Milk To Solids

One of the more complex questions that you will ask yourself during your
baby’s first year is: What do I feed her? And when do I feed it? Your baby
starts out with the simple requirement of either breast milk or formula. But
what happens after the milk? This chapter will help you learn what types of
foods to introduce into your baby’s diet at a certain stage of her development.
The information here should only be a guideline. Your doctor may provide you
with other advise and your baby may have ideas of her own.
For the first four to six months of your baby’s first year all she will need
is breast milk or formula. During this time she should start to be introduced to
solids when she is ready. It is important to know that not all babies will be
ready for solids at the same time. So how do you know when she’s ready?
There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow that will give you the
information that you need to start your baby on solid food. You should check
with your doctor as well for his/her professional advice. Here are the
guidelines for clues as to whether your baby is ready for solids or not:
• Your baby has doubled her birth weight.
• Your baby shows an interest in the foods that you are eating and may try
to grab the food from you.
• Your baby consumes 32 oz or more each day of breast milk or formula.
• Your baby often puts things into her mouth.
• Your baby can sit up with some support and can turn her head when she
is full.
If your baby can do all of the above she is probably ready to be
introduced to solid foods. Another indicating factor is that your baby always
seems to be hungry. You do not want to introduce solids too early into your
baby’s diet. If solids are introduced too early there is an increased risk that
she will develop a food allergy. Another reason for waiting for four to six
months before introducing solids is because your baby needs to be able to
properly chew and swallow before she can start eating food safely. Your
baby’s digestive system has to mature a bit so that she can handle the new
foods in her diet.
The first six months. During the first six months of your baby’s life
breast milk or formula will be all that she needs for nourishment. If you are
breastfeeding you will be using cues from your baby as to when she is full or
hungry. If you are using formula you will likely have been following the
guidelines for how much formula to feed your baby, as well as taking cues from
your baby as to when she is full and when she is hungry. The following chart is
a guideline for formula feeding:


GUIDE FOR FORMULA FEEDING (AGE 0 to 5 MONTHS)

Age	Amount per feeding	Number of feedings per 24 hours
1 month	2 to 4 ounces	6 to 8 times
2 months	5 to 6 ounces	6 to 8 times
3 to 5 months	6 to 7 ounces	5 to 6 times

A note on giving up night feedings: By the time your baby is six months
old you will want to think about giving up those night feedings if you haven’t
already done so. You should start by offering your baby less and less breast
milk or formula during night feedings. Eventually she will stop waking as her
body adjusts to not eating during the night. If you are bottle-feeding you can
substitute water in your baby’s bottle in place of milk or formula. Your baby is
almost ready to start eating solids and once she does she shouldn’t be as
hungry at night.
Four to six months: Introduction to solid food. You should try to wait
until your baby is at least four months old before introducing her to anything
other than breast milk or formula. You should start by offering your baby tiny
amounts of baby cereal thinned with breast milk or formula. You can introduce
your baby to fruit juices that are thinned with water. You may want to hold
off introducing orange juice for another month or two since orange juice may
be too acidic.
Six to seven months: Adding fruits and vegetables. Once your baby has
been introduced to cereal you will want to add mashed/strained fruits and
vegetables. Start with small amounts (one teaspoonful), increasing gradually
as your baby gets used to the new food. You should only introduce one new
food at a time and wait 2 to 4 days before introducing something new. This is
so that if your baby has an allergic reaction you will be able to pinpoint which
food is the culprit.
Make mealtime a happy time with your baby. Make sure that you only
put milk or water into baby bottles and juice into a cup or glass. Putting juice
into your baby’s bottle can lead to dental problems later down the road due to
the sugar content of juices.
Seven to eight months: Adding protein. From seven to eight months
you will want to think about adding protein foods to your baby’s diet. Protein
foods include strained meats, cottage cheese, egg yolk, yogurt, and dried
beans. As with the fruits and vegetables, you will want to introduce one new
food at a time and wait 2 to 4 days before introducing a new food, starting
with a small helping (one teaspoonful) and gradually increasing.
Eight to twelve months: Adding other foods. By now your baby will be
ready to start eating what the rest of the family is eating. Start by adding soft
table foods to your baby’s diet such as mashed potatoes, squash, soft meats,
and soups. As your baby gets more teeth she will be able to add more foods to
her diet.
There are some things that you should keep in mind as your baby tries
more and more types of foods.
1. Your baby does not need to have sugar, salt, desserts, pop, or sweets in
her food.
2. Talk to your doctor about the right time to add pasteurized cow’s milk
into your baby’s diet.
3. Avoid feeding your baby nuts, seeds, popcorn, raw carrots, and other
hard foods.
4. Be sure to feed your baby a variety of good, healthy food so that you are
promoting healthy eating habits.
5. It is very important to let your baby feed herself. As messy as this
process may get it is a very important step towards your baby’s
independence and motor skills.
As you gradually introduce your baby to food during the first year you
should keep in mind that every baby is different and therefore the process of
integrating solid food may or may not follow the “usual” course of action. You
will find that your baby soon has her favorite foods that she looks forward to
eating as well as food that she will refuse to eat. Try to listen to what your
baby is telling you while remaining within the guidelines outlined here.