As you can see in the above photo, we have decided to give "solid" food a go with Poppy.  It was an instant hit as she quickly gobbled down the organic brown rice mush with a happy, full body tremble.  Now I would love some advice from those well seasoned mamas out there who have already made this transition from full time breast milk to the wide world of solids.

Next Monday she will be 5 months old, but she was giving me every indication that she was ready for something more substantial.  Though I was excited to start, I didn't want to rush the food thing; I know that there will be plenty of time for food and that these quiet moments of mama and her girl nursing are short and sweet in the grand scheme of it all.  She began feeding almost hourly and went from sleeping a solid 5 to 7 hours each night after cluster feeding {something she has done from the beginning} to cluster feeding and still waking after only 2 or 3 hours.  My gut was telling me she was ready for more.

Now most of the advice I have read is about babies who don't take to the solids right away and advise to start with a teaspoon and nurse her afterwords.  At her first meal, she ate a tablespoon in five minutes.  This morning she ate 2 tablespoons.  For now, we will feed her cereal in the morning and at night and wait a few days before introducing new foods.

So these are my questions:

How long do I do this for?  How do I know that she is getting enough breast milk?  How do I know when she wants/needs cereal or to nurse?  Is it too early to give her homemade veggies and fruits?  I really have no idea how to make sure there is a balance of cereal, fruits, veggies, meats, and boobie juice.  Do I just introduce a new food every few days until we are up to the recommended amounts listed below? 

In the book that I bought {Better Baby Food} it says for 6 to 9 months of age to:

Nurse on demand. 

2 to 4 tablespoons of iron fortified cereal twice daily.  

1 to 3 tablespoons mashed or strained meat, tofu, or legumes per day.

4 to 6 tablespoons mashed veggies per day.

6 to 7 tablespoons mashed fruits per day.

1 to 2 tablespoons yogurt, cottage cheese, etc per day {though I thought you weren't supposed to give cow's milk before 12 months}

Now I understand that she won't be eating all of this from day one, but this seems like a lot.  How many times per day will I likely be breastfeeding?  I have a feeling she will take to foods very quickly and only nurse for comfort or sleep, but is this enough?  Why am I having such a hard time sorting this out and finding so many contradicting information?  Can anyone recommend a good book or resource?  Soule Mama uses the book Feeding the Whole Family and a food mill {I purchased this one, but may return it as it seems flimsy}and swears that is all you will need.  I am looking for simple, homemade, and organic food and solutions as I seem to have a knack for complicating things.

Any advice, resources, anecdotes, schedules, tips, etc you can pass onto this confused mama would be greatly appreciated! 

Thanks in advance.

e.

P.S. See next post for It Begins with a Colour...

Comments

[Emilie]

I tried to follow all of the parenting advice to every miniscule detail when it came to feeding my first son. I found pretty quickly that maybe just following his cues worked best! If he seemed interested in something that we were eating, and it wasn't harmful (honey, or a known allergen, for instance), we mashed some up and let him try it. Cereal seemed ok in the beginning...but after letting him try some steamed/mashed carrots or some avacados (both of my boys LOVE them...and they're a great, nutritionally charged early food), the cereal was way behind us...neither of my kids would have anything to do with it unless I flavored it with something good (bananas, apples, etc) after they got their hands on fruits and veggies. I think that the rule of thumb, if you're looking for any adverse reactions, is to introduce one food at a time...maybe weekly(?)...to make sure that you're little one's ok with it (although we're bad at this. Little Myles gets a bit of whatever we're eating, within reason, mashed to oblivion.)
Also, in reguards to breastfeeding, I'd always heard to nurse first and then offer solids to keep your supply up, and because breastmilk is still the prime source of nutrition for little ones. "Real" food is pretty much a suppliment for the first year or so, as long as the babe is still nursing.

here's a really good resource, also!
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

[Carey D]

Dear Erin--

I remember that time of transition with sweet sadness, glad to know that they had an interest in eating, but a little glum to know that they no longer need rely solely on me.

I also remember feeling as though I wanted to do things "right" that I didn't want to interrupt that mama-to-baby bond. But the truth is, there really is no "right" way.

My three wee ones met solid food with varying responses. With my first, I felt as though it was time, but in retrospect, I think I was the one who wanted her to try food. She resisted for a long time. She clearly just didn't want or need it.

