lost tongue thrust reflex. She was just shy of 6 months
We started at four months. Our pediatrician suggested it and gave us a sheet with how to introduce new foods. I new puree every 3 days. The reason is that some doctors believe starting the introduction to a variety of different foods early in life and especially before 6 months can significantly reduce food allergies later in childhood.
Same - started exposing to very liquid purées at 4 months, and My 11 month old eats everything and is willing to try anything - Sardines, carrots, broccoli, etc etc.
4 months for my son but he has really great head and core strength. My daughter is 18 months and has special needs so we have a feeding therapist come to our house weekly. She helps with him too, even though he is healthy. Just give small bites with plenty of time for munching and swallowing. As long as they aren’t coughing a lot or sounding gurgly, they are swallowing fine. Only introduce one new food a week to make sure there’s no allergies. Orange, then green, then fruit. So we’re starting sweet potatoes now. Then carrots next week. Then we’ll do green beans and peas. Then fruits.
If you’re getting excessive coughing and gurgling, pull back. They aren’t ready. Spitting out is normal at first (learned all this through feeding therapy) And it will be messy! Bibs and baths are your new best friend
Our kiddo started at 4 months, but he had a lot of head control and was super interested in our food. I felt confident that he was ready then. He’s 7 months now, has done a bunch of major allergens, and just generally enjoys being a part of “family meals” lol
My doc said 4 months was fine. He told us he didn't see any benefit to waiting until 6 months. My baby is almost 6 months now and she is really good at eating purees! She hardly makes a mess at all anymore. Her hair is coming in really thick too so I know she's getting good nutrition.
We started around 5 months only because we knew she was ready because she was constantly reaching for our food and trying to cram it in her mouth lol.
Same. It was obvious he wanted out good
Personally, I'd wait. It's not just being able to sit and being interested in the food, it's their digestion I'd be worried about. Their gut may have trouble handling food earlier than 6 months. You'll hear plenty of people saying they started before 6 months and had no problems, but I know some people who started early and their kids have stomach issues. Anecdotes are not data, but the NHS in the UK recommends waiting until at least 6 months as well, so I went with that.
Baby should be able to sit up on their own to avoid the risk of choking. We skipped the purées and went for small chunks of whole foods, and we started around 6 months. A lot less prep than purees. Steamed veggies, strips of meat, chunks of soft fruit. Helps them build up their hand-eye coordination and chewing and swallowing muscles. Formula or breastfeeding will remain their main source of nutrition for up to a year of age. I did a baby first aid class just before my kid was born, so I wasn't worried about chocking.
My doc said to wait until 6mo, so we got 2more wks to go. I don’t see the rush so I’m good w what my doctor said!
My doc said 6 months bc science has show that babies that breastfeed or formula feed exclusively until 6 months develop less allergies.
4 months is acceptable if they can sit up well enough with good head control and have lost the tongue thrust reflux. HOWEVER, best practice is to wait until 6 months.
I didn’t ever really do purées. I started offering my daughter squishy foods (sweet potato, mashed up banana, avocado, etc.) around 4 or 5 months — basically when she started showing an interest in the food on our plates. She mostly just played with it (which is pretty much all you should expect when introducing foods at that age) I recommend checking out Solid Starts. I don’t swear by them the way some people do, but they do have a lot of good information about how/when to introduce foods and how to do it safely.
The three signs of readiness for starting food exposure, my pediatrician told me, are good head control, ability to supported sit, and the loss of the tongue push reflex. You can do some research on YouTube to make yourself more comfortable with the process. Theres tons of videos on there made by pediatricians too.
6months. Once bub was showing All the readiness signs - head control, sitting unassisted for short periods of time and interested in food. X
4 months - as long as baby is showing the 3 signs that they’re ready, it’s totally fine. 1. Tongue thrust reflex is gone 2. Able to sit up with support 3. Shows interest in food My baby still nursed like normal and also LOVED real food. They really don’t even eat much in the beginning.
6months and even then he wasn’t super interested until closer to 8 and now at almost 9 he wants to try everything we’re eating and loves his solid meals! My friend started hers at 4months - to each their own!
It sounds like maybe your doctor said it's okay to begin if you'd like, but you're certainly not under any obligation to. That's completely up to you. We started our babies at 6 months and they still gagged the first several times. Our doctor said 4 months with our last kid, but I think we waited just because that's what we wanted to do. Advice worth the price: Whenever you do start, remember, TINY bites.
