Why I Regret Feeding My Child Solids Too Soon...
/
Both the AAP and WHO suggest waiting until 6 months before starting solids. [1.] Do not let anyone, professional or not, tell you different. [2.] They are not up to date if they are giving that kind of information. The theory still holds true that solids need to be started between 6 months and a year, and not after a year, to prevent allergies. But it was discovered that starting solids before 6 months in term was detrimental to their gut health and causes problems down the road, if not immediately.
Here is this mamas story...
"I would like to share a personal story about my oldest son and being fed solids too young. I feel it's an important share and maybe it'll help someone understand the life long affects of feeding a child food too early. My oldest is almost 9. I listened to everything our pediatrician said back then because well, "he's got a degree and I don't so he must be right". I was told at 4 months he could have rice cereal and to give him food. So I did. I made my own baby food and bought the box of organic rice cereal and I was so excited I was "allowed" to feed him so young. He didn't particularly love it because he was so little (and obviously looking back, FAR from ready) but since the doctor said to, we kept on with it. He was always a spit-up kid, but it actually intensified around 6 months and he continued to spit up constantly until around age 1. At that point, he went from spitting up to projectile vomiting all of the time. He would vomit while playing, while eating, while sleeping (at least 3 nights a week), just constant vomit until he was around age 3. We did tests, we had doctors visits, we found a dairy allergy but the vomit continued and continued. He finally improved a little bit by age 4 but he had in the process become terrified of new foods, afraid to go to bed because he knew he would maybe throw up, and became a very picky eater. He has since that time had a very sensitive stomach, a very hard time trying new foods, still vomits every now and then and he has a terrible gag reflex as well. We have had SEVERAL doctors confirm that his stomach and digestion problems all stem from eating food way too young and his gut being damaged from that. There's no "fix" or cure for the damage that he experienced eating food too young and he will now suffer a lifetime of digestion problems because we just didn't know. The guilt is terrible and I wish we had just researched for ourselves and not blindly followed the doctor just because he was a doctor. I hope that helps someone understand that while your baby is "fine" eating food before 6 months, there are no guarantees you won't see problems in 1 year or 10 years or even longer. Please enjoy those 6 months of just nursing or bottle feeding your baby. You have their whole life to feed them food!"
