Introducing Solids

• 09-27-2009 2:55 PM

  Meagan2951633 Joined on 10-04-2008 Posts 15

  Introducing Solids Reply Contact My son is 6.5 months old. When he was about 5 months old, I started him on cereal. He took to it so well that I pretty much immediately started him on purees. Soon he was eating an entire jar of fruit in the morning and veggies at night. At the same time, he wasn't eating at the breast for very long and he was waking up for a 3 am feeding. I thought that I had perhaps introduced solids too fast, so for the past couple of weeks I have given him little to none every day and pumping so my milk supply would come back up. He is sleeping more at night now and seems very satisfied throughout the day. I feed him until he is literally pushing off of me and fussing telling me he is full. I obviously don't want my milk supply to drop too much again so I guess I'm asking how I should re-introduce the solids. Is there a certain amount of solids a 6-7 month old should be eating per day? Any links to baby nutrition would be helpful. Thanks for any info you can give.

• 10-11-2009 2:54 AM

  In reply to

  Quinault Joined on 08-12-2006 Seattle, WA Posts 697

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact A six month old doesn't "need" solids. They NEED breast milk. Soilds are more for texture and such early on. In fact waiting until a child is about 9 months to fully introduce solids is gaining in popularity amongst many doctors. I don't introduce solids as a meal until one year. Before that I give them things to suck on like fruit leather and crisp fruits and veggies. But you really should talk to your ped. about soilds introduction. My ped is fine with my waiting until one year to introduce solids (then we go to table food). I have done that with all three of my older kids and will do it with my fourth child as well. Your ped. may not be that OK with waiting that long. http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/breast/AS-startingsolids.htm

• 10-11-2009 6:28 AM

  In reply to

  Musical Christy Joined on 03-21-2008 S11-18-97/S01-13-99 A4-04 D11-18-08 EDD 12-24-09 Posts 559

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact I started My DD Annalicia on solids right at 5-6months.. (cereal was started much earlier) She is now 10 1/2 months with 12 teeth and eating most of what the family eats. She eats the Gerber Graduates meals when our dinners are not suitable for her. I started out with just one meal a day. Late evening before bath and bed. She would eat her jar, then bathe, then take milk before bed. She has been sleeping through the night since 10wks. But she did have a few wake up nights around 6-7months... doc said they were growth spurts and that she needed the extra feeding. I have 2 older boys 10 & 11 and did the same with them. They have NO allergies and eat healthy. My first was not breastfed. He was a premie in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks after birth and as a first time young mom without a good breastfeeding support group.... i gave up when he wouldn't latch on... My 2nd DS was breastfed til a year old. Good luck. I agree about talking to your ped. they can give you valuable info... but also researching on your own can be good too.

• 10-12-2009 1:15 PM

  In reply to

  Dave's Buttercup Joined on 06-19-2008 Victor Colby Born 100% Naturally 1/12/2009 Posts 15,954

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact You can judge what your baby needs in addition to his meals at the breast.  Those are definitely the most important meals for the first year.  I also started my 4.5 month old on cereal/breastmilk when he started nursing as much as he did as a newborn again, so not only was he taking between 12-15 nursings a day, I was giving him about 3 ounces of cereal/breastmilk as well, and it wasn't a supply issue, I have quite a surplus of milk.  He started crawling shortly after this happened and he is a very active baby at 9 months. Nowadays if I don't make sure he gets his solids meals, he will literally nurse all day long every hour.  We are comfortable and even getting in a little more than 6-8 nursings a day, emptying the breast each feeding.  But it really depends on your baby.  So just make sure your baby is nursing the recommended amount each day.  I use the charts from the baby food website www.wholesomebabyfood.com to gauge how much he should be nursing, then I just started giving him meals once I knew he would hit the recommended amount of nursing sessions per day appropriate for his age, and I went from there.

• 10-19-2009 9:14 AM

  In reply to

  Meagan2951633 Joined on 10-04-2008 Posts 15

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact Thank you for the website. It makes me feel a little better knowing there is no set schedule for a 7 month old to be on. I was worried when I took him off solids that he wouldn't thrive, but he seems to be doing just fine. I have re-introduced cereal, but not on a daily basis. On most days he is exclusively breast fed. Since I want to breast feed for a year, I wanted to make sure I didn't introduce too much too fast. Kellymom.com says that if you do that, the baby will wean himself off before you're ready.

• 10-19-2009 12:07 PM

  In reply to

  Mom~of~Munchkins Joined on 09-14-2005 Posts 471

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact I am on the side of late-introduction of solids. I wait until 8 or 9 months even to just introduce the idea. It doesn't delay the intro of table foods for us. It just shortens the period of pureed foods, which rocks. Cereal is full of poor calories. Breastmilk is actually higher in calories per ounce than formula or any solid food out there. There is growing support for exclusively breastfeeding for a year or so. Good luck finding a pediatrician to support that, though. I've seen a half-dozen pediatricians in my tenure as a mom. All of them suggest solids at 4 months and push them by 6 months, even though my babies are all fat for age.

• 11-08-2009 7:12 AM

  In reply to

  molliensofianluisa Joined on 11-08-2009 WA Posts 4

  Re: Introducing Solids Reply Contact Educated doctors, midwives, La Leche League Leaders, and Lactation Consultants are now suggesting a delay in solids to all breast feeding moms. The newest information is showing that waiting until a year or even a year and a half is totally fine if the breast feeding relationship is going well. Your breast milk adjusts as your child grows older and continues to give the vital nutrients that a baby and toddler needs. Watch for weight gain and wet/poopy diapers to ensure that your child is receiving enough breast milk. Here is another great website to check out: La Leche League International http://www.llli.org/FAQ/solids.html