How do I know if he is ready for solids??
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Topic: How do I know if he is ready for solids??
Posted By: 1st_Time_Preggies
Subject: How do I know if he is ready for solids??
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 8:43am
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My son is 5 months and one week and has slept through the night on and off since three months, but only goes for a stretch of 3 or 4 nights before reverting back for a feed (mind you, hasn't slept through in AGES now!!!) He is put to bed awake, we have a good bed time routine and he can self settle during the night other than the one time he feeds.
Currently he feeds at 7am ish, 11am ish, 2.30pm, 5.30pm ish and has 100ml EBM before bed around 6.30pm ish. He used to wake about 2 or 3am hungry, now it is before midnight most nights! And he wakes a few other times in the night (but self settles). How do I know if this is the change in sleep cycles or that he is hungry and ready for solids??? He is showing SOME of the signs (can hold his head up, putting things in the mouth, opens his mouth for spoons, tongue no longer protrudes) BUT doesn't really watch us eat. I dont want to rush into solids if he is not ready, but also don't want to deprive should he need more than just my milk now :-) |
Replies:
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 9:29am
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Try and see if you really want to know. If he doesn't want it he won't swallow it or keep it in his mouth or maybe even open his mouth. If he gobbles it up then you have your answer.
eta: just don't force it. Daniel had similar waking patterns to what you are describing but wasn't ready for it |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 9:46am
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Waking in the night doesn't necessarily mean he is ready for solids, it is actually more "normal" for babies at that age to wake than it is for them to sleep through, although it doesn't seem like it.
I always found the signs that Plunket and others 'advertised' as the ready signs to be quite confusing and not quite 'right'. Obviously being able to hold their head and tounge no longer protruding are important. But to me putting things in their mouth and watching you eat are just delvelopmental things and how they learn, Ben is 1yr and often follows me to the toilet and watches me *sigh* (no alone time even in the toilet!) but it doesn't mean he is ready to be TTed. Like Kebakat suggested you could try him on some solids or you could have a look into BLW which is what I followed with Ben and I think has worked realy well; he is a great eater and does alot better at chewing etc than alot of babies his age or older. If you are interested have a look at http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/Forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=27539&KW=baby+led+weaning - this thread or http://www.baby-led.com/ - this website , both have really good info ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: JAFAjaffa
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 10:12am
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Have you tried dreamfeeding? Maybe you could try that at around 10pm? otherwise, like the others, I'd just give solids a go and see if he is interested. If not, then just try again some other time when he's a bit older. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Paulsmum
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 11:23am
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Will he take any more of the EBM? my little guy has a similar feeding pattern but he has 200mls of EBM before he goes to bed..
But i agree try it and he will soon tell you! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 12:50pm
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The number one sign I found that DS was ready to give solids a go was that he started to steal food off me and shove it in his mouth, we are doing BLW though so at this stage it is just playing and experimenting not nourishment. I agree with Linzy re: Plunkets opinion on being ready for solids. They kept pushing me to start because he was watching me eat. To me that is not a sign at all. He watches me do everythiing and anything, that does not mean they want or need solids. There is some good info on the Kellymom site about signs of being ready.
ETA - we have only just yesterday started with solids. He went from not showing any interest or signs to all of a sudden grabbing stuff, like a switch had been flicked -------------  
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Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 09 July 2010 at 7:15pm
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DS did this a few weeks ago and I was sure he was ready for solids. It continued for a week or 2 and now hes back to sleeping 10 - 12 hours overnight. I think it was just a growth spurt?
We are holding off on solids until we get his allergies under control. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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