When to start solids

[shanLC]

Hello breastfeeders and future breastfeeders,

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), "Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal nutrition and sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months after birth." This comes from the section on Recommended Breastfeeding Practices in the policy statement of the AAP on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. To read the entire article go to http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;100/6/1035

Often friends and family will say, "Shouldn't you be giving him cereal now?" Or, "Are you sure she is getting enough?" Now when anyone questions your decisions to exclusively nurse your baby for the first 6 months you can say, "Well, in 1997 the AAP began recommending..."
How can they argue with a well informed mom! :wink:
Most breastfed babies are so used to a variety of flavors from mommy's sweet milk for the past 6 months that they aren't too interested in bland cereal like formula fed babies are. Many moms find success when they start with a little bit of mashed ripe banana.

What did you find you bf baby liked as a first solid food?
-Shan (Breastfeeding Counselor)

[kristi]

A few of the things I have read have said that it is optimal to introduce the first solid no earlier than 4 and no later than 6 months, that anything earlier or later increases chances of Type 1 Diabetes. Anyone else hear of this? My son nurses (what feels like) constantly, at most every 2 hours, including through the night, so I am anxious to start a solid just to get a break in there somewhere, but I have 2 weeks to go until 4 months. Before he was born I was very much against starting solids so early, but now that I'm in the middle of it... I can't wait! My pediatrician has also said that babies introduced to more than 3 different kinds of solids before 6 months had an increased risk of food allergies. Is this the same message that everyone else is getting?

[zennifer]

...My pediatrician has also said that babies introduced to more than 3 different kinds of solids before 6 months had an increased risk of food allergies. Is this the same message that everyone else is getting?
Wow. I hadn't heard this! Good to know for the next one!
-Jenn

[shanLC]

Hi Kristi,

I glad that you are breastfeeing. Nursing every 2 hours, which does feels like constantly, is normal for most babies. However, many will cluster feed at some point in the day, usually in the evening. A cluster feed could be 3-4 feedings spaced only every 1 to 1 1/2 hours apart. Then after a cluster feed they will sleep a longer stretch, about 4-5 hours. Does your son have at least on longer stretch of sleeping in a 24 hour period?
Sometimes babies will go longer between feeds if they are offered both breasts at each feed. Does he usually take both? Also, when you do begin solids, offer then right after the baby has nursed. The solids are, in addition to a feed, not as replacement of a feed. I recommend reading a great article about how to know your baby is ready to start solids, which can be found at: http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBJulAug01p150solids.html

Let me know how it goes. Take care, Shan




A few of the things I have read have said that it is optimal to introduce the first solid no earlier than 4 and no later than 6 months, that anything earlier or later increases chances of Type 1 Diabetes. Anyone else hear of this? My son nurses (what feels like) constantly, at most every 2 hours, including through the night, so I am anxious to start a solid just to get a break in there somewhere, but I have 2 weeks to go until 4 months. Before he was born I was very much against starting solids so early, but now that I'm in the middle of it... I can't wait! My pediatrician has also said that babies introduced to more than 3 different kinds of solids before 6 months had an increased risk of food allergies. Is this the same message that everyone else is getting?

[kristi]

As far as the guidelines on that link, he has hit most of them. He will have just turned 4 months when I plan to start, but is, shall we say, a "healthy" eater. At his 3 month ped visit (which was actually at 2 1/2 months) he was 15 lbs 9 oz, has been consistently around the 75-90 percentile in height and weight. And at this point I am not overly concerned about my milk drying up - I have an overabundance that borders on problematic - leaking, squirting, choking the baby for the first couple of months... The upside of that is that I have a massive stock of it frozen for later use or for when I go back to work!

He has been decent about taking things in rather than pushing them out with his tongue (with Tylenol at least). He has been holding his head up since 3 weeks, and can sit up well with support. Saliva? Yeah, we've got LOTS of that. No teeth yet, but I think the saliva and the fact that he will gnaw anything until it is raw for the past 4 weeks means they are coming soon.

I think these are signs that now will be a good time to start... if it doesn't seem to be going well or if it just doesn't "feel right" once we start, I may back off for another month.

