Breaking Up With Outdated Baby Feeding Advice

So number one is the idea that you need to start solids before six months.

So I hear all the time, and actually this is something that I personally experienced, was my pediatrician telling me to start introducing complimentary foods or starting to introduce purees when my son was four months old.

And I hear this from parents all the time.

Sometimes it ranges between four and six months, but what we know with current research is that there is not a nutritional need for starting solids or complimentary foods before six months of age.

So one, it's not nutritionally necessary.

And two, most babies are not meeting all of their signs of readiness for starting solid foods before six months either.

So what we know today is that we want little ones to be developmentally ready to start solids.

Starting solids includes any form of table food.

So this could be purees or solid foods, like if you're doing more of a baby led weaning approach, it's anything in addition to breast milk or infant formula that is considered starting solids.

But the other piece that we want to remember during this early phase of feeding is that any food that's introduced is still complimentary to breast milk or formula.

So we're not replacing any milk feeds with food.

So takeaway here is that starting solids isn't a race.

We really want to pay attention to your baby's timeline.

Every baby develops on their own timeline.

And so nutritionally speaking around six months is an age appropriate time to start introducing complimentary foods.

This is when other nutrients outside of what is contained in breast milk or formula are become necessary.

This is also when a baby's gut is ready to start digesting other forms of food or nutrients.

This is also when babies are more likely to be showing signs of readiness.

So what are those being able to sit independently, hold their head up independently, take interest in food or eating and pick up objects and bring them to their mouth on their own.

So readiness is so much more about watching your baby and their own development than following a date on a calendar.

That is a key takeaway is that we don't need to beat the six month mark.

We also don't have to be right on time at six months.

If your little one is not yet sitting in the high chair without slumping over to the side, then we may need to wait a few more days or weeks until they get there.

So the six month, around six months, is the goal to be starting solids.

But before then, starting solids around four months, before six months is really not needed.