With my second, I knew he was ravenously hungry. At his first feeding, he swallowed with delight and cried when it was gone. He was so anxious for the immediacy of food (rather than waiting for the let-down) that he grew frustrated with nursing and weaned at eight months.

My third child didn't want a bite of solid food until he was almost eleven months old, and even then he wasn't all that interested. It will be interesting to see how #4 chooses!

The point is, even the "best" and most comprehensive books only serve as guidelines. You know your baby best. You've already read Poppy's needs. She ate well and with some delight, which indicates she was ready. If it were me, I'd stick with the rice/mush she so enjoyed for a week or two, just once a day, unless she clearly is watching you eat with great interest, seems unhappy, or her sleeping patterns continue to change.

I know many mums subscribe to the belief that it's best to wait a week or two between introducing new foods. I don't happen to share in that view. I think you try a food, and if there's clearly no reaction (as their tends not to be with those first foods--peas, apples, bananas, pears,plums etc.)--then you move on with to a new one if you want to. (Also, I've learned that there's no difference between the 1's and the 2's when it comes to first foods--assuming you buy some organics in jars, excepting price.)

I have a kidco food mill that's worked well for our family and started early on feeding our children the same foods we were eating from the garden.

And as far as nursing, I'd continue to offer the breast when she wants it; then there's no worry that she's getting "enough." She'll let you know, I'm sure!

As a parent, I've learned that perspective is key to keeping things sane. When they're night-waking or slow to potty train, only want to eat bananas, even though you've introduced a dozen different tastes, revert back to baby food when they've been eating table food, stop eating solid food and prefer breast milk, it's only for a wink of an eye.

The other thing I've learned is that I determine the tone and pace of my parenting. In other words, if I am happy to wake and put the pacifier back in baby's mouth throughout the night, then that's fine. If I'm not, however, and I know baby has no other immediate need than getting a hold of that pacifier, I can choose to let baby cry it out for a spell. If my three-year-old refuses to eat what's offered, I can make something else, or I can tell him that this is what we're all eating for tonight.

I have lots of days, of course, when I don't keep things in perspective or grow easily frustrated with the rigors of mothering. But I try to live day-by-day, even moment-by-moment--and this applies to feeding, diapering, disciplining, playing--all matters of life at home with our babes.

I wish you well and shall look forward to keeping up with the happenings in your blog. Tis really been a true pleasure to get a glimpse into your world that you describe with such candor and grace.

[Kelly]

I think it would probably be good to nurse before feeding solids, or at least offer, in case she does decide that solids are the new breastmilk. But she may catch on eventually that after boobie comes solids, and cut it short anyway. Just go with your gut and see what works. I found solids didn't really hinder my nursing children at all. Judith was never a big fan of breastfeeding, but she still continued on after starting solids. I think she'd nurse 4-6 times a day at that point. Gideon loved and still very much loves mama's milk, and all other food. When he started solids he still nursed on demand, probably averaging 8-10 times a day.

As far as the recommendations for solids, you follow your gut on that one too. Judith NEVER ate as much as the "charts" said she should in a day. I just used the charts as a guideline, and at least tried to follow a similar ratio of foods. And it depends on what each baby likes too. Judith can be quite picky. Gideon is different of course. He can/could easily eat all that is recommended and more. I didn't do a lot of baby food with him though. With Judith I made all of my own baby food and it was all organic and "perfect". Gideon started eating finger foods really early, and was never really into grain cereal mush, or any pureed food really. Eating with a spoon was not fast enough for him. So he was eating cheerios and mac and cheese and chicken and small chunks of fruit way earlier than he "should" have, but he saw his sister with it, so there was no stopping him.

Yogurt and cheese are usually ok with babies unless they have a dairy allergy because the bacteria in them makes them easier to digest. I am quite lactose intolerant myself, but I can have yogurt and cheese just fine in small doses.

I wish you the best on your new adventure! Honestly I don't think it's really a huge deal what and how much solids a baby gets. There are so many different ways that moms do it and doctors recommend it, I think it's really just up to you and Poppy and what seems to work for you guys. At this point you are still her main nutritional source, and you will slowly transition that to solids by the time she is 1. So you still have LOTS of time before you have to worry about that. For now it's just her learning a new skill, so have fun with it!

