Starting solids at 5 months

Campbell has been feeding every 2 to 2 1/2 hours for the last few days, and has been getting frustrated at the breast, and was making a lot of the signs that suggest a baby is ready for solids (like making little chewing movements when watching us eat); so we decided to try him on his first solids.
Last night we gave him a few teaspoonsful of apple, and he ate it willingly and seemed to enjoy it.
I also gave him some this afternoon.

However, now I'm worried I may have started too early, since I wasn't planning to start til he was 6 months old.
Is it easy to misinterpet the signs that a baby is ready for solids? Is there a 5 month growth spurt?
And for those who had premature babies (Cam was born four weeks early), how old were they when you started them on solids?
I sound paranoid, please tell me if I'm worrying too much!

if you think he is ready - go for it! - even born 4 weeks early he would be officially 4 months by now - so should be ok - just remember to give milk first as that is still important.
We started DS at 5.5 months and he was born 6 weeks early - he was just ready for it and scoffs it like he is starving - just keep it simple - veges and fruit and baby rice

Sounds ready to me too. Callum was 8 weeks early and we started him at 6 months real age because he was SO ready and is quickly catching up to his real age milestones anyway. I mentioned to our paed that we were going to start solids just before we did do it and she was supportive, I'm just taking things a bit more slowly than I would if he was born full term (sticking with fruit n veg and keeping it quite smooth).

Enjoy! This bit is lots of fun

Whitewave it sounds like he is ready to me. We started Eva on solids about 2 weeks ago and am taking it very slowly in case of reactions etc. She LOVES it and can't get enough!

I started Arianne on soilds at 4 months just one teaspoon at a time, she is now on three meals a day about 2 tablespoons each meal. She only has solids after her formula, she loves solids.

Sounds like your son is ready!

I started DS at 4.5 months as he was hungry. It was that or formula top ups really.

I have my Plunket book from 32 years ago and I was starting solids at 10 weeks under the guidance of Mum's plunket nurse. Six months is no magic number, it's just a general guide, baby dependent.

I started the girls at 4 and a half months they showed no signs of being ready. I just wanted to get the ball rolling. They took to it immediately. It was only a small amount of baby rice once a day so I never worried that it was too soon. Really it's only like getting a bit of thickened milk on a spoon.

Cool, thanks guys! Cam has had 3 days of 1 apple feed now, and enjoying it.
Aliasmum, I love the idea of making that rice meal, but was wondering about including iron in the diet. I bought some Farex to try, since it is iron-fortified, and I read that one of the aims of starting solids at this age was to start topping up the iron stores that are low in their body at this stage. Is there another option for including iron in their first solids?

Yep Melissa, that exact recipe I make it fresh for one lunch & then give 2 more after that & throw out what ever is left or give to the dog as that is the 72 hours. I have a grinder & just keep going til it's smooth powder. I've used brown, this might be better than just plain white but obviously not as good as the fortified stuff but it's only a starter.

Oh 2 TB is a 1/4 cup basically