At what age did you begin 'spoon feeding' your baby?

My pediatricians said 4-6 months, and cereal only before 6 months. My son started at 6 months, I tried some with my daughter at 4 months, and she had no interest in it, but by 5 months she let me know that she wanted food and started gobbling it up. I didn't follow the "rule" per se, once I saw she liked cereal at 5 months I added fruit and vegetable.

My daughter was started around 4 months because of her feeding issues, but if I ever had a second chidl I would go straight to baby led weaning. I wouldn't bother spoon feeding at all. My daughter was on table foods by 6 months which I think is the ideal time to really start solids. There is absolutely no benefit to solids at 12 weeks old and there is absolutely no nutritional benefit to plain rice. Skip the way outdated advice and look into BLW.

I started offering solids when baby was 5 1/2 months.

Your doctor's advice is VERY poor and VERY dangerous. The fact that she's 'advanced' in some ways doesnt' mean that her digestion system can handle solid foods. Why does the doctor believe that your baby would benefit from being fed solids this early?

Current advice is to wait until around 6 months (26 weeks) to begin solids. The earliest to even consider them, if baby is CLEARLY ready, is 4 months (17 weeks.) So you have at least another 5 weeks before you'd even t hink about it, and preferably another 3 months or so.

There's NO rush. Early solids are associated with many long and short term risks, and have no benefits.

EDIT: Just wanted to add - a couple of people mentioned that they started solids early-ish because their babies were slow gainers. Slow gainers ('small babies') don't need early solids becaues they are small any more than big babies need early solids because 'milk can't possibly be enough for her anymore.' If baby is a poor gainer, far better to nurse more often or offer more formula. Cereal has fewer calories than millk, and replacing a high calorie, complete food (breastmilk/formula) with a lower calorie, incomplete one will acheive nothing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends gradually introducing solid foods when a baby is about 6 months old. Your doctor, however, may recommend starting as early as 4 months depending on your baby's readiness and nutritional needs. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any solid foods.

Is My Baby Ready to Eat Solids?

How can you tell if your baby is ready for solids? Here are a few hints:

Is your baby's tongue-thrust reflex gone or diminished? This reflex, which prevents infants from choking on foreign objects, also causes them to push food out of their mouths.

Can your baby support his or her own head? To eat solid food, an infant needs good head and neck control and should be able to sit up.

Is your baby interested in food? A 6-month-old baby who stares and grabs at your food at dinnertime is clearly ready for some variety in the food department.

If your doctor gives the go-ahead but your baby seems frustrated or uninterested as you're introducing solid foods, try waiting a few days or even weeks before trying again. Since solids are only a supplement at this point, breast milk and formula will still fill your baby's basic nutritional needs.

How to Start Feeding Solids

When your baby is ready and the doctor has given you the OK to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky. You want your baby to be a little hungry, but not all-out starving; you might want to let your baby breastfeed a while, or provide part of the usual bottle.

Have your baby sit supported in your lap or in an upright infant seat. Infants who sit well, usually around 6 months, can be placed in a high chair with a safety strap.

Most babies' first food is a little iron-fortified infant rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. The first feeding may be nothing more than a little cereal mixed in a whole lot of liquid. Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let the baby smell and taste. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful is rejected. Wait a minute and try again. Most food offered to your baby at this age will end up on the baby's chin, bib, or high-chair tray. Again, this is just an introduction.

What Age To Feed Baby

We started at 4 months. My daughter was having 8 oz every few hours. As well as having awesome head and neck control, sitting up. We started rice cereal at breakfast, as long as it didn't effect her daily intake of milk. We didn't start veggies/fruits until 5, 51/2 months. She has had zero problems with stomach/intestinal problems. Eats everything, eats well, poops well!

I started at 4 months. My daughter had issues with her weight. I think 12 weeks is too soon. Just follow your mommy Instinct. You will know when she is ready.

I started at 4 months too cos he wasn't a huge weight gainer (though he was a chubby newborn). I also had suspicions that he was never getting enough milk so I introduced it and he LOVED it. 12 weeks does seem too early though. Their tongue thrust reflex might still be too strong plus their tummies may be too sensitive for anything stronger than milk

We started a little after 6 months (7 months with my son) and my kids wanted nothing to do with baby food, so I researched Baby Led Weaning and did that instead. It was great watching my kids instinctively know how to pick up a piece of broccoli and eat it!

Your doctor needs to look at current research on solids. 6 months is the recommended age. It doesn't have to do with physical development - it has to do with digestive maturity which your baby doesn't have yet sufficient to handle solids.