Starting Solids

JMU_Bride09

My son is 5 months old and EBF. I would like to continue nursing until age one. As he gets closer to 6 months, I have heard a lot and read a lot about introducing solids as practice meals. I'm on the fence about doing this. I'm doing research, but I'm interested in some opinions from other breastfeeding moms. In your opinion, would it be better to wait to introduce any solid food until much closer to age one or would it be beneficial to start a daily practice meal around six or seven months?

Jaylea

I am of the mindset that there's no reason to delay solids until close to 1.

What are the advantages?

My process has been to introduce solids when the  baby seems ready. For DD that was 6.5 months, for DS it was closer to 5 months.

Both will/have had the majority of their calories from milk until age 1, but introducing solids around 6 months allows for a gradual build up.

It's worked really well. Both kids enjoy a variety of foods and textures (DD at almost 5 years, and DS at 9 months).

While solids are not the main source of nutrition for DS, they do add nutrients and are supplemental calories. I think he benefits from them.

nosoup4u

We started solids with both our kids around six months. DS1 took a loooong time to like food, he wasn't really into solids until past 12 months. We would still always offer him food, and he'd eat some, but not with the gusto that DS2 has had. DS2 really got into solids by about 10 months, and is eating a significant amount of food at every meal now (he's 12 months currently). So it just depends on your kid - it's worth introducing and offering solids around 6-7 months, and just reading their signals and interest.

Are you talking about baby led weaning specifically? We've used that method for both kids also, with good results. 

https://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/blw/engels.html

jcsumm0

The recommendation of the WHO and AAP is to start solids around 6 months.  If you offer the breast before, and continue to BF on demand, baby will continue to get most of his nutrition from you, with solids mostly for practice.  As he gets closer to a year, the pendulum will start to swing more in favor of solids.  As it says in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, first it's nursing with solids for the joy of it, later solids with nursing for the joy of it. 

https://kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

 

riley0218

I don't there is any reason to wait that long either.  It seems a bit extreme.  We followed my sons lead (around 4.5 months) and plan to do the same with our daughter.  I nursed my son until he was one and am on the same track again.