first of all, i do not want to make you think i know what granddaughter's mom is thinking, or what her choices may be.
this link just came to me in my email today!
http://askdrsears.com/html/3/T030500.asp?utm_source=newsl...
i want you to know that this is the most difficult thing for a mom; making clear what you want with your new child, or the ways you will raise her, especially when you are so afraid of people telling you to do things differently.
heres the deal: babies DO NOT need ANY other sort of foods except formula or breastmilk until after one year of age. there is no nutritional need for any other foods. some kids dont even have one single bit of solid foods until after a year, and they are usually more healthy and allergy free than other kids who started sooner. yes, there are kids who start eating solids early and they turn out fine. but the risks are there, and poor babies who dont suffer with allergies might suffer from other problems such as intestinal or digestive problems.
its no one's fault per say, its just that parents usually did and do what the medical community tells them is best. so nothing you may or may not have done is wrong, you did what you felt was best.
however, granddaughter's mom is doing what she things is best. shes taking it slowly, shes trying to just give a little at a time. as long as mom and baby's doctor isnt worried about weight gain or anything like that, baby will be healthy and grow naturally with or without solids.
www.askdrsears.com is an awesome website with many resources available. i trust dr william sears with anything, i dont know him personally, but i have many of his books and i really was glad that i did. without him, i may have been a very unhappy mommy! he gave me permission to follow my instincts with the decisions i made with my son, right down to breastfeeding until my son weaned himself last month at 19 3/4 months old, co-sleeping (and he still sleeps in his crib in our room) and other forms of natural parenting. yes my son gets vaccinations, but i also trust dr sears and his son robert sears, who has written a book all about vaccines... with everything you could ever need to know about them.
anyway, point is that in order to make mom comfortable, you should do EVERYTHING in your power to help her to know that you support her in ANY decision she makes. its hard to tell family members what you really want to, and i really relate to the mom in wanting to follow her instincts with her child. no one, not even you, knows her daughter as completely and instinctivly as her mommy and daddy. you need to let mom and dad do the parenting and just enjoy a stress free, worry free relationship with your granddaughter!
the less stress mom has about the choices she is making the more your relationship will grow! trust me on this, personal experience talking. i think the relationship between my mother in law and myself will never be completely healed after the pushing she did after my son was born. she wouldnt leave us alone! i know thats FAR from what you are doing, and KUDOS to you for asking for advice, but just remember me when you are dealing with this new mom. my son is almost 21 months old and i still cant get over those first few weeks... along with many others along the way, where she seemed to throw her temper because i didnt raise my son along the lines that she wanted me to. :( its really painful and really hard. she once didnt talk to me for a month because i woulnt let her take my son to a pancake breakfast (after he had just had breakfast at home, and he was teething and cranky and having a bad day, and the pancakes are always really raw at those things... raw batter in the middle of the pancakes? ewe!) so.
anyway, i hope i didnt offend you, and i hope you understand that i am saying all this in order to help you protect the relationship that i wont ever have again with my mother in law. :(
good luck
and enjoy that granddaughter!!