OK, kind of questioning my doc's advice

Today was their 6-month checkup and shots. Both are doing great, Con is 16 pounds and Chase is 17 pounds 4 ounces, and in the 55th and 95th percentile for heights. So obviously breastfeeding is going well!

She asked if I had started solids, I said we tried at 4 months, they weren't ready, then tried again at 5 months and did it for about 2 weeks, but then they both got super constipated and I felt so bad for them! They never got constipated with BM ... ended up using mineral oil and prune juice. Considering they were exclusively breastfed, I stopped solids. They don't need solids until 6 months anyways.

So today she told me to definitely start solids up, with a morning of cereal and fruit and an evening of cereal and veggie, and I asked her how to schedule those in with the nursing, that I nurse at 7, 10, 1, 4, and before bed, and once in the night. She said to replace the 10am and 4pm nursings with the solids, but then nurse them after the solids because they will still want some milk.

Is this what you do? I thought you kind of worked solids in between their nursing, not replace 2 of the sessions???

 

QUOTE(kendraplus2 @ Jun 18 2007, 02:46 PM) [snapback]297152[/snapback]
Today was their 6-month checkup and shots. Both are doing great, Con is 16 pounds and Chase is 17 pounds 4 ounces, and in the 55th and 95th percentile for heights. So obviously breastfeeding is going well!

She asked if I had started solids, I said we tried at 4 months, they weren't ready, then tried again at 5 months and did it for about 2 weeks, but then they both got super constipated and I felt so bad for them! They never got constipated with BM ... ended up using mineral oil and prune juice. Considering they were exclusively breastfed, I stopped solids. They don't need solids until 6 months anyways.

So today she told me to definitely start solids up, with a morning of cereal and fruit and an evening of cereal and veggie, and I asked her how to schedule those in with the nursing, that I nurse at 7, 10, 1, 4, and before bed, and once in the night. She said to replace the 10am and 4pm nursings with the solids, but then nurse them after the solids because they will still want some milk.

Is this what you do? I thought you kind of worked solids in between their nursing, not replace 2 of the sessions???


I would NOT replace the nursing sessions. I would nurse them first and then feed solids 2x a day. I would probably feed solids at the 10 and 4 feedings as she suggested.

 

I would offer solids 30mins after your 7/10am bfing for a while and if it is going well then add another solids meal 30mins after the 4pm bfing.

Solids are just for practice and don't start making up much of thier nutrition until after 1year. I didn't even add a 3rd meal until they were 11 months and it didn't "hold them back". They can now eat a ton of real food. There is no rush,you were right to take it slow/back off if they aren't ready!!!

HTH

 

oh my, you're right to question yoru pedi. Bottom line, few Dr's know anything about breastfeeding. here's what I was told:

Breastfeed on the same schedule, start breakfast and dinner solids at 6 months.

Breastfeed at least 30 min before solids meal.

bm is their main source of nutrition until 12 months.

Add in lunch at 9 months

in the beginning the babies are just learning to eat solids, and it doesn't provide much nutrition. They won't drop feedings until after you start adding lunch (mine and my friend's say feedings dropped at 10 months)

My son got really constipated (10 days) when we started solids -- once he finally went (glycerine suppositories was the only thing that worked) he's had no problem with food -- for the first 45 days I'd give them prunes puree daily. it seemed to help.

The reason to start at 6 months is that most babies rae ready for it and if you wait too long, they miss out on this key learning experience and may have trouble getting used to eating solids at an older age.

Teri D

 

You don't even have to start any food until their iron starts to run out and that happens near 8 months. You don't have to start if you don't want to. With my singleton, I started at 8 months. With the twins I started earlier (6 months) because I new I would be putting them in daycare and I wanted to get them through all the allergy foods before they started daycare.

If you choose to start later when their iron stores start to be depleted then you would want to do the easy stuff ie banana and then do protein stuff like tofu and meat and iron fortified cereals.

 

Oh and definitely Nurse first! They are not trying to survive on solids right now, they are just tasting/experimenting. It should be fun for everyone. Plus you don't want to mess with your milk supply.

 

Most doctors will give you solids feeding advice based upon a goal of weaning at 12 months. If that's not your goal, then you shouldn't follow the advice.

I started at 6.5 months with just a tiny bit of cereal. At 7 months, I started through the fruits & veggies in no particular order. I always offered after nursing and while they never ate very much, they would taste everything offered. We didn't add a second meal until almost 8 months and the third at 10.5 months (after a couple of unsuccessful tries).

I did see one huge advantage with our slow start. Since they weren't getting many of their calories from solids anyway, I let them self-feed as soon as I saw the pincer grasp without worrying that they would go hungry if I didn't get enough bites of mush into them. The transition to fully self-feeding table foods went pretty smoothly.

