Just sharing from my own experience. My oldest son came at a time solids were given very early and started cereal at less than one month of age. I had the original bluee WAB passed along from my dear sister-in-law but knew no one else who was breastfeeding, so when the doctor said start, I started. Kept shoveling it in thinking this was going well - and then he sneezed and all the cereal that had been held in his cheeks came spraying out. But we persisted and spent many feedings shaving it off his chin and spooning it back in. 

I found an LLL Group right before son #2 was born and loved the idea of starting when the baby showed signs of needing more, around the middle of the first year. I was eager to go six months with just breastfeeding. #2 had different ideas and was reaching out for food, waking extra at night, and showing other cues described by LLL so we started him at 4 months. (We have a great picture of him at 4 months gnawing on a turkey bone at Thanksgiving). Baby #3 took a similar path. He wanted the social aspect of eating at the table and as I would nurse, his free hand would creep up to the plate. 

From my experience of starting solids and the experience of other mothers and Leaders I've met along the way, I grew to more fully appreciate the LLL approach of "middle of the first year" because it encompasses ages from 3 or 4 months to 8-9 months. Any of those ages can be "right" depending on which baby you have. 

  

Cindy Garrison, BS IBCLC and longtime LLL Leader 

Practicing in Pittsburgh, PA

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