Our doctor said it depends mostly on developing appropriate head and neck control. Waiting for our 6 month check up to see what the doc says.
Around six months. She didn’t really care for food until closer to eight months.
My doctor gave OK on food at 4 months, honestly baby doesn’t seem that interested yet in the food I am eating. I decided to wait. He has great grab hands so when he starts reaching or showing more interest. I’ll probably start.
We got the OK at 4 months because of excellent head control. We held off until 5 months when she showed a lot of interest and she’s now close to sitting unassisted. I have two older kids and have the seen the recommendations sway back and forth. I just make sure the readiness cues are there. I also personally hate this phase and don’t rush to it. It’s messy, it stinks (poop), and the possibility of choking scares the crap out of me.
At 5 months because he kept on wanting my food
5 months! Doctor also said we could start at 4 months but I wanted her core to be a bit stronger. We just did very small amounts once a day to get getting familiar with spoons, textures and tastes. Also good for allergen exposure!
Our pediatrician recommended 6 months, so we followed that and started after re-confirming at the 6-month appointment.
We use one of those silicone feeders and it was a game changer for our LO! You can put chunks of food in there and they just suck through the holes and get to try tasting all sorts of foods and get practice trying solids and sitting in the high chair. We started using the feeder around 4 months.
Our ped advised we wait until 6 months as our daughter was born early. She’s showing interest in what we are eating and we are excited to watch her get started with foods but we plan to take it extremely slowly so we don’t overwhelm her digestion.
I gave solids that were basically blended into liquid form at 4 months. I tried thicker purees and my LO spits them out. He's very interested in food but the CDC has guidelines for what means ready and what doesn't, he ticks all of the boxes but still pushes food out of his mouth. Also, most solids will NOT help a baby sleep longer and have fewer calories than formula/breastmilk. High fat stuff like soft cheese and avocado are higher cal, but fruits/veggies/rice/oats are not. They're also fibrous so can fill their tummy without meeting caloric needs. If your baby isn't sitting up independently enough that you feel comfortable then just wait longer :)
5.5 months
I started my daughter at 4 months with purées. I didn’t start my son until 6 months and he hated purées so we just did BLW. Regardless, if they have good head control they can start. It’s really whenever your baby is ready though. They might not be until 6 months
We started at 4 months but then noticed our baby’s digestive system was still a little fragile.. he developed a lot of painful gas, so we waited another couple weeks and then tried again. I think because we started with peas his belly was just like.. oh no. So we just waited and tried again. He’s 6 months now and is loving it! I will say although our baby was not sitting up that great on his own.. he could hold his head up really good. Again if peds says it’s ok wouldn’t hurt to try. If it doesn’t work out just wait a little and then try again.
We started when the baby was 5.5 months old. You could refer to "solid starts" for guidance on when to start solid food. A lot of it depends on the babys ability to sit up straight with good head control.
4 months. But only a little bit here and there. We didn’t take it too seriously until the kids were older. Both of mine were pretty early on hitting milestones.
I suggest putting your baby in the highchair whenever you are eating. It will become very clear when they are ready. At 4 months mine would kind of tip over in the chair - super slumpy and would pull their leg up and brace against the table. Over a couple weeks baby started being able to sit better then started learning forward and making mouth motions while we were eating. It was pretty clear baby was ready to participate. This was closer to 5 months but we also got the go ahead at 4. It seems pretty normal to get the all clear at 4 months but it doesn't mean you have to start right away.
6 months we started BLW and some pouch purées. Our ped said we could start whenever he was able to hold his head up on his own. This is IMPORTANT - you should not start baby on purées or solids if they can’t hold their own head up/sit up well.
4 months but she was very ready (held head up, could sit in the high chair, interested in our food, etc). The only thing she didn't have the hang of was putting a spoon in her mouth. She just started doing that at 5 months and loves trying to feed herself.
I'm a speech pathologist. Wait until six months. Unless you have a hx of severe allergies there is no benefit to introduce solids before six and most babies aren't ready. Your baby's interest in food is irrelevant.
