Too Soon?

If he is eating it and is fine with it , then don't stop. My son was a big baby too. 10lbs 5 ozs at birth. The formula was just not enough for him. I started mine on cereal at 3 weeks and jar food around 2 months. Never became a problem. He was a little rolly polly as a baby but very healthy. Grew out of it once he got mobile. Do what you think is right.

Some people start at 4 months. Many people recommend 6 months. But, remember, most of his nutrition should still come from his milk/formula and not solids. You are only really getting him used to the idea at this point. So, don't worry about it. If he loves it and is doing ok with it, let him.

My Pedi told me that the frist thing you start with is rice cereal and the at 5-6 months start one veggie for 2-3 days at a time to see if they have an allergy. If he is eating it ok, I would assume he is fine. They say starting food out too young can develop allergies in babies. Me personally, I would not do carrots for a few more weeks and just do rice or oatmeal cereal. Then, start giving gim carrots again in a few more weeks.

Give him the food if he's ready. It can't hurt. Just make sure that his main nutrients are the formula/breast milk and he's still drinking the same amount. As long as he isn't choking on the food, he should be fine. I started my girl on food when she was 4 months.

OK- as a health professional myself- this is why we call it PRACTICING medicine- My advice to you is to follow your instincts. My son we had to start on rice cereal in breast milk at about eight weeks because he just wasn't getting enough to eat. Like you said about your son- he started sleeping and became a much happier baby. We stayed away from the sweeter fruits 'till he was one year. He is seventeen now- great height/weight- no food allergies- and he eats anything - any vegetable, fruit meat etc- you give him. My daughter was different- we offered foods at about four months- but she consistently refused a spoon at all 'till she was weaned at eight months. She didn't even get a tooth until about nine and one half months. But she is also healthy- happy, a good eater- with her I made most of my baby food in the food processor and froze it in those "snack bags" or just mashed up whatever we were eating. She loved yogurt and cottage cheese especially. So- if he has had not bowel problems or excessive gas and he enjoys the food- Every child is different! And his sleep is so important! Trust yourself!

I listened to the pedi for my first child. Waited with the cereal, breast fed all of it. She always seemed hungry but the doctor said to wait on introducing foods and friends made be feel guilty if I didn't breast feed. Well, with kiddo #2, a boy, he was nursing ALL the time. I felt like I had a kid stuck to my breast, which I did!!! At 6 weeks, I was tired and he was starving. I stopped nursing, introduced a bottle and cereal. I remember going to the doctor for a appointment and she said I could now introduce an 8 oz bottle if I wanted to. I started laughing. I told her he had been doing that for months and that he was eating cereal. She just looked at me and said "well, okay, your the mom". That is what I'm telling you. Your the mommy. You know best when your bundle of joy is hungry! My son is now 17 is 6'1" and about 200 lbs. All muscle. He's a big boy and still eats like a horse! Congrats. Little boys are a lot of fun! They love their mommies!!!!

If he's hungry, feed him!!! As long as you do it right and introduce them one at a time to watch for food allergies, then he will be fine! Doctors do NOT know everything! Do not deny your son from eating because some doctor thinks he knows what he's talking about and doesn't even know what the papers say that he gave you!

E., there are so many different opinions regarding this particular subject. Go with your gut but you do not want to feed a baby solids any earlier than 4 months of age. That is the earliest. My opinion is to wait as long as possible. They get most of their nutrients from breast milk or formula. Don't feel guilty about giving it to him; he's old enough (officially). However, you will find that feedings become very annoying over time...especially when you start so early. I started my son on solids at 4 and a half months and my daughter at 8 months. My son has a wheat allergy and my daughter has no problem with foods. Who's to say that this is related to the introduction of food. I don't really feel like it is, necessarily, but I'm just throwing that out there. If he loves the carrots, just continue if it feels right for you. Maybe give him the carrots and try rice cereal next. However, I wouldn't be overly anxious to introduce much else right now. Just wait for a couple of more months.

