to nursing moms and moms at what month you start giving your baby baby food?

Question

my baby is full time breastfeding i just want to know when will be the time to start on baby food i have heard people saying between 4-6 months .

Answer 1

no offence you should know this info before you have your child.....i think your rite tho....4-6 minths....gd luck

Answer 2

Depends.

Don't you just hate that answer?

OK- this is a topic dear to my heart. I had my baby girl 15 years ago and she breastfed EXCLUSIVELY until she was TWELVE months old and then continued to take some solids and still BMed.

I was given SUCH a hard time about it- young mum, first baby and all that jazz... Was told that after a certain period (I think 9 months was mentioned) the breastmilk deteriorates in quality. Now that is total and utter hogwash. Milk changes according to diet of the mother and yes, it changes in the first period of a baby's feeding life. But as for this mysterious deterioration? No proof because no research was ever done!

So there.

I tried to feed my daughter solids at the prescribed 3 to 4 months by introducing her to a week mis of breastmilk and rice feed. Nope. Spewed it. Tried her again and again, day after day. Tried different brands. Nope- she chucked it all back up. Notably she cannot, to this day, eat a banana. She cannot bear the smell or anything.

What I am saying is that the BABY will tell you what is what when the time comes. If you find that your baby is hungry despite having been breastfed (mine fed 7 minutes on one side only and then went to sleep) you will nee to consider adding something else- a bottle feed or some solids.

They say that a baby's tum is not developed to deal with solids below a certain age. That is true. So try the mildest and blandest and most safest brand of rice powder to get them started because that IS what anyone with a "dicky" tummy is told to eat.

You cannot HARM the child- you can only make them spit it out!

Note: My daughter is a 15 year old GORGEOUSLY strapping child who never needs the doctor!

Answer 3

my dr told him cereal mixed real thin and fed with a spoon not a bottle a time or two a day starting at 4 months. He didn't eat really well at first but by 6 months he did good with cereal and loved his veggies and fruits which dr. said to start 1 a day at 6 months. I nursed him also. They are still going to get most of their nutrients from breastmilk or formula until they are 1 then they eat more and drink less. Just to warn you, the cereal will change their pooping habits because it has iron and will bind them up a bit. Since you are breastfeeding they won't be constipated really but the consistancy will definately change.

Answer 4

With mine I started them with cerals about 4 months, it wasn't a big part of their diet, they still got mostly b-milk/formula, but the cerals were to get them used to eating from a spoon. Then about 6 months I started with fruits and veggies. One at a time, and waiting 2-3 days in between introducing new foods. This is so that if the baby has an allergic reation to something, you know which food it is.

Answer 5

The books and such that say 4 months are old.
The current recommendation is NOTHING but breastmilk or formula prior to 6 months of age. They don't have the enzymes in their tummy to digest anything else prior to the middle of the first year.
Starting earlier can lead to an increased risk of allergies, diabetes and obesity.
Mine all started right around the 6 mos mark.

Read this -
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Answer 6

6 months is best. Baby's GI tract is not developed enough to handle solids until then and introducing food earlier causes higher risk of food allergies and other GI problems later on. If you're needing a break on the breast feeding, try introducing formula so you can breast feed some of the time and give formula the rest.

Answer 7

Each of my kids were different. Most of them started at around 4 months playing with the spoon and rice cereal (the infant type). My second to the oldest son though was on rice cereal in a big way at 4 months. It depends upon the baby really. If your baby doesnt seem content with his/her meal after nursing then try and play with the spoon and a small amount of rice cereal.
I really dont believe there is a magic age.

Answer 8

* Introducing Solid Foods. *

When thinking about starting baby on solid foods and introducing solids to baby, a good rule of thumb is to "Watch the Baby - Not the Calendar!" This is true when introducing solid foods (complementary foods) for both breastfed and formula fed infants.

The current recommendations indicate that breast milk or formula should be baby’s main source of nutrition until at least 6 months of age!