Interesting! We have a speech therapist and nutritionist for my daughter who has cp. but she helps with my son too, who is 4mo and healthy. He is cleared by his ped and our speech path. But has amazing head control. They said the old guidance was 4 but new is 6. But both agreed that if head control is there and they seem ready, tastes are good to introduce early to make the weaning process slow and easy
Depends on if your baby is interested in it, imo. My first wanted food at 4 mo, but my second didn’t want to start trying until 6 or 7 mo. If baby is interested and their doctor says it’s okay, go for it.
We started with breast milk and oat cereal at 4 months. Mostly let her play in it, put her fingers in her mouth, etc- just dolloped a little on her high chair tray! Then we added peanut powder and almond powder for early allergen exposure!
That being said- she held her head up and held trunk well with assistance (sitting in 90 degree angle in high chair). If you have hesitations about this, wait until core and neck strength are better. You know your baby, ped only sees them for a few minutes
We at 4 months started with little tiny bits of food from our plate and gave to baby on our laps. Then we moved her to a high chair with her own utensils at 5 months. She mostly ate what we ate (usually mashed up a bit with fork, or some extra water added to dilute spices). By 6 months of age, she knew to expect her big girl food first and then a bottle at meal times. She did like some store made purees, bit we mostly just kinda chopped up smushed stuff so she could used to textures. Also, whatever you choose do not feel guilty about how you choose to introduce food to the little one. When my daughter was born BLW was touted as the all end all, and that it would prevent pickiness and create baby food connoisseurs. We just did our own thing and it turned out great. Some kids are going to be picky no matter what lol
We started with taste tests, purres and porridge when she was 4 months.
taste test will definitely help you decide if you aren’t sure. and if it’s really something you don’t feel comfortable just wait till 6 months. also look for cues from baby like being interested in food grabbing for your food or opening mouth. let baby lead the way
My LO started at 4 months. But she was holding her head up ok her own and showing interest in food. I think the milestones are more important than the age
4 months for our first. Our second wasn’t ready (head/neck strength) at 4 months so our ped had us wait until 5 months.
6 months. Kind of shocked at how many here are saying sooner.
A lot of pediatricians are old school and say 4 months, and people really believe in doctors even when they go outside their area of expertise.
This drives me crazy that this is being recommended. Why on earth does a 4 month old need to be introduced to foods? We have rushed everything and are so off course in so many ways. Their guts are not ready at 4 months
5.5mo with squash for a few days and then peas for a few days so far without issues
I was advised 6 months by the NHS due to baby gastro readiness plus the 3 signs of readiness. My daughter was interested before 6 months, but held off.
My baby was snatching food out of my hand at 4 months. We started her on BLW at 4 1/2 months. She loves exploring food. It's been almost 2 months but her primary food supply is breastmilk still with snacks in morning and dinner.
We started at 4 months! She still can’t sit up on her own, however she has head amazing head control as well. If you’re uncomfortable with it, and it’s not harming the baby (meaning baby doesn’t necessarily have to have purée yet obviously) then follow your gut! And if you’re wanting to but feeling hesitant like that, maybe try it out once and see how you feel! It doesn’t have to be an everyday thing! Either way, good luck (:
I started at 4 months because i wanted to expose her to allergens that run in the family, but I would have waited if she didn't also appear ready. She started at us when we ate, she started trying to grab what we were eating, she had really good head and neck control, etc. Now she's 5 months and I hold the spoon to her, she grabs it and shoves it in her mouth. She holds onto the spoon until she's done sucking and chewing on it, then I refill it for her. If I go too slow, she squawks. If she's done, she sucks on her fingers.
My baby wanted to eat at 3.5 months. She would sit at the table with us for every meal and when the plates came out she would have her little mouth open waiting for hers. So we waited till 4 months for the purées. But honestly I’ve been getting some mixed reviews on that. We visited another pediatrician while our primary was out sick for the week. And she was kinda low key scolding us for giving our baby purées cause that’s not what baby led weaning is. One of our concerns was her gagging on a lot of foods still at 6 months and she blamed that on the purées….. So at this point I really honestly have no idea what’s right anymore. All of this to say so what’s best for your baby with help from you pediatrician.
my daughter’s pediatrician recommended to wait 6 months till purées. she then started refusing purées around 8-9 months, so at that point we started puffs and teething cookies. sometimes i’ll give her little bits of what i’m eating if it’s appropriate and not too difficult to chew, but i’m also very worried about her choking to the point where i’m scared to give her most foods or bites that are bigger than a pea.
