Our son had/has medical issues involving feeding issues and we were told to feed him at 16 weeks old. We were under the supervisions of a speech therapist who apporved of it as well. I guess it all depends on who you talk to.....

We did introduce only 1 food at a time for 1 week at a time....So sweet potatoes first for one week, ect. until we went thru. them all. The only thing beside the one week thing we were told was to switch colors every week and stay with veggies.

every vavy is differen, all of my girls started solids at 4 months and we have over the past few weeks started feeding aiden who is now close to 5 months, main reason we did was that he was not settling and appeared hungry, he is breastfed and has the odd bottle if im at work or out, he has taken to food like a fish to water, its not doing him any harm and if anything his bowel movements are more regular, hes way more settled and he is so into it that i have to say for him it was the right decision.

i dont generally buy into advise books etc but my sister in law mentioned to me she had a book wich actually suggests that for breastfed bubs four months is ideal if they are not fully satisfied and it was a better option than introducing a bottle.

either way it works for me and you will know if it works for, and as long as you keep solids simple to begin with it wont harm them, we have tried lots of different flavours already and are yet to fnd one he doesnt love!

As has been mentioned, it is unwise to introduce solids before 6 months of age. Even if a baby seems interested in what you are eating, that is not always a reliable sign that a baby's digestive system is ready for anything more than breastmilk.

I thought it also should be mentioned, Farex is not a very good place to start with solid foods. It has become of our cultural backbone for infant rearing due to it's iron levels, but it has virtually no nutritional value beyond that and the levels of iron can actually have a negative impact of the infants digestive and immune system. A much better (and more fun and messy) place to start is lightly mashed banana or avocado. They have lots of nutrients that are readily available and interesting flavours and textures which is excellent for giving your baby a new range of sensory input (which is essential for healthy brain development).

Above all, this is a developmental stage that should be enjoyable for you and your baby. If he seems resistant and unwilling to try solids, don't force the issue, just gently offer the same food again in a week or two. Breastmilk (or formula) adequately supplies babies' nutritional needs for up to a year, introduction of solids is more for experimentation and stimulation, and like all babies learning experiences, it should become a game more than anything else.

With my eldest i was egar to get solids into her as i had breastfeeding problems and once i started feeding solids she flourished. She was 4months old. My son on the other hand second child was a very settled and sleepy baby he started showing signs at 5 and a half months of age. My third child went onto solids at 4 months as did my 4th child my 5th was put onto solids at 6mths as he has food allergies and my pediatrician wanted me to wait until we got it under control first. My advice would be to start when baby shows signs, wanting extra milk is a classic sign. Also getting upset like his sleepy but  not settling is another sign. Good Luck.

as the others said its best 2 wait till 6 months. my child health nurse told me that when things are introduced 2 early their bodies cant handel it and some will get allergies if they are introduced 2 early. but yeah i think its a personal thing and your know when ur baby is ready for solids, there are a lot of signs to watch out for.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations are exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months before solids/water are introduced.  From 6-12 months introduce solids slowly with breastmilk remaining the main part of the diet.  From 12 months solids are increased to make solids the main part of the diet and milk only a couple of times a day.  Continued breastfeeding for a minimum 2 years, longer if mother and baby are happy.

Having said that though dd was on solids and water under that age as she was wanting them and I believed she was ready.  She was highly active and remained at the breast every 2 hours even when she was on 3 main meals a day.

Totally agree with the others. recommendations have changed due to the new evidence that introducing solids before 6mths increases the risks of a child developing allergies eczema asthma and food intolerances.
Before 6mths babies have these little holes in their guts that don't close until around 6mths. If food is introduced before their guts are matured it interferes with these little holes. (I think if you google "closed gut and open gut in babies' you should find it explained a bit better then I can).
When my DS was born the recommendations were still 4-6mths. He has behavioral intolerances to some foods. I will always wonder if it was because the CHN told me to start introducing solids early even though I wanted to wait until closer to 6mths.
Perhaps ask your partner how he would feel if he pushed bub to eat solids now and bub ended up with an allergy or something. It usually makes them think about it a bit more.

The recommendation now is not before 6 months.  Like the others have said they need to be showing all the signs of readiness, interest in food, can sit up well with support, reflex ability etc.  they also have a good supply of iron until 6 months which then starts to diminish. 

 They used to recommend starting at 4 months but now they say babies digestive systems aren't matured enough, as well as an allergy thing.

I think in your MIL's time most babies would have been on solids at 4 months, just like babies would have been placed down to sleep on their sides or tummy.  Now we know different, but definitely get an opinion from your GP or health nurse.

It is recommended not to start solids before 6 months as they say their digestive system is not ready before then. I played it by ear with both my boys & by 5 months they were both following the food on our plates to our mouths with their eyes & chewing like they wanted it. When they did this we started their solid food very slowly, a teaspoon at a time, one meal for a few weeks then 2 meals for a few weeks then 3. Follow your babies lead & your own instincts.

I was told by the mid wife and health visitor not to feed bub before six months. My first was fed at four months, as that was the recommendation then. However the standard changed to six months by the time the second came. I do think that my second suffered less with colic and certainly did not need water or want it. My first suffered colic when she started eating solids and needed water due to much firmer stools. I Agree with Jenjen, ask your doc and do some research. I would also say go with your instinct, it is usually very good.

Luv Winnie.

when so many family members have an opinion, and your baby is so small--i would consult my pediatrician for an "official" answer.  either that or a mainstream book with wide acceptance like The Baby Book by Dr. Sears.  that way it's not one person pitted against another and you can rely on a more neutral source of information.

all that said, our babies really do not need any form of table food for a long time.  and definitely not sooner than four or five months.  ideally, a child would be breastfed exclusively until six months when you begin to introduce food, but most women do not nurse that long these days.  but that is the ideal scenario.

your baby will also show signs of readiness--ability to sit up on his own in a chair, the fading away of the reflex where he pushes things out of his mouth with his tongue and a genuine curiousity about food.  most of those things simply do not occur until the child is several months old.  the fact that someone in your family has fed a child much earlier than this doesn't mean it's a good idea.