Hi E.
You should probably have started him on his cereals first- but since you started him on his carrots continue- slowly go thru all the yellow veggies- then start with the green- and as he finishes each color of veg be sure he has had no rashes or other issues- like for instance some squash or sweet potatoes could give him gas- so watch for those differences- after he finishs his veggies you can slowly add the fruits- start with the applesause and then graduate to peaches, plums etc- find the one he really likes - same with the veggies- when starting with cereals- start with Rice - mix it with his milk for morning and sometimes nitetime feedings. sounds like he is a big boy and is most likely going to be a good eater.
here is a schedule I used when I started feeding foods to my children
morning bottle around 6 or 7
cereal with milk around 9sh - slowly added fruits to cereal feeding
bottle around 11 or 12
feeding veggies (sometimes with some fruit) around 2sh
bottle around 3 or 4
dinner or cereal feeding around 7sh or 8 with final feeding and bottle at 9 or 10 - down for nite-
it worked for my children
good luck and blessings

I'd do the rice cereal before the fruits and veggies. But at four months he can certainly have the cereal. Maybe do bananas next- the really mild stuff. But if he'll eat the baby cereals that should help fill him up and then by 5 or 6 months start him on more of the jar fruits and veggies. By 8 months I had one kid-my son- that would only eat finger foods- forget the baby stuff. He went straight to cheerios, yogurt,cheese cubes and tiny bits of meat, peas, you name it! My second, who is 14 years old now, would probably still be happy if someone would feed her mushy foods. They are all different and each kid is ready at different times. My son was also a BIG baby and he needed that extra food. I could not fill him up breast feeding- once I introduced a bottle he was like "Finally! Thank you. You are excused!Just keep those bottles coming." (Or at least I'm pretty sure that was what he said....) Good luck. Trust your instincts....

I think it is fine. I started my oldest (almost 13) on rice cereal at 3 months, b/c that was the recommendation at the time. She didn't seem to know what to do with it at first, so we held off for a couple of weeks and tried again, and then again after a couple more weeks...she finally 'got it' at about 4 months. At that time, everyone was telling us we needed to feed her or she would starve! The thinking back then was that 'baby cannot survive on milk alone.' With my now-10-year-old, we started her on cereal at 4 months and she did great. With my 5-year-old, everything had changed and you weren't supposed to start solids until 6 months. So, we waited and waited with her, and wouldn't you know, SHE was the one that turned out to have a dairy allergy! So you never know. I think if your son is doing well and enjoying his food, you should feel comfortable giving it to him. Just take it slow, let him try one food for a couple of weeks before you introduce another, until he is 6 months, when it is usually okay to introduce new foods after a few days. Good luck!

What you start the baby with is really a matter of culture. I had a doctor who suggested start with veggies first (we mashed a ripe avocado, its sweet like carrots are and is packed with good fats and vitamins) because they more than likely will like them. Others suggest rice cereal because its gentle. My doctor suggested that some cultures begin with lamb's broth or fish broth... If the baby isn't thrusting the food out with his tongue and choking he's probably ok. You don't want to mess up your nursing, but it sounds like you are measuring amounts of milk...if you are nursing on demand you would probably increase your supply to meet his need...but although I've waited longer some of mine have had their first try at around 3-4 months. Silly doctor!

Most pediatricians recommend introducing solids anywhere from 5-8 mos especially for breastfed babues. With that said every baby is different, so what worked for my baby or anyone else baby is moot because we are talking about your baby. It sounds like your baby was ready for solids, where mine wasn't ready until almost 9 mos. So I would continue as long as he is still drinking plenty of breastmilk or formula to get the bulk of his nutrition and just introduce new foods slowly so as not to upset babies digestion.

Don't worry about the pediatrician or anyone else's opinion, go with your instincts!

My son was huge at 16 wks he weighed 20lbs, he nursed all the time, at five months we started him on solids(he was very eager too), he loved it and I fed him all the different kinds of fruits n veggies baby food except for the ones that had meat. At 7 months I started him on baby yogurt, by 8 months he refused baby food and he would just eat whatever we did and I would just make it bite size for him. I just wouldn't replace a bottle with baby food yet but just give him some food in addition. Now my daughter will be one this month and she is about 15lbs. I waited until she was 7 months before I started her on solids because she didn't have as big of an appetite and I didn't want her to fill up on baby food when she needed milk to fatten up. At around 9 months she was still just eating one little jar of baby food a day. Now I give her a little breakfast, lunch, n dinner. Point is all babies are different, some love to eat more than others and just go with your gut you know best. By the way my son is at a normal weight and both my kiddos are happy n healthy. Just mentioning that because I used to always get flak from my mom because of my "overweight baby" who ate too much.

