Starting Solids - Idaho Falls,ID

I have a 6 month old too. I've been worrying about the same things. And I've even done it 3 other times. But I'm just having a hard time remembering what I did!! I need help as well!

My son is also 6 mos old. Started solids at about 5 mos--just here and there, nothing consistent. But now we consistently give him solids (applesauce, peaches, carrots, green beans...etc) at the noon meal--normally about 1-1.5hrs after that he wants a bottle, so he gets a bottle w/ that meal as well--then we go back to 3-4hrs between bottles. He is now normally eating a whole container (Gerber) at each noon meal.
Also we sometimes give him a little to eat in the evenings as well--around 6-6:30 (bathtime, bottle, bedtime starts at 7:30). He doesn't eat as much then, but we don't do that solid feeding every day--just if we have time. He does sleep better when he has that 2nd meal of solids though.
Anyways, hope that helps! It's just what we do!

Just skips the cereal! There is almost no nutritional value to it! Give your little some some very over ripe banana or avocado to start, then just cook up some apple or pear. I too love the wholesomebaby site.

I waited a full year to start my son on solids, and then he could just eat with us. He wasn't really interested in food, and I was NOT interested in giving it to him. I felt it really helped protect him from allergies. His sister on the other hand has been very interested and I finally gave in at about 8 months. I've given her a bit of baby food but she eats so little of it that it doesn't seem worth it (such a waste of food), so I tend to just give her things off my plate, corn, mashed potatoes, etc (she is almost 11 months now). Many people I know just get one of those hand held baby food grinder things and just grind up a bit of their dinner for the baby and that's that. Good luck and follow your instincts.
S.
www.buenavistamidwife.com

hi-
here is an EXCELLENT link to starting babies on solids. It also covers your other questions.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030100.asp

good luck!

Unless he's acting uncomfortable, don't worry about him being constipated while he's only on breastmilk. My son could go a week without a BM when he was just on breastmilk. The first time he did it I was worried. Then I researched it and decided it was ok - actually it was nice, especially since we use cloth diapers.

Skip the cereal - it tastes horrible! We mainly gave the kids whatever we were eating (if it was soft), or early on I would steam, puree and freeze veggies in ice cube trays for them. Then I just heated up a cube at a time so there was less waste.

He'll let you know when he wants to eat. My son had very little interest in food until about 9 months, which coincided with my milk drying up since I got pregnant with #2. As soon as he got hungry he changed his mind about food. Before that it was a hassle to try to get him to eat. My daughter, now 10 months and still breastfed, is totally different. She likes food as long as we let her feed herself. She gets food with us at most meals, but we don't worry about whether she is actually eating any or if she sleeps through a meal.

Also follow your instinct on things. Each child is different. For the first year or more, my son never stayed on a schedule for more than a few weeks before he changed it. That worked for me so it was ok. My daughter naturally is on a schedule. They are totally different. It's just a matter of making sure it works for your family.

I waited till 5 1/2 mo. I wanted to wait till 6 but she was too interested in my foods so I figured it was time, I am happy to hear that you waited as you are right breastmilk is imp and it is best to wait till 6 mo. :-). I loved the site, and still do http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/. I hope that helps. And wow, if you think you need help w/ a schedule you would hate mine,,,,,my daughter is 15 mo and still nurses every 2-3 hours plus she continues to nurse that way at night! I say you are doing a great job and better off than most with his schedule! congrats, wish I had a better one LOL

You don't have to start with cereal. It is usually recommended by pediatricians becuase of the iron fortification. You can start with easily digestible foods: avocado, sweet potato, banana. If you are concerned about the iron you can get infant supplement drops that will not plug him up.
As far as breastfeeding and food.... he is still young. 95% of his food should still be breastmilk as you start, so nursing every 3 hours during the day is normal, it's great that he goes through the night.... it will take several weeks or even months before you graduate into a meal. In the beginning a serving size is about the size of an ice cube (1oz.). mash us the food, at a little breastmilk or water to thin out and try after your midmorning feeding or afternoon feeding.

Hi, A.. The recommendations have changed a bit since your daughter. The AAP still recommends waiting 6 monthsbefore solids, but now they also say that rice cereal is of less nutritional value than meat. Pediatric News Nov. 2009. www.pediatricnews.com Starting with fruits and veggies, and moving onto soft meat around 7 months might be a good choice. Also, it is recommended to breastfeed first, then offer solids. Your breastmilk is complete nutrition, and we want babies to have best nutrition and then some other food, starting with once a day, then eventually meal times. The starting amount is 1/4 teaspoon, in time working up to a tablespoon. Also, during the first year, solids for babies are just learning and tasting and exposure, not meal replacement. Hope this helps!
A. www.breastandbottlefeeding.com

Hello,

Careful with the rice cereal as it might constipate your baby (you said you don't want to plug him up). We skipped the rice cereal and went straight to Earth's Best oatmeal, mixed with a teeny bit of mashed banana and she loved it. I started her at 6 months and have no set schedule. I offer her solids in the morning, afternoon and evening...sometimes she takes it, other times she's less interested. I always try nursing her first and only offer solids about an hour or so later. She's been a busy-body lately, always wanting to play and explore, so she seems to be cutting back on the nursing, and saving it all for right before naps and bedtime (and during the night! :(). As a side, we did introduce the sippy cup but she pushes it away and doesn't quite understand what it's for or how to use it. I plan on reintroducing it at 7 months. Good luck!

