so we're doing the solid foods thing now but im unsure of how to schedule it. i was doing cereal following the second and last nursings of the day and mother and grandmother were following that schedule with her bottles (of breastmilk) when they watch her on days i work. now ive started introducing other foods, we started with avacodo, which right now she doesnt seem to be a huge fan of but im gonna give it a few more goes! how did u moms schedule this and make they still get enough breast milk? my nana suggested cereal in the morning and before bed like ive been doing and the veggie/fruit in the afternoon in between feedings..how'd u do it? my daughter is 5 months old

Chantal - posted on 01/02/2009

I bought my daughter an excellent book at Chapters. You introduce one food at a time to ensure there are no allergies. It is very common that when you introduce a food that the baby will take some time to like it as they are developing taste buds. There are mixed reviews on if you should introduce fruit or vedgetables first. I introduced only vedgetables after I introduced the different types of cereal. Rice first, oatmeal next, then wheat. Wheat is a little harder to digest. Once you find there are no problems with the three cereals, then you can give the baby mixed cereal. Keep fruit for last so they do not develop a sweet tooth. (again, mixed reviews, but my daughter loves everything, and 28 years ago, I made my baby food homemade and introduced fruit last ) There is a lot to feeding a baby. You must be attentive for food allergies as well as proper nutrition. Homemade baby food is easy. You choose your vedgetable, cook it and then pureed it in a blender. Make it more liquid when first introducing it to your child. The food is easier to swallow. There is all kinds of free literature on the internet regarding feeding your baby. Google key words ie: "feeding baby" until you find what you are looking for.

Jennifer - posted on 12/31/2008

I agree with Kat - breastfeed 1st and then give the solids. I did this with my daughter (22 mos) and will do the same with my son (3 mos) when he is ready to start solids. I maintained her regular nursing schedule of every 3 hours (boy, was that a pain!) and then just added in additional meals throughout the day as she got older and hungrier. I would wait about 1/2 hour after nursing before I fed the solids to let the milk settle in her belly (she was a spitter-upper!) In the beginning (we started solids at 6 mos) it was just one meal with cereal, then two, then came veggies, then fruits, then all three, then some meats or those little jar "meals", etc. Eventually she started taking in more solids than breastmilk, but she always nursed first. The only thing that changed was the amount of milk she would take - which was all up to her. She was weaned off the breast at 12 mos as I started replacing the nursing sessions with milk from a sippy cup. I have to say that I have it easier than most working moms in that my employer has an on-site day care so I can hop on over to nurse at any time. Since you are pumping, it may be harder for your body to recognize the decrease in milk consumption (thereby decreasing your milk production) as her intake of solids increases. Maybe ask your mom or nana to let you know how much milk is left in the bottle. Then you could start spacing out your pumping sessions a little more - but not for a while yet. I'd keep up your same routine until she's obviously wanting less breastmilk and more food. But overall, I think your daughter will be the one that will tell you the right way to do it ;)

Kat - posted on 12/31/2008

My lactation consultant told me to breastfeed him 1st...always! Their main source of nutrition should come from breast milk (or formula if need be), then food for the 1st year. She said be sure their tummies are full and then they can try whatever you wish & that usually anything you have eaten that the baby hasn't had a reaction to should be fine. Avocado probably isn't the best thing to start with. I make my own baby food & I started with apples, then sweet potatoes, then carrots, then bananas. I mixed them all with cereal & breast milk 1st to make it a familiar taste. All have been a hit, except the avocado. i will soon try it will banana per their advice in the recipe book. be sure to use breast milk in the cereal. If you want to checkout the book its: Super Foods for babies & children by Annabel Karmel. Just always remember breast 1st! Good Luck~

Martha - posted on 12/31/2008

I would recommend introducing one food at a time. One new food a week. You do not have to have a whole bunch of food items, as she is only 5 months. Some docs suggest not even starting solid foods until 6 months, but 5 is definitely fine and most folks start by 3 or 4 months. Give her what she likes. Most folks start with fruit--apple or banana b/c kids take quickly to them, they're sweet and yummy. If you want to keep up your milk production up while working I wou ld recommend not giving too much cereal in the AM and night because those are the best times to breastfeed to maintain your milk, but it sounds like you're giveing it to her after breastmilk and if she wants it, great! there is no real 'set schedule' go with what he likes and don't be so rigid a/b it. REally as long as she continues to breastfeed, she will be very healthy. The food is an added 'extra' and is great given after the milk (or along with it) vs. before it especially if you're concerned a/b giving enough milk. Your child will tell if she is still hungry, and if so, give her some food after you've nursed. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Lauren - posted on 12/30/2008

i always heard to start yellow vegies first but my dr wants me to start fruit, but i'm licky i started cereal then veggies one at a time. he was onl 2 months old at the time. now we are taking a 6 oz formula bottle in hte morning then he gats jsut formula every 3-4 hours at daycare ( cuz by state they can't feed food til certain ages) then he gets 60z bottle pends on if he wants one whne we get home, then at 7ish gets cereal wiht veggie followed by bath then bottle then bed. it works for us... my son is so much happier now that he gets full. good luck

