feeding baby solids?

Question

my baby is seven months old...and she is doing really good eating solids, she has had all the veggies and fruits. when can i start giving her the meats? i think its nine months but all my friends keep telling me they didn't go by the book when it came to that kind of stuff with there kids. im not sure.

Answer 1

Meat is a recommended first food from many organizations including La Leche League. Meat is high in zinc and iron which babies need.

"When your baby's ready for her first food, you can make it almost anything — even meat. The standard advice has been to start babies on iron-fortified cereal around 5 or 6 months and wait until 8 to 10 months before introducing meat, but "it should actually be in the mix of the earliest foods," says Nancy Krebs, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver."
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/article/0,19840,1145323,00.html


"Many experts (including LLL) suggest giving meat or other foods naturally rich in iron instead of foods with added iron. For more information on iron, see Is Iron-Supplementation Necessary? "
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

"Once you have determined that your baby is ready for solid foods, you need to decide what foods to offer him. It is wise to introduce only one food at a time, allowing at least a week before the introduction of another new food, so you can detect the cause of any allergic reactions. THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING makes the following suggestions for introducing solids: begin with a raw mashed banana, boiled or baked sweet potato, or raw mashed avocado; follow with meat, fish, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables. If you wait at least a week between the introduction of each new food it may take several months before your baby is ready to sit down to “three square meals a day.” Chapter 13, “Ready for Solids,” in THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING is full of tips and suggestions that will make the addition of solid foods to your baby's diet go more smoothly. Another source of information is the cookbook Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. This cookbook features many meatless recipes and includes variations for making recipes suitable for babies and children."
http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBMayJun99p86.html

"6 to 9 months of age

Your baby's iron reserves may begin to diminish around this time. Serving pureed meat or dark meat chicken as a part of your baby's diet adds a well-assimilated source of iron that is not likely to cause constipation"
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,69w0-p,00.html

"6-9Strained meats/poultry
Mixtures of strained vegetables and fruits
Chunky, soft prepared baby foods
Egg yolk
Yogurt
Cottage cheese"
http://ific.org/publications/brochures/solidsbroch.cfm

Answer 2

Actually you should have already began with meat around the same time you began veggies and fruit. Around the age of 6 mths your baby's need for protein increases which means that breastmilk/formula no longer contain enough protein to fulfill her nutritional needs. So usually you start giving her the little jars of meat individually then once she is used to that you can move on to combos like chicken + carrots, beef + sweet potatoes.......so dont keep waiting, she is ready, because by 8 mths she should be receiving at least 1/2 of her nutrience from the foods you give her and the rest from her breastmilk/formula.......if you're not sure ask your doctor

Answer 3

When I ate chicken, my son would look at me like he was interested. I would then give him a very small bite, (he only had 3 teeth at the time) most of the time he just spit it out. I tried to puree the chicken and even hide it in other things. He would not eat it. I waited a week or so in between having him try it, and finally he did. Now we are trying beef. I have found that if his body isn't ready to digest a food he has eaten, he will refuse it or throw it up. I try to at least read the books, but I trust mother nature and that babys know what to do and when to do it. Good luck!

Answer 4

Babies shouldn't start eating things they need to chew until they have teeth on the top and bottom. They can choke if you feed them too early. blend up the meat with some cream of celery with just a little bit of water at first. then add when you think it's the right consistency for your baby. It doesn't matter what others think. All babies are different and only you can have the motherly instincts to know when you think the baby is ready.

Answer 5

I am with the mother above me. I fed my kids early, and my kids slept thru the night. My gram gave me advice, and my kids are healthy. I never went by the book. My kids didnt like jar food, but i had a processor and made them baby food off the table.

I'm a nurse, I was just careful what I gave them.

Answer 6

About eight to nine months, when you have chicken, cut the chicken very very small, and put it on her high chair tray, give her a little corn, cut up stringbeans, very small pieces. Give her some mashed potatoes by spoon or if she wants to feed herself with a little spoon, then let her try the mashed potatoes. Breakfast, give her a few cheerios on her tray, and then give her regular oatmeal, and maybe some sliced banana which she can eat herself...just start slow. Good Luck and don't worry so much...your baby will let you know.

Answer 7

when my child was eating step 2 at about 6 mon. (she started food at 4 mon.,big for her age and hungry!) my dr. said has she had meats yet? look at all the step ones and step 2s and see which have meat. then u can start here.

Answer 8

hon, i raised 2 kids the old fashion way.i started feeding my 2 food from the table when they were only 2 weeks old. the formala that they gave my son didn't agree with him.so i started giving him baby food.he is 32 years old now and a very big man {tall} Even though they say it isn't good to feed babys real food until they are at least 6 months old.but even in the old times mothers fed their kids off the table when they were about 4 weeks old.

Answer 9

"Protein and Meat Foods should be given only with the recommendation of your Pediatrician and/or when baby is 8 months or older", says wholesomebabyfood.com, and here is some more information about meat:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/meat.htm

Good luck.

Answer 10

I was told my babies could have pureed meats at 7 months. But to stay away from the combination foods like "turkey and potatoes" because it doesn't have enough protein. But turkey and gravy was ok.