When my youngest baby was three months old, the paediatrician gave me the green light to puree-feed him as soon as he turned four months old.

You should have seen me go toe to toe with her. “Are you sure?” “But isn’t the recommended age six months?” “New studies? I haven’t seen that!” “What about the neck? What about the sitting position?” I bamboozled her with all the appropriate questions until I was somewhat satisfied. Still I doubted her new-age medicine…

I dug deeper into my research, I asked all the doctors I knew and finally visited a paediatrician when I was home in Kenya in December. Everyone was astounded by the new findings that supported early feeding in babies. The doctor in Kenya was vehemently opposed to the idea; she said to stick to the old rule that supports feeding only after the sixth month of age.

As my baby turned four months old, the idea was nagging at the back of my head. I kept looking up information and coming across similar stories on social media. As it turns out, most paediatricians are now recommending early feeding in babies, as early as four months old. A direct opposite of what doctors have been preaching for years, which is, exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

The underlying reason among doctors is that early feeding has a higher chance of significantly reducing food allergies in babies. Since my son suffers from eczema, the paediatrician believed the earlier we started food, the better the chances of us curbing allergies.

Looking at my little nugget in my arms, my head was swimming with all the information I had absorbed in my research. That plus the voices of other people’s opinions playing back in my head, and I was more unsure of starting him on puree.

As I watched him grow and push himself to sit, I thought perhaps it is time to give purees a try. I took my time in starting him on the food journey. Even after the doctor’s green light, it still took me over a month to embark on this journey. I had to be ready for it and be sure that my baby is ready for it. Sometimes, it's not just what the doctor says, It’s what's best for everyone involved.