When to Start Solids

First time mother also and I breast fed my son til he was ready for solids. I started him on cereal around 5 mos because his appetite was outstripping my production. He was 9lbs at birth and just keeps getting bigger. Talked to my mom,(who was part of La Leche League and a Lamaze instructor)about starting on solids...she said mashed bananas are a great baby food as are sweet potatoes...microwave the potato for about 5 min and then scoop out of the skin, mash with a little formula and there you go. When they get a little bigger, she recommended crushed up graham crackers with a little formula as an alternative to plain cereal. My son loves it. He is also a fan of mashed potatoes...I mix in a little shredded cheddar cheese and make a cheesey mashed potato, then he gets a little calicum, too. Good luck and way to go on the breast feeding! S.

In fact, 6 months is the new minimum. Many people delay to as much as 8 or 9 months, especially if there is a family history of digestive problems, food allergies, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, etc. When you do start, solids should be for practice and experimentation, not a significant source of nutrition, til at least one year. Also remember to start things one at a time. :) Banana, sweet potato, and avacado are all wonderful first foods. I know rice cereal is the old classic but it's pretty blah and nutritionally bankrupt; also grains and cereals are really hard for them to digest.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html is a really good page on this. :)

We delayed until 7.5 months, and went really slow. About 13 mo or so, she decided that eating was a lot of fun and hasn't stopped since. LOL.

Hi J.,
I'm a first time mom; my daughter is six months and two weeks. My doctor told me at four months I could introduce solids; though I've read that babies can be breastfed exclusively anywhere from 6-9 months. I waited until five months to start introducing solids to my daughter and even then it was sporadic. Now I'm usually giving her a serving of fruit and a serving of vegetables each day. If we're out and about during the times I would usually give her solids I don't worry about it at all because I know the breastmilk is still giving her everything she needs. As someone said in another response, you're just introducing textures and flavors, so when my daughter takes one bite and is no longer interested I don't try to force her to eat more. I will say that when your son is ready for solids he'll start showing interest in what you're eating, reaching for it and mimicking your chewing motion. My daughter is showing increasing interest, and as her interest increases her willingness to eat increases.
I know it's hard to follow your intuition when you have so many people telling you how parenting should be done, but don't forget to really tune in and listen to your motherly intuition.
Happy feeding! J.

6-8 months is ideal for an exclusively breastfed baby (I nursed all my kids well past a year, two went to 3yo). I read a new study last year that said waiting too long can set them up for food allergies as well as too early (this is mostly having to do with celiacs, apparently there is an ideal window for the gut to start learning to process certain grains/gluten.)
I started each of my kids on solid food when they started taking it off my plate at the dinner table lol! And that varied--anywhere from 6-10mo.
Don't let anyone convince you that starting solids earlier than 6 months is better, it's not. The gut is properly mature for solids in most babies (there are always exceptions) *after* 6months.

And I'd like to suggest The Vegetarian Baby for info on introducing foods (we are not vegetarian, but I found the nutritional info in this book better than any other, the library has a copy).

Talk to your childs ped. I would think the child would need more food for nutrition.

Hi J.,
To answer your question about solids a lot has to do with the child IMO. I nursed my 2nd son and started cereal when he was 7-8 months. My 3rd son I attempted to try cereals and some solids at the same age and he wanted nothing to do with it. He only wanted to nurse. He nursed nearly exclusively til he was nearly 11 months. He'd get an occasional cracker or cereal (regular not baby) but that was not where he got most of his diet. My daughter I held off til she was 9 mo to start any solids and went straight to table foods...no baby foods again. She would pick at them but she primarily nursed as a source of nutrition. She only really had 3 "meals" a day at approx 15 months.
I waited with my children because my 1st I nursed 4 months with suppliments and started foods at 4 months like I was told by the ped to do and I ended up with a child that has many allergies. Now either 1. holding off on solids helped my other children NOT get them or 2. they weren't going to get them. We'll never know although studies have shown that waiting longer to introduce foods helps reduce the allergies. I'd say that if he seems satisfied with nursing and is gaining fine and developmentally fine..I'd probably hold off a little while longer. But that is what I would do.

HI IM A MOTHER OF SIX AND I WILL TELL YOU IT DEPENDS ON YOU AND YOUR BABY. MY OLDEST WAS PUT ON CEREAL (IN HER BOTTLE) AT 1 MONTH BECAUSE SHE WASNT GETTING SATISFIED. MY YOUNGEST IS NOW 5 MONTHS AND SHE GETS CEREAL IN HER BOTTLE BUT SHE DOESNT LIKE IT FROM A SPOON AND MY OTHER 4 VARIED ALSO. SO YOURE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG. BUT TABLEFOOD CAN BE GIVEN AROUND 6 MONTHS. MY YOUNGEST GETS TASTES OF FOOD AND SHE WILL EAT CHEESE DOODLES. ITS ALL ON YOU.

Hi J.!

Congratulations on breasfeeding for 5 months and counting! As far as solids go, I've heard that introducing new textures and tastes is recomended by the ninth month, not for any real nutritional reason, but to develop the palate to accept new things.

As far as people seeming surprised...that's just a given, no matter what you do! :)

I was only able to breastfeed for a short amount of time, and was very sad when I had to come to terms with the fact that I just wasn't producing as much milk as my babies (we have b/g twins) needed. When I stumbled upon the book "Super Baby Food" it was like a Godsend, because it described how, what and when to make your own babyfood to nourish your baby. (It was like I was able to provide them with the best of the best again.) I am able to choose organic foods, it's SO much easier than you think, it's REALLY cost-effective, and it all tastes like real food! It's also thrilling to make something with love and tender care, and see how they take to it. (or not...sometimes it's not so thrilling to realize I just made 3 ice-cube trays of homemade chicken soup and neither one of them like it :P.)

