When is too early to start solids?

My Georgiana is 4 months and 1 week old. I have just started her on solids!

She was sleeping through the night but then started wakingonce, then twice. When she wakes she is abolutly starving hungry. I used to be able to let her cry for a bit and she would go off back to sleep but not now! She is just so hungry.

I have tried feeding her more through the day to get her stocks up.

When she used to wake before sleeping through the night I would only need to feed her for about 10 mins but now it is atleast 20

When I have spoken to plunket they arze against it but I really feel she needs it...

Love to hear anyones advise or thoughts on this....

PS - also plunket were fine with me starting at 4.5months. So I think what they say / hassle you about depends on the particular plunket nurse you see.

Yeah thanks for all that, I feel better about it already! Amazing what a but of reassurance does!

It is sp cute watching her open her mouth waiting for the spoon to go in

My boy was ready at 3 months - wouldn't advocate it, but he was so so ready at that age, and took to it so well first go.

Ava started at just before 5 months. I would say go for it if she's showing the signs and it helps her sleep better (it's always been a sign in our house when they wake more overnight).

I have to agree with StaceyL

the whole idea of 'introducing solids' is to get baby used to taking things into the mouth in preparation for the 'real' solids when the calories are really needed the most (and milk intake is being decreased) its not considered FOOD just yet.. thats what milk is for

im not too sure that little tummies just are ready to break down the carbohydrates and proteins and digest things.. and believe its all a marketing ploy from the food giants like watties etc..

At the end of the day you will decide what feels right for you and your baby !! if its working and baby is content and you are happy content mama.... go for it ! just be sure that baby is getting enough milk

Yeah Ava was swiping the spoon and eating anything she could grab (or was given by her brother) at 4 months too.

I don't believe you can force a baby into solids anyway... if you think they're ready then try them. If they don't want it, they don't take it

If it was Watties etc pushing solids at 4 months well they're out of luck in this household - we very rarely buy baby food (make it all ourselves). DS never had any jars or tins of baby food until he was a lot older and my mum bought some to see if he'd eat them when she had him. (You must remember that 'back in the day' it was normal to start babies on solids at 10 weeks etc, so we're doing pretty good at 4-6 months I think). Each to their own though

ALTHOUGH - I should add (as I have reread my post and it sounds a little holier than thou which was not my intention at all) that Jude also started swiping stuff and getting it to his mouth (and sometimes biting chunks off) earlier than the BLW method recommends. But he was more tasting stuff rather than eating it.. It has only been in the couple of weeks that he is actually chewing lots and wanting to really "eat" stuff rather than tasting it. Very cool to watch BTW . So, although I LOVE BLW, I must not be a "hardcore baby-led weaner" as I let him taste stuff before 6 months.

Scientifically speaking - there is no correlation between the early introduction of solids and sleeping through the night. There is no evidence to suggest that giving solids will cause babies to sleep through the night. If your baby does sleep through the night after starting solids, perhaps it could be the solids but it is just as likely to be something else (like the mothers milk composition/supply has changed to match the baby's needs, which is why the baby was waking overnight to start with). So, if you were wanting to give solids for the sole purpose of getting your baby to sleep through the night, then you may be disappointed. However, if you have lots of other reasons and you really think your baby is really for solids - then that is your prerogative . Your baby, your rules.

emz wrote: I don't believe you can force a baby into solids anyway... if you think they're ready then try them. If they don't want it, they don't take it

I agree ! Whether BLW or pureeing - babies who are not ready to feed usually just spit it back out again and would rather play than eat. I think the hard part is recognising that babies are spitting it out because they don't need it/want it and not scooping it off the chin and trying to feed it to them again and again until they take it or trying to guide pieces of food to their mouths if you are BLW. Babies who want to eat will really eat - they won't spit it out.

Grrr it's getting late and perhaps getting a bit off track has made me seem all judgemental again. Sorry if I come off that way - I really do believe each to their own. Was just putting my opinion out there

Edited by StaceyL

started Vanda on solids at 10wks...
as emz said they will either be keen or not....simple.

Don't have alot to add but solids are a PITA, as NZpiper said.

I remember being so eager for #1 to start solids so started at about 5.5 months (it did nothing for his sleeping though!) but with #2 I am leaving it as late as I possibly can. Poor second child

StaceyL - I was not saying that all babys will sleep thru once they go on solids ... just that if they have been sleeping thru for months then start waking hungry (as the baby in question had) then it can help. It did with my two kids anyway.

I too go by the tongue extrusion reflex - Morgan had lost it by 4 months, so I started her on solids at 4.5 months as she was just so hungry. It had been almost 4 weeks of extra feeds at that point, so NOT a growth spurt (which usually only lasted 2-3 days for her).