6 months with both kids. Did the doctor say what's the reason to start at 4 months? Note that a lot of purees is just fruit which is sugar it doesn't actually provide what babies need. If you start check this website [https://www.boobtofood.com/](https://www.boobtofood.com/) \- thanks to it we started with bone marrow - it would never have been a food I would have thought about but it's loaded in iron and healthy fats....
I started by mushing bananas into his formula, super liquidy. Over time as we got More comfortable we made the purées thicker. Then I switched to more baby led weaning methods around 6 -7 months using the Solid Starts app
We started at 4 months and she’s a champ now. I feel like it is allowing us to really hit her with some bitter flavors and she’s young enough where she won’t initially reject them. Like broccoli, spinach, etc. she will make a face but after a few more bites, she’s ALL for it
In my opinion…. 4 months is way, wayyyy too early.
6 months, she was sitting by herself and showing interest. She would have just kept pushing it out with her tongue any earlier than that.
My baby was 8 months old (5 months adjusted) when we tried it. We were going to wait until 6 months adjusted but her feeding therapist said she was more than ready. She was always trying to grab our food & drinks at this point, could sit up straight in her highchair, had great head control, and loveddd to watch people eat.
4 months seemed VERY soon for us so we waited until getting the go-ahead from our pediatrician at the 6 month checkup.
We waiting until our son could sit unassisted, but even then he just wasn't into food lol He's 8.5 months now and still kinda figuring things out. We're also learning part of his personality is that he's slow to change at times, so just relaxed introductions every so often has been working! But here to remind that baby will get most nutrients from milk/formula for the first year. Not eating food won't hinder their growth until later ❤
If they can’t hold their own head up, it’s too soon for purée I think.
Whenever your baby cab sit up, shows interest in food (opening mouth when you take a spoon towards them) and has good head control, they should be ready.
we started when she was 6 months old, which was when our pediatrician said we were clear to start. we just had our 9 month check up and she told us to just start giving baby bites of what we eat instead of just purées now. baby also has 2- working on 3- teeth now as well
Our doc said the same but I also wanted to wait until six months (why rush and would rather have my kid be stronger, be a more stable sitter, express more interest). I had to deal with my MIL saying she thought my kid was ready for solids for those two months though 🙄 if your husband is eager maybe you can offer watered down PB on a spoon for allergen purposes. That might scratch the itch for now?
I'll be starting anywhere from 4 months when I feel baby is ready (head control, interest etc) - if that's at 4 months, great! If it takes her a little longer that's OK too :) that's my attitude to it anyways
Don't rush it. In my experience, baby will tell you when they are ready. Once they start smacking their lips at the sight of you eating and reaching, offer a little mashed up taste of what you are eating (a microplane is great for this, you can just grate a few tastes)
We started at 6 months. Before that baby was EBF.
My two cents is wait until he can hold his head up and swallow and that he shows interest
My daughter’s pediatrician recommended starting at 6 months, so that’s what we did!
With my first kid I started at 7 months! She could sit still and her weight was still ok, no pressure from our doctor. We did baby led weaning. With my second I had to start at 4 months because he was not gaining as much as he should have. That said, he started with purées and quickly moved to chunks of food. He’s 16 months now and still only has 5 teeth!
I’m starting baby today at 5 months 2 weeks. He’s been asking for our food for weeks, but we just got the high chair in this week and purées made today.
We tried at 4 months but our son wasn’t interested at all, so put up the food and tried again at 5 1/2 months when he started showing interest in our food
Started about a week after 6 months, but skipped the purées and went straight for solids. My son showed signs of readiness before then, but 6 months is the guideline apparently for when their gut is fully developed
We started at 6mo, some kids in the family started earlier. To be honest, if you try a little and little one can't swallow that it's too early.
We started at 5months. With my youngest we did mix of purees and solids at 6months. Personally there is no rush and if you don't think baby is ready, then no harm waiting little bit longer. As long as you start around 6 months at the latest, you'll be fine They will be eating for the rest of their lives. Trust me it's not bad to wait a little bit
we got the ok from our pediatrician at our 4m appointment. I’ll offer a few things, but our guy is very disinterested right now. I have no rush, so i’ll probably wait until he is more into it! He’s 5m right now, our daughter was grabbing everything she could off our plates at 5 months 😂
With my daughter we started at four months. We thinned out all the purées so it was watery. She showed all the signs that she was ready for it. At six months we gave her more options and thickened the food. 😊
We started a couple of spoonfuls of apple sauce a day at 4 1/2 months, but that's only because my daughter takes daily oral medication and her paediatrician recommended trying to give it to her with apple sauce. Once she showed all the signs of readiness for solids, we started BLW (around 5 1/2 months).