I started both my kids (now 26 and 15) on thin cereal at 4 weeks of age, and they both slept through the night. I was also nursing them. Dr threw a fit, but he wasn't the one having to be up with them all night! As they got older and more used to eating, I thickened it up and didn't start veggies and fruit til about 3-4 months. They were both just fine with eating that way and I never had a problem. Oh and neither one gained a TON of weight, were always at where they should be. I would imagine your big boy is just hungry. If he's eating ok and doesn't have any problems, then why would you stop? And yes, some Dr's don't really know all that much!

I started both of my babies (6 yrs & 16 mos.)on rice cereal (very thin)at about 4 weeks old. By 8 weeks I was adding a little applesauce to it. Both of my babies are great sleepers and have NO allergies. I think you should do what works for your baby & family. If he seems to like the food and does okay with it, then I think he'll be fine. Best of luck!

Your son is ready for food, without a doubt. However, I have always known to start babies on rice cereal because it is easier for their tummies to digest. After they get used to that (their tummies are digesting fine) move to oatmeal cereal. Then start veggies, then fruit. I am a bit concerned about you peds response though. Docs are supposed to know more than us! Good luck and God bless!

You're the mom; follow your instincts. if he likes food & is sleeping better, your little boy is also smarter about what he needs than the doctor! Just add one new food about every two weeks to make sure there aren't allergy problems. good luck!

It is not a bad thing. He is obviously tolerating it just fine. If he didn't, you would know. I started my first on solids when he was 3.5 mos and was grabbing the food off my plate. I got the message. He got the food :)

Go with your mom gut. Some will say not to start until well after 6 mos, but that is sill to me. Mine wanted what were were eating. So I gave it to him. We have no issues with allergies in the family so that was never one of my concerns and I was careful with what I introduced and when (no milk, peanuts or other nuts- that sort of thing).

JMHO- good luck!

I started both my sons on solids when they were about 3.5 months old mostly because they were very interested in food. They both loved it and have had no problems at all. I spent the last couple of years in Europe where the rules are different. For instance in Italy, they encourage parents to start feeding their babies solids at 12 weeks. Some doctors even suggest mixing pureed vegetables into formula to help them acquire the taste for it - a big no-no here. The point is that there is not only one set way to raise our little ones. European kids are just as healthy as those here in the US despite being fed solids much earlier.

My children's doctor recomends starting on baby food between 4-6 months. She really likes you to start feeding baby food around 4 months, but says that you need to start feeding by 6 months. Your baby is just fine! If he likes it, keep it up! I also have a very big baby (he's 3.5 months), and I started giving him cereal at 1.5 months so that he would sleep through the night. When I asked my pediatrician about it, she encouraged me to give it to him!

In my opinion, it is too soon. We did not start my daughter on baby food/cereal until she was about 5 months old. She was a big baby, too. I am afraid your doctor made a mistake to give you the food handouts. I would consider changing doctors. He/she is obviously too busy to pay attention to handouts. I would be concerned that he would give incorrect dosing information for meds. Love your little one with breast milk or formula.

Every year they change the guidelines on when children are suposed to start on baby food. If he is handling the food right then I say carry on... My friend who had 2x almost 10lb babies strted both of them on solids early because they needed it. Another friend of mine who's osn is 36.. was told by her doctor in the olden days to start her son on foods at 2 weeks because he was drinking tooo much milk.

Go with your mommy instinct on this, you have already started and it has made a positive difference

C

Wow, I am 29 wks pregs with my second so I am about to have to remember all this stuff again!! I believe the thing that is usually recommended is to start out with rice cereal once a day, then twice a day from like 4-6 months or so. Then around 7-8 months is a good time to start introducing the veggies and fruit, and like 9-12 you can do pretty much the whole range of meat, veggies, fruit and desserts. I think my little guy stayed on stage 2 stuff until around 12 months or so, but all kids are different. So I think it is fine to feed your baby at this age, but I believe something super easy like rice cereal is a good starting place. Good luck!