Earlier introduction of solid foods may have certain risk factors; consult your pediatrician!

SOLID FOOD INTRODUCTION CHART
4-6 Months old

Start out slowly, preparing a tablespoon sized portion of whatever food you have chosen to begin with. You will probably only manage to have baby eat 1/2 of the tablespoon sized portion the very first times you begin solids. Don't fret if your baby does not "finish" a meal.

Many parents find their babies will push the food out of their mouths on the first few tries. This is normal however it may also indicate that your baby is not yet ready for solid foods. Only you know your baby and will be able to decide if baby is truly ready for solids. As your baby becomes accustomed to eating solids, you will gradually increase the portion sizes. Remember, breast milk and/or infant formula are providing for the total nutrition of your baby at this stage!

AGE/STAGE

The AAP recommends that an infant not be started on solid foods until after 6 months of age.

Many pediatricians still start babies on solids around 4 months of age.

This chart accommodates all ages and stages up to 12 months.

CEREALS

Rice and Oatmeal cereals are the least of the allergenic grains and thus most babies are started out with those cereals.

FRUITS

May be served raw after 8 months old – bananas and avocados do NOT need to be cooked ever

VEGETABLES

Always serve cooked until after 12 months old or when baby can chew well enough so that no choking hazard is present. I.E. Shredded raw carrots, small cut up pieces of celery, pepper etc..

PROTEIN

Always serve cooked with no pink areas – NEVER give a small baby/child raw meat or fish

DAIRY

NEVER replace breast milk or formula until after 12 months of age – serious health risks are possible.

Never give a child under the age of 2yrs old low fat or skim milk products; whole milk is necessary.

Some parents begin offering their babies solid foods by using their (clean and washed) finger as a spoon! They say that this helps their babies take to solid foods because the "new" spoon and the "new" food all at once seem to confuse baby!

* Four to Six (4-6) Months old *

Try mixing together the foods that you have already introduced without allergies or reactions - Rice Cereal mixed with Bananas for example

Grains:

Rice, Barley, Oat

Fruits:

Apples, Bananas, Pears

Vegetables:

Sweet Potatoes, Acorn/Butternut Squash, Green Beans

You should always consult your baby’s pediatrician before introducing new foods to your 4 to 6 month old baby. Avoid any suggested foods that may pose an allergy risk for your baby!


*** It depends on the baby. I don't remember when exactly I started mine but I know it wasn't at that young age it was much older. Consult your doctor cause it can create complications such as constipation or other complications, trust me on this one. Go with your baby's development and your doc's advice. Your motherly instincts will tell you as well. ***

*** I hope this helps. Best wishes. ***

Answer 9

You must wait 16 weeks before starting them on food. I was keen to get started and did it dead on 16 wks both times. I also breast fed and the food was a nice change for them and me and their little tummies seem fuller, so they sleep better. Dont worry you are doing well breastfeeding. We dont know it all before we have our baby, we learn as we go along. X

Answer 10

You can start your baby on rice cereal and such when s/he is about 4m old if s/he is ready. Here are some 'signs' to help you decide if s/he is ready for solids:
Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.

• Losing the "extrusion reflex." To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.

• Sitting well when supported. Even if he's not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.

• Chewing motions. Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling. He may also be teething around the same time.

• Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they've doubled their birth weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 4 months old.

• Growing appetite. He seems hungry — even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.

• Curiosity about what you're eating. Your baby may begin eyeing your bowl of rice or reaching for a forkful of fettuccine as it travels from your plate to your mouth

Personally, I didnt start my kids on baby food until 6-8m..

Answer 11

i started giving my first child food at six months. then i read that in england they start giving their babies food at four months and that made sense to me because at that age babies are really trying to grab and eat your food when they see you eating. so with my other children i started at 4 months. i simply started at four months getting them used to the taste of food and by six months they were really eating meals. be prepared for the change in their bowels though.