I have been diligently attempting to keep you from solid food for the last few months, in an effort to follow the new guidelines that babies should consume nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months of their life.
This is all completely alien to me - in the last 10 years between this bub and the last, every 'parenting rule' in the imaginary book has changed. With my first baby, a long 14 years ago, we started solids at 2 months old, in the form of rice cereal which was added to the formula bottle *yes, gasp! formula*
Formula, which is now known as devil-food-that-may-possibly-inflict-eternal-harm-on-your-baby was then touted as a perfectly healthy breast milk supplement/ replacement, and was actively offered as an equal alternative to breast milk all throughout my first pregnancy. This was true to the point that there was a whole kitchen in the maternity hospital that was dedicated to formula feeding, including; bottle warming/ sterilising equipment, fridges to keep formula in, bottles and bottle washing equipment, and formula that was offered to babies in the absence of breast (for example, when Mum was sleeping or resting in the other room).
By the time my second and third bubs came along, breast feeding was encouraged but formula was still an acceptable replacement, and babies were fed solids at about 3-4 months old. I think that this is the era when baby food jars began labelling their foods 'from 4+ months' or 'from 6+ months' as they don't seem to have caught up with the recommendation that four month old babies shouldn't eat solid foods.
Which brings me to the next point of interest
...if babies are not meant to eat solid food, then this is apparently news to Layla!
As hard and long as I have tried to keep her from eating solid food (and offered her copious amounts of breast milk), Layla has tried equally as hard to eat solid food!
Her admirable attempts include; whinging at every dinner time and squealing/ salivating every time that somebody puts something near their mouth, developing ninja-baby skills in swiping food out of her unsuspecting brother and sister's hands, lunging at cups of water on the dinner table and sending them flying across the room in an attempt to eat the glass, and making chewing movements with her mouth every time that she looks at something even resembling food.
Today I didn't just fumble in my resolve to not feed her solid food (otherwise known as sneaking her a teaspoon of something yummy here or there) but I entirely caved in, after offering Layla a rusk and witnessing her literally chew and devour half of the rusk in about two seconds flat!
I think it is official - the baby is definitely ready for solid foods!
3 comments:
Lol! Classic. Kimberly has been on solids since 4 months because she was not settling and the only thing that would was something she could well and truly sink her teeth into. I do agree that over the years the baby food issue has changed so much it got confused somewhere along the way. But I still follow my grandmothers advice. 'If they have teeth they deserve food.' Makes perfect sense to me.
Bonny
Lol Bonny! Layla has two, fully-emerged, razor sharp little teeth and she is not afraid to use them. I neglected to mention that the rusk came in response to me being too scared to breast feed her when she was in the mood to chew something! I was completely floored when she ate it, however!
I'm in the same boat as you, started my eldest at 3 months which was the advice at the time. there is a big push for mummies to breastfeed exclusively (no solids) till 12 months. I just think that is unrealistic and much too demanding on mummies. Seriously don't think there is any real right time - you've had 3 kids already you know better than anyone else when your child is ready. go Layla for downing a rusk must have been super yummy. - Eat
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