Ped says Dont give baby food until 8 mon?

[taysmommy]

My daughter had her 6 month check up today, and i asked if i could start her on rice cereal, she said that since shes in a high percentile in height and weight that i should wait until shes 8 months old until i give her anything but breast milk? is this normal, she doesnt seem "over weight" to me, shes 16.1 pounds and 27 1/4 inches....

i dont know if this has anything to do with it, but she was 4 weeks early, and they consider her a "premie" even though her birth weigh was 7.1 pounds

Im not trying to rush foods on her too early, waiting until 8 months isnt a problem, i just always thought we gave them foods at 6 months

[Me2mommy2b]

Hmm, interesting explanation.  Does your DD seem to be satisfied with milk only??  I know that my DD started waking up nights b/c she was getting hungry and just milk was no longer good enough for her.  

[taysmommy]

now that i think about it she has been really fussy the past few weeks, i assumed it was from teething, but it could very well be because shes ready for something besides the breast milk

[tiredbuthappy]

my ped said to start solids at 6 months, and that between 6 and 9 months babies get solids for taste and texture, not for substance. he had us start with cereal and fruits and veggies only- we'll do meats and other stuff after 9 months. he said that since dd was on breast milk exclusively we should take advantage and not introduce her to foreign proteins until 9 months. he also said that after 9 months they start to take more solids to prepare them for the 3 meals a day thing that happens around a year.
however, my friend's dr said different things. some have them eating everything- meats, veggies, etc... at 6 months. i guess it all depends on the dr's philosophies.

[Flikwerks]

My daughter is almost 5 1/2 months and we just started her on cereal this past week. She is in the 97th percentile in weight and 95th in height. she started waking up in the middle of the night after being a great sleeper since 8wks. I would try anything and everything before feeding but she was most defintiely hungry. She is a HUGE girl at 18 1/2 lbs and 26 1/2 in. My husband though is 6'4 and she was norn at 8lbs. I was so worried about her being overweight but she is consistent in her growth and everyone tells me she will slim down as she gets active. she has been exclusively on Breastmilk as well but I am starting to wean her so that we can try again.

I was told to wait until 6mos but when I went to the Ped and told her she was hungry and so ready for food, she gave me the thumbs up. Everyone will tell you something different depending on your baby.

[AndiJ78]

I have to say, it is nice to see a pedi who recognizes that a baby doesn't NEED solids. My youngest wanted nothing to do with solids for the first year, even a little beyond. He, too, was huge. By 1 year he was 30lbs and exclusively breastfed, probably consumed less than 1/2 cup of rice cereal during his entire 12 mos of life.

[Lillysmommy]

My daughter was always in the 95%. I had to start her on food at 5 mnth old she was so big that she was using more caleries than a normal sized baby. You need more food to move something that big. You should do what feels right but the best answer is to ask your mom. Most likley she feed you food before that age. My mom feed all her grand kids at 4-5 mnths pastina. Gerber rice cerel is the best start.

[taysmommy]

thanks for all the feedback ladies...much appriciated :)

[boosty]

my daughter was in the 90% on height and weight. she is so tiny but tall now. she was never chubby just tall. i personally would never take that kind of advice. feed your child. i started the rice cereal at four months. and at five months i started the gerber vegetables and 5 and a half months the fruit gerbers. and by 6 months, you can give EVERYTHING. but the egg thing and honey and stuff. but its good to give puree soups and stuff by then. your childs stomache needs to get used to food. back in the day my parents used to start feeding us as early as 2 months. nowadays they keep pushing it back. i didnt like hearing that my daughter was too tall so i had to feed her less. come on!  shes lean and tall and beautiful now and i fed her evyerthing. her body needs the nutrients . i would feed your baby . or see another pediatriton and tell them what your doctor is saying.

[AndiJ78]

The pedi isn't telling her to starve her child, she is simply being told what is true: her baby doesn't NEED solids as it is growing well without them. Why add extra food if what you are doing it working? Especially something as nutritionally devoid like cereal or other baby foods when breastmilk is the perfect food for a baby's first year.

Solids are to get used to textures, you cannot mature a GI tract by forcefeeding **** like solids...only time can mature that. I think the advice is spot on, her baby is thriving without it and I am willing to bet isn't battling all the issues we frequently see on here.

And BTW, I would never listen to nutritional advice from prior generations. We know more now and have the benefit of decades of research to ensure our children grow the right way, not stuffing them full of garbage.

[cantwait4baby]

My dd had episodes and I was advised to wait by many doctors and specialists - she was diagnosed last month and I was finally able to start her on foods at 9 months.  All along all of those doctors said that although 6 months is when they say you can start on foods Formula (breast milk) is all that is needed for the first year.  That is where all the nutrition is.  Now my mom who babysits for me insists that I feed her three times a day, veggie and fruit, etc.  I send over foods but on the weekends and days when I am on the run sometimes she does only get bottles.  She is just about 11 months old and in the 50% for everything so the just formula diet has been doing her just fine.  She enjoys the foods and I have even started giving her tastes of other things but I push the formula.  This is the advise of my ped, pulminary, allergist, neurology, etc.  All doctors at CHOP so do not worry about it I am sure they are all right.

PS.  My doctor also said dd needs to be on a sippy cup before 1 year I am having no luck at all with that.  it is a nightmare so that is something I wish I started to try earlier.  She was advanced in every milestone looks like she is failing this one.  Oh well, but just to put a bug in your ear if you want to try that.  Good lUck.

