Apparently I'm a bad mother...

...because I haven't been feeding my baby enough solids! We haven't seen her ped since she was 6 mos and go in to see him when she turns 9 mos (later this month). I was just reading my "What to Expect The First Year" book and it says by now she should be eating finger foods. I'm so confused... I thought I remember my doc saying to hold off on table food until 9 mos?!

What were you feeding your baby when they were 8-9 mos old? How many times a day were you able to feed them solids?

I'm so lost. lol

ETA: Right now she's still dependent on formula. I have the hardest time feeding her. She's eating veggie purree and mushy rice cereal. I've been holding off on the fruits.

I didn't feed my babies ANY solids until they were nine months old.

Well of course you aren't a bad mother!

I started DS on solids at 6 mos and he was eating stage 3 baby foods and some pureed table food by 9 months BUT you don't have to. My sis breastfed her DS until he was 8 mos and didn't start him on solids until she started weaning him.

I think with 1st kid I tried to wait until he was at least 9 months for finger foods.

for 2nd, she probably started finger foods earlier, but not much. She didn't like baby food very much.

with 1st kid, I wish I would have waited on solids until he showed more interest in them. I waited with 2nd, and she is much better eater.

I didn't start solids until just about one year. My girls were late getting into the cereals and baby foods, so I just did what we were comfortable with and it worked for us. They had only formula and baby foods until their first bday with trying finger foods here and there as they got closer to 1 yr old getting them into it.

Every baby is completely different and besides until the first birthday, the baby's main form of nurshiment is from breastmilk/formula. Solid foods are just for experimenting. Listen to your doctor before books. My son didn't even have his first baby food until he was 7 months, so I know he wasn't on finger food by 9 months. Read your baby's cues, talk to your doctor, research and make your own decisions. You will do whats best for your child, I am sure of it.

DS1 was doing finger foods at around 8-9 months or so, but only occasionally and started on baby food around 5 months. DS2 didn't start baby food until 6 or 7 months and was 9 ro 10 months before he started finger foods. Both of them were about a year old before they regularly ate finger foods.

My kids were weird. They never put things in their mouths. They'd just play with the Cheerios or puffs until I put them in their mouths.

That's it- I'm calling CPS on you! I fed mine solids after 6 months, but watch out for the choking hazard stuff and allergy stuff like peanut butter, etc. I'm sure your daughter is doing just fine, solids or not!

I nursed mine until nine months which is why I didn't introduce solids earlier. My pediatrician told me it wasn't necessary.

Logan is 9 mos and he started solids at 4 mos, however he was eating over 40 ox of formula a day, which is why we started solids early. He does three solid meals a day and only a few finger foods.

You are NOT a bad mom... do what feels right to you and as long as she is thriving then that's all that matters!

I did regular visit to the ped (once a month) for the first year and my boy was (and still is) a food vaccum. But every baby is different.
As someone said at this age solid food is for experimenting. My son loved veggie purees and was not so fond of fruits. He also ates cookies and french fries... hehehe but you are not a bad mommy at all

Kyle is now 15 months and he drinks 2% milk & eats pretty much whatever we eat. He would never really eat baby food or cereal although I tried several times after he was about 6 months until 9 months or so. He just didn't like any of it at all, except for the Gerber Puff things which he loved those things! Our Ped said that was perfectly okay, some babies just skip that and move right on to table food which is exactly what Kyle did. Kyle probably weighs around 25lbs now and has always been on the higher end of the percentiles so he's certainly never missed out on anything lol! So you are definitely not a bad mom, I'm sure she's doing wonderful!!

My daughter is 6 months old and we just saw her ped. I expressed concern that she has no interest in baby food. He told me that really you can wait until they're about 9 months and if a baby doesn't take it before then, that it really is okay. He said that if you wait longer than 9 months before introducing anything, that sets up eating problems for later on. Based on this, I'd say you're doing just fine!

My first daughter was eating cheerios and lots of baby food by the time she was 9 months, but my 2nd is just different. They're all different.

We started rice cereal at 4 months for all 3 of mine. When I started noticing that they were interested in what I was eating, that's when I introduced it. Their ped said wait till 6 mos, but I couldn't deny them food! The peds mainly want to make sure that allergies don't get to them, I guess the later you wait the less reactive babies are to allergies.

Oh sweety you arent a bad mother at all!! Every baby is different and every babys needs are different!! You are doing the right thing for your child, if your baby was starving you would definitley know! Hugs!!

Avalynne is just about 7 months, and is loving her pureed mushes, lol. Just today we tried squash & wax beans. She's been gulping them down like there's no tomorrow.

I have to say though, there is SO much information out there, everything contradicts itself. Classic example I found in the SAME book: I gave my baby Beginner wheat cereal, then the next day read that babies shouldn't have wheat cereal until at least a year. So I was like, oops. Then farther down the page, it said that she could try an arrowroot cookie or other types of "baby cookies"... WTH? She can't have wheat CEREAL, but she can have wheat in cookies???? Makes no sense. So she eats wheat cereal.

I tell you, you can't go by every "rule" or your kid would starve to death. Just do what you think is best, and I'm sure she'll thrive!

I have a 10-month-old. He eats baby cereal and jar fruits for breakfast, then table food the rest of the day. (And nurses 4 times a day.) I take everything I'm told with a grain of salt...my kid even eats shrimp which is on the don't feed until age 3 list...oh well...
You're fine. Trust your instincts.

