Moving on from a Liquid Diet

When your baby is about six months old, she may be ready for solids. La Leche League recommends starting solids between six and nine months. This differs from what most doctors suggest, which is starting rice cereal at around four months. This recommendation is based on a baby’s iron stores from birth running out at around six months. La Leche League’s recommendation is based on giving baby’s digestive system as much time as possible to mature before the introduction of potential allergens and the fade of the tongue-thrust reflex.

Watching your baby and how she reacts to the family’s dining will help clue you in to whether they are ready for a spoon or something mushy on their tray. Often children who are getting ready to experiment with solids will track your fork from your plate to your mouth. Give them a baby spoon to play with. If they take it into their mouths without their tongue automatically thrusting it out, they are ready on that front. Next, read a book like A Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and the chapter on starting solids. While rice cereal is fortified with iron, starting solids is really more about your tiny mad scientist and their new lab at the highchair. Breastmilk is the best nutrition for babies through one year and they will decrease their intake if calories from solids start to tip the balance. Also, while breastmilk is low in iron, it is more easily absorbed than the type found in cereals and other fortified foods.

Foods that are naturally high in iron like avocados are great to start with. Babies are learning about texture and taste at this point, not to mention how to get the most amount of gooey goo into their hair and all over their clothes. Once they discover the joys of throwing, their lab will move to the floor, but for now give them bits of what the rest of the family is eating and have them with you at the dinner table. Use common sense when it comes to foods that are choking hazards. Just about anything can be mashed for baby to taste and smear. As they get a bit older and are practicing their pincher motion small bits of food that they can pick up are tons of fun.

Remember when nursing and starting solids that your baby is getting their nutrition from you. Nurse them first and then let them explore. Focus on letting them discover the world of food through small introductions. Keeping your stress low while they are “eating” will help conserve your energy for the laundry room.

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