[GNicole]

I think our moms must be related. My mom is the same way! She will say Avery needs a fruit and a veggie at lunch, dinner etc.  Avery will drink out of the Gerber graduate sippy cup. It has a soft spout kind of like a nipple. I took the valve out and she could drink out of it. Of course with the valve out I only put water in it, but Avery loves water. I am planning on putting the valve back in it since Avery can drink out of it now. Hopefully she will be able to drink with the valve in it. Good luck with the sippy. That is the third brand I tried! :)

[BabyHardiman]

I have to say I've learned alot from the numerous posts about cereals, and solids.  I am going to breastfeed, and I will hold out for as long as I can without introducing solids to her.  

My sister's son is in 10% of his height and weight and that child has been on cereals and solids for MONHTS and he is only 13 months old, and they have taken him off formula.  I do not believe that they can thrieve from solids any better than they can from formula or breast milk.  Had she kept him on formula longer, instead of introducing solids so quickly, I honestly feel he would not be so tiny right now.  After reading the facts from posts like this, it only confirms it.  Lets see... hmmm... should I feed him mashed potatoes to keep him "full longer" or should I give him formula so he can get all the nutrients he REALLY needs....  This was my sister's thinking.  

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.  

[GNicole]

I think there is a happy medium. My daughter wasn't satisfied with just formula anymore. Don't get me wrong she still loves her bottles but she also loves to eat other food. She has always been in the 85th-90th percentile for height and weight. She was a big girl to start 9lbs. 2oz. and 2 weeks early. There are healthy food choices. Good luck! :)

[BabyHardiman]

I just don't think that they really monitored what and how much he was eating very well.  He always wanted a bottle but they kept forcing soids on him and he'd mostly gag.  He is a very picky eater.. he will hardly eat meats at all.  The only baby food he would eat was bananas and sweet potatoes... he hated all the veggies.  The only veggie he eats right now is greenbeans.. he loves canned greenbeans.  Every once in a while he'll eat chicken nuggets (frozen Tyson nuggets from the store)...but rarely.  He will eat breads, and french fries.  And of course he will eat fresh bananas.  =)  Somedays bananas is all he will eat, unless you have oatmeal cookies or marshmallows.  His diet just doesn't seem healthy to me.  

[cantwait4baby]

Gnicole - thanks for the sippy cup advise - now I am off to buy another one. hahaha

[GNicole]

We could start a sippy cup collection! LOL :)

[becca_3456]

I agree with your ped.if your baby is thriving which it seems so I would wait. at my DD 6 month check up she only weighed 13 lbs and 1 oz. my ped told me to feed her 5 tablespoons of cereal 2 times a day along with 2 jars of baby food. my DD does not have a big appetite to begin with so if I fed her that much she would not nurse. even though my DD is small she is happy and content. she does not care for solids so I dont push them. Your baby is growing great and your breastmilk alone is doing the job. You should be proud of that. Your breastmilk is the best nutrition and has more calories and fat than any other foods so why would you want to give her something not as nutritious as breastmilk.      even though I gave my opinion.You are her mommy and you know what is best.

[houseofgirls]

My 7 month DD could care less about solids.  She really seemed to enjoy them at first, but now, I don't even bother offering them to her every day.  As long as she gets to nurse, she is a happy girl.  She also isn't a huge fan of the cereals.  She'll eat fruit or veggies, but spits out the cereal.  Our Pedi told us that between 6-9 months solids are just for getting used to different textures and flavors.  I think you will be just fine waiting until 8 months to give solids.  My DD is in the 75 percentile, so obviously she is growing just fine on breastmilk :)  We weren't told to wait until 8 months, but honestly, I doubt my DD will be eating all that much even 9 months!

[Nicole624]

My 6 1/2 month old is a chunker!! He was 19lbs 4 ozs at 6 months. We do feed him solids, but he wants nothing to do with cereal, and sometimes, he doesnt want the solids, he will turn him head away from the spoon. He has always been in the 90-95% tile!! He was 9lbs 4 ozs at birth. =)

[Nicole624]

o and he is 27.5 in. long.

[taysmommy1]

thanks again, wow i didnt expect all the responses! dont think that i make a post and dont check back and see lol i try to get online as much as i can but these girls can keep me busy all day, i think that im going to wait until she gives me clues that she nees more, if she starts getting fussier or stops gaining weight like she is then i will start the foods, i just want to do whats best for her, and since shes so healthy i dont want to interupt that with foods that she doesnt necesarily need, i think that this issue should be out more then it is, because i was under the impression that if they dont start foods at 6 months that they will somehow not get enough nutrients that they need to grow, and i think thats the impression most people get, im so glad i asked :)

[taysmommy1]

Nicole- wow your little one is a big boy! 19 pounds! my 2 year old weighs 24 pounds lol (shes only 32 inches tho, and thin) your son seems really healthy

[AndiJ78]

You think that is big...all of my boys were 20lbs by 4 mos : ) I make super duper booby juice!

[Nicole624]

yup! But its funny b/c you look at him and you wouldnt think he was that big. Im jsut glad hes healthy!!

[taysmommy1]

Wow andi i need to borrow some of that SDBJ, ill sneek it into taylors sippy so the poor thing will grow lol, shes almost two years older then haidyn and only has 5 inches on her (which makes her below the 10th percentile in hieght) poor baby is going to be a shorty like her momma i guess

[AndiJ78]

My middle one is the thin one of the three boys. My 6 year old is 48.5 inches tall and 62lbs, my middle is 3 years old 42 inches tall and 38 lbs, and CJ is almost 17 mos old is 32 lbs and 32.5 inches tall (should be square,lol) CJ was the one who has nursed the longest and went the longest without eating solid food regularly and he was the biggest at birth and for most of the weigh in's during the first year.

My dh and I are both 5'8" and average in builds. So we aren't huge people, just make big kids.