Babies Should Start Solids Closer to 6 Months NOT 4 Months
Yes, 6 months! I know for ages you and your ancestors have been feeding babies as early as 4 weeks old on solids but that has manifested some negative short and long term effects over the last few decades to us as a whole. I know we all thought that giving our babies cereal at 4 weeks old was the thing to do because even the doctors still recommend it around 2 or 3 months of age just because, if your baby seems greedy, "he's big enough!", or not gaining enough weight or my favorite, "Maybe giving him cereal will help him sleep longer throughout the night." Don't get me started on that because cereal doesn't even have any nutrition in it really. If you're guilty of this, fret not. You didn't know so do not beat yourself up for it.
Pediatricians Take
Research has come out over the last 7 years about waiting until after 4 months to begin solids and especially if you breastfeed. Not all written sources and medical professionals are up to speed just yet on what to advise parents but the top organizations around the world are. Organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, American Academy of Family Physicians, AAP, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, and Health Canada support this rule. There are several reasons for this which include the following: it's recognized as obesity preventive which we know is a HUGE crisis in our country, developmental readiness (meaning a 6 month old is more likely to have resolved the tongue-thrust reflex along with chewing skills being more advanced and the intestinal tract is more developed to handle solid foods without triggering an immune reaction), and baby will less likely develop food/skin allergies. The other factors or indicators for starting solids still play a role like head control, sitting upright, has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push food out of his mouth. This is the list that has been around for decades and now that we've evolved more in research and technology, the evidence of different focus groups show that waiting closer to 6 months has more benefits. I didn't start my baby until the day he turned 6 months old and boy was I more ready than he was I tell you that. It gave my boobs a break especially since he had stopped taking bottles at 5 months and didn't start back until around 11 months old thanks to his God mom! Thats another story for another day entirely. Oh and did I mention that I had a sumo baby that loved to nurse??? I eventually stopped at 15 months, but I personally feel like I should've nursed him until he was 16 months old. (He's 1 month old in this picture. Sumo. *blank stare). He never had an ear infection or anything that first year due to illness of any such and he was around some sick people at times.
Benefits of Waiting
There are a good number of benefits for waiting until your child is 6 months to start solids (i.e. cereal, table food, milk). Waiting shows less incidences of gastroenteritis (inflammation of stomach and intestines), diabetes, and obesity (especially in breastfed babies) and even ear infections. Breastfeeding for that time period shows decreased rates of anemia. Baby is less likely to choke --even on purees -- when older because they're sitting upright on their own. A biggie I tell parents is this one... baby's gut doesn't produce the enzymes needed for digestion until 3-4 months, and the ones that break down more complicated fats, starches, and carbohydrates are not produced until 6-9 months. This means that their will be lots of gas, constipation, vomiting, and wasted nutrients before then along with fussiness later on has been shown. This is just a few of the benefits. My little guy transitioned very well and didn't have any reactions to food and I introduced a new food every 2-3 days.
My advice is to wait as close to 6 months as possible to start any type of solids. Give your baby time develop more so that they are healthier in the future. I know your family has a lot of influence on this matter but you are the mother and your decision beats everyone elses. Be bold and strong in your stance. With our foods being so chemically induced (i.e. hormones, pesticides) these days, the raw nutrition in foods have been compromised which has put the human body at risk for higher numbers of cancer and high blood pressure ( especially in women) to name a few. My suggestion for women is to buy as much organic meats and veggies as possible. I would say meat as being number 1 if I had to choose. It's worth the extra cents and sometimes dollars in the long run. That's my short take on the issue. As always, enjoy your week and remember that you are already absolutely AMAZING!!
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