FAQ - Starting Solid Foods

These questions and answers are from the GCM message board. Names of children have been removed, and emoticons have not been included. If you see something you have written on here, and you want it to be removed, please email Jeri at jeri@gentlemothering.com.

Questions:

I don't wanna!
When do I start dd on solids?
Juice and Cheerios??

Q. I don't wanna!

My son is 9 months old now, still basically bfing only. He has four teeth, the top two still working their way in. Everyone keeps telling me I need to start feeding him solids. I'm a bit of a believer that bm is best for the first years of a babes life, so I don't push it. If he wants what I have I let him have some, but he normally doesn't act really interested like he wants to EAT it...he just tastes it like he does everything else, maybe gets a little juice from the fruit I give him. He still spits out food though.

I really really really don't want to start feeding hijm solids. I don't know why I feel so strongly about this, whether it's just that I know that when he starts on solids he'll start decreasing bfing But I just don't think he is ready, he doesn't NEED to eat solids, the best thing is BM, but even dh thinks it's time.

I don't want to feed him solids, but it has been 9months w/o and that is wonderful in itself. But I just don't want to give him solids yet!!! Am I just being difficult? Anyone ever feel like this? I feel so "out there" PTL that dh puts up with me and lets me make most all the decisions with food for ds.

Oh I know I am doing the right thing but I hate having these doubts

~ sunburst

A: I definately know how you feel! I was never ready to introduce my babies to solids, either. And even when I did, bm was still their main source of nutrition for awhile longer.

My first son was about 5-6 months old when we introduced solids, but 9 months before he showed a real interest.

My youngest did not show much interest in solids until he was over a year. Not only was I perfectly content in just letting him nurse, but also, he would still "thrust" out his food with his tongue. I think he was about 15-18 months old before he learned how to eat solids, before that his prime source of nutrition was still from breast milk and he was thriving. He has shown some food allergies, mostly to cow's milk (he vomits) yogurt and cheese (hives). So, I firmly believe that his body was holding off on the solids for a reason!!

You have just mentioned in your other post that your ds is showing signs of allergies(seasonal?), and here, that ds spits out food, so I would suggest taking his lead and consider holding off for a bit longer on the solids!! Might work out the best for both of you, huh?!

That's just my opinion! Hope that helps!

~ moomoos mama

A: Quote: "Everyone keeps telling me I need to start feeding him solids. I'm a bit of a believer that bm is best for the first years of a babes life, so I don't push it"

Well, I would ignore everybody and follow your motherly instincts which are *obviously* telling you to wait! You stated several times that you are strongly opposed to feeding DS solids. Trust yourself, mama. You know what is best. By the looks of the signs DS is exhibiting it doesn't seem like he is ready anyway. Don't sweat it. He is not missing out on anything and you are absolutely right when you wrote that adding solids would just take away from the breastmilk he consumed. You already know that breatmilk is best for **at least** the first year of life so why mess with that? Starting solids begins the weaning process. I read your post about allergies and that is just one more reason (if not the most important!)to hold off. I say wait. You are giving him a wonderful foundation. My DD was exclusively breastfed for 18 months and she is thriving. I did not introduce solid food to her until she was about 14 months and she just wasn't into it until later. Now she is 26 months and breastmilk is still a large part of her diet. At the same time she eats a variety of seeds and nuts, loves vegetables and fruit, legumes and brown rice. It all came with time. I think it is important to respect the baby and not rush them into something that they are not ready for. Especially is it detracts from something that is proven to be so beneficial

~ iluvmyliv

A: Listen, wait, and watch!

I wait as long as I can till around a year. And even when I do give food (I give little pieces of what we are eating - not baby food) and the majority of nutrition comes from breast milk. My Eli is 21 months and most of his nutrition comes from me, sometimes I when I even offer food when he is asking to nurse he will get sooo angry! I must make good milk I bet you do too!

