Baby Food

Question: When to introduce baby foods while breastfeeding?

(Posted by: on 2012-02-22 07:53:27)

I have no idea? What age should I begin? What foods first?

Posted by: naughtydogg70 on 2012-02-22, 08:03:44

Usually between 4-6 months although not all babies are ready for solids at 4 months, so it's best to check with your Dr. The old rule was start rice cereal first, give a teaspoon once a day for 3-5 days and check for signs of allergy: constipation, diarrhea, rash, fussiness. After 3-5 days, try a new single grain cereal. Use this method to try all cereals, then move on to vegetables, then fruits, then meats. Only offer 1 new food at a time. If you offer one new food on Monday, a different new food on Tuesday and the baby had a rash on Wednesday, you wouldn't know which new food caused the reaction. The new research suggests you can start with any solids in any order(meats first is suggested by some experts) but I suggest staying with the old school of cereal first until more research suggests otherwise. edit: Don't offer your 6 month old tiny bites of what you are eating, that's absurd. Babies' digestive systems can't handle many of the proteins we commonly eat. Egg whites, peanuts, shellfish among other foods are not acceptable for children until aged one or older. Would you give your 6 month old a bite of your bologna sandwich? I don't mind all these people thumbing me down(although my answer is based on recommendations set by the American Academy of Pediatrics, I do this as a living) but I don't want someone taking advice that could be harmful to a baby.

Posted by: Ethel on 2012-02-22, 08:01:50

6 months or later, you can start with what you eat (little tiny bites).

Posted by: Pippin on 2012-02-22, 08:01:56

Have you never read a babycare book? They DO provide info on solid feeding. Current advice is to start solids at around 6 months. If baby is CLEARLY ready you can start a bit earlier, but never before 4 months. Conversely, some babies aren't interested until 7-9 months, and some moms opt to wait a bit longer to start, skipping the purees and going right to table foods, also usually around 7-9 months. You can start with any food. Rice cereal is the traditional first food, but there's no reason you have to start with it, or give it all. And some recent research suggests that grains may not be a good first or early food; fruits and veggies and meats may be better. Solids will be mostly 'just for fun' until baby is close to a year old; they are about teaching baby a new way of eating, introducing new tastes and textures, and including baby in the social aspects of meal-times -- breastmilk will be the basis of his diet.

Posted by: Mom to a Beautiful Little Girl on 2012-02-22, 08:12:45

We started with little bits at 5 1/ 2 months after my daughter showed immense interest in it. We didn't start with daily "meals " until almost 7 months. You can start with anything really - Banana, Avocado, sweet potatoes, apple etc.

Posted by: ALE, Omar's mommy born on 08/09/11 on 2012-02-22, 08:15:43

I started my breastfed baby at exactly 6 months. He is loving it!

Posted by: Maggi on 2012-02-22, 09:11:40

I started with baby food in glasses exactly the way recommended on the glasses, first fruit, then veggies and meat. I breastfeeded morning and evening and gave 1 glass for lunch. This way I breastfeeded 18 months (1. child) and 12 months (2. child). None of the children has ever been sick during childhood.

Posted by: Karen, RN on 2012-02-22, 09:23:29

Baby "readiness " is NOT A GOOD INDICATOR of what their digestive system can take. Babies put everything into their mouth. You can feed them steak, pasta, dirt, dog poop, if you can shove it in their mouth, they will usually swallow it. 6 months, is when your baby's IMMUNE SYSTEM is advanced enough to not over-react and treat foods as allergens. This is why you don't do introduction to early solids, the earlier you introduce them, the higher the chance the food becomes an allergen. The digestive system also needs to receive solids SLOWLY...when all you have known is liquid, solids is harsh on the digestive system. This is why you start with rice cereal...the point is NOT nutrition the point is to learn to manage solids and get the digestive system ready for more solids b/ c it is the easiest of all starches to digest...THAT is why you start with rice cereal. You start by feeding 1 tablespoon per day, mixed with BM or formula, with a SPOON..mixed soupy at first and then moving slowly to a batter-like consistency...do this for a week and then 2 to 3 weeks at 2 x per day....then you are ready to add pure Stage 1 solids...advance by color, white, yellow, orange, green...adding one new food every 3 days. Too many parents on yahoo has a baby that eats 1/ 2 a jar of baby food and then the next day they are running to the store and start shoving a ton of baby food down their throats and then they start posting that their baby can't poop. Follow my schedule and you won't have those issues.