That is far too early to start baby food. Those conditions must be met along with others (can sit independently, for example). That paper was not enough information if it didn't mention sitting independently, the pincer grasp.... Keep in mind that the experts (American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization) suggest at least 6 months old, with their primary nutrition being breastmilk (or formula) for a year. Here is a list of "readiness" signs by Dr. Sears:
Able to sit with support, reaches and grabs, and mouths hands and toys
Watches you eat, following your fork as it moves from plate to mouth
"Mooches," reaching for food on your plate
Mimicks your eating behaviors, such as opening her mouth wide when you open your mouth to eat. Grabbing your spoon is not a reliable sign of feeding readiness, since baby may be more interested in the noise, shape, and feel of your utensils rather than the food stuff on them.
Baby can show and tell. Around six months of age babies have the ability to say "yes" to wanting food by reaching or leaning toward the food and "no" by pushing or turning away. Expect mixed messages as your baby learns to communicate. When in doubt, offer, but don't force.

To read the complete page with lots of good information, it is here: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

If I were you, yes - I would stop immediately.

my son was always in the ninety precentile. four monts old seems a bit young to start on food espically baby food. starting on food should be baby CERERAL. not actually jared foods. super baby foods is a great book. quick guide, while i didnt make my own foods it still keept me on track of which foods were good for what age. from what you said your pedi sounds wacky...i would find a different one that was more intune. good luck.

I started my daughter on rice cereal at four months...she was very hungry and milk alone was not cutting it. I then moved to baby oatmeal. We waited to give her any "real" food until she was around 5 1/2 months.

All babies are different and have different needs. Do what you feel is right, but do remember that at this time breastmilk/formula should still be the major source of nutrition for him. Good luck.

I wouldn't. Their digestive tract is not ready, evn if they seem like they are, and it could lead to allergies and other problems. The AAP suggests waiting until 6 months. Good luck!

Sounds like you have a unexperienced doctor. I would look for another one that would make you feel comfortable. My doctor had us start our son on solids at 4 months.

If I recall correctly, an infant's intestinal tract is not mature enough to exact nutrition from solid food until 4-6 months. And even then, the primary source of nutrition is suppose to be liquid, milk based. Ounce to ounce, carrots are not as nutritious as formula/breastmilk. Right now he needs fat calories and protein; If you fill up his tummy with carrots, he won't be hungry for the food he really needs.

My pedi suggested adding a little rice cereal to my daughter's evening bottle when she was 4-5 months to help get her system get ready for solids and to supplement the breastmilk/formula. That did help her sleep longer. My pedi suggested that I introduce rice cereals first (4-6 months), then baby yogurt and 'yellow' babyfoods (pears, banana, apples) when my daughter was 6 months; bran cereal and orange foods (carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes) around 7-8 months; green foods (bean beans, peas) around 11-12 months; wheat cereal, egg yolk/cheese.

Introducing too early could cause food rejection issues or food allergies... and at this age, if he does has a reaction to something (vomiting), it is extremely difficult to clear his airways (even at the hospital) because is breathing passages/tissues are so small. There is also a concern that if he does vomit, there a risk that he could get vomit into his lungs... Plus, his intestinal muscles might not be strong enough to move non-liquid food to his bowels just yet. Keep an eye to make sure he doesn't get constipated or worse, form a blockage, infection or septic risk.

I think it's fine! both my kids started younger than that =) and most recommendations say 4-6 mo. Just remember that it can take 1-2 weeks for an allergic reaction to show up, so you should wait that long between trying new foods. and find a list of foods you shouldn't give until after 1 yr old, those are important =)

If he's eating it & enjoying it then let him eat. My pedi told me that until our son could take food from a spoon he couldn't have food. He kept trying to take food out of my hand so at 6weeks I gave him some cereal with a spoon & he ate all of it. Some kids just really need that, the milk or formula just isn't enough. You're the mom, listen to your instincts.

I have three kids. I started them all at 6 weeks with one teaspoon of rice baby cereal. They all slept through the night and had no problems. I think this whole food thing is highly over-rated. Except of course for babies who've really had trouble with it. Which is far, far, far less than other babies who don't have trouble. It's probably a high percentage of kids who do just fine on food. I can't imagine going to 17 weeks without any solid food. You poor thing! You must be exhausted!