As for the sleeping that you mentioned, he does eat more and for longer right before bed. He does have a first stretch of sleep that used to be 5 hours, but in the past week or two has gone down to 4, and occasionally 3 hours, from 7 or 8 PM until anywhere from 10 to midnight. It used to be 1 or 2 AM, but he hasn't done that since we moved his bedtime earlier. After this point he wakes up every 2 hours on the dot, like clockwork, except for around the 4 AM or so when it is only an hour and a half. At this point I am usually so exhausted from the entire process that I leave him in the bed and he just nurses at will whether I am awake or not until we both wake up around 7 or so.

At this point he is still in a bassinette next to the bed because mommy just can't deal with the idea of getting up and sitting in the nursery every hour and a half all night long. But I have resolved that tonight I will try to have him sleep in the crib, because I am curious as to how many of his wakings may be due to the fact that our noise wakes him up. Every rustle we make or, god forbid, a throat clear or sneeze and he startles or stirs. I am thinking if he were in his own room maybe he would sleep better/longer b/c we wouldn't be disturbing him? Especially when we come up to bed after he has been asleep for a few hours... However the fact that he wakes every 2 hours to the minute and feeds a full meal each time makes me think that it is more the hunger than a disturbance... we'll see if I have the resolve to go through with it tonight.

[shanLC]

Hi,
Glad you found the article helpful. I also tell nursing moms about www.breastfeeding.com (http://www.breastfeeding.com) because it has great articles on starting solids and night feedings. Check it out! Also it will be a good resource when you go back to work. Sometimes babies nurse more at night to make up for the closeness they missed out on during the day. With the overabundant supply it may be helpful to recline back when you nurse so gravity works in your favor. Good luck with crib. Sounds like you have done a great job so far, and have a healthy baby as a result. :five:
-Shan

As far as the guidelines on that link, he has hit most of them. He will have just turned 4 months when I plan to start, but is, shall we say, a "healthy" eater. At his 3 month ped visit (which was actually at 2 1/2 months) he was 15 lbs 9 oz, has been consistently around the 75-90 percentile in height and weight. And at this point I am not overly concerned about my milk drying up - I have an overabundance that borders on problematic - leaking, squirting, choking the baby for the first couple of months... The upside of that is that I have a massive stock of it frozen for later use or for when I go back to work!

He has been decent about taking things in rather than pushing them out with his tongue (with Tylenol at least). He has been holding his head up since 3 weeks, and can sit up well with support. Saliva? Yeah, we've got LOTS of that. No teeth yet, but I think the saliva and the fact that he will gnaw anything until it is raw for the past 4 weeks means they are coming soon.

I think these are signs that now will be a good time to start... if it doesn't seem to be going well or if it just doesn't "feel right" once we start, I may back off for another month.

As for the sleeping that you mentioned, he does eat more and for longer right before bed. He does have a first stretch of sleep that used to be 5 hours, but in the past week or two has gone down to 4, and occasionally 3 hours, from 7 or 8 PM until anywhere from 10 to midnight. It used to be 1 or 2 AM, but he hasn't done that since we moved his bedtime earlier. After this point he wakes up every 2 hours on the dot, like clockwork, except for around the 4 AM or so when it is only an hour and a half. At this point I am usually so exhausted from the entire process that I leave him in the bed and he just nurses at will whether I am awake or not until we both wake up around 7 or so.

At this point he is still in a bassinette next to the bed because mommy just can't deal with the idea of getting up and sitting in the nursery every hour and a half all night long. But I have resolved that tonight I will try to have him sleep in the crib, because I am curious as to how many of his wakings may be due to the fact that our noise wakes him up. Every rustle we make or, god forbid, a throat clear or sneeze and he startles or stirs. I am thinking if he were in his own room maybe he would sleep better/longer b/c we wouldn't be disturbing him? Especially when we come up to bed after he has been asleep for a few hours... However the fact that he wakes every 2 hours to the minute and feeds a full meal each time makes me think that it is more the hunger than a disturbance... we'll see if I have the resolve to go through with it tonight.

[finzel]

With Libby, we waited until she was 8-9 months old before we started giving her cereal/baby food. She seemed pretty satisfied with nursing before that, but started to get curious about what Rich and I were eating...so we figured that was her way to show us she was ready to learn how to eat.

I, too, like the breastfeeding.com site. It's wonderful, and it helped me through my first encounter with breastfeeding...and will be a good support through this round as well. *grin*