babies and food?

Question

I am pregnant and my baby surley will not be eating anytime soon, lol. BUT I just started wondering this and wanted to ask. At what age do babies start eating baby food? And what age to they wean from the breast usually? Thank you :)

Answer 1

Solids can be introduced when baby shows signs of readiness, which is generally around, or after, 6 months of age. Those signs are not "acting hungry" or "interested in food" as many people think. There are some physical signs to look for, that are far less ambiguous to read.

1. Ability to sit upright, even if support is needed to stay upright-- but torso & head/neck are completely self-supported;

2. Loss of the tongue-thrust reflex, which causes baby to try and spit out foreign substances and/or gag; and

3. The ability and interest to self-feed finger foods (raking grasp or pincer grasp).

I should have listed them with #2 first, since it is probably the most important, but I'm too lazy to go back and rearrange them... ;)

Some babies aren't ready for solids until well past 6 months, and a few even into the first year mark. My 4th child refused to let anything pass his lips besides his "milkies" until he was close to twelve months. Oddly, although all of my other babies were petite and always under scrutiny that my breastmilk wasn't "good enough", this child was always in the higher-end percentiles and was 100% breastfed from birth to that point, close to his first birthday. Most of my other babies were ready for solids sometime between 5-9 months. I went by their readiness, not what a book or doctor said.

Breastfeeding does not, at ANY point, become "less good" or "less nutritious" for your child. It may well become less *socially unacceptable*, however. This can have a big impact on how a mom feels about continuing to nurse, if she feels pressured, or like some kind of freak, for nursing past the social norm. Right now, that seems to be the 6-12 month range. But that doesn't make breastfeeding/breastmilk any less beneficial for your little one.

The best thing you can do is to not put a definite age limit on breastfeeding from the very start. Make small goals at first, because the newborn stage can be very challenging, and it feels good to reach those goals. But don't put a definite end to it before it has even begun! Surround yourself with as many breastfeeding-supportive people as you can, because when you are overtired and engorged, the only thing you are likely to hear from unsupportive friends/relatives is that it must be time to switch to formula. You need this support system in place *before* baby arrives, so you have someone you can call with all of those questions and little problems in those early weeks.

Once you've got breastfeeding well-established, weaning will likely be the furthest thing from your mind for some time to come! So just wait until you come to a point that nursing no longer seems to be the best thing for your relationship with your little one. That may be at 3 months, or not until 3 years. The "best time" to wean is when either you, or the child, is unhappy with (or has outgrown) the nursing relationship.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

Most babies can start tolerating rice cereal mixed with breast milk (or formula) anywhere from 4 - 6 months old. Start with that, and if it goes down well (and stays down) and doesn't cause problems, then you can move on to easily digested baby foods. But take it slow, introducing a new food every couple of weeks at first.

What age to wean your child is the subject of some serious hot debate among mothers. Generally, pediatricians recommend breastfeeding at least the first 6 weeks - 3 months if you possibly can (to give the child access to necessary antibodies to help their immature immune system stave off infection), and if it works out that you can do more, continue breastfeeding until they're a year old (though at that point, it will only be to supplement the solid food he/she should be taking in).

Some moms continue to breastfeed to a limited degree up to their child's second birthday...a few do it longer than that. It's a matter of preference. After about a year old, the breastmilk starts to lose its importance as a nutritional supplement. But I think a lot of moms continue to do it simply because it is such a wonderful way to bond with your child.

Answer 3

Depends on the child. Some start acting hungry early on, and start solids early because they want to be more full. Others like my daughter do not want more than a few table spoons of solids a day, and are happy wit thier bottle. Some are completely breast feed until 9 months or older. Do not worry if you stop at 6 months. Many moms do. Really it depends on the child. If they seem hungry feed them. If not then let them set the pace. They will know when they are hungry. Remember that they are set the stop eating when they are full! Good Luck!

Answer 4

Plan on thinking about introducing some solid food at 6 months. Until that time, and up to 1 year and more, breast feeding is healthier, easier, and more economical. A baby will give you clear signals when s/he is ready to wean, which is usually at around 1 year old, but you can breast feed as long as you feel it necessary to do so. Congratulations!

Answer 5

Babies cant have whole milk until one year old, so you can wean them when ever you want to, but they will have to take formula to finish out the year. When I had my first they told me at 4 months I could start w/ the rice cereal and move on from there with baby food, my second they were leanting more towards 6 months, so I believe now it is recomended 6 months to start on baby food.

Answer 6

You can usually give babies simple babyfoods at around 4 months old and breast feeding will be up to you- when you feel like it is time to quit then you do- but most doctors like to see moms do it for at least 6 months or longer, Good Luck and congrats!

Answer 7

my daughter just stopped breaste feeding at 13 months. Food I started around four months. By then the digestive system is developed more. Some people use rice pablem before that

Answer 8

after 6 months of breast feed they can eat baby food