Introducing solids to baby

Star · 01-25-2005, 10:59 AM

How old were your kids when you introduced solids to your babies?

With Krystal and Kassandra, I started them on rice pablum when they were 3 weeks old. They were sleeping through the night at one month old.

Now they say not to give them pablum until at least 4 months old. Erika was sleeping most of her nights but getting hungry earlier all the time so I decided to start her on pablum on Friday. I give it to her at her last feeding of the night, then her bottle of formula and she's out like a light until 6 or 7 the next morning. Her last feeding is anywhere between 9 and 10 at night. She took to the spoon very nice and loves her pablum. I'm not going to tell the doctor I did this or she'll give me crap but if there isn't any problems with her bowel movements or anything then why not?

i will probably introduce veggies when she's about 4 months old.

Merika · 01-25-2005, 10:40 PM

I know the 'New Thought' is waiting for weeks on end before introducing solid food....but I can't figure out who came up with that idea other than some queer guy in Kansas who had NO BABIES!

They wake up during the night because they are hungry....so WISDOM would lead you to believe if you FED 'EM.....they would sleep thru the night.

I cut bottle nipples at 3 weeks and went for the cereal. As soon as they could deal with a spoon....we went for food. I didn't feel like playing the Dr Spock game of raising infants. He could afford a Nanny...I couldn't....and I needed some sleep. I FED MY KIDS whatever they would and could eat.

From the time they were 6 weeks old....they slept all night.

Stone · 01-25-2005, 10:46 PM

I did rice in small doses at 6 weeks as well, but I was afraid to do so because the doctors change there minds all the time.

With my baby I'll probably do the same thing if rice mixes well with breast milk.

Noah was on regular milk at 8 months and eating french fries. I started him on veggies about 4-5 months mixed with rice 1st so it wasn't such a shock to his belly. Try using a 1/2 jar of veggies with 1/2 a bowl of rice so your introducing something new with something familiar.

Star · 01-25-2005, 10:56 PM

what i did with my kids and i probably will do the same with erika is start with the pablum at night only for about a week then i'll start to give it to her in the morning as breakfast for another week then give it to her again for lunch. I keep that for about 2 to 3 weeks then i started with the veggies at lunch replacing the pablum for a week then added veggies at dinner time. I did that to get them into a breakfast, lunch and dinner schedule and it worked well. I started them on cow milk at 6 months. took the soother away at 8 months and the bottles went bye bye at 1 year.

What i will do different with erika is keep her on the formula for the full 1 year then put her on a second step formula and give her the last step at 2 instead of giving her vitamins.

by the time my kids were 5 or 6 months old, they were on the same schedule as us where eating was concerned. they were sleeping 12 to 13 hours a night also.

I don't know why these doctors keep changing the rules all the time. my kids are alive and healthy and erika loves her pablum and there is no problem with her digesting it. I'm doing what's right for her and for me. If i kept her strictly on the bottle like they say to do, then she'll start waking up again in the night wanting to feed. Not happening! that pablum keeps her tummy full enough to make it through the night.

She'll wake up at around 4 but only to cuddle with me. I bring her into our bed and she passes right out until 7. She'll be just like my kids were. jumping into bed with us in the middle of the night to cuddle. I do miss that and i'm happy i get to have that again!

Merika · 01-25-2005, 11:23 PM

I don't think doctors know what they are talking about. It makes sense if a baby is FULL....it will sleep and be happy. The rest of 'their rules' are just crap.

Star · 01-26-2005, 06:45 AM

that's exactly how i feel about it all. some mothers don't start their babies on rice cereal until they're 6 months old!! I couldn't imagine waiting that long just to start it all. by that time, mine have all of it.

Duke · 01-26-2005, 11:27 PM

If pablum is considered a solid then we started a little later I think, around 5 or 6 months old. We had trouble with Paris when she was a baby because she never really had much of an appetite. She pretty much slept through the night from day one though and was a very good baby.