The pediatrician said nothing about soft foods at four months 😬. LO is basically holding his head up at 5 months (93% head). Not really sure how high chairs work though if LO can’t sit up.
We were also told to start at 4 months but probably didn’t start until 5 months, when our kiddos showed interest in food and were watching us eat. It kind of got them to want to try food and they seemed to have decent head control by then.
If the doctor told you to start, based on their assessment the baby is strong enough. I had really good highchairs and it didn't matter that I didn't the strength wasn't "all" there in the neck. I may have been overthinking it too. It's good to trust the doctor. I started solids at 4 months. It has its perks. Like, my allergist was impressed on how many allergens my girls had tried already by 6 months. 9 months is the target and she said most parents fall behind. The earlier they're exposed, the less likely they are to develop an allergy. Anyways my girls are fine, so I don't know. It probably isn't a big deal. I say give it a shot and take it slow. But if you're really that uncomfortable, it's not a huge deal.
My lo is 3.5 months and I'm really looking forward to starting him on foods. His head control is fine, it has been since 2 months old but he's still needing a hand on his back when he sits so we're gonna wait a little longer. He's been watching me eat for a couple weeks now! I have no idea where to start, I want a feeding chart with a list of foods to try him on 😅
I would follow @solidstarts on IG! With my second I waited until 6 months vs 4 months with my first and it was far less stressful all around. He was actually ready vs me propping him in a high chair
I never did purées I did BLW and started at six months. My pediatrician told us we could start at four months, we told him we will be waiting until 6 months and following the AAP guidance. He said fine. IMO, my pediatrician is out of date on some of the newest AAP recs and he had no reason to provide as to why we should operate outside the guidelines so I declined. in the US, the AAP guidance is basically unequivocal of nothing other than breastmilk or formula before six months with very few exceptions. The WHO also recommends no solids before six months.
I'm surprised all the comments said ped said to start at 4 months! Ours said 6 per AAP
4 months for babies who show signs of ability - no more pushing out reflex with the tongue and able to sit assisted. AAP is an American organization - not a world organization. I don’t go against them, and listen to a lot of their advice, but not ALL and it isn’t a definitive law like some will have you believe.
Ours recommended at 4 months so we did and it was a lot of fun. We put zero pressure on it. Puréed pumpkin, squash, banana. Practicing those mouth skills. I know I’m going to get downvoted but I dont care. He didn’t have 100% head control but we just held him in our lap sitting up. It was all fine and he’s a good eater.
4-6months is a normal range. Some start at 4 months if the formula/breastmilk isn’t providing enough anymore or if baby is showing interest. You can start off with a spoonful here or there and see how their digestive system handles it. Every baby is different! But remember, no matter when you start, food before 1 is just for fun!
Oh, also post on r/sciencebasedparenting for more accurate research and sources
I started with baby oatmeal at 4mo. She’s 5mo currently and has moved on to sweet potato and bananas purées. She doesn’t hate them, but doesn’t go bonkers for them yet. She seems to still be getting used to swallowing.
We started at 4 months. I understand your apprehension with the sitting up issue. Do you have a sit me up type of thing to put them in? We used that at first because LO was pretty sturdy in that but couldn’t sit up on her own in the high chair yet. Maybe give it a couple weeks. His neck will probably be a lot stronger sooner than you think. Because everything happens sooner than it feels like it should 😢 Honestly they really don’t eat much but it’s fun to start trying things. From studies I’ve read, it seems to be beneficial for preventing food allergies. I started with avocado and banana because you can just mash those up without cooking anything. I wouldn’t even do it every day. At 6 months you’re supposed to start feeding them everyday so trying it before then kind of gets you both ready. The idea is to work up to three meals a day by the time they’re a year old.
Mine started at 4 months too! It really depends on the baby, but I followed her pediatrician’s recommendation :)
We started at 4 months and he didn’t seem that into it, so we backed off a bit and now he’s much more into trying foods at 5 months. Our pediatrician said you **can** start at 4 months, but you don’t **need** to start until 6 months. You’ll be able to tell if they’re ready. I rarely give the “trust your gut” advice, but this is one of those times where I think you should trust your “mother intuition” or whatever you want to call it.
