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Our daycare providers acted like we were crazy for waiting until 6 months to feed our daughter any solids. In the end though, we were happy that we waited!

Thank you! I'm tucking this away since our LO isn't even here yet and I've already gotten comments about giving him rice cereal to 'help get him on a sleep schedule' - so aggravating!

@mediagirl: our pedi suggested it at four month appt and said it'd help with night wakings! She said no rush or pressure but all DH heard was solids equal more sleep ha. Well still be holding off for now though he's definitely interested.

@scg00387: oh yeah, our ped said we could add in food after our 4 month appt. The people I'm sad for are the ones who start before 4 months - before the ped says it's okay.

I just saw this on FB Big smiles from me... I'm all about letting your LO take the lead and let you know when they are ready. There is no cookie cutter perfect time, we need to spend more time listening to our kiddos and less time listening to the peanut gallery!

I just heard from my grandma, yet again yesterday, that I should be putting cereal in his bottle at night so he sleeps all night. I snapped at her a little b/c I'm so sick of her and my mom telling me he needs cereal. 1. I'm breastfeeding, so how am I supposed to put cereal in my boob? And 2. I don't want to feed him solids before 6 months. My pediatrician even told me it was ok between 4-6 months but didn't really go over the signs of readiness with me.

We kind of waited until past 6 months just because I didn't have time to start shopping for all the stuff and get my crap together!! She still wasn't even ready at that point-- she pushed the food out with her tongue and let it drip down her face. She did this consistently for over a week. Then one day it just clicked and she started doing a chewing/sucking motion and now she has 3 meals a day. Lately she gets frustrated with the purees and wants to just eat puffs nonstop, so we're gonna start some chunks of food to let her feed herself. Baby Led Weaning, I believe it's called

I don't have a LO yet, but I like the advice of waiting until your LO shows signs of actually being able to chew before introducing solid food. Great information!

@mrskc: Kellymom has some great posts on solids, delaying, and nutrition in breastfed infants! Maybe some evidence backed info will get them off your back?..

I am interested in doing more research on this. My husband is starting his residency in pediatrics, and he has read a lot of new research that suggests that starting certain foods early (once baby can sit up, as soon as 4 months) helps prevent allergies later on. I think he mentioned specifically wheat/gluten. Small amounts of food, like a bite here and there...nothing for nutrition or calories, which he agrees should come from formula/breast milk.

I'm way more in the camp of waiting until 6 months, but that is just because that is what I've heard recommended.

Edited to add: I checked with my husband, and he clarified that mostly he just enjoys my reaction of horror when he suggests 4 months. It seems there is a window in 4 to 6 months where exposure to gluten helps reduce the risk of an allergy developing later in life, but that the baby needs to show all signs of readiness (head control, hand grasp to midline, and tongue/chew/swallow reflex). He said his personal stance is 5 months at the earliest.

@hellobeeboston: lol, yeah. My mom and Gma formula fed so I think they forget about the BFing thing. But still. I just know they have old school thinking going on right now.

@runsyellowlites: yeah, maybe I could send them some info. I wonder if that would offend them...

I even had a coworker tell me to give him cereal. She said she gave her son cereal when he was just a few weeks old so he would STN. Ugh.

Our doctor told us to start at our 4 months appt. LO didn't take a liking to it, so I held off but offered it to him once in a while to see if he had any interest. He just ate his first bowl of vegetable congee at 8.5 months. Previously he was gagging and spitting it out.

My mom pressured me to start LO on rice cereal at four months. I never did, but she brought it up every single day.

I got lots of pressure, especially from DH to start solids--we did start early but he wasn't much into more than tasting till 9 months and then suddenly he loves solids.
I wish we had started later. I worry that he sleeps poorly because his tummy is upset from solids.

Oh I forgot to add-- introducing solids did NOT help with the length of her nighttime sleep!!!

Interesting article - tucking it away for later! What I don't get is why anyone cares when you feed your baby solids. Do mothers/MILs think you'll leave the baby with them longer if they're eating solids or something?

I was planning on waiting until 6 months, but our doctor wanted us to start at 4 months due to her low weight. She was hoping it would help her gain weight (and it did!) I'm thankful we started at 4 months, but it was definetely for medical reasons not for fun.