 

QUOTE(excitedk @ Jun 18 2007, 02:50 PM) [snapback]297243[/snapback]
I would offer solids 30mins after your 7/10am bfing for a while and if it is going well then add another solids meal 30mins after the 4pm bfing.

You've had a lot of good great advice. I would start out with just one meal of solids. No need to frustrate you too much!! Always feed solids within an hour of nursing (first). I'm glad they are doing so well!!!

 

My doctor said to do it the reverse. Nurse then offer food as the food is for practice not nutrition. I nurse at noon and right after, literally I make a batch of food and feed them. They eat quite a bit! Then at dinner time 6 or so, they get more food after nursing.
Good Luck and Way to Grow babies!

 

QUOTE(melissao @ Jun 18 2007, 03:26 PM) [snapback]297207[/snapback]
I would NOT replace the nursing sessions. I would nurse them first and then feed solids 2x a day. I would probably feed solids at the 10 and 4 feedings as she suggested.

I agree w/ Melissa. solids at this stage should not be for calories but to get them used to it. When my little guy was that age, I would nurse, then offer solids with a sippy of breast milk.

 

QUOTE(melissao @ Jun 18 2007, 12:26 PM) [snapback]297207[/snapback]
I would NOT replace the nursing sessions. I would nurse them first and then feed solids 2x a day. I would probably feed solids at the 10 and 4 feedings as she suggested.


I agree. Personally, I also would start with 1X a day until they adjust then go to 2X's a day.

 

are they (and you) ready for solids? you don't have to start AT any specific age, but when your child is ready. signs of readiness include being able to sit unassisted, loss of the tongue thrust reflex (when they push everything out of their mouths), developing the pincer grasp, and others you can read about here. definitely start with one small meal and see how that goes. good, easy first foods are smashed or cubed banana, avocado, sweet potato. commercial 'baby' cereal doesn't have a lot of nutrition and can lead to consitpation and other GI upsets. you are already doing a great job paying attn to what is working well for your babies and following their lead. you realized they weren't ready at 4 months and that what you were giving them at 5 months was not agreeing wit them. good job mama! im sure you will be just as responsive when you try again.

your milk is more calorie and nutrient dense than even the healthiest solids, so be sure and nurse before any solids. babies' tummies register 'full' based on volume, not calories or nutrition, so you want to be sure they are getting the 'good stuff' first!

personally, if i ever have another baby i will be ebf until there is NO WAY i can put it off! solids are a lot of work, especially with twins! not necessarily in the beginning, when its still fun, but later. at least for me! planning, preparing, feeding, cleaning up the babies and the environment--yikes! its so much easier to sit and nurse! ok, i know i sound lazy, and its true--i am!! :laughing: but in all seriousness, there is a philosophy (maybe not the right word, but im having mommy brain right now!) that some parents ascibe to where they start solids when the child is able to self-feed. no or little spoon feeding of pureed foods. i wish i could remember what it is "called" so i could link to it for you. if i remember i will post or pm you.

bottom line, do what works for you. there is no reason you have to start solids at any specific time. some kids aren't interested until they are a year or more, though most are ready before that.

good luck and have fun!

 

I didn't read all the other replies, so you might have this one already. But I have done it totally different than your ped recommends. When I started to offer solids I did it at our family's regular mealtime. I think this encourages them to eat with everyone else and generally by 6 months they are naturally getting curious about what others are doing. So this makes it more fun for them.

 

Ditto the pps. I would start with one feeding. Definitely AFTER they have filled their tummies on your milk. Baby cereal is great in that it contains iron. I think around 6 months of age, a breastfed baby's iron stores begin to decrease, so a little iron may be a good thing. BUT, if your babies are getting constipated from the cereal, consider starting with avocado, mango, pear, sweet potato - some milk fruit/vegetable. If you do start with cereal, give it in tiny amounts. I think we were feeding only 1tbsp mixed with EBM or formula, once a day, for a month or two before moving on to other meals.

HTH,
Michelle

 

The winds are constantly changing with baby advice. Feed them solids when it works best with your schedule, and as you see the babies interested in solids. Go with your gut! For constipated babies, avoid the rice cereal and banana, and do more pureed, strained fruits and veggies. With my first child, I always nursed first and then gave solids. I put it off as long as I could, but at 6.5 months my oldest was trying to grab the food off of my plate and would make a sad face and little tongue movements every time I would eat. It was time!

Now with my twins, one is definitely ready and practically begging to eat and the other one not so much. I've given them solids a couple of times, but that's it. I'm lazy like PP!

 

:wavey: Hello,
I don't have time to read all the answers, I hope I don't repeat everyone and waste your time. LOL

DR. Sears is a top world expert on this topic. He says solid food between 6-12 months are "practice" and not nutritionally needed. Here is a link to his web page listing the order to start solids to try and avoid problems.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030500.asp
Best wishes,