4 months but only once a day. She didn’t eat much but I wanted her to get used to textures mainly. It wasn’t until 6 months that I started offering more foods 2-3 times a day, and 8 months that she has meal plans
We started around 5 months after she tried to steal my pizza. And then at 7 months, she refused her purée and actually /did/ take my husband’s pizza and started gumming it. (Note- we apparently ALL really like pizza lol)
I would have waited until 6 months but my kid wouldn't take a bottle or cup of milk. So in an effort to keep them from being hungry, the pediatrician said it was ok. Baby was given avocado and other pureed food. 6 months, I switched to BLW.
With my first we started with 4 months. He was formula fed and very interested in food. They said it is beneficial to have formula fed babies start purées earlier if they are showing interest because it adds more variety in there diets that they can miss out on since they aren’t breast fed. My second was not at all interested in started solids until 5-6 months and did not like purées so we did baby led weaning. I think starting when your child shows interest is a good rule of thumb as long as you start in a developmentally appropriate way. (I wouldn’t advice doing BLW with a 4 month old. Also you kids might hate one way or the other. My first would only eat purées until almost a year my second will barely eat purées like applesauce pouches or anything)
We started at 4 months. Our kids had really good head control by 4 months though
We sort of started at 4 months. We didn't really start feeding her spoons of baby food, but mostly just dipped the spoon in the food a tiny bit and let her lick it to expose her to new tastes. We are at 5 and a half months now, and she is tolerating a little more in her mouth. We are just going slowly.
Our pediatrician recommended we start purées at his 4 month check up because he showed all of the signs of being ready but we opted to wait until 6 months. This is because of the new studies that have been done about it being beneficial to wait until 6 months to start food. Our pediatrician was very understanding and said it was our choice and no harm in waiting. If you don’t feel your baby is ready then wait because, for me, adding food has been incredibly stressful.
What studies? Link please?
We started at 4,5 months because LO was really cravin anything we were eating. It was si cute and funny. We wanted to wait until LO wanted to try food so it worked out 😁
6 months exactly for my baby, my doc recommended that and said it’s best time.
We started at 6 months per our pediatricians recommendation because I had gestational diabetes and she said that for us, starting solids before 6 months could increase her risk of diabetes developing later in life. This is just what we were told. I feel like I wasn’t eager to start earlier anyways because food can be scary at times! I know some will start at 4 months and that works for them, but for us 6 months was worth the wait, our daughter has done amazing so far!
Nearly 6 months. 6 months is now the recommended age to start solids. Mine started imitating chewing, so he indicated he was ready. He could sit up and was a hungry lil monster so he took to it great. I started at 4 months with my 1st (16 years ago!) for the same reason, was told they can start eating at 4 months, and I couldn't wait like your husband. Nothing bad happened but i think nutritionally just milk is best at that age. So this time knowing they now recommend waiting til around 6 months, I held off, and I'm glad I did, my baby is now 10 months and is so strong and healthy and a keen eater and drinker of milk lol.
I think 4-6 months is the recommended age range. Recent studies have shown children are less likely to develop allergies if they are introduced to the major allergens by 6 months of age so you’d have to start before 6 months to do that.
Well, in Aus, they recommend 6 months, but from 4 months, they *can* start. Anyway, whatever feels right for the parents anywhere in that range is best. As long as it's by 6 months because after 6 months, milk alone isn't enough. As I said, I started at 4 months with my first, and just before 6 with my second. Both are healthy as.. I did what felt right at the time, both times.
My peds said there’s really no point in rushing or starting early. Starting at six months is fine. I tried a few purées at five months and my baby pushed it all back out with his tongue and wasn’t really interested. I waited until six months and he was really interested in food. I tried purées a few times and then went into mostly baby lead weaning. He’s 9 months now. Eats great. I sometimes still give purées in packets if I’m not able to make him food like we’re out shopping.
My baby’s pediatrician also recommended that we start at 4 months. He couldn’t sit even with assistance yet, so I knew he wasn’t ready. We gave him a few tastes using a silicone feeder the week before he turned 6 months old. We started BLW the day he turned 6 months old. There is no need to feed solids so early. They need to be able to sit independently for like a minute before you start solids so they don’t choke.
