introducing solids

DebbieM422 · January 2014

So, we're trying to introduce solids to our 4 1/2 month old - not so much for nutrition but just to start to get him used to it. My question is this - is it weird if I give them to him after his 6am bottle? I ask becuase he's in daycare from 7 until 4, and he eats at 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, and then a dream feed at 10pm. I would give them to him after his 6pm bottle, but most nights, he passes out for the night at 6pm (and sleeps 11-12 hours - I know, we're stupid lucky).

Is it weird if I give him solids like mushy peas and avocado, etc. at breakfast?

Thanks!

magdalina.h · January 2014

We do solids at dinner (haven't started with Alexis, but we did this with Lucas)

Carnation77 · January 2014

I don't think it's weird but I wonder if babies are like people in that some people have trouble handling certain foods in the morning? I guess just see how your baby takes to it. If he doesn't throw up or get gassy I would think he's fine. I agree he has no idea what's normal to eat for breakfast, and really, the whole idea of having different food for breakfast isn't something everyone in the world does. A lot of places they just eat the same stuff they'd eat for lunch and dinner.

trudibell · January 2014

I don't think it's weird, he's a baby he's not going to know that peas are normally a dinner food.

Patty Maciel · January 2014

I think whatever time is best for you and baby is good. I agree as long as it's not bothering his tummy. I think it's great that your starting him on real foods such as the peas. We are also starting our 4 month old son on foods. We were advised to start him on rice cereal which he has been taking in okay. I am hoping to try a new food for him next month. We get so much talk from other family asking why we haven't started him on real foods already, and how they had their kids on mashed potatoes and gravy at three months. (that was also 30 years ago! lol)

Jess63085 · January 2014

I would do whatever time of day works for you and baby. My twins are in daycare, and they get rice cereal at dinnertime when we get home around 7. I don't leave for work until 10:45, but I don't think I could handle feeding them solids in the morning alone when hubby is at work! We haven't introduced any other solids yet, the pediatrician advised waiting until 6 months (they are almost 5 months).

taraleanne · January 2014

Not weird no. Mornings are a good time to introduce a new food so you can see what the reaction is as the day goes on. I always introduce a new food in the morning (though usually mid-morning). Eventually you could just do it at dinner time, even if it's before the 6pm bottle. You could also do breakfasty type foods in the morning like oatmeal with apple sauce and cinnamon is a hit in my house and then consider BLW close to six months (or when he seems ready) and give him finger foods. My son was 6m old and would eat scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. It was great because he could feed himself while I cleaned up and ate myself. BLW is a huge time saver over purees!

taraleanne · January 2014

msspeedymarie said:

Not weird no. Mornings are a good time to introduce a new food so you can see what the reaction is as the day goes on. I always introduce a new food in the morning (though usually mid-morning). Eventually you could just do it at dinner time, even if it's before the 6pm bottle. You could also do breakfasty type foods in the morning like oatmeal with apple sauce and cinnamon is a hit in my house and then consider BLW close to six months (or when he seems ready) and give him finger foods. My son was 6m old and would eat scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. It was great because he could feed himself while I cleaned up and ate myself. BLW is a huge time saver over purees!
Solids should be given directly after a milk feed, so that baby is not hungry. At this age, they should still be getting virtually all nutrition from milk or formula, and solids are just to taste and try. If you give solids when they are hungry, they will fill up on foods that their body can't process that well (thus getting little nutrition from) and then not have room for the milk they need.

I said "eventually". While I agree that most nutrition should come from milk, pedi and the public health nutritionalists in my city advised that with a baby over 6m, based on the baby's sleep schedule, having solids before or inbetween 1 milk feeding should not significantly change milk demand. I know LOTS of mamas whose baby has a late afternoon milk feeding, solids for dinner and then a milk feeding for bedtime. Based on her schedule above she's going to have to offer solids for dinner in the evening between the 2pm and 6pm bottles eventually. So it's either going to have to be before the 6pm bottle or offer the bottle earlier. A mama can also change things up if she's finding baby isn't taking as much in the bottle. I'm sure she'll find something that works.

