Prems and Solid food

[lizziebeth]

Ok, I went to the doctor's today and she said that as Daisy is nearly 5 months, I should be thinking about solid food pretty soon.

But Daisy was born 7 weeks early, she is sort of 3 months corrected age.

Everything I've read about prems is that you should go by their corrected age for the first few months which would mean introducing solids when she is 5-6 months corrected age (and therefore 7-8 months real age)

I mentioned this to the doctor but she insisted I go by Daisy's real age.

Now I'm confused! To any of you with prems, what did you do about introducing solids?

[emzkee]

My daughter was born 5 weeks early, weighing in at 4 pounds.

I had the same concerns, and asked my ped about it. He said to use her real age. So, we did. She took to solid food easily and was actually testing and accepting new foods better than her full-term counterparts. We started her on solids at around 5 months old. Rice cereal mixed with formula. By six months, she was into the fruits and veggies. Now, at 11 months, she's mastered stage 2-3 baby food and we are feeding her bits of pasta, bread, cheerios, and fruit.

However, now that we're close to that age where we need to transition to cow's milk, I'm hesitant to use her real age and am tempted to overshoot the 12month goal by 5 weeks.

HTH

[Jillian]

My daughter was between 4 and 6 weeks early. We first tried solids when she was 6 months old (real age) and she wouldn't eat them, we tried again 3 months later, and still no, at about 1 she started eating maybe one baby spoon sized bite every 2 or 3 days, and finally at 15 months old she started eating 1 meal of solids a day, she didn't manage to move up to 3 meals a day till she was 3.

I say you just watch for your babies cues, she will let you know when she is ready, that could be tomorrow, that could be 5 months from now.

[Michele]

Jackson was 5 weeks early, but we started him on solids at his actual age - he never really had an adjusted age. He hit all his milestones on time and was "normal" sized by 2 months (and on the bigger side for his age at 4 months).

I would go by her and if you think she is ready rather than her age in months. Is she hitting other milestones at her actual age or adjusted? How big is she? Does she seem interested in solid food? You can also test and see if she still has the toungue thrust reflex (where she'll try to push a spoon out of her mouth if you put it in).

[lizziebeth]

Thanks everyone, that helps to hear your stories.

So Michele, if she still thrusts her tongue out ... does that mean it's too early?

She is 13lb 10oz now. Which puts her on 25th percentile for her real age. And 75th percentile for her corrected age.

The doctor was saying that she is at 4.5 months in terms of her milestones because she can hold her head up properly and is sitting up with a little support around the waist.

Also she is squealing and babbling a lot which the doc said means she is further along.

[Michele]

So Michele, if she still thrusts her tongue out ... does that mean it's too early?



Yup, they need to lose that reflex before eating solid foods - at least according to my Ped.

[Karri]

Norah and Elliott were 10 weeks early and because of that, we went by their adjusted age for most of their first year. When it came to food, we decided to start them at 6 months actual age, since that is what the AAP reccommends, anyway. I knew they had sensitive stomachs as it was, and they were showing no signs of wanting food before that, so I just waited. My pedi did tell me that I could start anytime after 4 months actual age, but I wasnt ready and neither were they.

[Jillian]

Yup, they need to lose that reflex before eating solid foods - at least according to my Ped.


Yep, definitely wait for that reflex to be gone.

[lizziebeth]

Ok, thanks, I will try the tongue thing in maybe a month or so.

Karri, is that standard in the US to start solids at 4 months? Here they don't recommend before 5.5 - 6 months generally.

[Karri]

Lizzie - they used to reccommend at 4 mos, but they've been pushing 6 months. Lots of pediatricians are still old school, though, and give the ok at 4 months.

[lizziebeth]

Thanks Karri, 4 months real age seems really early to me too but then again ...

... this morning, I decided to see what would happen if I put a spoon to her mouth. She just sort of took it in - she didn't stick her tongue out at all.

So I guess that means she is getting ready??

[Jillian]

That's definitely one sign that she is ready. There is a complete list of readiness signs in the super baby food book, I can't find my copy though!