So today I went to Wegmans to pick up organic rice cereal for Abigail. We were planning to hold out until she was 5 ½ months old, but have seen her taking such an interest in our food and waking up earlier, that we thought she may be ready. Exciting!! Wanting to do research on presenting solids, I was surfing the net today and came across information that I had heard before but not in the fullest context. All general sources and common motherhood websites seem to agree that between 4-6 months is the time to start solids. To me, that is a huge gap of time to know when it’s right!

I discovered today in my reading that the American Academy of Pediatrics, US Department of Health & Human Services, and a plethora of other highly respected mainstream organizations, such as UNICEF, recommend that you offer nothing but breast milk and/or formula until your baby is at least 6 months old. I wanted to know why?! I was fascinated to learn that an infant’s gut is not fully matured until closer to 6 months. Does this explain why infants experience such food reactions at such a young age and often outgrow them as toddlers?

Below is a superb visual/explanation I got from www.kellymom.com:

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Delaying solids decreases the risk of food allergies.
It is well documented that prolonged exclusive breastfeeding results in a lower incidence of food allergies (see Allergy References and Risks of Artificial Feeding). From birth until somewhere between four and six months of age, babies possess what is often referred to as an "open gut." This means that the spaces between the cells of the small intestines will readily allow intact macromolecules, including whole proteins and pathogens, to pass directly into the bloodstream. This is great for your breastfed baby as it allows beneficial antibodies in breast milk to pass more directly into baby's bloodstream, but it also means that large proteins from other foods (which may predispose baby to allergies) and disease-causing pathogens can pass right through, too. During baby's first 4-6 months, while the gut is still "open," antibodies (sIgA) from breast milk coat baby's digestive tract and provide passive immunity, reducing the likelihood of illness and allergic reactions before gut closure occurs. Baby starts producing these antibodies on his own at around 6 months, and gut closure should have occurred by this time also. See How Breast Milk Protects Newborns and The Case for the Virgin Gut for more on this subject.

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Though I have the rice cereal sitting on our counter, my husband and I have decided to hold off. Our daughter is happy, content, and is not lacking in baby rolls. For now we are going to play it safe and wait until she is even closer to 6^th months. They say there is no proof that starting foods allows them to sleep longer at night. The correlation between solids and sleep patterns tends to be because of maturity in sleep patterns and not just a full belly. We are new at this parenthood stuff and have no experience to go from. So maybe she does continue to wake a little earlier than I’d like in the morning, or continues to wake her usual time between 2-3 a.m., but, I have done it this far and my body has somehow adjusted to this crazy sleep cycle. If what I am doing...proves to be beneficial in the long run, that’s all the reinforcement I need.

Feel free to comment on your experiences. I would love to hear.