Extended BFing Q's

Hi Dana- As for what your MIL says- she is just plain wrong and wrude too!

But as for your concern about starting solids- there kind of is a window around 6 months that is a good time for babies to start learning about different tastes and textures. I don't think that suddenly at 6 months a baby should have other foods take over as a major part of their diet- but I do think that it's good to let a baby start experimenting and learning about this stuff... and I don't mean to put them in a reclining high chair and using a funnel into their face either... I mean- cut a banana *slice* into four pieces and put them on a highchair top for baby to play with- or let her play with cheerios, pop some peas out of their skin let her just make a mess of them and put them in her mouth if she wants, lick her fingers etc. let her experiment with different colors and flavors. When she starts showing the finger dexterity and the desire to get these flavors into her mouth- well then I think you can start with a spoon and a puree (smashing cooked carrots with a fork should do- I'm not saying go invest in Gerber). If she is very gaggy- she could probably use some help bridging this gap- and about now is a pretty good window to help her with that. It's OK for her to gag a little- if she is showing other readiness signs (6 months, sitting up, putting things in her mouth) - it's like a baby who falls while they learn to walk- the fact that they are falling does not mean they are not ready to learn how to walk...it means they are leraning.

Love Sarah

Sarah, I know your heart's in the right place but having a reluctant eater like I do (my 8 month-old DS) has made me rethink solid food introduction as being a very, very individual process. I am taking things easy (don't offer, don't deny soilds), and even though DS only tastes solids (doesn't want to eat anything but likes sucking on it) I am not concerned about his development. Mamas milk will do him well till he is ready (though I admit I am stepping up my iron and zinc levels just in case). Dana's DD too eats ever other dayish so I think she too has all grounds covered

Anyway, there is some great information on this topic at Kellymom.com

Is my baby ready for solid foods?
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...lids-when.html

I particularly like this little bit...

Quote:

I have to say that when/if I go through it again, we will skip purees and go to table food at maybe 9-10 months. Before that, it was me "playing" at feeding my baby who could have taken or left it. When he could start picking up foood with fingers more, he liked solids (though his fav foods now are breast milk and FRENCH FRIES : so why listen to me?). I decided that babies are ment to eat what they can eat-- if I baby was meant to eat purees, he'd have been born with a spoon? Since the AAP now says exclusive bm till at least 6 months, you sound right on track.

I am not even sure I could begin to talk to your mil and mom. I might just ignore them and they'd eventually figure out how long I'd be bfing. Seriously check out the AAP new recommendations, though. Supports bfing into the 3rd year of baby's life. My dad was anti-bf till he realized how healthy and happy my ds is (and my mom kept slipping him articles) now he is always telling people how ds never had a bottle and never gets sick. :

And here's the aap link on breastfeeding: http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...full/115/2/496

By the way, I committed to nursing my ds for one year because I thought that was how long I was "supposed to do it". But at one year he needed to nurse just as much as he did at 11 months! So our breastfeeding relationship continued. It took us through the terrific twos and threes. It slowed way down during the fours. Now at 5.5, he is almost weaned (CLW).

I think following baby's lead on introducing solids is a good idea too.

Dajemadger... to you! It sounds like you are following your mothering instincts and doing what is right for your child. Good for you!!!

If you child is gagging, your child is not ready for solids. The gag reflex is there for a reason

It can do more harm than good to introduce solids when your child isn't ready. Babies know when they are ready for solids and some babes who refuse solids have potential allergy issues, in which case delaying is best (I'm not saying that your child does - it's just good, medically based ammo to use to "inform" family members! ).

As far as nutrition goes, your breastmilk is providing everything your babe needs. During the first year, solids are just "practice" and provide little to no nutritional value. Also, look up the serving size for a 9 month old...it can be as little as a teaspoon or two!

Look into the AAP statement on breastfeeding as well as the World Health Organization's!!! THe WHO states that 2+ years is best.

