The age-old debate is “when should I start solids?” Let’s answer that question plus more, such as a nursing schedule to keep and a little bit of baby led weaning. Solids should not be started until 6 months of age or showing food readiness. Solids before one are not a requirement, food before one is just for fun! This means that baby should be getting most of their calories from breastmilk but can start to experiment with solids. For example, breastmilk has 20 calories per ounce opposed to fruits and veggies that are 30 calories total. We don’t want them to fill up on the solids, just more or less experiment and try them. Solids will not make them sleep longer, so feeding them more will not change any rough sleepers, that is another developmental milestone.
When your baby is 6 months old or showing food readiness (which could be older for some babies) your baby will only have about one “meal” a day. You’re still going to nurse on cue, and you can offer a sippy cup of either breast milk or water, it is safe for baby to have about 2 ounces of water. They will probably only sip it and they usually let most of it run out of their mouths. At about 7 to about 9 months you can offer 2 “meals” a day if baby is interested. Also, let those babies feed themselves! It improves their fine motor skills. Nurse before offering the solids and watch babies cues for being full. At around 9 months until a year-old baby will get about 25 % of their calories from solids, the rest from breastmilk. At this point baby can have 2-4 ounces of water from a sippy cup. It is important to keep in mind that babies that eat a lot of solids can wean from the breast earlier. Their solids should be complementing nursing, not replacing.
Baby led weaning is a popular way that many breastfed parents like to use to introduce solids, but what is it? Its exactly what the name says, the baby guides you as you introduce solids. It is fantastic because it really works on baby’s fine motor skills along with introducing them to different textures and flavors. I did BLW with one of my kids out of 5 and she is by far my best eater! She never has a complaint at dinner time, she is always down for whatever is on the table just like when she was my sweet little 8-month-old! A great way to start is with a mushy food like a banana or avocado! Other great foods to start with are pasta, chicken, eggs, fish, a ripe pear or yogurt. You’ll want to cut the food into thick strips so baby can easily pick it up using their two fingers, Try to stay away from grapes, fruit peels..anything baby can choke on easily. The downfall to baby led weaning is the mess and babies sure make BIG ones! I would invest in a silicone bib that is easy to wash and catches the food as baby drops it to save outfits!
Trying solids with your baby can be exciting and temping to do before 6 months but the AAP strongly suggests waiting until then for mature gut health, choking hazards, etc. It can also seem appealing if you have a baby that is not sleeping through the night, but I cannot stress enough that food doesn’t make them sleep! Sleep after 4 months is a huge developmental change. Its very important they get the proper nutrition through breastmilk.
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