First Time with Solids

Start with rice cereal and do about 2-3 tbls with breastmilk or formula added into to the consistency you want. remember cereal expands so you don't need to much to start off with. 1 week with just cereal. Next week with only 1 type of fruit for 3-4 days. Then another new fruit for 3-4 days and so on and so on. Once you go through all the fruits move onto vegetables and then once confident you can start mixing them up day to day for variety. Good luck

My son was born June 8!! To start rice cereal I did it really liquidy-about a tablespoon of cereal with 1 oz of milk. Add a tablespoon each day-we used gerber.com-they have a whole site on introducing solids!! Then we started fruits the next week beginning with a new one every three days-they catch on quick! Good luck!

I started my baby on just a tablespoon of rice cereal and mixed it with the breastmilk. I gave it to her once a day sometimes twice. After a couple of weeks she seemed constipated so her Dr. said I could give her orange veggies and fruits (i.e. squash, peaches). The transition was smooth and so was everything else! Once we got the right balance it all worked out great.

Good luck P.!

Hi P.,
I also breastfeed my 8 month old and I introduced solids to him at 4 months because he was soooo interested in everything I was eating. I started him on rice cereal , i followed the suggestion on the gerber box, make it really watery a couple times a day. I let him get adjusted to the spoon and the texture of something for about 3 days then I introducted one thing either a fruit or a veggie. Just a small amount as their bellies are so small now. I gradually increased the amount by watching his cues if he seemed upset that the spoon wasn't coming anymore i gave him some more. I quickly changed to barley and oatmeal following the same process because i found the rice to be very binding for my son. Every child is so different. The only thing you want to do and you might remember this from your first son but give a few days in between trying something new so you can identify if he has any allergies or reactions to the new food. I have a 4 year old son also and I forgot EVERYTHING about feeding so don't feel alone! Already my 8 month old is eating three times a day cereal and almost two containers of fruit or veggies at each sitting in addition to nursing 3-4 times a day. They grow too fast. Good luck, I hope this helped.
V.

Hi P.! I have 2 boys; 5 and 2. I started both on cereal at 3 months old. To start we did 1 tablespoon once daily for a few days to make sure he could handle it. Then from there did 2 tablespoons 2xdaily. After a while you can tell when they want more and then you do 2 tablespoons and so on. Fruits and veggies I introduced at 6 months. Just a little here and there for lunch and dinner. I started with veggies first as kids typically won't eat the veggies after the fruit! It all worked out great! My kids are very healthy...no allergies and no obesity! Some of the common concerns! Good luck!!

I do not think that you are late to the feeding game at all. Remember that for the first year all that your baby needs nutritionally is breastmilk. The rest is just to get them used to the textures, tastes, and idea of solid food. My third (a daughter) will be eight months old next week and she still does not eat solid food. We tried giving her some food at 6 1/2 months but so far she still spits it back out and gags. So, we wait a few weeks and try again but we do not worry because she is getting plenty of breastmilk to keep her healthy and thriving.

The signs of feeding readiness can be tricky with a first babe. Babies at 5-8 months basically want to put everything in their mouths and so what looks like an interest in food could just be an interest in exploration or in joining in on the family dinnertime fun. The signs that show he is truly ready to have food offered include:
*Baby can sit up well without support.
*Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
*Baby is ready and willing to chew.
*Baby is developing a "pincer" grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
*Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

Additionally, it is important to wait until six months of age to introduce solid foods. "Exclusive breastfeeding to about six months allows the infant to have greater immunologic protection and limit the exposure to pathogens at a vulnerable age. This in turn permits the energy and nutrients that might otherwise be diverted to provide for immunologic responses to be available and utilized for other growth and developmental processes." (http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html)

As far as iron goes your breastmilk does not stop producing iron at six months. Some interesting information included the fact that although human milk does not contain a high amount of iron, it does contain the right combination of lactose and vitamin C to promote better absorption than other foods, such as iron-fortified cereals. Between fifty and seventy percent of the iron in breastmilk is absorbed while only four to ten percent of the iron in cow's milk and cereal is. The original iron stores of a full-term healthy baby, combined with the better-absorbed iron in breastmilk, are usually enough to keep baby's hemoglobin levels within the normal range well into the second six months.

(Pisacane A, et al. Iron status in breast-fed infants. J Pediatr 1995 Sep;127(3):429-31.
abstract: Iron status of 30 infants who had been breast fed until their first birthday and who had never received cow milk, medicinal iron, or iron-enriched formula and cereals was investigated; 30% were anemic at 12 months of age. The duration of exclusive breast-feeding was significantly longer among nonanemic infants ( 6.5 vs 5.5 months). None of the infants who were exclusively breast fed for 7 months or more and 43% of those who were breast fed for a shorter time were anemic. Infants who were exclusively breast fed for a prolonged period had a good iron status at 12 and 24 months.)

