Nursing Advice....

M.:

AAP and WHO recommend 6 months.

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

I started giving my baby rice cereal around 5 months and stage 1 veggies around 6 months and stage 1 fruits around 7 months approximately. Babies do not need any other food than breast milk till 6 months, so starting earlier was just really practice. I started giving him the rice cereal when I noticed him watching me eating. He would intently watch every time I'd put food in my mouth, that's usually a sign that they are ready to start learning to eat solids.

Good luck!

I started giving rice cereal at 4 months on dr. recommendations. The doctor wasn't into breastfeeding (go to Dupage medical group and they rotate docs) and thought my twins were small. They are small but that's just how nature planned (I was small as a kid too). I nursed Meridith until 21 months and Ashley until 22 months. They weaned themselves which meant no pain for me, as they slowly decreased the amount of milk they took in so my body was able to easily adjust.

We didn't start solids until about 6 1/2 mths old since the APA suggest waiting until at least 6 mths due to allergies. I have been breastfeeding for a year now and have no desire to stop. My daughter and I both love it. I don't know when I will stop, but I'm not going to really think about it til she's about 2. We'll see. My mother nursed me for 25 mths and I think that it is wonderful. Our daughter eats 3 meals a day and then nurses 4-5 times a day. Just be ready for another growth spurt as they tend to get one at 3 mths. Congrats and keep going!!! It is the best thing that you can do for your daughter!!!

H.

I introduced cereal at 6 months. I nursed until he was 13 months. He self weaned, I believe because I was pregnant, or I would have nursed longer.

Congratulations on nursing your little girl. I nursed my little girl until she was 13 mos old and at around 5 months is when we started her on rice cereal. My doctor said that between 4 and 6 months old, babies will start to eye your food and if they show interest-give it a try. The first "solid" food (i.e. rice cereal-is extremely watered down with breast milk-not real solid but it is definitely a different consistency for them.
Good Luck.

The current guidelines say to start solids between 4-6 months. Most literature will say that it is best for breastfed babies to wait toward the end of that spectrum. Babies at this age do not get so much nutrition or calories from their food- it is just to learn to eat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for one year at a minumim and then as long after that as mom and baby wish to continue. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years at a minimum and then as long after that as desired.

Congrats on your succesful breastfeeding and good luck.

Hi M.- I nursed all 4 of my kids until about 14 monthes. I started solids at 6 months, startinf with rice cereal then oat cereal etc. When I started foods I got an easy baby food book called Baby Let's Eat that showed me quick and easy ways to make my kids food. All my kids have transitioned to adult food really well, I think maybe because the food I made tasted just like ours without the salt and sugar. Whatever you do your little one will be fine, enjoy her!!
B.

Some say not until 1 year if nursing. Others will say 3-4 months and it seems that most (as well as doctors) will say 4-6 months but the longer you hold out the better (allergy reasons, majority nutrition needs to come from milk). I would talk to your pediatrician. If she is still nursing great and sleeping well, then I would hold out to start giving rice cereal till about 5 months or so. Good luck and congrats!

Hi M.,
I am also nursing still at 6 months. I have just started rice cereal, and will start vegies with the cereal this week. I hope to nurse up to 9 months at least. It is pretty convenient most of the time...and free!

I started adding food around 5 or 6 months - and then just one small meal a day (*after* you nurse her). I still nurse my son (just morning and evening) - he's 16 months old.

To reiterate what you are hearing from everyone else, I nursed exclusively until 6 months and added cereal then. If you are at all concerned with allergies, the recommendation is to wait until 6 months. My husband has a severe food allergy so we had to wait until 6 months and introduce foods very slowly.

Hi Naomi,

I nursed both of my kids until age 3, which is common in other countries (not ours!). Both of my kids weren't really interested in solids until 8-9 months and even then it was a very gradual process. As long as you are in tune with your own child there are many variations on the spectrum. Personally, I like for my little ones to start with pureed vegetables and fruits as easiest to digest. Good luck!

Hi,
I'm a bit late responding, but it's recommended to wait until about 6 months before introducing solids. My daughter started wanting food from my plate at about 5 months, and I gave her bananas mashed up and thinned with breastmilk first. It's supposed to be one of the most gentle things you can give first, and the least likely to cause allergic rxns.

