My 4 month old baby really seems like he wants to eat solids?

He is definitely ready for baby cereal. I would recommend whole grain baby cereals though. It is good to get him used to healthy whole grains as soon as possible. But yes, by all means, see what his pediatrician has to say.

I started my son on solids early, which I would never recommend to another mother. But 4 months is not too early. All children are different though, and I didn't think he was satisfied with just breast milk.

Your baby is at the stage they want to imitate. He has no idea that the banana tastes awesome. Parents confuse this wanting to imitate with the thinking "hey he wants real food'. That's OK to think that!

http://parentingsquad.com/first-foods-why-white-ri...

And please skip that boxed baby cereal, new studies show baby lacks the enzymes to digest grains before 8 months. Plus, would you feed baby plain generic white bread? Well, that is the same nutrition of baby cereal. Garbage, but an old 'grandma tradition' that dies hard. Please start with fruits and veggies! Baby will thank you! The only reason 'baby rice' took hold is #1, it is hypoallergenic, and #2 baby food companies push this as a perfect first food. If you have no family history of severe allergies, skip the cereal. There are far healthier options. My boys all got severe tummy upset and constipation from that 'perfect first food rice cereal'. My middle boy wound up in the hospital after a grandma gave him that junk cereal.

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyfirstfo...

My son was like this he would always stare at me eating and cry, I finally gave him solids at 4 and a half months, he had good head control so I sat him in his snug chair and fed him two spoonfuls of baby porridge.. He didnt push the spoon out so I knew he was ready and proceeded to give him the food and he eat all of it (I waited a full 24 hours before trying him again) and he gradually had more and more

He was also breastfed and I know he was ready for solids when I gave him some.. He is now 6 months and eats porridge of a morning mashed with puréed banana, has puréed fruit of a dinner and some puréed veg of a night and he is a very content and happy baby and spot on in his weight!

Mums know best, as long as baby has good head control and can eat off a spoon not in the bottle like rusk (don't do that!) it's fine!

Good luck x

once my aunt says that feeding a baby as early as 3 or 4 months old is not a very good idea.. it will make your baby's digestive system works too much and may cause trouble later on.. the best is, yes but to give breastmilk up to 6 months...

"so every time anyone eats I instantly have to nurse him" .... that's ridiculous. You don't have to feed your baby just because he puts his hands in his mouth and/or cries. My 3 month old does this on a regular basis, including right after eating, and she's been doing it for many weeks. Doesn't mean your baby is hungry or wants solids, you're only assuming that's what it is. It's something baby's do, around food or not. It's too early for solids. As much as you like to think you can read your baby's mind, you can't.

actually, that's a sign he needs a teether so he's got something to chew on, not a sign of readiness for solids. To check he's ready for food or not, put a spoon in his mouth and see if his tongue pushes it out. If it does, he still has the tongue thrust reflex and isn't ready for food yet. If it doesn't he might be ready for some foods, but it's rare this happens before 6 months, or 5 months and a few weeks. Best not to feed him rice cereal. It's not advised anymore, but unless he's ready for food, any food will be just as devastating.

The AAP says to start at 6 months now, but the Allergy specialists say to start at 4-6 months, and if he's acting like he wants to try, then let him try. The concern the AAP has is that you'll be cutting his breastmilk down, so just avoid that. Make sure he's nursed or had a bottle before you let him try anything.

Edit- Actually, studies show an increase of allergies if you delay too long. Check out the second link and this quote.

"The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 1.8 months (range: 0–10 months). After adjustment for potential confounders, late introduction of potatoes (>4 months), oats (>5 months), rye (>7 months), wheat (>6 months), meat (>5.5 months), fish (>8.2 months), and eggs (>10.5 months) was significantly directly associated with sensitization to food allergens. Late introduction of potatoes, rye, meat, and fish was significantly associated with sensitization to any inhalant allergen. In models that included all solid foods that were significantly related to the end points, eggs, oats, and wheat remained the most important foods related to sensitization to food allergens, whereas potatoes and fish were the most important foods associated with inhalant allergic sensitization. We found no evidence of reverse causality, taking into account parental allergic rhinitis and asthma."

You can see that starting some foods, like potatoes after just 4 months, oats after 5, rye after 7, wheat after 6, meat after 5 and a half, fish after 8, and eggs after 10 and a half months increased food allergies. There's no evidence that delaying past 4 months decreases the risks of allergies, but evidence it increases the risks to delay. If he's showing signs, and he is from your description, there's no reason not to start.

The third link has a list of signs of readiness, and you've given a few of them.

"Sit with support

Have good head and neck control

Push up with straight elbows from lying face down

Show readiness for varied textures of supplemental foods by placing their hands or toys in their mouth

Lean forward and open the mouth when interested in food, and lean back and turn away when uninterested in the food or not hungry"

He's showing signs he's ready to start. And there's only risks in delaying.

Edit- Rice cereal is pretty constipating for the kids I've babysat. Just keep that in mind. I'd actually start with potatoes (yams or just mashed) or wheat just due to the fact that the study I mentioned said that delaying past 4 months for potatoes was associated with higher allergies.

ESPECIALLY if you're still breastfeeding, the allergies are lower if you introduce now while they breastfeed, the theory being that your anti-bodies would help their body figure out how to react to grains.

I had my son in early October and he started to act this way around the middle of March. I did not want to give him anything hard because he did not have his teeth yet to chew on it. I gave him mashed potatoes occasionally, as well as yogurt, jello, etc. He did not have a hard time eating it and very little was not eaten. I think that he was ready for solid foods sooner than they are supposed to be (usually around six months.) He really appreciated this and now in Mid-May, he eats only solid food: pudding, mashed potatoes, cereal, oatmeal, etc. I do not think that it will hurt him at all as long as you monitor him whenever he is eating, obviously. If he is ready for it, you shouldn't restrict it. I hope it works out for you!

Awwww he sounds so cute<3 I agree that the mother knows best but I do think you should wait to see what the doctor says just in case and especially since his appointment is within a few days from now. Good luck:)

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