My baby will also sometimes have solids before milk and it does not "fill him up"; his nursing behaviour has not changed, he still nurses the same. His body process real food just fine, he's certainly getting nutrition from the food. Remember their digestive system develops as they get older. For OP's 4.5m old baby this is not yet the case but as I said before "eventually" her baby will be ready for more solids, they all are.

BelhurstBride · January 2014

Not weird at all. I think it's a great habit to teach that vegetables are a good thing to be eating with breakfast. The more of them you eat throughout the day the less you need to pack on at dinnertime.

@msspeedymarie, don't waste your time correcting @taraleanne, her city officials have all the answers.

TexasGirl81 · January 2014

@msspeddymarie is always very knowledgeable when it comes to feeding baby solids. IJS

taraleanne · January 2014

BelhurstBride said:

Not weird at all. I think it's a great habit to teach that vegetables are a good thing to be eating with breakfast. The more of them you eat throughout the day the less you need to pack on at dinnertime.

@msspeedymarie, don't waste your time correcting @taraleanne, her city officials have all the answers.

@belhurstbride, no idea why you felt the need to say that, if you are looking for an argument you won't get it from me. I'm only sharing what I was told by medical professionals who base their recommendations on the AAP. I'm sure the OP will find something that suits her child as he gets older, we all do.

BabyNumberTwo2013 · January 2014

taraleanne said:

msspeedymarie said:

Not weird no. Mornings are a good time to introduce a new food so you can see what the reaction is as the day goes on. I always introduce a new food in the morning (though usually mid-morning). Eventually you could just do it at dinner time, even if it's before the 6pm bottle. You could also do breakfasty type foods in the morning like oatmeal with apple sauce and cinnamon is a hit in my house and then consider BLW close to six months (or when he seems ready) and give him finger foods. My son was 6m old and would eat scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. It was great because he could feed himself while I cleaned up and ate myself. BLW is a huge time saver over purees!
Solids should be given directly after a milk feed, so that baby is not hungry. At this age, they should still be getting virtually all nutrition from milk or formula, and solids are just to taste and try. If you give solids when they are hungry, they will fill up on foods that their body can't process that well (thus getting little nutrition from) and then not have room for the milk they need.

I said "eventually". While I agree that most nutrition should come from milk, pedi and the public health nutritionalists in my city advised that with a baby over 6m, based on the baby's sleep schedule, having solids before or inbetween 1 milk feeding should not significantly change milk demand. I know LOTS of mamas whose baby has a late afternoon milk feeding, solids for dinner and then a milk feeding for bedtime. Based on her schedule above she's going to have to offer solids for dinner in the evening between the 2pm and 6pm bottles eventually. So it's either going to have to be before the 6pm bottle or offer the bottle earlier. A mama can also change things up if she's finding baby isn't taking as much in the bottle. I'm sure she'll find something that works.

My baby will also sometimes have solids before milk and it does not "fill him up"; his nursing behaviour has not changed, he still nurses the same. His body process real food just fine, he's certainly getting nutrition from the food. Remember their digestive system develops as they get older. For OP's 4.5m old baby this is not yet the case but as I said before "eventually" her baby will be ready for more solids, they all are.

My pediatrician told me to give solids first as well. She gave me this advice because DS is consuming 35+ ounces of formula per day. The goal is to reduce the amount of formula to closer to 24 ounces per day which is plenty to give him the nutrients he needs if fed in addition to solids. With my DD though, she recommended formula first and then topping off with solids because she was consuming closer to the recommended amount of formula.

drozio · January 2014

We sort of had the same issue with DD1, so what we did was feed her around 5 with our dinner, and then still nursed at 6 before bed. If she ate she ate, if not she still had her milk fill up before bed

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