Is Your Baby Ready for Solid Foods?

Hye peeps,

Baby Zara just turned 3 months old TODAY!!! ;p

Last week me and my hubby had a conversation on when is the best time to introduce solid foods to baby Zara. Hubby told me that according to his family, we may start introduce solid foods to baby as early as at 4 months old. Then I said, as far as I know usually people will start on solid once baby reach 6 months.

The discussion initiated a concern so I did some research online.

There are no "strict" age guidelines on introducing solid foods to your baby. But exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is highly recommended. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as an infant's consumption of human milk with no supplementation of any type (no water, no juice, no nonhuman milk, and no foods) except for vitamins, minerals, and medications. Exclusive breastfeeding has been shown to provide improved protection against many diseases and to increase the likelihood of continued breastfeeding for at least the first year of life.

My Parent's Insist That My Baby Needs "Real Food"???

Some parents may be tempted to give in to relatives, grandmothers and sometimes even their own mothers, who say "Give that baby some real food, she's starving." or "Nursing that baby isn't enough, he needs some real food".

Remember that "real food" is breast milk and/or formula and these contain all the important nutrients that an infant needs to develop properly. Breast milk in particular, and/or formula, will be enough to sustain your baby's nutritional needs for up to age 1 year old. In fact, introducing solids too early may displace the important nutrition your baby needs to receive from breast milk and/or formula.

This ensures optimal nutritional exposure and may stave off food allergies amongst other issues.  Further studies have shown that an infant's gastrointestinal tract has not or may not have matured enough to properly digest/utilize solid foods until around 6-8 months old.

Studies show that babies are highly individual in developing a readiness for solid foods.  One baby might seem to be ready for solids at 4 months, while another shows no signs of readiness until around 6 or 7 months.  Just because your friend's baby may have began eating solid foods at 3 or 4 months of age does not mean that your baby should. 

"Signs" that may indicate your baby is ready for Solid Foods

 

 

I read an article on getting prepared for signs that baby is ready for solid foods. There are many signs that might lead you to believe that your little one is ready to begin eating solid foods. But how exactly do you know if your baby really is ready for solid foods? 

Your baby may be 3 months old or 4 months old when you start to feel she may need "something more" than formula or breast milk.  Maybe she is beginning to awaken more often at night or eat more often than "usual" and you wonder if introducing solid foods may be what she needs.

A Growth Spurt May be Confused with a Readiness for Solid Foods!!!

A growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age. Your baby may begin to wake more frequently at night for a feeding as she once did as a newborn.  This growth spurt often accounts for the increased hunger in your baby and it should not be taken as a sign that your baby needs solid foods added to her diet.

You may try offering your baby more frequent nursing sessions and/or bottle feedings instead of solids; you will find that within a week or two, your baby is oftentimes over the growth spurt and back to feeding "as usual".

Here are a few "signs" that may indicate your baby is ready for Solid Foods:

1.  Loss of tongue-thrust reflex - This allows baby to drink and swallow liquids with ease; with the tongue-thrust reflex still present, baby may simply drink in liquid purees or push the food back out. According to Dr. Jim Sears, in the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, and that glob of cereal actually may have a chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy!
2. Ability to let you know she is full from a "meal" with signs such as turning away from the bottle or breast.  This is important so that baby is able to self-regulate the amount of food being eaten.  This helps stop baby from accidentally overeating as parents may continue to feed baby thinking that she is still hungry.  
3. Ability to sit up and hold head up unassisted  
4. Doubling of birth weight  

Won't My Baby Sleep Through the Night If We Start Solids?

Some parents believe that if they start solids "early" then their infants will sleep through the night sooner.  As your baby grows, his sleeping patterns as well as eating patterns change continually. 

Around the time a few parents begin to offer solids early is just about the time that an infant may be sleeping for longer periods at a time.  This is a natural progression as an infant ages and it oftentimes coincides with the addition of early solids.  This coincidence perpetuates the dangerous myth that early offerings of solid foods will help an infant sleep "through the night".

For example between 6-8 months old, baby is often back to waking at night for a feeding.  By this time baby should be eating solids and it appears that those solids are no longer helping baby sleep through the night.  In reality, baby is hitting another growth spurt and may wake again during the night for more feedings regardless of eating solids. This really is "normal" and your baby may wake again during the night for more feedings regardless of eating solids.

**Please keep in mind that these "signs" of being ready for solids do not mean that your baby's inner digestive system is mature and ready.  You should thoroughly discuss starting your baby on solid foods with your baby's pediatrician.

If your pediatrician insists that you start your 4 month old infant on solids and you don't feel baby is ready, ask the pediatrician to explain the benefits of starting solids early. And remember, you NEVER have to begin introducing complementary foods simply because your pediatrician has suggested that you do so; unless there is some medical need.  Only when you have thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of introducing solid foods with your pediatrician will you be able to have a better grasp of just when you should begin offering baby solid foods.

 
lilyto