mmmmmmk, so here is my dilemma

So Im out with the fam yesterday and my cousin a friend and I all have 5 1/2 monthers. My cousin's kid is already on table food, my friend is solely breastfeeding, and I have started cereal (against dr's advice he wanted me to wait till 6 mo). My family is all over me wondering why I am only giving them cereal and havent moved on to something else. How many of you have gone against Dr.'s advice and given more than formula/breastmilk and maybe cereal? I am doubting myself, but I am already giving cereal and I wasnt supposed to do that! I am so nervous about doing more than I am supposed to before they are ready!! ***Ill stop before this becomes a vent****

 

Honestly I just followed the kids' cues. My kids were always ready to do things before the doctor told us. We started ceral at 3 months (doc said 4 months) and they were great b/c they were ready for it. My kids are on mostly table food now while my friend whose baby was born 2 days after mine is still strictly on baby food. They eat only 3 bottles a day while she is feeding him 4-5 bottles a day. Every baby is ready at different times for different things. I use my doctor as more of a guideline to help. It's worked so far! Do what is comfortable to you. If you are uncomfortable with going against the doctor, thats fine. You know what your babies need so just trust yourself! If they are eating the ceral and doing great then they are ready. You are the only one who knows when they are ready for new things just by reading their cues! Sounds like you are doing a great job!

 

IMHO, I wouldn't feed them anything else until they have gotten used to the cereal. DS1 was on cereal at 2 1/2 months due to reflux issues so he was on sweet potatoes and others by 5 months but that was with the doc's input.
My twins, we started them on cereal at about 4 months with doc's okay. By 6 months we started other jared food. But never table food. I was in Walmart one day and the girl in front of me was feeding her baby, in her infant seat on top of the cart, pieces of chicken wing. Me being nosey, I said Oh wow, how old is she? She replied she was 2 1/2 months. I just thought that was crazy!! Anyway, that was on the extreme end.
You know your babies and if you think they're ready for other food, you would know best. Doc's just don't want them to be introduced to too many new foods due to allergies. Just use common sense. If they seem to like it and don't have any stomach or allergy issues then I would guess that they are ready.
Good Luck!

 

i don't think it matters if you start baby food now or wait until 6 months. but try to learn to ignore your familynow, because this is just the beginning of their giving unsolicited advice, and it gets to be annoying if you let it bother you. signed, BTDT

 

Every person will have a different opinion.
We only started my son on cereal at 6 months. After our recent trip to our pedi at 4 m visit, he said the latest research shows (of course this could all change in the coming years) that giving cereals and other baby foods at anywhere between 4-6 months is fine. No increase in allergies. Just start with rice cereal and then once they are eating that 1-2 times a day and liking it introduce a veggie or fruit every 5-7 days. We went ahead and tried the rice cereal and the boys really seem to like it! they get excited and open their mouths and manage to swallow a fair amount. It's kind of fun! Plus big bro thinks it's too cool that they are eating food.
Good luck.
Mj

 

I usually follow my doctor's advice for serious health-related stuff but there have been a few times I've had a sense she wasn't getting the seriousness of something (i.e. flat head) so I've researched on my own and gone back to her with info. In terms of feeding, sleeping, etc. I feel my mother's instinct is stronger than anything a doctor or book could ever tell me. I use my doc and book for "guidelines" but it's always ME, the babies' 24-hour-a-day caregiver who makes the final decision. I know my babies better than anyone else and that makes me the expert.

 

Ive always just followed my kiddos cues... I'll try it and see what works best for me and them.

 

I started solids at 4 months with all of my kids. We quickly went from cereal, because they didn't like it plain, to veggies and fruits.

 

Every baby is different, I completely agree w/ pp advice to follow your instinct & babies' cues. And to learn to ignore advice you don't agree with Also, while I would follow my pedi instructions to the T if they were ill or injured remember that feeding instructions are going to vary widely based on which pedi you chose - amd I'm sure you didn't select him/her based on feeding philosophy!

I started my older DD on cereal at 5 mos, but she was on cereal only for a long time (I"m a "bad" Mommy & didn't journal it - but probably a month at least), then slowly started stage 1 waiting at least 5-6 days before each new kind. With H&N I waited until 6 months - mostly because I didn't want to deal w/the mess :blush: & felt like I didn't have time for one more thing. With them, cereal only lasted a week or so & they tried new things faster. I was starting to think they didn't like anything when I realized they just wanted to feed themselves!! Now at 9 1/2 months they still get 5 bottles a day but not any baby food. They get finger foods 2 or 3x per day depending on how or day is going. I pretty much give them whatever we are having - in very small pieces - as long as it's not too hard, spicy or of course, junk!!

 

I started solids with my oldest DD at 4 months (cereal) and fruits/veggies 5 months. With the twins we started at 5 months with cereal and 6 months with fruits/veggies since they were preemies.

 

I also followed my children's cues. If they seemed like they needed more, I gave it to them. I also am not a FTM so I had already had experience with my first. I think you should do what makes you comfortable. :hug99:

 

It would be a lot easier if these kids came with a manual wouldnt it? Then I could just do everything when the book told me to. Instead its all about instincts, dr, friends, family etc. I try so hard to listen to the kids and do what I think is best, but its hard when you get a lot of pressure from "others"....

 

QUOTE(three_precious_girls @ Aug 12 2007, 11:27 PM) [snapback]366140[/snapback]
It would be a lot easier if these kids came with a manual wouldnt it? Then I could just do everything when the book told me to. Instead its all about instincts, dr, friends, family etc. I try so hard to listen to the kids and do what I think is best, but its hard when you get a lot of pressure from "others"....


I agree. :hug99: If it makes you feel comfortable to follow your pedi's advice, I think you should stick with that. Who cares what other mothers around you have to say to you??? They aren't raising your kids, you are. You are the final decision maker, so you need to do what feels best for you. :hug99:

 

QUOTE(Sarah© @ Aug 12 2007, 09:30 PM) [snapback]366143[/snapback]
I agree. :hug99: If it makes you feel comfortable to follow your pedi's advice, I think you should stick with that. Who cares what other mothers around you have to say to you??? They aren't raising your kids, you are. You are the final decision maker, so you need to do what feels best for you. :hug99:

Well said! My thoughts exactly!

Just repeat to yourself as needed:

I am the mom, I am the mom, I am the mom!

 

Everyone has an opinion on this! You are the mom so you know best!

We started cereal at 5 months (dr. said to start at 4 months if we wanted) and started jarred sweet potatoes a week later becaues I thought the cereal was disgusting!

We are now onto squash and greenbeans. Just doing it once a day and still mostly on breastmilk.

 

I'd be curious why your ped said to wait. If it's just the standard "wait until they are 6 months" then I wouldn't sweat it. If the doc is asking you to wait because he's concerned about their weight (i.e. they need as much formula/BM as possible) or there might have an allergy in the family, etc., then it makes sense to wait. I would ask your ped why and tell him/her that you have started it anyway. That way you'll both be on the same page. He may have a valid reason for waiting but didn't "push" the issue because he thought you agreed.

That's just me though! Shannon