Additionally, electrolytic iron, the kind typically used in iron-fortified cereals, is one of the least absorbing forms of iron. Rather than iron-fortified cereals whole grain cereals, particularly quinoa and millet, should be offered to babies ready for solids since these forms of grains have naturally occurring high levels of well-absorbed iron. Iron-fortified rice cereal is a poor choice for a first food. It has little taste and nutritionally speaking baby cereals are unnecessary. We have not used them at all with our last two children, choosing nutritionally dense foods instead. Our favorite first food in this house is smooshed avocado. It is smooth, yummy, and packs a big nutritional punch! Other great first foods include squished banana and squished sweet potato (just in time for Thanksgiving!).

When you do get started you can offer solid foods once or twice per day. No worries if you skip a day here and there. Keep nursing your baby on demand and look at the solids as a fun adventure. I hope that some of this proves helpful and that you enjoy this next stage of feeding your baby!

Hi there!

I sympathize with your trouble in getting important nutritional information from your doctor; the dirty little secret about doctors is that, while they know a lot about diseases and injuries and medications, most know next to nothing about nutrition. I know some folks consult dieticians and nutritionists or even a good book on the subject to get information they need in this area.

I don't think 5 months is late to start on solids at all, in fact my understanding is that solids should not be introduced before 6 months, so as to minimize the risk of creating food allergies. Also, waiting until at least 6 months - when the baby is interested and their intestines are more mature - will probably make the whole process of introducing solids easier and more comfortable for you and your baby.

Years ago when doctors were pushing formula as "best", it became the "fashion" to introduce solids as early as possible, but this practice led to lots of food reactions, allergies and discomfort in the babies. There are no health benefits to feeding cereal to infants younger than 6 months. So don't feel pressured to start giving your son solids until he is really physically ready and at low risk for painful gassy reactions. The later you wait to introduce solids, the more successful (and less risky) the experience will probably be for you both.

At 6 months he'll probably enjoy a little rice cereal mixed with breast milk, fed to him with a spoon (not in a bottle). You can supplement nursing with anywhere from 1 to 3 servings of rice and milk throughout the day, depending upon his interest and appetite. Definitely keep nursing him though, as this will remain his primary source of nutrition. Initially, the rice cereal is really a snack/supplement, to give him the iron which he will no longer be getting from your milk once he gets to 6 months.

After a few weeks or so when he is comfortable with regular rice cereal meals, you can start trying oatmeal, and if that goes well, alternate that with the rice. At 8-9 months, you can start certain fruits and veggies pureed (bananas, winter squash, carrots) but I would check with a nutritionist or baby food cook book (one good one is called "Mommy Made") or other source about timing for introducing certain foods, especially if there is any family history of allergies. Any time that he gets very gassy or cries and is in pain an hour after eating something, that's a sign to hold off on adding that food to his diet until later. And be prepared, once your baby starts eating food, his poop will start looking and smelling like "real" poop! Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it shocks some first-time Moms who have become accustomed to nursing baby poop!!

Good luck and Bon Appetit!

My youngest daughter is the same age, born June 5th! We started cereal and fruits/veggies just a couple of weeks ago when she started smacking her lips while we were eating! I gave her just plain cereal with a couple of tablespoons of formula first to get her used to the spoon. Then I introduced fruit (stage 1 applesauce) both by itself and mixed in the cereal. After a few days of that, I now do the fruit in the morning and a veggie at night, giving her cereal at both feedings. They say you should do a fruit and veggie so the baby doesn't get too used to fruit since it's sweeter. I found with both my kids that it was better to give them solids when they were somewhat hungry but not starving, like first thing in the morning, since at that point they are so hungry they don't have the patience for the solids, they just want milk! My 5 month old is still getting the hang of it and sometimes only eats just a few bites at a time. I am not pushing the amount, just exposing her twice a day. Finally, stick with one new food for about 4 days before you introduce another to be sure the baby doesn't have a reaction to it. Once your baby has a bunch of fruits and veggies on the menu you can choose the ones you want to feed him at each feeding. Good luck!

First feeding should be 1 tbs. of rice to 4or5 tbs. of breastmilk, formula or water. Then, thicken it up a little every day. I only give my daughter a feeding a day right now but if your son really seems hungry 2 or 3 times a day. When you start food start with veggies, green first so they get used to them and like them. Once you've gone through all the veggies then you can start with fruits or juice. Remember not to be too pushy. Five months isn't really late at all. Good luck.

This will probably be one those quuestions that everyone will give you a different answer on. :P For us, when we started rice cereal I would pump my milk and add it to it (just to maximize the amount of breastmilk she was getting). I think I started with 1 or 2 tblsp and just added my milk until it was at a desired consistency (pretty thin).

