How long can I strictly breastfeed my baby without supplementing with baby food?

Question

I want her to be healthy and happy and feel that breastfeeding is the absolute best choice but I am so scared of what is in babyfood and the older she is before I feed her any solid food the more prepared I feel her little body will be for it.

Answer 1

Feed solid foods when YOU feel comfortable with it, so long as she's at least 6 months old. Personally I am waiting until my daughter is at least 7 months old to begin solid foods, and I may begin with just table foods. My oldest didn't start on solids until she was 8 months old (tried them at 6 months but she didn't want them until 8 months). There is really no reason to start solid foods before their first birthday if they aren't interested in them and you aren't ready to start them on solids yet. Some mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for 18 months before they start eating solid foods, and that is totally okay as well. My mother-in-law exclusively breastfed her youngest for a full year before he started solids and went on to nurse him for another year after that.

According to Kellymom.com, infant's intestinal tracts are considered "open" until sometime around 4-6 months of age, meaning there are spaces inbetween the cells in the intestines, allowing the breastmilk to more readily pass directly into the system. But other foods will introduce things that the baby's system is not yet ready to handle. A great explenation about open gut is found on my first source listed below.

Delaying solids may protect your baby from allergies, asthma, diabetes, GI tract problems, and many other things potentially. Know that you are providing the best start for your baby by exclusively breastfeeding for at least six months. Good for you for listening to your gut!

Answer 2

You've already gotten a few great answers - you can introduce baby food anytime from 6mths to a yr with your breastfed baby. There are pediatricians who dont agree with this, at least where I live, but it wont hurt your baby to not have started on 'solids' yet if you and your baby arent ready. I went to a LLL meeting, and we were discussing this topic. The leader of the meeting admitted she had lied to her pediatrician with her second baby after having a horrible run-in with a substitute pediatrician while her normal pediatrician was on vacation. When the Dr found out she hadnt started giving solids yet to her 8mth old, the woman threatened to call social services. Yikes! Needless to say, at the next mthly visit she lied and said, why yes I have given her solids. Her baby was healthy, happy, gaining weight fine, but there are some who cant accept that a baby doesnt need anything but breastmilk for the first yr. There is a risk of iron deficiency, which is why they recommend giving iron fortified cereal, so it wouldnt be a bad idea to add that to your baby's diet once she is 6 or 7mths.

My girl is 12 mths old now, and I very rarely buy prepared baby food for her. When we first introduced solids at 6mths (carrots, peas, potatoes, apple) we bought BIO foods to prepare ourselves. We dont always buy BIO nowadays as the prices are outrageous and the 'regular' food grown here also has a label stating no pesticides or chemicals were used. We invested in a steamer, and a baby mixer, and every few days we cook up a new batch of food for her. That way we know there are no preservatives, no salt, no sugar, or anything else we dont want her to have. You can always do that, too!

Answer 3

Breastfeeding is one of the most amazing things that the human body can accomplish. The milk you produce changes everyday because the baby changes everyday.

Because of this, when your baby shows interest in food, which is usually between 4-6 months, your milk will change to accomodate for that. Your baby will be the one to dictate when it's time to give up solely breastfeeding, so don't worry too much about any time constraints.

As for what type of food to give, I'm a firm believer in rice cereals as first foods, and then homemade foods from then on. You don't have to be fancy. Just blanch some carrots and smash them with a potato masher. Boil an egg and mash. Mix in some of your breastmilk and baby will be happy happy.

If you know it's not good for you, it's probably not good for the baby, so don't add anything that's high in fat, cholesterol, or sodium. And, when in doubt, always ask your pediatrician. He/She is the one who will know best. Between the two of you, you'll be able to come to a happy medium.

Answer 4

Current recommendations are to breastfeed (or bottlefeed) only until 6 months to prevent allergies and help digestive system mature. If you don;t like babyfood from jars etc, it is very easy to cook a bit of rice cereal, pumpkin, carrot, apple for starters, puree it and begin feeding it to your bubs! Give a taste of a new food in the morning, then you have all day to see if there is a reaction to it (unlikely, but just in case). Continue breastfeeding while adding more foods to her repertoire!
Enjoy and hope all goes well.

Answer 5

Babies don't really need anything other than breastmilk or formula until they are a year old, but are usually ready to start solids at around 6-8 months. Some can start at 4 months. If you're scared about commercial baby food, you could consider making your own.

Check out:
http://www.kellymom.com - Lots of great info on breastfeeding
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com - Info on making your own baby food

Answer 6

I am a nutritionist

The current recommendations form the American academy of pediatrics say all infants should be exclusively breast fed for a minimum of 6 months (no water juice or baby food including cereal)

It is commonly recommended that infants with high risk for allergies be exclusively breastfed for 1 year before adding other food.

Note infants that are exclusively breastfed for more than 6 months may need an iron supplement and it is recommended that they have a blood test to see if they have low iron stores.

please see http://www.kellymom.com for more information

Answer 7

I don't know how long you should keep your baby away from other food than only breast milk. But I am 100 percent sure there is no harm at all in giving food and breast milk at the same time, you are not stopping breastfeed you are just adding more food to his diet. But you should ask to the pediatrician, he is more capable to tell you than here in yahoo answer. There is nothing wrong with baby food, and if you have any doubt about it you can do his own food so you can feel more comfortable on knowing how is it made.

Answer 8

Your baby will let you know when breast milk is not enough.
When they need more they begin to cry more often because they are hungry and milk isn't satisfying them as much.
All babies are different some need it by four months a friend of mine her daughter wouldn't have anything besides breast milk until she was 12 months.
You are still giving the baby the goodness that it need even when you are feeding them if you prepare the food and steam it you know what your baby is getting.
Go and speak to a clinic nurse and she will help guide you but your baby will let you know when she needs more. I have five children and breast fed them all the longest was up until she was 2 1/2 years old.

Answer 9

In some countries they wait until the baby is one year old before introducing food other than breastmilk. The american academy of pediatrics here advises that you start with iron-fortified rice cereal at six months of age.
I breastfeed my daughter, and she is five months old. I just started feeding her rice cereal a few weeks ago because she started getting really interested in food (watching me while I ate, and moving her mouth like she wanted to eat too). Your baby will give you clues as to when she is ready to start eating solids.
Kudos to you for breastfeeding! It is the best for your baby!

Answer 10

My kid breastfed with no supplemental food for atleast 6 months and even after that ate only a little bit of cracker or fruit, etc. I never gave him "baby food" and he is still nursing quite a bit at 3 years of age. He is perfectly healthy.