The Case For Delaying Solids

A few days shy of her half-birthday (aka "Halfsie" - thanks Mama Lady KT!), I prepared Babydoll's first tiny bowl of rice cereal.  That first feeding was captured in photos and video, as BD and I cracked up over Babydoll's reaction to the thin, bland cereal.  In the days, weeks, and now months, that have followed that initial taste of solid food, I've encountered folks who want to know why we didn't give the baby rice cereal the very minute she turned four months old.  From all the research I've conducted, I can't figure out why it's common practice these days to give a four-month-old baby solid foods.  Some parents I know began even earlier than four months.  It just doesn't make sense to me.  There is so much evidence supporting a delay until six months old or later, or allowing the child to practice baby-led weaning.

My first stop on this research train was KellyMom.  That website is a treasure trove of real, science-based information, and it's an amazing source of breastfeeding and natural parenting support.  I next visited my old stand-by, Dr. Sears, for his take on the topic.  Finally, I checked the American Academy of Pediatrics* and the World Health Organization* for the collective view of physicians.  Every single source on my check-list supported my idea that my baby would tell me when she was ready and that waiting until she was older would be the most beneficial to her health.  It had absolutely nothing to do with how much or how little she weighed, a common argument for those who begin feeding solids early.

Armed with my newfound knowledge, we marched into the baby's four-month pediatric check-up, prepared to battle the doctor when she told us to start giving the baby cereal.  To my relief, our supportive doctor told us that she would prefer if we waited at least another six weeks to start solids.  (I've since realized that our pediatrician is a closeted hippie parent, who practices bedsharing and delayed vaccinations for her own children, much to the dismay of the other doctors at the practice.)

The primary reasoning behind our decision to delay was this: a baby's intestines simply cannot process food other than breastmilk or formula before it has reached six months of age.  Giving a baby food before this time often leads to food allergies, digestive problems (including painful gas, diarrhea and constipation), immune system deficiencies, iron-absorption issues, and obesity in later years.

My friend over at I Am Totally *That* Mom suggested that I look into baby-led weaning some months back.  Since doing so, we've sort of followed that practice.  I do make purees for Babydoll and spoon-feed her, but she often takes the spoon from my hand and allows me to help her guide it to her mouth.  We also allow her to choose foods from our plates when it sparks her interest.  She is still getting the hang of it, but she sure does love to make a mess of herself and her high chair (and the floor, and the dog's heads, and Mama's skirt).  A friend of mine asked how we could tell that Babydoll was ready for solid foods.  It was a pretty easy observation: she sat with us at the dinner table and began to take an interest in what we were doing, rather than just flinging her floppy bunny around and screeching at the kitty.  She would follow our hands as we put food in our mouths, and she'd make chewing motions with her mouth.  She began reaching for our utensils and our plates.  This all began around the time that she was five months old.  We knew that at her age, she wasn't truly ready for food, she simply wanted to be included in what the big people were doing.  During meal times, we kept her involved by talking to her and giving her a cup or toy to play with.  We gave it another month, then I bought a box of Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal and fixed her a bowl.

So far, Babydoll has liked everything she's tasted (except squash, which is a shame.  BD and I love squash, and we eat it often, so we'll keep trying).  I believe that by delaying solids, we've allowed her to be more aware of the textures and flavors of what she's eating, which will hopefully make her an adventurous eater as she grows up.  We haven't had a single issue of upset tummy or any other sign of digestive problems, and not a trace of food allergy so far.  Knock wood.

Of course, there are always exceptions, and many parents make the argument "Well, I started Baby on solids at three-four-five months, and he's just fine," or "My mom gave me rice cereal when I was six weeks old and I'm just fine."  Careful about making that argument to me.  I can almost always find something wrong with you.  Ha.

*American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends starting solid food with babies between 4-6 months old.  The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for as long as possible, and exclusively until the child is six months old before beginning solid foods.