Smug-Hub wants to start letting Smug-Baby taste a few food items, not really start her getting her nutrition from solids, but just wants to see how she likes some fruit or something. I am really opposed to this idea. I know from my extensive reading of parenting books, articles and online sources that babies should not be given anything (even water) but their mother's milk for AT LEAST 6 months and Smug-Baby is only 6 months and 4 days old. I know introducing solids too early increases a baby's risk of allergies and leaky gut syndrome. I know that breastmilk is perfect and introducing solids will actually create a nutritional deficiency. Once solids are started, you nurse less, so starting solids is also the beginning of weaning. Once solids are started, there is an increased chance of illness, because again, a nutritional deficiency has been created. Babies don't NEED solids until their have their teeth! The cave men/women did not have Gerber, they did not create fancy little purees for their babies!
Smug-Baby is healthy! She is over 6 months old and never been sick (besides the runny nose when teething), she is never hungry, she is over weight for her age and she is happy watching us eat without joining! There is no reason to start introducing foreign items into her clean and perfect little body. It would kill me if we did something that I was uncomfortable with that turned out to be harmful to her and I would have a hard time not blaming Smug-Hub for rushing me.
All that being said, Smug-Hub is not really talking about starting to introduce the replacing of a meal of nursing with a meal of solids. What he wants is to give her some watermelon to play with and let her put some of it in her mouth and see what she thinks.
I told him that we would start as soon as he installs the diaper sprayer in the bathroom. Here is the other little dirty secret about starting solids - the diaper contents will change dramatically!! What are now nice, small, no smell diapers, will become really potent and will require a haz-mat suit to change!! I don't think that he understands just how much the diaper contents will change and don't think he is ready for that :)
I want to do what is best for her. My wanting to keep her a baby longer is not a good reason to put off starting solids. His wanting to see what things she likes and him being ready for this milestone is not a good reason to start! It's not about what we want, its about what is best for her and I just don't think introducing solids at this time is what would be best for her.
So, I am not going to bring it up. If he talks about when we can start letting her taste things, I will reply as to the status of sprayer and until he gets it installed, I have a solid food reprieve!
ha ha! Just so you know, 'tasting' like we do, does not change the diapers, and Toren never has the thought to swallow any of the food (thus far). I let him taste his toys, and paper, etc, so I also let him taste some of our food items. It feels right to me where we are, but everyone is different. We were told by the ped that we could possibly start doing solids - a few tablespoons a night - but right now, to me, it doesn't fit. Much to my mother's dismay. :) Follow your instincts baby, they are there for a reason!
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled on you blog from pioneerwoman... I have had three daughters and all of them ate late. They just weren't interested in being fed. They started eating when they could completely feed themselves. (Usually between 8- 11 months) This horrified some people- but they are the healthiest children you could ever meet. Trust you instincts, always. :)
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