Conflicting solids advice from pediatricians

Over the last week I've noticed that everyone here seems to be getting different opinions on when to start solid food and how often to feed solids from their pediatricians. I thought it might be fun to compare. So... here's what we were told:

1. The pediatrician told us to start solids at six months. Rice cereal first, then purees, then immediately to thicker and chunkier whenever the girls could handle it. Finger foods by seven months. Proteins by eight months.Three meals a day by nine months.. Solids can start to replace formula immediately but make sure they're getting 24 ounces up until nine months. Can be less than 24 ounces of formula after nine months as long as they're still gaining weight. No more formula by a year.

2. The Early Intervention people told us to hold off on solids until six months adjusted age (so 7.5 months for my girls). No protein until a year. Keep with the formula in sippy cups until one year adjusted.

What about you guys?

 

I started at 6 mo adjusted age, and made sure to offer solids no more than 1/2-1 hr after nursing so that it wouldn't cut into their milk intake. As far as how many meals when, I've been following my babies' lead. I really don't think there's any point in saying they should have x meals by x months. You can't go wrong following their cues. You'll know when they're ready for more. Some babies take to solids quickly, others aren't interested.

I'd use adjusted age for everything (when to start solids, when to stop formula, etc).

Why did EI say no proteins until 1 yr? I've never heard that before, so I'm curious. I've been giving protein stuff almost from the beginning. In fact, there's even a school of thought that says to start babies on meat instead of rice cereal.

 

Our ped told us we "could" start solids at 4 months but didn't object when I said we wanted to wait till 6. Also said try to be off bottles by 1 year or as soon as possible thereafter, and switch from formula to milk when they turned 1. I'm not sure exactly what he said about how many meals, but I think they suggested 2 meals around 7 months and 3 meals by 9 months (which is more or less what we did, but not because he said so).

I never heard the "no proteins" thing either. Our ped said to start with cereal, then veggies, then fruits. I'm not sure what he said about meats & proteins, other than no egg whites until 1 year. We did start with cereal, but then alternated veggies & fruits. We started cheese & yogurt at 9 months, which he said was OK (though he hadn't mentioned it until I asked him). My DDs still barely eat meat and they are 26 months.

 

Generally my Ped says 6 months, but our kids were looked at as a special case due to reflux and how big they were.

At 4 months we were told to do veggies, fruits and meat purees. We started cereal way earlier because of reflux. He suggested 3 meals a day at 4 months as well,

At 6 months he said they could anything we eat as long as it was soft enough. Modified table foods he called it.

Basically my kids eat everything aside from eggs, nuts and strawberrries

 

I'm not sure why EI said no proteins until a year; I didn't ask because honestly, it wasn't advice I was going to take. We haven't really followed the ped's advice either. My girls just aren't very interested in solids so we're still on only one meal a day, sometime two. Ah well, I figure they'll eventually enjoy real food and until that happens, I'm not going to push them.

 

I'm not sure on that EI advice so much, especially the protein part.

But my girls were never very much into baby food. So we never really got to 3 meals until they were 9 months old and were eating all table foods. Once they got table foods the baby food was a big no go and they ate a lot better. They took in about the same amount of formula/day until they were 12 months and we started milk, then we went down to 16-20 ounces of milk a day (per the pedi). They never really went over the 24-25 ounces of formula a day mark anyways.

I did start them on solids at 5 months, but they just never got into it too much (until table foods). If I were to ever have another child, I'd definitely wait until they were 6 months old to start.

 

My Ped agrees with your Ped. I don't know about the EI advice..no protein until a year??? My doctor said after 9 months, the more lean protein the better!

We were on 3 meals a day by 9 months but that was our choice. We did start cereal around 5 months and then fruits/veggies at 6 months, proteins at 9 1/2 months.

My ped says anywhere between 4 to 6 months to start.

 

Our 1st ped said 6 months, the next one (a much older man) said 3 months, and our current one was fine with 4-6 months depending on the baby.

Peds are just people too so they all have their own opinions about things like solids that they base on their own experiences. I have too many friends who are doctors so I've never taken any doctor's word as gospel. I just decide what is best for my specific child.

 

QUOTE(Ali M @ Feb 7 2008, 05:24 PM) [snapback]611488[/snapback]
Our 1st ped said 6 months, the next one (a much older man) said 3 months, and our current one was fine with 4-6 months depending on the baby.

Peds are just people too so they all have their own opinions about things like solids that they base on their own experiences. I have too many friends who are doctors so I've never taken any doctor's word as gospel. I just decide what is best for my specific child.



Baically my Ped said what you are saying that the AAP has guidelines but you need to do what is best for the specific child. He is annoyed as I am that people that guidelines as gospel and actually think someone is bad or wrong for going against it.

The fact is starting solids early was good for us. It has helped with the reflux so much and I am almost sane again!

 

We just switched peds so I will compare the 2!
1. First one said to start the girls at 6 months. His belief was breastfed babies should be just bf until then but that with formula fed babies he recommends starting at 4 months. At our 6 month appt., he said to start and they should eat 2 meals of fruits and cereal a day.

2. ped 2 told us they should be eating 3 meals a day now....

What actually is going on is: 2 meals a day of yogurt or cereal and a fruit or veggie. I am also introducing finger foods. My girls love to eat so we could probably do another meal but we aren't ready to add one to the routine just yet. They have their whole lives to eat, right?

 

my pedi is totally in line w/ your pedi.

 

The protein thing IS weird! I was just reading this weekend that a lot of other places (mainly UK and Canada if I'm remembering right) are recommending meat as a first food. That surprised me too but it is a good source of iron and if you're not doing commercial baby food, I can see it!

Our ped actually recommended meat early but it was a reflux issue too. We're doing pretty much 3 meals right now because they really don't like their bottles. Makes for tough times-- we never make the minimum formula amounts because they really don't like bottles.

 

Our doctor didn't really have any recommendations beyond starting them on rice cereal "around" 6 months. She said "I trust you guys" and that was it and we were like don't you have ANY guidelines or anything? And the nurse printed out this super generic standard thing about not giving them strawberries, honey, or peanut butter until 1 year old and keeping them on formula until 1.

ALLLLLL-RIGHTY THEN! :unsure:

So in lieu of dr's advice we've been following the guidelines in a couple different books and following our instincts.... so far so good.

 

Pedi and I actually never really discussed when to start

At their 6 mo visit, I mentioned starting and he said yup, you're good to start anytime now and that'll probably decrease the amount that Ellie spits up. And never said anything at our 4 mo visit.

But he's pretty laid back, knows I'm a nurse (even though I'm not a pedi nurse) and I call/ask plenty of questions anyway :umm: