Question about when to introduce solids

[mforeback]

Hi all!

I don't know if this is the right place to post, but I'm sure someone here would have an answer. :)

So I would like to know at what age do you introduce solids while breastfeeding. I'm pregnant with my first, and plan/hope to breastfeed exclusively, at least until age two. I do plan to do child-led weaning, and let her nurse as long as she needs/wants to. Yes, that would include if she nurses until age 5 or even older, as some children do.

Obviously with this pregnancy being my first baby, I've never breast fed before. So back to the question, at what age do you start introducing solids? Or perhaps rather, at what age did YOU introduce solids?

Thanks for reading!

[PatioGardener]

My little guy wasn't interested until 7 months, so I didn't introduce solids until 7 months. He didn't eat anything more than a taste until 9-10 months old.

Are you familiar with kellymom? Great resource!

Here's her page on solids.

[anjsmama]

I "introduced" solids, sort of, at 6 months, but DD wasn't interested. Same with 7 months. When I introduced them at 8 months, she really took off. 6 months is the the widely accepted guideline of when it's "ok" to begin, but your baby will be your best signal of whether they're ready or not. At 6 and 7 months, DD still had some of her tongue reflex, and didn't swallow much of anything she tried. By 8 months, she could chew and swallow, she was ready.

[1babysmom]

With my first, we started at 5ish months because I thought I was supposed to.  With my next two, we let them start eating when they were ready, which was around 7 and 8 months, and we went straight to the table food the rest of the family was eating.  As for nursing, only my eldest has weaned (at 4.5 years) but the other two are still going.  I'm with you on letting them wean themselves!

For me, this is kind of a big deal. LOL There is just SO much evidence pointing to poor gut health in our society, so I think it's important to consider the things "they" DON'T mention...the things that more accurately reflect the most important aspect- the baby's gut readiness. Of course you can never be completely certain since it's internal, but one of the reasons I think it's absolutely important to wait until at LEAST 6 months- if not longer- is because the more time the gut has to develop, the better. But the big factors that play into that are the type of birth (vaginal vs c/s for initial colonization), feeding (breastmilk develops and seals the gut faster than formula), whether the baby has had any medications, antibiotics in particular (as that will set you back dramatically, which is why probiotics are so important), if they have any teeth (which obviously isn't necessary, but with teeth come more essential enzymes for digestion in the saliva, so that first stage makes it a little easier on the gut), and then just overall health- I, personally, would wait longer if they've had lots of illnesses, obvious yeast issues (thrush), or even vaccines (NOT opening that can of worms, just stating what *I* would do for my kids since they are both directly related to the gut.

Anyway, that's just my schpeel, but I feel SO strongly on placing emphasis on gut health, because we have such poor health (from the inside out) in our society and I think we need to start going back to the very basics to start changing that, ya know? But that's just my OPINION and what I believe for my family, I know not everyone agrees.

[anjsmama]

Originally Posted by 1babysmom 

With my first, we started at 5ish months because I thought I was supposed to.  With my next two, we let them start eating when they were ready, which was around 7 and 8 months, and we went straight to the table food the rest of the family was eating.  As for nursing, only my eldest has weaned (at 4.5 years) but the other two are still going.  I'm with you on letting them wean themselves!

For me, this is kind of a big deal. LOL There is just SO much evidence pointing to poor gut health in our society, so I think it's important to consider the things "they" DON'T mention...the things that more accurately reflect the most important aspect- the baby's gut readiness. Of course you can never be completely certain since it's internal, but one of the reasons I think it's absolutely important to wait until at LEAST 6 months- if not longer- is because the more time the gut has to develop, the better. But the big factors that play into that are the type of birth (vaginal vs c/s for initial colonization), feeding (breastmilk develops and seals the gut faster than formula), whether the baby has had any medications, antibiotics in particular (as that will set you back dramatically, which is why probiotics are so important), if they have any teeth (which obviously isn't necessary, but with teeth come more essential enzymes for digestion in the saliva, so that first stage makes it a little easier on the gut), and then just overall health- I, personally, would wait longer if they've had lots of illnesses, obvious yeast issues (thrush), or even vaccines (NOT opening that can of worms, just stating what *I* would do for my kids since they are both directly related to the gut.

Anyway, that's just my schpeel, but I feel SO strongly on placing emphasis on gut health, because we have such poor health (from the inside out) in our society and I think we need to start going back to the very basics to start changing that, ya know? But that's just my OPINION and what I believe for my family, I know not everyone agrees.

