Delaying Solids Until 6 Months

When Enoch was young, we were told that babies should begin eating solids, namely rice or oatmeal cereal, when they are 4 months old.  So we, as good parents, attempted it on his four month birthday.  He did a rather good job of taking to the spoon; however, we soon realized that the oatmeal cereal was giving him bad constipation, even though we were only feeding him a little per day.

Even though Alaythia has almost reached the magic age of four months, I've decided to hold off on introducing solids this time around (we also waited with Karis).  My plan is to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first 6 months of her life.  Once we get to six months, we'll see where she's at in a few different areas before we dive in:

• her interest in food,
• her ability to sit up,
• her desire to learn about the spoon, and
• her digestive readiness.

Though I originally decided to hold off on solids because of my experience with Enoch at this stage, after doing more research, I've found that waiting until 6 months to begin solids is actually better (and recommended by many organizations like the WHO and the AAP).  These two articles below from Kellymom helped me confirm my decision.  The first one lists many reasons why waiting until 6 months is best.  The second one details how to decide when your baby is actually ready for solids and also goes through many common misconceptions about starting solids.  {I'm including one interesting fact from each under its respective link.  Check out both of them to learn more!}

Why delay solids?
{Adding solids replaces breastmilk in a baby's diet, meaning a lower milk supply for mom as well as lower immunity levels for baby.}

Is my baby ready for solids?
{Having a big baby is NOT a good reason to start solids early, nor is trying to help them sleep through the night.}