[hanna]

Well I was going to reply but you have already had 3 very wise replies :o) I would just be repeating what these lovely ladies have said.
Mother's instinct is a huge thing, and all children are very different. My son started solids at 4 1/2 months, ate anything and LOTS of it and weaned at 13 months. My daughter didn't start solids till 9 months, wouldn't let me feed her so only ate finger foods, is still not eating much at 20 months and will be a long way off weaning I suspect.
xx
Hanna
(ps I have tagged you for a meme but don't feel obliged) http://craftykin.blogspot.com/2009/07/ive-been-tagged.html

[deb]

Erin, I don't have any good feeding advice for you but I do know one thing for certain... Little Miss Poppy Anne is the sweetest dang thing I've ever seen! Look at those cheeks and those big blue eyes! Shucks, I think I'm in love. :)

[Lisa Stone]

And I'm loving that toothless grin! Nothing like it!

[Jamie]

E.
Like everyone else has said, go with the gut. With my first I read ever book on the planet and tried everything that everyone suggested and yet with was only with time that I learned what MY little one wanted and needed. We started solids at 5 months with Sam never gave him cereal and we didn't want him to have any grains before a year. So his first meal was sweet potato. Easy to mash and lots of great nutritional value. It was too soon as he got constipated and so we went back to just breastfeeding and giving him "Mum, Mum" cookies (easy to eat, he could hold them in his hand, and they didn't make a mess) At about 7 months he was more interested and we eased back into it. we never waited days for new ones let him guide us on what he wanted. We had a "baby safe feeder" it was amazing. He is great eater and eats lots of different foods. We also don't give him cow's milk, but rather Rice which is better for them.
It is such a crazy time solid foods and asking questions is great. There is so much info out there! Go with what feels right to you!

[Amy]

This web site helped me when my daughter started solids. wholesomebabyfood.com

[heather]

we never used a food mill or jarred food for ours. i would usually try to find something from my plate that was good for the babe, and if i couldn't mash it, i would chew a little up (already starting the digestive process with my saliva, i always told myself) and then feed it to my baby. this always worked so well, even when we were out to eat. i would have to be a little sly so i wouldn't offend anyone by spitting my food out, but i really didn't care too much about that. isn't this what the birds do? i hope that's not too gross for anyone here ;). good luck, and have fun with your baby eater.

[Leanne]

hehe. i don't have advice since i am diving in head first to the wonderful world of feeding a baby myself, but i did want to chime in that i just LOVE that gummy grin of hers! :)

and the scrunched-up nose is too much!

[Karen B.]

From my experience (I err a little on the slower side), you can doa little cereal for the first week or two, not to fill them up as much as to get them used to eating from a spoon, working on their tongue thrusting reflex, etc... Nurse almost as you would before you started on solids. Then move on to similar amounts of orange veggies, doing each one for at lesat 4-5 days before the next. Next comes green, and then finally fruit (no berries until after one year).

It's hard to really tell if they are full in the beginning so I would more or less stick to regular breastfeeding intervals for the first couple weeks. As they gradually start to eat more in one sitting, they may breastfeed just as often as they did before but for shorter periods of time. Around 7-9 months they really start filling up more at each meal ( and yes, yogurt is digestable whereas other dairy is not until one year) and may drop a breastfeeding or two.

good luck!

oh, and some days they will eat a ton, the next day not much at all. All normal.

[elizabeth]

what worked for me . . .

my girl loved her food. so much so, that i very shortly was giving her one full food meal a day and one less nursing.

it wasn't long before we were on to two full meals, and then three. by the time she was 7 months old, she was only nursing once - in the middle of the night.

she was also "chewing" small bits with her gums. and she ate. anything and everything i would give her. she didn't like puree and mash for very long. she liked to be able to pick whatever it was up with her hands and feed herself.

i ended up mixing formula powder into anything i could for her, because she wouldn't drink it from a cup and she had never wanted to have anything to do with a bottle. she would drink water from a cup. lots and lots of water. (i didn't know about all the non-dairy milk options at that point.)

she is almost 6 now. she is healthy and strong and beautiful and quite independent. she is learning to read very well and count and add and subtract. she is a smart, fun girl. (just to say, that you won't harm poppy if she doesn't nurse for a full year.)

my little guy was almost exactly the same. though he would drink formula from a bottle after he started eating full food meals. he loved to be sitting at the table, looking at all of us, interacting. he'd pick up his bottle, take a few drinks, and go right back to eating.

he is 4 1/2 now. he just had his pre-K screening and he is quite a bit above the median for all the things they check - cognitive, development, and health wise.

and i have a great bond with both of my children. so does their daddy. as any mama who loves her children knows, there are so many ways to let your children know that you love them. nursing isn't the only way - for sure.

so, go with your gut. feed her food if she's interested - and introduce it at your own discretion! you are poppy's mama. you know her the best!

and like karen said, some days they will eat a ton, others not much at all. or, maybe she will eat a ton for one meal a day, and eat a few other really small ones.

and how to tell if poppy is full? she'll stop eating. nobody has taught a baby to ignore their feeling of being full. so, when they are done, they stop. just like with nursing. you don't know when she's full, except that she slows down and stops eating. same with food.

and have fun! don't feel like you are losing something - enjoy each new thing that poppy is learning. she won't be a baby forever, but she will be your girl forever!

