Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Here are things to keep in mind: Start small. Give 1 or 2 tablespoons of food, and watch for signs that he or she is still hungry or full. Solid foods are introduced over time and will gradually become a bigger part of his or her diet. Give your child something to eat or drink about every 2 to 3 hours, or about 5 or 6 times a day.
As your baby grows, her nutritional needs grow with her. Start to introduce soft foods at 6 months when your baby needs more energy and nutrients than your milk alone can provide. At 6 months, start giving your baby just two to three spoonfuls of soft food, such as porridge, mashed fruits or vegetables, twice a day. Start feeding both breastfed and non-breastfed babies solid foods at 6 months.
Waiting too long can put your baby at risk. From the first hour of life, through to 6 months old, your baby can receive all of the nutrition she needs to grow and develop from your milk. When you breastfeed your baby frequently, starting foods earlier than 6 months is not necessary and can even be harmful. Introducing foods or fluids other than breastmilk to your baby before she is 6 months old can increase her risk of illnesses, such as diarrhoea, which can make her thin and weak, and even be life-threatening.
Your baby may also breastfeed less often, so your supply of milk, her most vital food, may decrease. It is a constant, safe source of essential nutrition, wherever you and your baby live in the world. Looking for information about starting solids and bottle feeding? We suggest following the bottle-feeding schedule as a basic guide. As a team with four lactation consultants and many moms who have breastfed or are currently breastfeeding on demand, we understand how easy it is to lose track of how many times baby nursed in an hour, much less in an entire day.
Nursing on demand and introducing solid foods can be natural and easy for some and for others can feel like a delicate balance: eventually, we want baby to come to the table hungry enough to be incentivized to taste the food, but not overly hungry so they can focus on learning the skills of how to eat.
We have also applied our vast experience as experts in the transition to solids and prevention of picky eating while exclusively breastfeeding to tailor these recommendations to support babies in exploring food, developing interest in eating, and eventually, weaning when the time is right for baby and parent.
This may also change from day to day. Please keep in mind, if your baby is growing well, peeing and pooping as expected, and overall thriving, then you are likely nursing just the right amount for your baby, even if it is less or more than what is listed below.
Generally, when starting solids while breastfeeding on demand, consider the following: the frequency you breastfeed may not change. Remember, the time between starting solids around 6 months old and months old is a time for baby to develop and refine eating skills. Building those skills takes consistent and repetitive practice because chewing and eating a wide variety of foods is a remarkably complex activity.
However, we work with many families who report baby shows zero interest in exploring, tasting, and eating solids from months and continues to breastfeed on demand very frequently. Research has shown that if babies do not explore flavors and textures between months specifically, they are more likely to refuse them moving forward, and our clinical experience shows chewing delays when infants do not have a drive to explore chewables during the first year.
Primary health care providers often see inadequate weight gain in toddlers who struggle with solid food consumption due to lack of early interest and practice and rely too heavily on breast milk. Regardless of how you go about breastfeeding and starting solids, by around months of age, the AAP and WHO both agree that solid food should be the primary source of nutrition for optimal growth and development, whether you choose to continue to breastfeed your toddler on demand or not.
Toddlers are not nearly as open and interested in new flavors and textures as month-olds are, so start as soon as baby is showing signs of readiness typically around 6 months of age and aim for solids to be the primary source of nutrition, with 3 meals per day, by around 12 months of age. Baby is likely nursing at least six times per day with most nursing times. Baby is likely nursing at least six times per day, with most continuing to nurse times per day.
You may do breakfast during the week and lunch on the weekend. Some babies eat more than others, and that is okay and completely normal. Remember, 2 meals are only if baby is enthusiastically embracing solids, if they get tired or frustrated easily, once per day is enough. If baby is too hungry and gets frustrated at the table, offer a short breastfeeding snack before starting the meal.
Baby is also offered a feed as part of the bedtime routine; however, again, if your goal is to separate eating and sleep, then consider offering the breastfeed as the first part of the routine — just prior to a bath and some bedtime stories — to avoid the feed-to-sleep association. At this age, you can start to offer small amounts of water in an open cup and a straw cup, alternating the cup style at each meal. Baby is likely nursing at least six times per day, with many continuing to nurse times per day.
If you have not started to offer two solid meals per day, this is a good time to do so. At this age, we recommend one to two meals per day with 1 hour between nursing and table food to allow baby to come to the table a bit hungry. Offer three meals of solid food each day along with five or more breastfeeds distributed across the day. Many babies continue to nurse times per day. Your baby may be attempting more challenging to chew foods at this age as well, leading to less overall solid food intake.
They may nurse more during this period as they build stronger chewing skills. For babies who are enthusiastically embracing breakfast, you may find you can start to reduce the first breastfeed of the day or drop it entirely and take baby straight to breakfast upon waking , but if you do continue to nurse in the morning, allow time after nursing for baby to get hungry before coming to the table.
To make sure baby is hungry to learn to eat solids, set aside three times during the day with hours between nursing and solid foods to encourage some hunger for table foods. At this age, see if baby is interested in eating table foods first before offering a short breastfeed snack. You can always do so if baby is overly hungry or too frustrated to engage with the meal. Consider the solids you serve at first as healthy supplements and a chance for your sweetie to explore new tastes and textures.
When should you bring out a bottle or your breast, and when should you dish out solids? There's really no set rule. Some parents find that an appetizer of breast milk or formula is a good way to start off a meal, so their little ones aren't too hungry to settle down to eat. Other parents offer solids as a first course and breast milk or formula for dessert. Then there are moms who like to completely separate solids from nursing or bottle-feeding sessions. Since there's no hard and fast rule, experiment until you find a feeding schedule that works for you.
You can start off with just one or two solid meals per day — whichever ones are most convenient for you. For instance, offer breakfast and dinner if your cutie is in day care and you want the honors of feeding her solids. As your baby hits 8 or 9 months and starts eating more foods and drops to just a morning and afternoon nap, freeing up more time in the day , you can transition to three meals.
These sample schedules below may help you envision how solids can fit into your baby's day — just remember that every child and every family! Your little one's schedule may not be predictable or consistent until she hits toddlerhood. However, you might find that a typical day looks something like this:. If your family is following a baby-led weaning approach, solids in the form of soft, gummable finger foods would not be offered until after the 6-month mark, when your child is likely more capable of self-feeding.
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