I don't know if you have any time or inclination, but just as one example: a bag of frozen peas ($1.59), in the microwave for like 5 minutes, mash with a stick (hand held) blender, pour into ice-cube trays...yields 28 2oz. servings...saving $12.00 over the jarred organic variety. (And, I don't have to shop for, cart in, or get rid of a dozen little glass jars.)

Bananas are another huge savings, and so so easy...we use bananas every day, and a hand of bananas makes like 3 trays. Using organic bananas figures out to be about 50 cents more expensive than using regular, but when you factor in that I'm saving like $10.00 over jarred, it's still all good.

Anyway...that's what we're doing. I was anxious to start, so started my kids at 4 months, and we're growing strong...now 9 months old/20.5 and 19.5 lbs, 28 inches each. You'll find people in every camp, everywhere you go...go with your gut.

Good Luck! peace, A.

Hi J.,

I started my son on solids when he was 6 months old. I think waiting until at least 6 months is a good idea because the digestive tract is mature enough to handle solids. There is some evidence that introducing solids too early contributes to food allergies.

In today's society, people are often shocked by what is normal and natural (extended breastfeeding, for example). Try not to let it get to you, and know that you are doing what is best for your son.

As your son starts solids, continue breastfeeding in whatever manner works best for the two of you. A lot of people with "helpful" advice don't realize that breastmilk (or formula, if necessary) is still critical, even after the introduction of solid foods.

Good luck!
V.

J.,

I too breastfed all 4 of my children. I did NOT start solids for any of them until 6 months. The only reason I did begin the solids at 6 months was because the pediatrician wanted to begin iron supplements if I didn't begin the cereal atleast. When I did begin the solids, it was 1 (one) serving of cereal a day for about 3-4 weeks and then began another and finally started fruits and veggies and things around 8-9 months.

I hope this helps and I hope you're getting support from everyone for your wise decisions for your son.

Good luck,
B.

i tried to hold off for a as long as i could to start solids. with my daughter she was up and crawling around everywhere at 5 months and getting teeth and started grabbing food of my plate. i didn't really ever offer her much food though. she was content to just pick at what i had available every now and then(i just ate things that she could eat all the time lol), and it was mostly just for a taste. she didn't really start eating for real till she was about 13 or 14 months. she was doing just great on just breast milk. :)

we didn't go with the traditional cereals either. fresh fruits and veggies are great. :) actually, feeding iron fortified foods too close to a nursing can actually leach all the good iron from the breastmilk out of them. so, since they are just bland and yucky anyway, we didn't bother with them(or any other processed "baby" foods for that matter).

just try to be relaxed about it. if he's ready to start tasting, and he's got healthy options available(little bits of first safe fruits and veggies, and including still having access to mommy milk), he'll be able to get what he needs on instinct alone. you don't have to do a thing. :)

I think as a mother, you need to do what is best for your son! So what if people disagree with your decision? That's the beauty of being a mother, you make the decisions for once in your life! It's your baby, and you will know when the time feels right! Good luck to you and your son:)

When I nursed my daughter I started ceral at 3 months. The dr told me that when I feel it is ok is the best time but generally between 4-5 months. If your baby is fine and growing and the dr is concerned then I wouldn't be concerned eitehr. I hope I could help and good luck with your new son!

S.

Hi J.,
It sounds like our baby is doing just fine on breastmilk alone. Kudos for keeping it up this long! You just have to make sure that your little one is getting enough vitamin D and iron, two nutrients that are harder for breastfed babies to get through the mother's breastmilk. Vitamin D is especially important to get now that our days are shorter and we tend to stay inside more often, thus not getting the sun exposure that is required for producing Vitamin D. I think you could probably start feeding your son a tablespoon of iron fortified rice cereal a day when you feel comfortable. Some babies show no interest in solids at all, and others are ready sooner than their mothers realize!

Best of luck to you!

Hi J.,
My daughter just turned 4 mos.
Our pediatrician, and ones I used to work with say that starting cereal at 4 mos is more so the baby can develop more swallowing skills, and get used to a different textures. In the beginning it isn't for nurtition as much but more for practice.
Hope this helps!

Hi J.,

My son is also 5 months and he has been exclusively breast fed. My pediatrition said I could start cereal at 4 months and stage 1 baby foods at 5 months...one food type at a time. Because he is a good healthy weight, almost 18 lbs now, the doctor said he's doing fine just on the breastmilk. I did experiment with the cereal and recently introduced bananas (which he loves) only because he will not take a bottle and I needed something to pacify him if I had a client to meet. It has helped to appease him until I get back. But right now, he probably only has solid foods a couple times a week. So, you're doing the right thing by my doctors. There's really no rush, but you can start introducing them if you want. Six months is probably a great time to start. That's my own personal experience and advice. I'm a first time mom too:) Good luck!

N. W

I breast feed my baby for over a year. I started giving her rice ceral and stageone baby food at about four and a half months. Until she was like six months old it was really just for the experiance and she got most of her nutrition from me. I would start a little rice ceral now mixed with breast milk to get him used to eating off the spoon.

Both of mine were breastfed exclusively for 6 months. Then we started slowly with learning how to eat solids. They don't need much to begin. Breastmilk should still be primary food source. Some babies pick up on the eating process quicker than others and will let you know when they want more or when they've had enough.

Hi J., I've read and heard repeatedly that exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months is the healthy thing to do for your child as it decreases the possibility of allergies. Good Luck, L..

I started all my three boys at 6 months and it worked out well. Go with your instincts. I know its hard when ohters quetion your choices.

Good Luck
B.