I wouldn't worry at all! It sounds like you've started solids and she's getting enough nourishment, so go with your doctor's advice and your own perception of your DD's needs to decide when to do more. I started solids with DS1 at 5 months (was planning to wait 'til 6 mo, but he was more than ready and the doc had given us the green light at 4 mo). DS2 started later, at about 6 months.

I start very slowly with 1 new food every 5-7 days (as our ped recommends), so it takes a while until we get to table foods! I think we introduced them about 9 months with DS1 and later with DS2 because he wasn't ready yet.

IIRC we were doing 2 meals a day at 9 months. I nurse until 12 months and then wean slowly, so I try to have them at 3 good meals at 12 months and add snacks as we wean.

My DS was a food vacuum too! I nursed him until he was 18 months old, he started solids around 6 months old and was so excited for table foods whenever he could get them from Grandpa (ie donuts and ice cream - BAD GRANDPA!). LOL I think each kid is different. He also got his first 2 teeth at 3 1/2 months and had most of them by 8 months, so he was good at chomping.

I remember being at Costco when he was like 7 months and I got a sample of something and handed him a piece. The little Costco lady was like, "Um, he's going to choke on that!" I said, "JT, smile for her." When she saw all his teeth she almost died and then she was quiet. LOL

I didn't start Landen on babyfood even until he was 1 year old...so if you are bad-I'm horrible...LOL

The fact that you are concerned about being a good mother and taking the time to read about what you are "supposed" to do tells me that you are in fact a GREAT mother! Listen to your baby and do what they need. You'll know. My baby wasn't gaining enough weight on breastmilk and wouldn't take formula AT ALL. So, I had to introduce solid foods very early. She's a great eater and is right at a good weight for her height. Totally different from my Hoover of a first daughter. That kid ate & drank anything she could get her hands on!

YAY! Thanks, ladies! I was hoping I wasn't doing this completely wrong... lol!

2 of my 3 were on solids at 3 months and the 3rd at 4 months. Finger food at 6-7 months was mainly an apple cut to almost the core and they would sit and suck for an hour!

BTW you aren't a bad mother! First time is the hardest and with kids it's so hit and miss and just trying different things.

What year was your 'what to expect' book written? Because they do seem to change the 'rules' all the time. My daughter (almost three) I started feeding at 5 months, because that's what seemed to be popular at the time, and her pediatrition said it was okay. Now I was told to wait until 6 months with my son, so I did. He took a while to get used to it. My son is now 8.5 months old, and I feed him three times a day - when we eat. He has 4-5 7oz bottles of forumla a day also. (I should add that my son is underweight, and I can't figure out how to get him to gain!I feed him all he'll eat!)

breakfast - 4oz infant cereal & about 4 oz of fruit
lunch - 4 oz of veggies
dinner - 4 oz of veggies and 4 oz of fruit

(one oz is about one small jar of baby food, or 3 of my ice-cube sized frozen cubes of homemade purees)

Plus he eats cheerios, those gerber puffed stars and pretzels. For about two-three weeks he has been eating table foods, because he has five teeth and is pretty good at chewing right now. I'll boil small cubes of carrot, he likes those, and he really loves watermellon, grated cheese, hard boiled egg yolk, soft cooked apple cubes. I also use a food mill to grind up some of our table food for him - like chicken stew and potatos and meat.

I don't know if this is all medically appropriate advice - but my son can handel these foods, and shows no signs of intollerance or allergy. He's constantly grabbing at food off our plates. I know children need a source of iron and protein by this stage, and the books I have say at this stage I can begin cheeses, most meats, egg yolk and he should be okay with a little dairy product *in* something, like a little milk mixed with mashed potatos.

Don't feel that you are 'behind' at all - forumla will give them all they need really for the first year, especially since your forumla would provide all the protein and iron they require. Some of my friends don't start their children on solids until 9 months or so! It's really just for enjoyment for them, not necessarily nutrition, and to give them practice eating. My son enjoys it, and it makes for a happy mealtime for everyone for us.

My son eats both fruit and veggies and enjoys them both, I even started with fruits! My daughter was the same. So don't feel that you need to continue to withold fruit if you want to add it, it won't necessarily mean he'll reject veggies.

Hope this helps. DON'T doubt your instincts, and DON'T say you are a bad mom!!!

I was also wondering if my DD might be ready for table food because she: 1) already has 8 teeth :blink:, 2) always tries to grab what I'm eating, 3) can do the pincer grasp to pick up itty bitty objects, and 4) is starting to actually chew on stuff she puts in her mouth. So, maybe this is showing she might be able to eat some new and adventurous things! She does NOT enjoy the pureed stuff.

Oh! Don't listen to books sweetie!! THey are a good guide sometime, but every baby is different!!! I am sure that you are not a bad mother!! {{hugs}}

My oldest had cereal at 4 months and the second was sometime after that and Stella (who is 3 and a half months) is getting close to being ready for cereal cause she eats insane amounts of formula. I can't remember exactly when they were eating almost all solids....

I think mine started solids at 6 months. But then, they were both FAT babies. It might have been 9 mos. I dont' remember. LOL

You are not a bad mom! Nutritionally, babies don't need anything other than breastmilk or formula until 1 year. If your baby were starving, you would know!