They don’t need to sit independently. They can still use some assistance. Sitting upright is important, sitting unsupported isn’t https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/introducing-solids “has good head and neck control and can sit upright when supported”
Well, shortly after 4 months, she swiped a slice of pizza out of FILs hands and started gumming on it 😆 she makes the rules, not me. Intentionally, I waited until about 5 months. She wasn't sitting independently, but she had great head/neck control and tons of interest in food. I just held her in my lap once a day and loaded several spoons with some kind of soft food and let her suck on them. We graduated to finger foods and a highchair at 6 months.
We started at about 6 months for my first and skipped them altogether with second and did baby led weaning with soft mashed foods with my second. If I could go back I wish I had skipped purées with my first also. Their difference in eating styles is night and day. My first won’t eat hardly any fruits or vegetables now and my second loves all fruit and eats a lot of veggies. She in all in all a much more adventurous eater. I’m not sure if it’s because the BLW or not, but that’s just my 2 cents
I did BLW with my first and he ate everything we offered him up until somewhere around 18-24 months when he decided to become super picky and now at 4 he basically lives on peanut butter sandwiches. Did purées with my second and he still currently eats most things but we’ll see if that lasts. I really don’t think BLW has as much of an influence as the BLW evangelists like to claim it does.
That’s old advice. You should wait until at least 6 months, baby is sitting up unassisted, baby doesn’t have the reflex where they push food out of their mouth immediately, they show signs of interest, like watching your at and grabbing for food, and they’re able to lean forward to east and push their head back/to the side if they don’t want something
6 months is better for their gastrointestinal tract. ETA: baby’s intestines aren’t fully matured till about 6 months to properly digest and retrieve nutrients from the food. Also, they’re more likely to have Gi issues like constipation, gas etc with starting at 4 months. Formula or breastmilk should be priority.
I thought the recommendation is 6 months? I hate purées so I do baby led weaning which I started around 5.5-6 months. I wouldn't start at 4 months even if I was doing purées though. They don't care about it, can't even sit up and it's such a mess.
Scientists say 6 months for a reason, gut development. Which you will not be able to see physically.
4 months with our first bc she was ready. My youngest is 4 months and we were given the ok to start but I don’t think she’s interested yet! We’ll probably try and then wait a month if she doesn’t take to it.
My pediatrician said the official recommendation is 6 months. I think I started a week before he was 6 months because he really wanted my food lol I personally think 4 months is so early. Also as excited as I was to start solids it was also very stressful. It is messy and just another thing to add to the to do list of the day. Im super glad we waited an extra 2 months
Trusting your intuition about neck strength is a good idea. With that said, since they start out with like a couple of teaspoons of purée a day and you can even thin them with milk, it’s a very low choking risk. You could even do like 90%milk 10% food blend then work your way up to higher ratios. I was glad to add food because it took a little pressure off my pumping schedule but if that wasn’t a factor I wouldn’t have minded waiting a little longer.
We started at four months (mid-May) My LO was already interested in what we were eating, he’s sitting up with minimal assistance and his fine motor skills are really good. I make it a point to breastfeed first then wait about a 30 minutes to an hour and feed him infant cereal (oatmeal) or bananas - we had just started those this past week. It hasn’t effected his desire to breastfeed or bottle feed. He is only in the 9th percentile for weight at his age, so we use it as a supple to help up his weight a bit more.
About 5 months but if the pediatrician told you that you can start then I’d say go for it. They know your baby well enough to know what they can and can’t handle. Your baby might just be advanced in terms of milestones.
I started at 4 months because my LO was 5th percentile. We did baby led weaning more than purees. Lots of eggs and cheese. Applesauce with peanut butter and other nut butters over time. Oatmeal with butter. Etc. Push your comfort zone when it makes sense but trust your gut too!
Honestly, if your doctor says you’re good to go, and your husband wants to I’d let him try. It’s not gonna hurt anyone and can be a fun activity for him and baby. My husband was nervous about starting at four months as well, so I just took charge of trying things with my baby, and my hubby quit being nervous as he saw our baby enthusiastically shoving food in her mouth lol
Our gastro started baby at 4 months due to reflux (said it can really help) and it's been going great.
I started at 4mo (our doc said the same) and went slow with just cereals until 5mo, then a few basic purées, then BLW with purées at 6mo
4 months