[Kate]

Food mill? Nah, use a food processor, blender, or your fork. Use whatever is easy.
K

[emily]

You sound worried. You sound like most of us with our first (sometimes second or third!) baby. ;>) It'll work out if you follow your instincts. I have to admit I found it easier to feed my children without an audience (grandparents, friends, etc) just so I could follow my instincts! I would add that I was given an immersion blender that I used the heck out of for baby food. Extras can be frozen in ice cube trays too. Once you get into the swing of things Poppy Anne will change it up on you anyway!

[Ana]

Babies eat a LOT of food, it often alarms me how much they can put away! I've been taking care of the same pair of twins since they were 3 months old and I've gotten to watch every aspect of their development and absorb it...

I think you just have to go with your instinct, as you're already doing, and watch how much she wants to eat. With the twins we just introduced one food at a time starting from around 6 months and once they'd been 'initiated' into enough foods we gave them as much as they wanted at "regular" meals (lunch-dinner) and then their mother breastfed them for breakfast, afternoon snack, and bedtime. She breastfed them until they were around two and a half. And they never knew a bottle - their milk was from her, and then later from yogurt or cheese, and when they got older and could handle a straw, from individual milk cartons.

That list of how many tablespoons of each thing you're supposed to give made me smile because babies will quickly progress to eating a LOT more than that. I think at around 8 months old the twins were eating over two full cups of food each - more than even I would eat of the same food! (ie. spinach and lentils).

All that being said, I think the point I'm trying to make is just to do what your intuition tells you and Poppy will help you figure out the rest. As long as you're giving her a relatively 'balanced' selection of foods and supplementing with breast milk, she will be getting everything she needs.

[Ana]

I like heather's advice too, that always works really well and I work with another family of twins who's parents do that - just give them little bits of what they're already eating, especially when they go out, that way the meals are automatically balanced.

[liz]

looks like you received good advice here. i have nothing to add other than that little poppy is a doll!

[Amy]

Hi Erin,

It looks like you've received tons of good advice, don't know if that makes things more complicated or not! lol

Like Poppy, Charley took to solid food like she was supposed to be eating it from day one! Personally, I just got her started on a routine of nursing first thing in the morning when she wakes up, then fruit (ie: mashed bananas and organic apple/pear sauce) and an 8oz bottle of formula before her first nap (around noon). Next feeding is another 8oz bottle. Then dinner is pablum (organic brown rice, like Poppy) and a choice of organic veggie, and yet another 8oz bottle. Then I nurse her again at bedtime. It's gotten her on a routine of eating about 5 times a day, and she sleeps through the night, no problem. (Right before I started her on solids, she had started waking up through the night, like Poppy, letting me know she was hungry).

Anyway, I'm not a big reader so I've done this all by "gut". Charley let's me know when something isn't working, and I adjust accordingly. But we seem to have found a system that works. I still love the bonding time we have while I nurse her, but it's a wonderful sense of freedom during the day :)

Good luck! Don't over-complicate things, Poppy will let you know what works and what doesn't.

[Michelle Dyro]

Except for apple and fruit sauces, we never gave our daughter traditional mashed baby food. Instead, after reading a lot, I decided to go with the baby led weaning method and offered her large piece of well cooked or extra soft foods (broc., avocado, banana, sweet potato, oatmeal, wheatabix soaked in breastmilk, etc). That way she was able to pick up the foods and feed herself. She was (and still is at 2 1/2) always a good nurser and I just relied on the fact that nursing was her main source of nutrition and everything else was just extra/fun. She is a good eater even now and, interestingly enough, doesn't really like "mashed" foods (mashed potatoes of any kind, even soaked in butter, she refuses to touch with out prompting).
I agree with everything people above have pointed out, the most important being, do what works for you and your family, follow your instinct, and trust in yourself.