Hi Ladies!
Just a quick question to get some advice...
My boys are nearly 5 months old - 5 months in 8 days and my husband and I are thinking of starting them on the recommended 1 teaspoon of farex. We were told when they were 8 weeks old by our ped that it is not uncommon for twins to be started on solids at 4 months.
I know that generally it is recommended 6 months however Farex has a 4 month old packet...
When did you start your bubbas on solids???????????
We were thinking of introducing really slowly as in the 1 teaspoon recommendation for 2-3 weeks just to get them used to the texture and taste before giving them anymore...
Help?

We started our girls on solids at 5 months on the advice of our paed as they were showing obvious signs of being ready (reaching for our food, making eating movements with their mouth, wanting more frequent feeds). They both took to it very well, although we went pretty slowly for the first month because ideally I had wanted to wait until 6 months both to follow the guidelines, and because solids was just another thing to have to fit into the day!

Our paed's opinion was to offer solids between 4 and 6 months, if the baby was interested / ready.

I started mine around 5 months and a bit, basically when they were keen to eat. Only one of them took to it straight away though. I think that the first few weeks of feeding solids is critical so bad habits don't start.

When my DD1 was born the recommendation what start from 4-6 months when signs of readiness were there. When my twins were born the recommendation was just changing to 6 months. I asked my paediatrician about it, his comment was that 6 months is a World Health Org recommendation, the WHO's recommendations are aimed at ensuring the health of all babies, but especially at babies at risk in countries where the water supply is not as reliable as in Australia and where there is high infant mortality due to water borne diseases, hence by delaying exposure to diseases until 6 months old there is an older more robust child more likely to survive an illness.

Good luck with feeding, and be prepared for a lot of mess

We started at 5 months on the advice of the paedetrician. He said 4 months but because they were 4 weeks early he told us 5.

One twin took to it really quickly and the other caused us all sorts of stress which was not what I needed so we just took her off and kept the other on. Within a week she was wanting to eat the solids again. I think they only really ate farex for the first 3 weeks.

DS was showing ready signs about 5 months so I tried them both. He took to it well and became a happier baby. DD wasn't ready though so I kept waiting a week and trying her again. She was closer to 6 months before she was ready.

at 7 months (6 months corrected). I am a strong believer that it is better to wait, while there is absolutely no harm in waiting, there could be harm done with early introduction (majority of babies will be fine off course, but it is hard to pick those which might be disadvantaged)...

Good luck,

Idulas

I totally agree with Idulas.

I am suprised that any Paed would recommend starting solids early (except in some cases for reflux). Introducing solids before their little digestive systems are ready can cause a multitude of problems. I wouldn't recommend introducing solids before 6 months corrected age.

With my daughter we waited until 6 months but with the twins the paed (who worked in one of the major children's hospitals as a neonatal specialist and is one of those really thorough doctors) said that the more recent research showed that rather than causing allergies, starting earlier could be protective against them.

With no history of food allergies I guess he thought it was safe?

My paed gave the same information to me as butterfliesgirls - latest information showing that delaying solids can actually increase the incidence of allergies (in a family with no history of allergies). We started on a very basic restricted diet, following a little booklet he gave us on starting solids.

My girls were 32-weekers too, so we started solids, with his recommendation, at 3 months corrected age.

Butterfliesgirls - are you an Adelaide person? (I seem to remember you are... hope I'm right!) If so, can you tell me whether your neonatologist is Dr Haslam?

Ours is Dr Haslam although they've also seen Dr McPhee (both at the WCH)

The reason I ask is that Dr Haslam isn't currently consulting (he had a bicycle accident), and if that is his recommendation re solids, DH and I would like to follow it...

Bec - what is the name of the booklet your Doctor gave you? Is it freely available?

Nerissa x

Hey Nerissa. I just had a hunt and can't for the life of me find the booklet (I hope I didn't throw it out!), but I remembered I typed some of it out to post on EB and have tracked down the post lol.



My girls ate pretty much all of that before 12 months! They didn't have any family history of allergies though, nor had they reacted to anything we'd tried already.

If I find the book I'll let you know.

ETA: I also used this guide for introducing solids to prems: First Foods for Premature Babies

No I'm a Sydney girl Nerissa but I do like Adelaide!!

Our girls were on pretty basic stuff for the first few months and not a lot i.e. - farex, apples, pears - thats about it.

I think some of the websites in NSW like Tresillian and Karitane have info about best foods to start and if you do an Australian search about foods babies can be allergic to you get lots of info too.

Bec - I'm glad someone else was told the same thing. I didn't want people to think I had irresponsibly introduced solids because I felt like it! It was hard work introducing them early and I would have avoided it had it not been for the advice of the paed.

I just remembered that our paed also recommended Heinz Organic Rice Cereal over Farex, but I can't remember the reasoning behind it now. I recall him saying that he didn't buy into the whole organic thing, except in this case... Wish I could remember the conversation better!

my boys are 41/2 months and have just started Farax in the last couple of days on advice from the paed.
Both boys have reflux and the medication hasn't really been working too well, so he has suggested to get them started on the rice cereal slowly to try helping them settle with their reflux. They are so far only having a teaspool full once a day, and he has said to go slowly introducing new foods.