As for fruits and vegetables... Liliana never liked jarred baby food. We did try and make our own for awhile but she didn't like that either, lol. She showed lots of interest in food though - and I would offer her little tastes of my food but she would hate it. She really didn't start eating many solids until about 1 year (which is I guess pretty late). I know alot of people whose babies started eating fruits and veggies at around 6 months though. I know there is a lot of discussion about the "proper" time to start them because of food allergies and such. A lot of women just go with their baby's cues for when they are ready.

I wish you the best of luck!

I also waited quite a while with my daughter (now 14 months and eating SO MUCH!). I think we went with banana as a first food... we may have done the rice cereal flakes stuff first for about a week. I used the "Fresh Baby" cookbook system and was very pleased with it - it basically helps you make all of your baby's food yourself without needing to be julia child with a live-in nanny. good luck!

Deja veuex! I am a new mom, my son is now 14 months. However, I remember totally struggling with the information regarding solids - there wasn't any! I was told it was perfectly OK for my son to start solids at 4 months. We started with the rice cereal at dinner time for like 2-3 weeks. Then we started adding in veggies. Someone told me to do veggies first so that he will not get a sweet tooth for only fruit. Honestly, I don't think it matters. Anyway, we gave him a tablespoon of cereal mixed with about a 1/4 of a container of baby food. After a week or two we upped it to once at day care adn then again at home for dinner. We fed him until he got bored with eating to determine how many times. My son was on only breastmilk and solids till 10 months. By the way...we still have not given him juice! Only water and solids. Oh and also, he was on baby food for like 2 months - max. Then he just didn't like it and wanted table food. Now, he eats like a champ! Good luck and if you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me and I can give you more specifics.

P.,
When I started my daughter on cereal I would measure out 1 tbsp of cereal and mix it with breastmilk till it was pretty runny 2x a day for a couple of weeks. Then I mixed in applesauce for another 2 weeks and so forth. I spent an hour a week making her baby food and she never ate out of a jar, so every week I could introduce another flavor into the cereal and now she will eat anything! Since you went the extra mile and breastfed, it makes sense to make food for your son too. Babies who nurse get a different flavor at every meal depending on what you eat so they are more likely to not be picky eaters, and baby food in jars tastes all the same, so you may undo some of your hard work! All I did to make her first foods was cut up the fruits or vegies and steam them, and then puree and freeze in ice cube trays.
Good luck, and I'm happy to give you recipes for baby food in the future!

Hi P.,
Just check out the baby food gerber makes. Stages 1,2 and 3. Your son should do well with stage 1 or 2. I gave my son rice cereal, oatmeal and/or mixed grain cereal which I mixed with formula (I breast fed the first 6 months and then switched to formula which he LOVES and seemed to pork up soon after). I made sure the cereal was soupy and I would dip the spoon in one of the gerber fruits to give him a taste with his cereal. Just be sure there are no food allergies in the family prior to testing all the options of foods (I'm sure you know this already). You could also puree fruits yourself. If your son is staring at the foods you are eating the way my son did, he is going to LOVE you even more for deciding to feed him "solids". He will also sleep better with a fuller belly. Oatmeal was great for my son.
Bon apetite!!!

I'm right there with you, as my son just started solids about a month ago. A friend recommended the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It has a schedule of how to introduce foods and order, amounts, all kinds of stuff. The only thing to know is that the author is a vegetarian, and the emphasis is on making your own baby food (I've found this to be very easy!). She recommends yogurt and some other dairy, seeds/nuts, etc, that aren't really supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. When we get there, I plan to just substitute meats and wait on those things until later. I haven't followed the schedule exactly -- I started with Earth's Best Organics Brown Rice Cereal, then green beans, peas, and avocado. I wanted him to get used to the veggie taste before thinking that all foods are sweet, since babies naturally have a sweet tooth. He's done very well with all of them -- we're headed on to sweet potatoes, banana and pears next (all of these are recommended for babies under 6 months in the book). Also, if you want to make your own food, make a big batch and spoon portions into ice cube trays. Freeze, then store in a ziploc bag. 1-3 cubes is a good serving for a 5-6 month old.

I hated this part! I obsessed about how much food she was getting and when and what and anything else I could obsess about! But it really wasn't that hard. I started with cereal mixed with applejuice (pedi recommendation) to avoid constipation. Rice cereal made her spit up alot and she is allergic to applejuice so we switched to oatmeal mixed with water. I didn't have enough breastmilk to mix with it. Anyway it was like water at first until she got the hang of the spoon. Then I thinkened it slowly untlil it was applesauce consistency and moved on to yellow and orange fruits and veggies then to green. Her dr. told me nothing is sweeter than BM so starting with fruits was no biggie. Start another food every 4 days and have fun! Once you get thru the 1st foods move to 2nd. Good luck and have fun!