This is the dilemma. A lot of the newer studies show that waiting till 6mo and exclusively breastfeeding your baby till then is the best for their health. BUT I've heard from many places (including my pediatrician) that if your baby is ready for solids before then, then rice cereal is OK to start. Here are the milestones James needs to reach before we do solids:
* Baby can sit up well without support. (Not yet, still needs support)
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids
out of his mouth with his tongue. (Don't know, haven't tried
* Baby is ready and willing to chew. (Likes to chew on lots of things, so maybe)
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects
between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the
palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer
grasp development. (Nope, not yet)
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in
his mouth. (He likes watching us eat but doesn't reach for anything yet)
I've also read that the baby should act still hungry after eating, which James doesn't do yet. So I guess he's just not ready, and I'm not going to push him. But a little piece of me wonders if he would sleep better with a little cereal snack before bed...
I think I am going to wait at least till 5 months and he hits these milestones. I want what's best for him... including sleeping better, but not at the risk of premature solids. Sigh.
I'm having the same dilema, seems like most of what I read says it's best to wait until 6 months, but my pediatrician seems to think she is really close. But I think i've decided to wait. I don't know that there are enough benefits to food in order to take the risk. I'm going to sit back and enjoy this exclusive nursing phase rather than rush through to the next stage and regret going too fast.
ReplyDeleteYeah, after reading about how starting them too early can cause childhood obesity, allergies, and problems with digestion I think I will wait till 6 mo too or until he hits all those milestones. Which may still be awhile.
ReplyDeleteYou are wise to research when the right time is to start cereal. One day my son leaned forward and picked a pea right off my plate and ate it! I guess he was "ready"!
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