E.,
I don't understand why the doctor's don't want babies to have anything but formula or breastmilk for the first 6 mo.
My children are grown now, but we started feeding ours at
4 weeks. Cereal & fruit, & veggies. Just make sure you give him only one new thing per week, in case he has an allergic reaction (you will know what caused it). It was my experience that the baby food was more satisfying & they did begin to sleep for longer periods at night. Obviously the doctor isn't up half the night with a crying baby!!lol
Good luck, L.

Hi there E.!

They say to keep kiddos on breastmilk or formula for the first 6 months to build up their immune system, but my kids were always hungry for more. What I did was I kept them on the breastmilk/formula and started feeding them rice cereal at about 4 months. So for the 3 meals of the day, I had them eat some rice cereal (about 1-2 scoops, those ones that come in the formula can) mixed with breastmilk/formula and they had a bottle too. (I just used what I had in the bottle to mix with the cereal and then they drank the rest)At about 5-6 months I started baby food. I started out with veggies, then fruit, then all the rest.

I know every baby is different, so try what's best for you and baby! :) You're the mama, nobody knows him better than you..and maybe dad too. :P The other mama's are right though, start off slow and stick with it for a couple of days to make sure he's not allergic to it before trying another one. Good luck! Fun times are ahead with all the messes! lol Oh! and take pics, you'll love it later! :D

Sounds like you need a new doctor that you can have a conversation with and he will remember. I bet you are a very frustrated mommy!

I waited until my son was 3 months because he has major allergies. My co-worker has 3 kids and one on the way. They seem to start feeding their children very early. Personally do a little research, listen to other moms and then decide what is best for your family.

Keep in mind that at 16 weeks your son should rely on formula for most of the nourishment.

Good luck. I love my ped at Kesley Seybold clinic - Dr. Carter. She listens to me and comes up with a plan that is both good with me and my son.

If he wants to eat, let him eat! Yes, there are guidelines saying not to feed them solids until this or that age, but you know what? Some babies mature both mentally and physically faster than the norm. Follow your instincts... if he is happy and content, let him be!

When my son was 8 weeks, he was drinking 8 oz of formula every 4 hours (or less). We started putting the oatmeal (he was allergic to rice) in his bottle. This got us through a few months. We started on baby food at 20 weeks (I think). If your son is tolerating it and sleeping better go for it. Just document when you add a new food in case of allergy. And give all the veggies first and add fruits last. This really helped curb my sons sweet tooth also didn't give him juice as an infant. He is 6 1/2 and rarely eats candy.

Good Luck!
L.

Any time btwn 4 and 6 mos is the normal time to start food. If it works for your kid then it's fine. I started my little guy at 3 mos old b/c I'd read that it would decreased texture issues which he has a predisposition to and it seems to have worked.

This whole goobady-guck of not starting solids until 6 months is hog wash in my book. My son, who is 7 now, has always been an eater. We started him on solids at 4 months, vegetables (but not the green ones immediately, they are a little harder to digest). Just like yours, he was taking all of his formula and still seemed to be hungry. He never cared for the cereals, so we skipped them.

We did hold off on peanut butter and seafood until he was two.

I never gave my son baby food meats, they just looked gross. I had one of those mini-food processors. I would take sandwich meat (ham, turkey, roast beef) and grind it up in the processor. It had the consistency of sand. He ate that instead.

You can make your own baby food this way too. Steam your own vegetables, grind them up in a food processor, then you can pour them up in ice trays and freeze them. Once frozen, pour them into a zip lock freezer bag for storage. Take out a cube at a time to thaw and serve. This is much more healthy than the "add-ins" they have to add as preservatives to the store bought stuff.

We had to give our daughter cereal in her bottle because she was so hungry! Just go easy on how much and keep it simple. Really light colored veggies and fruits are good to start with. Cereal is always good, it fills their tummies up!

Our daughter is 5 and is super healthy. My mom started me early too due to being so hungry. Ignore the doctor and you decide what is best for your baby at this time. He loves the food, great. oh, try to keep on the same food for a few days to make sure no allergies are present. So if it was carrots then stick with them for 3-4 days before trying another one! good luck - he'll be fine - we all made it when our parents didn't have a time guideline!