Also, in regards to how long I nursed, I nursed my daughter until she self-weaned at 3 and a half years old. Nursing a toddler is nothing like nursing a newborn though! She gradually declined nursing with the more solids she could eat, and then went to nursing only at bedtime or for comfort. By the end, she was only taking a "sip" at night before bed as part of her bedtime routine.

If you'd like to know more, I'm happy to answer any questions or help in any way!

Have you joined La Leche League? I recommend going to a meeting- I loved being around other mamas who nursed and watching them and getting advice, as well as sharing my own experiences. You might enjoy it!

Amanda

Babies need to have breastmilk or formula until at least one year of age. No cows milk until at least 1 year; could cause GI upset/allergies. Many babies are ready to start adding foods at about 6 months of age, beginning with rice cereal that is very liquid in consistency. There are many guidelines on what foods to introduce first, and what foods should be postponed due to risk of allergy, etc. Your pediatrician should be able to provide you with a packet of info. There are many good resources online and in books. If you have the La Leche league book about nursing, there is a section in there about introducing solids.

Without reading any of the other postings my guess is that you will get quite a bit of responses considering this is a very heated topic these days. Having started off with this comment I will give you my personal take on the matter. *Warning* I am passionate about this topic too! Basicly every woman chooses their own time for when to wean and how long to nurse before introducing solids. However, at 3 months babies jaws are not equipped to properly eat solids, hence the reason babies are "made" to suckle from the breast. Weaning is generally very very different here in the USA (I've done a lot of research on this topic) than in most other countries. Babies do not eat solids within the first year for the most part and the average age for weaning is 4 (you heard it) years old, NOT one year, or even 6 months. The reason for that is purely convenience. Women in America work away from the home more and need to wean for their own reasons, not for the ultimate best of their baby. They also wean for the reason that it is very accepted to stop by 6 months or a year. Women feel a lot of peer pressure and its hard work to continue nursing successfully. I will tell you though that it is so much more rewarding to nurse after the 1st year. They are so autonomous after a year that the bonding they get from nursing then is AMAZING. They do not get this same experience during the 1st year. I still think I am outnumbered to say all this but the reality is that if people would be more informed they would potentially make different decisions about how long to breastfeed and how hard to try and breastfeed.

Unfortunately there are some women who really do not produce enough milk and that is very sad. They miss out on a very special experience that nothing can replace, but if one can breastfeed then why not do it as long as possible? Research has shown that self-weaning is much better for the child's emotional development and that too has been misinformed to the general American public. I have rarely heard of mothers who self-wean and that is a pity, having seen the benefits first hand.

So, your question is a fully loaded one and I suggest, if you are committed to breastfeeding in an optimal way, that you speak with a lactation consultant or a Le Leche leader (I personally never went to a meeting but I have spoken to a leader once or twice and they have been helpful in answering any questions) and get the info that you want.

I do want to let you know though, that ultimately you have to choose in your heart of hearts what exactly is right for you. What I tell you or what anyone else shares with you may not work for you and may not bring you the best experience for you and your family. I am just giving you the facts but each person has their own unique circumstance and you will decide what is good for you.

Good luck in this endeavor and hope it works out just how you want it to. Keep up the awesome work of being a mother.

6 months is the recommended age to start some solids, but breastmilk should still be their primary food until at least one year of age...ie the other foods are mostly for practice and they will gradually eat more, but should still nurse first. However, it is now recommended that children nurse as long as they and the Mother are comfortable with it....it benefits them long past a year.

I personally nursed my son to 29 months, but stopped pumping at 14 months and he gradually weaned to milk during the day and we only nursed at night and for a short while in the morning. Then when he got his "big boy bed" he decided he didn't want to anymore. It was very painless.

I started my 1st son on solids at 4 months, he nursed until he was 8 weeks. My 2nd son started solids at 6 months, nursed until he was 8 months. My 3rd son started solids at 9 months, and he is now 17 months and still nursing.
I would suggest waiting until about 6 months before starting solids.