~ L Chaim ~ To Life

Q. When do I start dd on solids?

I'm so confused about the whole solid food issue. I know I have time to figure it out (my dd is only 4 1/2 mon old), but I just want to do what is best for her. I plan on breastfeeding as long as she wants. We have a wonderful breastfeeding relationship . I have friends who started early, some at 6 months, and others who are waiting until a year. I know we won't introduce her to solids before 6 months, but how do you know they are ready?

~ Oopsydayzzy

A: You will know when she is ready, by her wanting what you have. I would say that around the 6 mo mark she might try grabbing for your food You can then try her out on simple foods first, like rice cereal w/breast milk. Add only 1 new food at a time and wait a week before trying anything else. Use you best judgement, you know your dd best

~ santosdg

A: you know your dd is ready when she starts grabbing your food or making chewing motions.

but i would hold off as long as possible. 6 months is when the ped. say that is ok but i'd still wait, wait, wait. and watch out for allergy foods such as:
dairy
berries
eggs
nuts
wheat
and some others too.

i've also heard that you shouldn't feed carrots to babies under 7 months old because of the nitrates in them.

A: I say wait as LONG as you can. Introducing solid food early just takes away from what should really be filling a babies belly-mama milk! Breast really is *best* for at least the first year. Your baby will not be missing out on anything positive by not eating solids. IMO there is not much nutritional value in cereal. I do not always agree with that a baby is ready for solids when she begins to grab for food. Babies are inquisitive and want to touch everything! Doesn't mean they are ready to eat. I know that many babies are happy to play with a spoon to feel included at the dinner table. I don't think there is a definitive answer on how you will know when the time is right. I think as a mother you just know. Sorry, I guess I am not that much help. In my case my DD was ready for food when she asked for it. She didn't begin eating until 18 months. I had introduced food at about 12-15 months but she wasn't into it. I got all the usual pressure from people but when it comes down to it you just cannot make someone eat LOL
So my advice is to just take a relaxed approach and before you know it your precious DD will be eating.

~ iluvmyliv

A: Feeding your baby her first food is such a fun and exciting milestone! I promise the time will be here before you know it.

Even though many well-meaning doctors suggest supplementing with formula or cereal as young as 3 or 4 months, you should know that the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't even recommend solids until at least six month of age, and for many babies, not until closer to one year of age. Starting solids too early is also one of the biggest factors in lifelong allergies - something that we are just now beginning to see the effects on with so many children and adults suffering from food and environmental allergies.

Another hazard of starting solids too early is that your baby could choke because she is not physically able to swallow cereal yet. She is still so young that she may still have her life-saving "tongue thrust" reflex, which protects her from trying to swallow things that could choke her, including food before she is ready for it. She could actually aspirate cereal into her lungs!

Here is a general guideline to determine if your baby is ready for solids:
Can sit up on her own.
Can turn her head away to show she is done.
Can move food to the back of the mouth and swallow it without pushing it back out with her tongue.
Eyes and grabs food from your plate.
Seems interested in eating solids (reaching and grabbing at your food, spoon, etc.)

Here are some helpful links:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8148/solid.html (This is an excellent article that Jeri wrote!)

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

http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/solidfood.html

~ PurpleButterfly

A: You'll definitely know. My daughter just made the transition. She got to where she was still hungry IMMEDIATELY after nursing and no amount of frequent nursing would fill her up. Simultaneously she started reaching for everything we ate and enthusiastically eating anything she could get her hands on. She was a bit past 9 mos. at that time. I wanted to wait until 1 yr. but she wasn't going to wait! She still primarily nurses. I feed her a little baby cereal a couple times a day and then let her eat whatever finger food is available w/ meals. She still nurses just as often as before -- every couple hrs. most of the day with an occasional longer stretch. And she's very definite abt. which she wants. I'll usually nurse her first before feeding her anything else, though, to keep that as the primary nutrition source still.

~ 2ndchancemom

A: I agree, wait for your child's cues. My dd is now 10 mo and has just recently started wanting some foods. We skipped the whole baby food thing, she likes crunchy things--new teeth! She'll eat cheerios, crackers, those Gerber Wagon Wheels. I've offered her other things, but no interest yet. She snacks once or twice a day, but prefers her mama's milk. Don't fret, she'll be getting all she needs from mama's milk.

