how old for solids?

our boys are 3 1/2 months addj. and 5 non... how soon or how long did you wait tointroduce solids? I BF only.

 

our boys are 3 1/2 months addj. and 5 non... how soon or how long did you wait tointroduce solids? I BF only.

 

The newest recommendation from the AAP is to not introduce solids until 6 months of age. My kids peds always suggested to wait until their adjusted age not real age.

 

^ Yep, what Cassie said!

 

We went by their actual age, and started at 6 mos., although it was a very slow start.

 

We've never done adjusted age. We started cereal at 5 1/2 months (I do believe..we did try earlier at 4 months with their doctors approval but they weren't ready so we waited) At 6 months we introduced baby food (solids)

 

I think it depends on the size of your twins and how much they eat. Mine were consistently eating over 40oz a day for weeks when we started them on cereal at 3.5 months. We started stage 1 solids at 4 months (at the advice of our pedi) At 6.5 months, each baby eats 2.5-3 stage 2 jars of food each meal (2 solid meals a day), plus 4-6 nine oz bottles per day. Had we waited until 6 months to go to solids, we would have been doing two bottles per feeding! One of the boys is in the 50% for weight and one is 85%.

Every baby is different, and the 6 months start time is a GUIDELINE, not a hard and fast rule. Use your own discretion - if they easily down a large bottle (or equivalent BF), eat a lot every day and do not seem to be satisfied with just the bottle/nursing any longer, you can probably start adding a little cereal.

 

My ped said we could start between 4 and 6 months. He said formula fed babies usually start around 4, breastfed closer to six. Even though we only breastfeed, we started a little after 4 months.

I wish I would have waited though. Their digestive systems weren't mature enough I believe and they got constipated. It wasn't until just recently that they've done better with solids (tummy-wise, they eat just fine). If I had to do it over again, I'd wait till closer to 6 months. The only benefit was that they did sleep better from the first time they got cereal on.

 

Our ped said we "could" start at 4 months, but I said I wanted to wait and he said fine. I wanted to wait mostly b/c I wasn't eager to deal with a new project, but also b/c the more recent research indicates that it's better. We started right at 6 months, but even so, one of them (I forget which) was not psyched about it, so we waited a week and tried again. Then they were enthusiastic eaters. Plus, we moved through various foods more quickly -- I would have been more cautious if they'd been only 4 months.

 

Our pedi. starts rice cereal at 4 months and fruits/veggies at 5 months and that's what we did for our oldest DD. Since the twins were preemies we did wait another month. We started rice cereal at 5 months and fruits/veggies at 6 months, actual age, not adjusted. We have never really used adjusted age except we are waiting to start whole milk next month when they are one, when usually our pedi. starts at 9 months.

It all depends on when your pedi. starts. Some start at 4 months some at 5 months.

 

I 100% agree with RRTwins. My ds was downing formula like mad, so the pedi had him start on rice cereal at 3 months real age (they were 6 weeks early). Within a few weeks, he sometimes had 3 very small bowls a day, in addition to formula. (pedi said to give him 3 bowls if he wanted it.) Then at 4 months, he stopped wanting any solids. So I only gave him formula and never forced anything. Now at 5 months, ds and dd are just starting to like & want solids again. The amount he eats of solids is much less, and there are days neither has any. I just follow their cues and am learning to recognize growth spurts

 

I didn't feel any need to rush into it but everyone made such a big deal about it. It's just one more mess to clean up and they don't need anything beyond breastmilk until well past 6 months (not to mention that I was in no hurry to make the switch from sugar-scented diapers to the nasty odor of undigested iron supplements...)

Ours were full term and we were given an "official" OK at 4 months. It's all very confusing because you read about how the AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months and then your pedi says something else. So, we started a week after they turned 6 months with a little cereal once a day. We didn't do other foods until 7 months and it was small quantities -- just a taste, really. In hindsight, I think they would have been just fine waiting until 9 months when they were beginning to self-feed.

 

I, like the PP, didn't feel any need to rush it....it is just ANOTHER mess to clean up!! We started when they were 6 months old with rice cereal and did that once a day for 1 week and then twice a day for 2 weeks. Then we started the veggies (peas, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes in that order) once a day for dinner and still giving cereal for breakfast. Now, we are doing rice cereal for breakfast, fruits for lunch and veggies for dinner.

 

We began per ped at 5 months with rice cereal. I waited till 6 months to start veggies. We use their actual age, they were born at 35 weeks 5 days, and they are primarily BF.

I have read that to reduce risks of diabetes and obesity you should introduce cereal after 4 but before 6 months.

 

I started mine at about 5 months, 4 months adjusted. They grubbed it up!! They were clearly ready. If you try it, and they are just not interested, then I would wait a week or two and try again...they are all ready at different paces.

ETA: I started on my peds advice...they were having sleeping issues all of the sudden, after having been sleeping through. She said that is usually an indication they are ready, and within a week they were both sleeping through again. Haven't had an issue since.

 

I think you can start at 4 mos. But I belive it's best to wait until 6 months so they do not develop food alergies. With my first set we were way too excited to wait so we started at 4most but with the babies we waited until 6. It's just that much more work for you if you start too early. Actually if you are breast feeding, they really dont need any solids until they are a year old. We still don't give them solids everyday.