My son is 8 months old, he's still nursing...and knock on wood has never been sick. He started cereal at 6 months and now eats rice cereal, oatmeal, and stage one baby food.

Hi M.! My 2 year old started adding solids when she was about 5 1/2 mos. You should look for baby's interest in food on your plate, the ability to sit up, and chewing motions (like chewing on toys, etc). Then, add one food every couple of days. Spacing things out makes it easier to tell if an allergy pops up. I'm a big believer in extended nursing, and she was down to a wake up and nap time nurse, but then I just gave birth to twins, and now she sees them nurse and wants to more often. I've been assured this is temporary, but otherwise I'd bet she'd be nearly self-weaned. I have lots of friends who nursed until a year, and then started adding whole cow or goat's milk to the diet. I hope this is helpful!

There are two subcommittees with the American Academy of Pediatrics that address this and they disagree. The breastfeeding subcommittee believes that where possible exclusive breastfeeding should continue for the first 6 months and the nutrition subcommittee believes some solids should be added after 4 months. But from what I can see, most other entities seem to recommend 6 months.

That being said, my little sweetie was rather large and was eyeing up my food, so I gave her some rice cereal at 4 and a half months and she just loved it and loves her food in general. But then I wasn't able to express milk as much as I would like at work, so I considered it a trade more between formula and solids with exclusive nursing when I am home and 12 oz of expressed milk. I think if I had to do it over again, I would start expressing to store up supplies earlier in my maternity leave, so that we could go longer with just breast milk.

Hi, M.. My little one is 6 months old and we're still going strong. Even though the guidelines tend to lean toward 6 months for breast fed babies. I started her on the cereal at 4 months for the enjoyment of it. She's now had most of the fruits and veggies and has had rice and oat cereal. She loves the food and she's still a very strong nurser.

Really, you have to do what you're comfortable with. Whenever you do decide to start, I recomend nurse before food so she can get all of the fat and calories of the breast milk.

Good luck!

Hi M.!
Congradulations by the way on your new little one! Anyhow, in response to your question, here is what I did (hope this helps or gives you some idea)...I exclusively nursed my baby girl (who is 13 mos. now) until she was 6 mos., even though I was pressured by many people to add other foods. Then I began to add rice cereal and banana. Then, a few weeks later I added other fruits. Then, a few weeks later, sweet potatoes, sweet peas, etc.

I do highly recommend nursing her exclusively until six months. However, you may receive pressure to start her on solids, but do not cave in if you really do not want to! It will not hurt her, on the contrary it is the best thing for her. My baby did nurse a little more often around four/five mos. which was fine because she was growing, and still is of course. It may be a little more inconvenient for to solely nurse until 6 mos., but in retrospec, I think it was the best thing ever!

Hope this helps! :)

Hi - Congratulations on your baby girl and getting through the first few months nursing! Most medical texts I've read suggest not adding cereal until the baby is nearly 6 months old, especially if there is any family history of food allergies. However, many pediatricians seem to recommend cereal sooner (around 5 months). Nursing for the first year provides the most health benefits for the baby. Of course, it is entirely a personal decision and it sounds like you have given her a great start.

Personally, I exclusively breastfed (and expressed) then started my son on cereal at 5 months, veggies at 6 months, and he started "table foods" before he was a year old. The more solids he ate the less he nursed of course, so by one year he was nursing only 2 - 3 times a day. He was totally weaned at 18 months.

Congrats on your new little one! I nursed my 1st until 18 months and my second until 25 months. For bf babies it's best to wait until they are at least 6 months old before introducing solids. Introduce new foods slowly and remember that when they do start solids, it is as a supplement to the breastmilk and not intended to replace it. Some people (including myself with my 1st baby) mistakenly believe that once a baby starts solids the breastmilk somehow becomes secondary and that is not the case. Good luck!

I think about now you can start trying rice cereal or whatever your pediatrician says. Be sure to try only one new food a week for the first year in case any she has any allergies to food. Personally, I nursed for 13 months. The last 2-3 months were only in the morning, nursing. I didn't want to lose that bonding time with my baby but she was ready. Same as trying new foods, I cut out one nursing a day every couple weeks to prevent becomming engorged. Congrats and best wishes!