~ kasi

Q: Juice and Cheerios??

Ok, this is my third exclusively breastfed baby So you'd think I'd know what I'm doing!! She is 7 months old. I've given her rice cereal once a day (about 4 times a week) and I usually give her a bit of something else (applesauce, pears, carrots) She only eats about a tablespoon of food. She really likes the rice cereal, but doesn't care for the fruit or veggies. She's huge so I'm not really concerned about her eating anyway.

So my question, when do you start giving crackers or cheerios? And what about juice in a sippy cup? I gave her a sippy cup earlier in the week and she didn't get anything out of it. I'm afraid to give her cheerios because I can't remember if she's too young for them! My friend suggested rice crispies. Has anyone done that? I can't believe I can't remember how to do solids!

~sahm23

A: I think it is about the time when she can pick them up herself and put them in her mouth.

You don't have to give her juice if you don't want to. I started letting my daughter have a sippy cup (without the vavle thingy, so she is not actually sucking on it) when she was around 9-10 months. I would put a tiny bit if water or rice/soy milk in it and just to let her kinda test her cup out. She pretty much just plays with it. I would just say watch her cues like breastfeeding. Hope that helps.

~ GodsGraceGiven

A: my daughter is almost 8 months, and im going through the same thing right now.... i dont think i would give her cherrios quite yet, because she doesnt have a way to chew them, and they are big enough to get lodged in her throat. rice crispies are tiny, so they might be ok.....my daughter likes to pretend like she is sucking on her sippy cup... i dont think she gets much.....but she likes to play with it nonetheless....while we are eating dinner, so she will feel like she is a part of our family table, we give her a bowl of fruit, or veggies to play around in.....it is funny to watch....and she gets a bath right after....messsssy.... she also likes warm tortillas....and pizza crust, but i watch her like a hawk while she is eating those to make sure she doesnt get a big bite..... i think biter biscuits would be ok....let me know what you come up with.....like i said, im in the same canoe....

~ morning glory

A: My daughter is 7 months old, and I have never seen a more voracious baby food eater. She is amazing. She ate an entire jar of baby food today, organic carrots, and I put the valve in the 2 handled sippy cup and she drank from it as well. The day I started her on solids, her 6 month birthday, she ate 3/4 of a jar. Her big sister ate 1/2 a jar once a day up till she was on table food... but my baby would eat 2-3 solid meals a day if I offered them! She takes the spoon, puts it in her mouth, licks on it after she eats, and hands the spoon back. Honest. I need to get video of it, it's just hysterical. And you've practically got to be two fisted with spoons to get it in there fast enough.

Methinks this one might not nurse the same 2 1/2 yrs her sister did!!

~ Cherish

A: I avoid crackers with my little ones because they are bad for teeth (and don't really have much nutrition in them). I was concerned that sippy cups can mess with some babies' suck and lead to early weaning, so we used a regular little cup for Eva and put some water in it.

My little boy ate cheerios for the first time (actually just sucked on them) when he was seven months old. It was his first food. He didn't gag or anything and was fine. But my third child didn't do so well with Cheerios. We found that a good cereal for her was brown rice puffs... they kinda melt in your mouth.

Even with my third child I also felt at a loss as to what to do about solids, and if I am blessed with a fourth child, I bet I'll have questions then, too.

~ flowermama

A: I'm pretty sure that Cheerios turn to mush pretty fast, so they don't present much of a choking hazard. But each child is different...

~ Nutmeggmama

A: My daughter actually choked on a Cheerios at about seven months. She wasn't exclusively bf'd...another story...but, was exclusively organic formula fed! The church nursery gave her Cheerios and I walked in to find her choking on the floor. Scared me to death! Usually they ask, but the worker didn't.

I may give her some Cheerios while watching her real close...of course one at a time at first. See how she handles it.

