Signs of Readiness for Solids

My baby boy will be 7 months old next week. He weighs 18 pounds. His pediatrician does not want me to start cereal or solids yet until he gets a tooth. Should I really wait until then? I think he is ready. What should I do?

I like the doctor's idea that the timing of solids should depend on an individual baby's development and not on a calendar. And I agree that when babies get teeth, it is often time for them to start solids, if they haven't already. But I don't agree with waiting for teeth to start. The most important sign is the baby appearing to want solids. Their bodies are designed to know what they need.

When a baby is at least 13 pounds, appears to want to try solids, and can take them from a spoon, I think it is a fine time to try. For most babies, this timing turns out to be somewhere between 4 and 6 months.

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