  

Woo. Forget my post.. that was so well-said! 70% of the human immune system is found in the intestines.... better safe than sorry protecting them!

[lan1]

I really wish I hadn't observed this as I actually want now!

[Asiago]

My son started solids around 11 months.

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by mforeback 

Hi all!

I don't know if this is the right place to post, but I'm sure someone here would have an answer. :)

So I would like to know at what age do you introduce solids while breastfeeding. I'm pregnant with my first, and plan/hope to breastfeed exclusively, at least until age two. I do plan to do child-led weaning, and let her nurse as long as she needs/wants to. Yes, that would include if she nurses until age 5 or even older, as some children do.

Obviously with this pregnancy being my first baby, I've never breast fed before. So back to the question, at what age do you start introducing solids? Or perhaps rather, at what age did YOU introduce solids?

Thanks for reading!

Just for clarification: what do you mean you "plan/hope to breastfeed exclusively, at least until age two"?  Do you mean, literally, no other caloric intake for the child until two years of age? 

[Anna Phor]

I very much liked Kellymom's page on developmental cues that the baby is ready for solid foods. Can they sit up unassisted? Do they have a pincer grip? Do they show interest in food? 

We used that approach and I felt like it was cued to *my* kid's readiness, not just the calendar. We started at 5.5. months after he started grabbing food off our plates. 

[mforeback]

No, not literally. I mean no formula feeding, if I can avoid it. Yes, there would be other caloric intake, solids, but I want to introduce those when baby is ready for them, not at x months of age because a doctor said so. Again, this will be my first baby, and I don't know all that much about timing, I guess. So I was just curious as to when other mom's babies wanted solids. :)

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by mforeback 

No, not literally. I mean no formula feeding, if I can avoid it. Yes, there would be other caloric intake, solids, but I want to introduce those when baby is ready for them, not at x months of age because a doctor said so. Again, this will be my first baby, and I don't know all that much about timing, I guess. So I was just curious as to when other mom's babies wanted solids. :)

Thanks for the reply!

Both of my children started grabbing for solids early.  We gave them sippy cups of water and silverware so they could feel like they were part of the family (always held them on our laps while they were tiny, so they were used to being right there in the eating action).  With our first, we tried a little bit before 6 months.  We continued trying things the next months and she was never too interested.  In the later half of her first year she really enjoyed cooked beans and pasta (like at 10-11 months).  She would chew on hard things before then--- whole carrots, raw brocolli, etc... not actuallly getting too much.  At 12 months, I would say she was getting under 5% of her calories from non-breastmilk sources.  She picked up a bit around 15 months, but didn't start eating significant amounts until she was closer to 2.  I knew the healthiest diet at a year was getting a minimum of 75% calories from bmilk, so I wasn't worried.  My goal was getting *under* 75% of calories from bmilk at 2 years and we did make that.  She ate a lot more solids the next year (while I was pregnant) and went from there.

With DS he seemed much more into the concept of solids.  We held off until 6 months and then tried.  He looked so disappointed no matter what it was, lol.  Just totally backed off and ended up trying again around 8 months.  He then took more to solids (than DD) but was still a minimum of 90% bfed at one year.  We didn't introduce cow's milk at a year (like we, unwisely, did with DD) so even though he ate more solids he probably wasn't getting more calories.

They both had distinct preferences, so I think you can really just go with your individual child's  lead.  They could both sit, unsupported, before we tried solids.  They had good pincher grasps and were easily able to pick up their own pieces of food.  DD, esp, wouldn't take food from a spoon, but could feed herself with a spoon before she turned a year old (*that* was fine, just not us using a spoon).

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

[Carriebird]

Way to go!  You sound like you know exactly what you are doing :) 

My firstborn grabbed a pizza crust off my plate when he was 5 months and never looked back.  I managed to BF him until he was 2 1/2 years.

My second wasn't interested in solid food until she was well over a year old.  She is still a very strong BFeeder at 2 1/2yrs and I plan to BF as long as she wants.

I never fed them "baby food".  They have always had the same meals as us and they are both very good and adventurous eaters.  Our family doctor told me to introduce cereal at 4mnths of age and was quite taken aback when I informed him of what the World Health Organization recommends and how I planned to let my baby self-wean.  He even took it upon himself to have a private discussion with my husband.