~ natural mama

A: I would keep letting her have the sippy cup. Even if she is not getting anything out of it, she will eventually figure it out. DD has had a sippy cup go with her everywhere for the past four months and has just now figured out that if she sucks on the spout, something will come out. I just recently introduced DD to juice but I am waiting for teeth and good grasping control to give her cereal (she is six and a half months old). My dd did not like fruits that much but when I started mixing them in with her cereal she gobbles both up. I also sneak in veggies on the back of the spoon and then scoop up some big cereal...that way she is getting a little of all of it with out the fight of her eating veggies. (Yes, I did introduce veggies first but she just prefers fruit...I've got a sweet tooth too).

~ ZECmom

A: My baby is 7 months old and will eat anything that she can feed herself. Well, that's a slight exaggeration--in the 10 days or so that she's been trying solids, she's had some smooshed black beans, Cheerios, bits of a scone, little bits of smooshed banana, a biter biscuit and ...um... a bite of my son's birthday cake (I know, isn't that terrible of me?) I tried to give her rice cereal and some other kinds of jarred baby food and she wants no part of it. I got the funniest picture of her turning away from a "spoon o' goop"

It's strange, because my first baby (also exclusively bf) didn't start solids of any kind until much later, and she is *clearly* interested now. I guess they really are all different. (Except both of mine drop off the weight charts. Any advice on how *not* to worry about that??)

I'm a little nervous about the Cheerios, even though it's probably her favorite. Isn't wheat a big allergen and supposed to be introduced later? Could somebody please remind me again what the signs of a reaction are?

~ Wendy

A: Quote: "I'm a little nervous about the Cheerios, even though it's probably her favorite. Isn't wheat a big allergen and supposed to be introduced later?"

I'm pretty sure that Cheerios are made with oats and not wheat.

lookie!... I found this website about starting finger foods by Cheerios. I don't know if it's any good, but I thought might as well check it out since we are talking about Cheerios. http://www.cheerios.com/fff/basics.asp

I just looked and that website says that Cheerios "is made with whole grain oats."

Also, it recommends dry cereals as a safe food at ages 9-12 months old... http://www.cheerios.com/fff/safeandunsafe.asp

ZECMom mentioned that she is "waiting for teeth and good grasping control to give her cereal." I think waiting past six months to start them is a good choice, but your words brought to mind the picture of my son trying to eat his Cheerios for the first time. !! He was sooo cute!! The first time he tried to eat them he had such fun just trying to pick them up. That's one of the great things about finger foods.... it takes so much of their attention just trying to pick them up. I remember that when my little girl was fussy at around eight months of age, sometimes putting her in her high chair with a bunch of rice puffs on her tray would keep her happy for quite some time. And about those teeth... well, my first child didn't get any teeth until she was 13 months old, so we started finger foods before that and she did fine. One they are developmentally ready for it, they usually can gum foods pretty well even without teeth once they get the hang of it. Anyway, just wanted to share some more thoughts for whatever they are worth.

And, here, I might as well include what an excerpt from my journal ... Quote: "So I put some on the table in front of him, and he enjoyed feeling them and trying to pick them up. That day he didn't really understand how it all worked--it seemed like he tried to nurse the Cheerio that he held between his fingers--and most of them went on the floor, but when one got in him mouth, he seemed so happy about it! And then out it came. But that was okay. He was learning, and from then he has gotten better and better at picking up and gumming and swallowing the Cheerios."

~ flowermama

A: I just had to pipe in here. Today I gave my daughter her first Cheerios, and she *loved* them. (she's 7 months, and I was leery about it until now) She gummed them like an old pro...and watching her try to pick them up... Very funny!

~ Gymmama

A: I'm just going to pipe in and say that I started giving my son rice krispies around 8 months and they were fine. He could eat them really well and I didn't worry about him choking. I also found that he had issues getting liquid out of the no spill sippies so I went to the first years sippies that have a spout and don't have a valve and he uses them really well.

~Jeanette

A: You can break cheerios in half, if you're worried about choking. We did that for a while.

~ Mama2Christiana