Tina - posted on 12/30/2008

I also make all of my baby food and freeze it in the ice cube trays. I did this with my oldest and he started eating at 3 months (his choice, not mine - he screamed with bottles until we started feeding him). My son is now 5 months and he eats cereal and fruit in the morning and then eats dinner with us. So far he eats sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, applesauce, pears, peaches, bananas, and strawberries (not recommended if you're worried about allergies). I've also found that both my boys are more likely to eat their greens if I mix some applesauce in it. Sean also eats about a cube of fruit or vegetable around lunch time. I haven't reduced any of his milk yet because at this point babies aren't usually eating enough to make up the difference in calories. I'd say morning and evening are best for solids and then let your baby tell you if he wants food at another time. Sean will start chomping down on things and refuse bottles when he wants solids.

Laura - posted on 12/30/2008

Hi. My son is almost 9 mos and we started veggies and fruits at 6 mos. I started with sweet potatoes because all babies love them. Some say to start with more healthy veggies first, but that's all talk. And then I did pears and applesauce on the fruit side. They're so good! We did avocado too, but David didn't jump at that like he did other foods. David ate (and still does eat) cereal in the morning with fruit and veggies in the afternoon and evening. I always fed the food food before naps because it helped him sleep longer and gave the milk when he woke up. I always make a bulk of food and freeze it in ice cube trays. When frozen, I transfer to plastic freezer bags. It makes it super easy to put 2 oz cubes in little containers for feedings at Grandmas and while he's home.

Jessica - posted on 12/30/2008

Im not feeding my son yet, as hes only 3 months but what i will probably do is give him his milk and then half an hour later try him on some solids

Maren - posted on 12/30/2008

There are many different ideas on how to introduce solids and eventually wean. We started solids at our meal times and viewed it as a separate activity from nursing. In other words, we didn't drop any nursing sessions. Some days she played w/ her food and on others she ate it. We only did a month (started at 6 months) of pureed stuff before moving on to veggies, potatoes, meats and fruits cut into spears (like french fries). The idea was that, if she could chew off a piece of the spear, she could chew the food to eat it. The exception was some steaks which we left in big chunks and she would suck them dry. We did this because she hated pureed food and wanted to feed herself. I did a fair amount of research before braving what seems to be a common practice for introducing solids in Norway and Sweden. My daughter is over a year now and eats at every meal though the amounts vary. She LOVES pancakes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cheese, green beans, zucchini, and any kind of meat.

Christi - posted on 12/30/2008

I hate to admit it but I used to call the number on the side of the Gerber box when I had questions about the food...lol they were EXTREMELY helpful and sen coupons too :) But its been three years since my son was that little and I can't really remember my method although I do agree that milk should be the main nutrition for the baby.

Stephanie - posted on 12/30/2008

i usually give cereal in the morning and right before bed. I would let them have the bottle first, probably half of what they would normally drink then give them the cereal. then around lunch time i would give them half a fruit and veggie, and then a bottle, and the same around dinner time. My two older ones only liked the orange and yellow veggies so they had orange faces, i had a heck of a time getting them to eat the greens.

Kim - posted on 12/30/2008

I always make sure the milk is the main source of nutrients for Tyler. After he is done with the milk I give him solid foods...(more of the things we eat now than baby food). When he's full he is full. I usually try to feed him solids when I eat solids. They will let you know when they had enough and are full.

Shannon - posted on 12/30/2008

We do the first solids at around 10 am....which is about an hour after he nurses. The second one is at around 730pm... which is usually about an hour after he has a bottle with one of my parents or his dad, which ever is here at that time of day since I am at work till 10pm. After each one it is usually about another two to three hours before he either nurses or takes a bottle again, which works out well for me since by the time I get home at night I am more than ready to nurse him!! It really wil depend on when she seems as though she is ready for it... and she will let you know!

Heather - posted on 12/30/2008

I just fed my baby foods twice a day and rotated what the foods were (cereal in the morning and avacado in the evening, or maybe another food in the evening the next week) as i introduced types of foods, i didn't increase the times per day she got food... so we did one week of avacado. then a week of bananas, etc.

as for timing, i did it in place of a feeding..fed her and then nursed her if she was still hungry. many people recommend nursing her first and then feeding her the food, but i found my baby not as interested to try new things once she was full on milk...so i nursed after the food.

as she gets older, this will be how you gradually wean her from nursing, she'll take more food and less milk. by time i weaned my daughter at 11 months, she was only nursing in the morning and right before bed, then i knocked it down to 1 feeding and then nothing. made weaning super easy.