I waited too - but I also didn't have tons of breastmilk. Here was my schedule - which works out well because now that he is 13 months, cow milk has just replaced the breastmilk.
Waking: Breastfeed
Before morning nap: cereal (I used Happy Bellies rice, then oatmeal, now multi-grain)
At morning nap: breastfeed
Lunch: breastfeed then solid foods (home made purees - which often included prunes, for sweetness, iron, and bowel regularity)
Afternoon nap: breastfeed
Before dinner: cereal
Dinner: purees
At bedtime: breastfeed

Because my milk was way low at night, I waited longer to feed him breastmilk again to make sure he had enough at night to keep him satisfied.
Good luck!! We have a very happy and healthy little guy who loves to eat a variety of foods. I wasn't too concerned with the which foods to eat when part. I had the hardest time getting meats incorporated, but over months he got better about it.

I think I waited till my son was 7 months, so don't stress about waiting too long. I always did the wake/feed thing, so my schedule was a bit different. I would breastfeed, and then about 15-30 minutes later, would try the cereal, so that I still wasn't using food to put him down. But only the meals that I could (I work full time), so we started with afternoon, and then weekends. He HATED it. I got so frustrated, I wasn't helping either of us. The doctor said just to move on to the veggies, which he did much better with. We then had daycare start the veggies. They had more of a schedule for him, and we eventually worked up to 3 meals a day. For more of the "solids" we started him on...I have totally lost the name now...YumYum? They are surfboard shaped rice husk things that totally melt in their mouths...or slobbery hands. My son loved those.

Good luck, and Amy P. had some great advice below, about it not as a meal replacement, which is why you let them fill up on the milk first.

This is how my son's pediatrician told us to start solids:
1. Pick a meal to start with. (We chose dinner, and gave rice cereal.) Give 1 tablespoon cereal, then nurse or give bottle. Do this every day.
2. When baby is consistently eating all of the cereal and doing well (3 days to 1 week later), add another meal of cereal. (We did breakfast and added oatmeal.) Now baby is eating 2 meals of cereal a day.
3. Then 3 days to 1 week later, add the last meal of cereal. (We added lunch last, giving barley cereal.) Now baby is taking 3 meals of cereal and breastmilk/formula and one liquid meal at bedtime.
4. Always give cereal/food then nurse. Gradually increase the amount of cereal you offer at each mealtime, then incorporate veggies at lunch and dinner and fruits at breakfast and lunch.
We just did this for my daughter, now she eats at 7:30, noon, 4:30 and 7:30. The doctor said to do it this way, so that baby is now eating meals with the family. Some people give baby food 3 meals a day, then nurse or bottle feed in between the meals. But the doctor said that that is just training the baby to eat 6 times a day, and you will have to break that habit later. Well it made sense to me, and this method worked well for our kids. Hope this helps!

I'd just offer whatever food sounds best to you (fruits and veggies) when he's NOT very hungry. So I guess after he's nursed. At first, I didn't do any sort of schedule, I just fed my babies solids when I had the time, because at first it's more of a challenge. After we were both more comfortable with solids, I would do some for breakfast, lunch, and after dinner.
I have a problem with my boys' appetite, though. It's huge and it's constant. They start out eating an entire jar, and end up eating 3 jars a few days later. And they can't sleep through the night anymore without solids. And they want to nurse every hour all day long at 3 1/2 months. So my doctor okay'd me to start solids at 4 months. So that's how our situation is different.

An excellent book to read and keep is "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. I HIGHLY recommend it. My son is 4 months old, but plan on starting him on solids in a couple of months. This book has really helped me feel confident about starting feeding him foods other than breastmilk AND making my OWN food for him! My friends have used this book as well and all swear by it. They're much, much busier than I am (I'm a stay-at-home mom) and have been very successful making their own, so don't let that scare you away. Also, the book answers all of your questions. You can check out superbabyfood.com. Good luck!

my advice--don't give him rice cereal. it will plug him up worse than anything else. if you want to give him cereal, try oatmeal. or just do fruits and veggies. i would start with once a day, maybe after he breastfeeds in the morning, then move to twice and 3 times after several weeks. he doesn't need to have full, scheduled meals until around age 1, really. but it is important for his metabolism to start working on solid foods around 6 months. don't decrease your breastfeeding at all, it is still his main source of nutrition.