Some responses,
"Thanks for your concern. I'll take what you said into consideration. Would you like some tea?" (Acknowledge what the person said and change the subject.)

"Oh, really? I've been doing research and that's not what I've found. Would you mind printing out or copying the info you've found for me so I can investigate further?"

My personal experience...
Solids:
We gave our first child solids at 6 months. He gagged/spit most of it out, but he was "supposed" to be eating solids so we continued. He now has many food aversions and is a very picky eater.
Our second had allergy issues, so we delayed solids until about a year. He now eats anything and everything and has only a dairy intolerance (compared to his wheat, nut, and dairy issues!).
Our third was also never given pureed foods, just table foods when she started grabbing them off my plate and eating them (10-11 months). She eats anything and everything.

EBF:
My first child nursed through his little brother's pregnancy, tandem nursed, tandem nursed through his little sister's pregnancy, and then self-weaned after over 18 months of triandem nursing at age 5.
My second child (now almost 5) nursed through his little sister's pregnancy, triandem / tandem nursed....and continues to tandem nurse with his little sister and I'm 25 weeks pregnant. My second and third children will most likely be nursing when baby is born, so I'll be triandem nursing once again.

My family wasn't sure about the whole nursing through pregnancy, tandem nursing, EBF thing, but as the years have gone by and with the info I've sent them, they've realized that I truly am doing what is best for my children. They still think I'm nuts for nursing three children at one time, but they're now proud of my insanity! :LOL

Quote:
This reminds me of an excellent article about setting boundaries. This is written about homeschooling, but was originally intended for attachment parenting. It is a great article. I learned alot about assertively setting boundaries with my relatives about choices we made.

Pass the Bean Dip

Hope this helps,

Ellen
Happy homeschooling, ap mom to 5 yod, 9yos, and 11yos, all bf past 2!

Hi Dana,

If you'd like more reassurance on the whole solids thing, check out the Nutrition & Good Eating, Toddlers and Life With A Babe forums here. I've seen several threads recently about "late" solid starters, parents/babies who never spoon-fed, and other kinds of solids introduction that don't necessarily fit the "sludge from a jar at 6 months on the dot" model.

My own Dd is 15 months and eats maybe a tablespoon of solid foods a day. We offer every time any of us are eating, but usually she only wants to nibble and experiment with her stubby silverware. She still nurses a LOT. She's very big for her age, strong and tall. She just started cutting her first molar, and she still has a bit of a tickly gag reflex, which to me is a powerful sign that she knows what her body's ready for in terms of chewing and swallowing.

Welcome to MDC and congrats on a well-nourished baby!

Follow your instincts and you'll do great. My dd didn't eat solids regularly until almost 1.5 years, before that she would only eat finger foods, and only when she felt like it, which on many days was none. LLL's Breastfeeding Answer Book says that the majority of babies wean during pg, but doesn't break down how many is because mother led weaning or child led. I felt the same way you do, I didn't want to do anything that would make dd wean before age 2. Well, she turned 2 in Jan, and now we're waiting... I highly doubt that she will wean when I become pg, she has always been a very avid nurser, I also didn't think I could handle another child before then, dd is not an easy child, but that's another thread! Good luck.

Your instincts are good Mama...3 children here and not one of them really ate solids much until they were a year old...none liked to be fed so basically didn't eat much solid except finger foods and when they could feed themselves.

I would love to see the Psychology books that are mentioned as well since most of the psychology I am familiar with promotes extending bfing as beneficial for both mother and child...maybe ask for a list of the phych. books from your mom that she is referring to. Tell her all they psych books you are familiar with say the absolute opposite.

I think not bfing leads to all sorts of psychological hang-ups about breastfeedind and sexuality...and that those who do breastfeed have a better and more normal attitude. Your MIL and MOm are examples of this.

and I do bfeed for me...I am at least partially doing it for myself...there are so many benefits for a woman to bf I have to agree with that part...but if she is implying that it is sexually gratifying you might want to point out that bfing actually lowers a woman's libido making her want sex less.