https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:12:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-660722 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:08:49 +0000 2PeasinaPod 660722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh...this was my mom. She was pushing solids on us at 3 months! Saying we were starving him and that he needed cereal in his bottle. She was driving me crazy! </p> <p>We attempted solids for the first time at 4.5 months, and it was a disaster. He screamed through the whole thing. We tried a few weeks later, and while it didn't go great, it was better than the first time. The week after that (about 5 months and a week old), he was much more receptive to it. Now, he'll be 6 months next week and if we're eating in front of him, he's reaching for whatever it is that we have! I just started him on cereal/veggies twice a day (we were only doing once a day before) today! </p> <p>Take your time. Don't let anyone pressure you into it. Try when you feel your baby is ready or when they're showing you signs that they're interested in food! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-660720 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:08:19 +0000 bunnylove08 660720@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you're not comfortable dont do it! I started at 4 months because DD was ready to eat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-660699 Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:58:50 +0000 Arden 660699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: I apologize if I come off as "preachy", but I do think you are being a little bit unfair. </p> <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime had expressed that she had decided to start with fruits and veggies based on what she had learned here instead of cereal, and you basically "corrected" her by stating that cereal is still recommended. </p> <p>I just wanted to add some more information and another point of view by stating that just because something is still recommended doesn't necessarily mean it's best, and that there are other schools of thought.<br /> I said "suggested" and not "proven" because almost nothing can be conclusively proven, there are always two sides to every thing and just because a study comes to a certain conclusion that doesn't mean there won't be another study with a different conclusion. </p> <p>I don't think it was "preachy" to come in and say "There is some research that suggests this conclusion, here's the link to check it out". Everyone here can look at that information themselves and come to their own decision. That's what hellobee is for -sharing information and learning new things. Everyone has a different opinion and we should feel comfortable sharing with each other. </p> <p>I'm not the only person on hellobee who believes this - many other mamas have chosen to skip cereals for the same reasons I mentioned. I wanted @Mrs. Lemon-Lime to have the opportunity to see other options and opinions since it seemed your comment had made her reconsider, so I linked to the post where it was extensively discussed and MANY other mamas said the exact same thing I said. No one thought they were being preachy - they were just sharing information. </p> <p>I've talked extensively on the boards about both the allergy and the iron issues in relation to rice cereal and so I don't personally consider them to be good arguments in defense of cereal as a first food, but that's a personal opinion.<br /> You have every right to your opinion, but please remember that everyone else does too and open sharing of information is a good thing and I certainly didn't mean for it to be personally offensive to you. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-651681 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:12:53 +0000 MsLipGloss 651681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: @Arden: I am sure the "risks" (and I use that term loosely) of incorporating cereal (rice or oatmeal, although we started with oatmeal) as a food for a month or two (if that) as it relates to a child's propensity for obesity/diabetes is far outweighed by the food consumption that occurs later during infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood. </p> <p>@Arden: I am not sure if you realize it, but you have a tendency to come off preachy in your posts. Sharing an information source is one thing, but do us the courtesy of allowing us to draw our own conclusions regarding same (, for one example, "research suggests" doesn't mean *proven* . . . ).</p> <p>Many doctors recommend iron-fortified rice cereal as baby’s first food because it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction and because most babies sometime after the 6th month require an additional iron source other than BM (BM is low in protein and high in carbohydrates). </p> <p>Other recommendations for first foods include starting with proteins (BM is already high in carbohydrates): </p> <p><a href="http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvdec99jan00p130.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvdec99jan00p130.html</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-651195 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:44:53 +0000 Penny Lane 651195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bah! Tell them you will start solids when you're good and ready. Sooo totally has nothing to do with them!!</p> <p>I waited. Dude was almost 6.5 months old before we started! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-650969 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:20:10 +0000 travelgirl1 650969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's so frustrating that people are pressuring you! A is 19 weeks tomorrow and we haven't started yet... she doesn't seem ready to me, she has started watching us as we eat but she still has her tongue pushing reflex and hasn't started looking hungry or mad when we eat so we're waiting for those cues first. I think we'll start at six months and skip cereal. Can't wait for the eye rolling from my mum at that, ha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-650965 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:16:50 +0000 Arden 650965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Cereals as a first food is still recommended by some doctors and organizations, but that doesn't mean the research is behind it. Recent research suggests that skipping cereals and going directly to veggies and fruits is better nutritionally. </p> <p><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/20/get-the-white-out-of-babys-first-foods.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/20/get-the-white-out-of-babys-first-foods.aspx</a></p> <p>There's a thread about it here - <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-doing-rice-cereal" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-doing-rice-cereal</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649664 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:47:42 +0000 kml636 649664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: yikes! Unbelievable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649598 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:19:32 +0000 MsLipGloss 649598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Awww - no worries! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649564 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:05:52 +0000 lemondrop 649564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just tell them thank you and walk away. Do what you feel is right and ignore everyone else's 2 cents. They don't turn into pumpkins at any particular age if you haven't started solids yet. </p> <p>If they question you, tell them you are following pediatrician's orders or just nod and smile. Everyone is an expert when it comes to feeding someone else's baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649545 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:57:53 +0000 runsyellowlites 649545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We actually lost our pedi over this bc apparently P "NEEDED" solids at 6+ months of age &amp; my breastmilk simply wasn't enough calories anymore... A simple reading of the labels on baby foods &amp; the info from our pedi on my bm having ~20-22 cal per ounce proved my breastmilk being plenty &amp; so since P still wasn't showing signs of readiness &amp; not compromising our breastfeeding relation was important to me we didn't "comply" &amp; he fired us.</p> <p>Kellymom has some good info on solids &amp; why delaying (past 6 months) can be beneficial. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649535 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:54:17 +0000 Amelieisme 649535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got this CONSTANTLY. It was so annoying. If he fussed at all or didn't STTN for a few nights, the obvious answer was that I was starving him and I should give him solids. My daycare harassed me about putting rice cereal in the bottles from 2 months old. Drove me nuts. He would always fuss after stopping a feed (and still does) but it wasn't that he was still hungry...he just likes to eat! He's always content for several hours if you just distract him a bit after stopping nursing/the bottle. I started a week shy of 6 months with pureed veggies and fruits. I still don't give rice cereal or any of the rice puffs, etc and don't plan to. My pedi said I could wait until 6 months and that's what she did with her kiddos, so that's what I did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649533 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:53:54 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 649533@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>oops @MsLipGloss: I just did a little google search, babycenter.com calls cereal "traditional" first food, but mayo clinic definitely states to start with it. I think I was confused by all the first food posts...first in the sense of new, not in initial introduction. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649514 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:47:02 +0000 Running Elley 649514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: I'm really excited!! Attempting my first batch of baby food today! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649480 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:40:04 +0000 sarac 649480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cereal I would skip entirely, honestly. My daughter started grabbing fruits off our plate before 5 months, and clearly wanted to eat them. We started really letting her taste pureed and smashed things at 5 months, and she loved them. She had a lot of diaper rash from it, though, early on, so I think we'll wait a bit with the next kiddo. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649470 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:38:34 +0000 DillonLion 649470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO will be 4 months next week and I couldn't imagine trying to feed her right now. She has expressed no interest whatsoever! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649465 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:37:39 +0000 kiddosc 649465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrskc: We got pressure from my MIL to put cereal in his bottle so he would sleep too. Yea, he's 10 months now, eats three solid meals a day and still doesn't sleep through the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649437 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:24:12 +0000 prettylizy 649437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was something that we faced at first too, it's a pretty old school mentality to start solids that early. I was just very matter of fact about when we would start and people let it go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649428 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:22:29 +0000 NovBaby1112 649428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kml636: LOL oh man! I've honestly thought about printing up articles on why starting at 6 months is recommended and passing them out to DH's family when they say something haha, but I have refrained. they think i "read" too much about baby stuff anyways and that books are useless as well ;) haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649419 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:19:52 +0000 mrskc 649419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh, I hear ya. My mom has been bugging me that we need to put cereal in a bottle for LO at night so he'll sleep better. He just turned 5 months last week and I prefer to wait until he's closer to 6 months. He's starting to show signs of readiness. He can sit up pretty well on his own, he can bring objects to his mouth and chews on them. But why start complicating things early? </p> <p>@Running Elley: how exciting! I think A is pretty close to starting solids. He's showing a lot of signs that he's ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649417 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:19:34 +0000 MsLipGloss 649417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: It is still recommended to start with rice cereal (and/or oatmeal cereal) before any purees. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649408 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:16:06 +0000 SeptMomma12 649408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes! We got a ton of pressure from day care to start him at 4 months. I kept hearing that he was starving (um, 16 lbs and 27 inches at 4 months = not starving). I just held strong to the "our pediatrician doesn't start solids until 6 months" argument, as hard as it was. We ended up starting a few days before 6 months and I'm happy that we waited. He definitely hasn't had any problem learning to eat - in fact, by the second day, he was cleaning the bowl. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649398 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:13:43 +0000 Running Elley 649398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got the same thing but we just explained our pedi's recommendation (as close to 6 months as possible) and most ppl let it go after that.</p> <p>Now we're getting a completely different pressure to start... From LO! He's been getting frustrated when we eat, opening his mouth and lunging for our food, etc. We'll be starting solids this week at just shy of 5.5 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649397 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:12:51 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 649397@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Based on what I have learned on this site my LO will first get introduced to fruit and veggie purees, not Cheerios or rice cereal. Also, I plan to hold out on solids as long as I can, 6+ months at least. Tell these folks to mind their own business. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649390 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:09:47 +0000 kml636 649390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NovBaby1112: same here, my MIL sent a baby bullet in the mail! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649319 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:50:01 +0000 buffalove 649319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a lot of pressure too! I did start at 4months, but was still irritated that so many family members were all over me about it. Do whatever feels right to you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649313 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:46:43 +0000 SugarplumsMom 649313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a lot of the older ppl are outdated in their information. 4 months used to be the norm, it's not anymore. I think you should rely on your mother's intuition and try to ignore the pressure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649292 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:37:27 +0000 rachiecakes 649292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lots of family members wanted to feed him early but I decided to let DS dictate when he was ready to eat. No cereal in a bottle or anything like that.<br /> He started around 4 months licking his lips and crying when I would eat in front of him, banging his hands in frustration. When I did feed him solids he knew to "chew" (mashed with his jaw) and swallow. There was no denying he was ready. He knew what to do with the first bite.<br /> I think you'll know when your LO is ready. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649289 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:36:35 +0000 OCmama 649289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got some pressure as well. I waited until closer to 5 months to start and I had some friends asking me 'why are you waiting so long'. Honestly, one of my mommy friend's reasoning was so lame... she wanted to start right at 4 months because it gave her something "new &amp; exciting" to do with her LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/pressure-to-start-solids#post-649288 Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:35:58 +0000 cascademom 649288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started at 4 months. He wasn't interested in it at all. At 6-7 months, he's beginning to show interest. He spits out his purees all the time. He's best with his mesh feeder these days for solids. </p>