Thinking of Adding Cereal And/or Stage 1 Baby Food

I think between 4-5 months is a much better idea. She sounds normal as far as her weight at 2 months old. Most doctors (if not all) will caution against starting solids too early.

Good luck!

J.:

AAP ( American Academy of Pedicatrics) and WHO (World Health Organization) both recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and introducing other foods at that point. Prior to that time your child does not have the enzymes to digest other foods.

There is no reason, at the 6 month mark, not to start with fruits and vegtables.

P.,RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

The rule I've heard and read about adding cereal is that the baby needs to be able to sit well supported (so as not to choke) and also have lost a lot of the natural tongue thrust so that they actually eat the cereal rather than just pushing it back out from a spoon. 8 weeks seems like it would be really early to start spoon feeding, given that the likelihood of those 2 developmental milestones being reached is very very minute. 4 months, or perhaps a week or so shy of it, is about the earliest I've heard of anyone starting cereal from a spoon. You could ask your pediatrician, but it sounds like your daughter is getting plenty of nutrition from nursing, given her weight.

I too am nursing and experienced feeding my baby every 1 to 1 1/2 hrs when she was 2 months old and it drove me crazy cuz I couldn't do anything around the house. I didn't think I was producing enough so what I did was eat a little more and drank alot of water so I could produce more milk. I know it is easier said than done but us nursing moms have to be very very very patient. Giving her baby food at 8 wks is way too soon. I started my daughter on baby food at 5 months. I only fed her 1/2 a bottle so her tummy could get use to it. My daughter is now 6 months old and eats the entire bottle. she luvs banana.
What you can also do is give her formula closest to breast milk like Enfamil Lipil. Only give her one feeding of formula a day. I believe baby cereal is fine too. It will help fill her up more. Just hang in there things will turn out fine. : )

Eight weeks is wayyyy too early. Please wait. She will grow fast too soon anyway. Take this time to bond with your baby. Don't start her too soon. It may end up doing more harm than good.

Same as others, 4 months would be absolute earliest to start other foods, 6 months or later would be better. In addition to tongue thrust reflex issues, babies do not have the ability to digest other foods at this age.

I agree with the previous posters- this could really be bad if your baby has allergies as well as the choking hazards!
Nursing so often is REALLY common. If you need support, please try to find a La Leche League close to you
or try http://www.mothering.com/discussions/index.php
- they are sooo great!
I bet, at 8 weeks, she is having another growth spurt. Things will probably settle down and pick back up depending on her needs.
It is WONDERFUL that you are nursing- I know you can feel chained to your baby, but it really does fly by and you're giving her the best stuff on Earth! It's a big investment, but it's really worth it. Look at how she's growing! That means you are doing the right thing!

The way I judged that my daughter was ready to even start cereal was the she was interested in my food and started reaching for it. She was almost 5 months old, and though you always hear "6 months" I felt that I could start very slowly and introduce one thing at a time. I breastfed too, so she never ever had cereal in a bottle, but had thinned cereal in a bowl with a spoon. Bananas I hear are a good one to start at that time, and avacados too.

Hang in there!!! If you need to whine or anything don't hesitate to contact me. I'm pregnant and often awake at 2am anyway- prime nursing hours! ;) I actually nursed my dd til she was 3.5 yrs! Whew!
'Manda

J.,

I think it's at 4-6 months that you start cereal and other foods with a baby. There's a good article about it at the link below.

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyfeeding/113.html

T.

I think thats very early to even think about it. I would wait as long as possible.