Is she really going to eat solids soon?!

I wouldn't have even imagined of feeding my baby (with real food, I mean) this early! She is still so tiny.. she was just born, what food?! :D

But surprisingly (not to me yet, but) to some of my acquaintances, who's babies also have turned 4 months, family doctor is already suggesting, that should start giving food to the baby. (!) And for no big reason at all.. If they give a reason, then most peculiar one. Like, that should start teaching her how to swallow.. Hmm.. Like, if you're not gonna push food down your baby's throat now, then she will never learn to swallow?

Anyway, a little theory first. Today it's officially suggested to exclusively breastfeed babies until 6 months. 
That should be enough to know.. But it's not so simple.
Not so long time ago, people used to start giving some food, some milk-boiled porridge and purees, to babies pretty much as early as they could. In some developed countries it was common to breastfeed for a couple of weeks, not months or years.
Only in year 1994 in UK they gave out a law, that solid food should be introduced from 4 months only.
And in year 2003, that the age should be 6 months. (However, this last was not given as a law to baby-food producers, that's why on baby food is often written, from 4 months.)

What does Dr. Sears say? (The promoter of Attachment Parenting, the normal parenting style I agree with for the most part..)

That:

1. Baby’s Intestines Need to Mature  Which happens from 4 to 7 months
2. Young Babies Have a Tongue-Thrust Reflex  Which lasts until about 4 months
3. Baby’s Swallowing Mechanism is Immature  Which matures from 4 to 6 months 
4. Baby Needs to be Able to Sit Up  Most babies start sitting around 5 to 7 months
5. Young Infants are not Equipped to Chew That's quite obvious, with teeth however, it's very individual, some are born with a tooth, some get them by 1 year 
6. Older Babies Like to Imitate Caregivers Around 6 months they start to imitate

So.. I think it's quite obvious. There is no need to rush, no matter what some old-generation doctor or other people would say (I'm curious, if our doctor is going to say something about eating, next time we see her..), babies should start eating (or actually - trying) solid food, earliest at 6 months, maybe later.

Of course, I'm aware that it's very individual and depends on a baby. Some might be ready to grab and eat something earlier..
Or later - I remember, in the book Beyond the Sling, this woman didn't give any solid food at all to her babies, until they were 1 year old. And they were totally fine just on breastmilk.  I guess also that is possible.

 

Another thing is, that it seems, we are going to try Baby Led Weaning (BLW). I'm currently reading a book about it, I will write a little book-review, when I'm done with it. Even though I'm not any BLW fanatic, it really seems to make a lot of sense. 

 

BLW means, that you don't feed the baby with a spoon (purees and other liquid, blended, mashed food), but offer peaces of actual food - vegetables, meat, bread, anything that you eat yourself, and baby chooses herself and eats it with her own hands, in that way not only eating, but learning her food. But I will write a more extended post on BLW

 

But no rush.. There is still a looot of time, until our baby starts eating. She has so much more to do and learn until that.
In a way I can't believe she will be so big to start eating.. On the other hand, it seems like it will be a lot of fun, so can't wait! :)