Weaning your baby on to solids. Physiologically there is no need to rush to get your baby on to solids. A babys digestive system is not fully matured for the first few months and foreign proteins very early on may increase likelihood of allergic food problems later on. However be warned: socially there is a kind of competitive spirit amongst mothers to get their child on pureed steak and chips as soon as possible. provided your child is satisfied and growing properly you should wait until he is at least between 4& 6 months old before starting to give him tastes of simple solid foods. Milk is still The Major food It's very important to remember when starting your baby on solids that milk is still the most natural and best food for growing babys. I would definately encourage mothers to try breastfeeding. Apart from the emotional benefits, breastmilk contains antibodies that will help protect your baby from infections. Milk should contain all the nutrients babies need to grow. Cows milk is not such a complete food for human babies and is best not started until at least one yr old. Solids are introduced to bulk babies diet and to introduce new tastes, textures and aromas, they also help the baby to practice using the muscles of his mouth. But giving too much solid food too early may lead to constipation, and provide fewer nutrients than he needs. It would be very difficult to get the equivalent amount of nutrients from the small amount of solids he will consume as he gets from his milk.

When should I start my baby on solids? Solids may be introduced between four to six months of age. The baby should have doubled his birth weight, lost the extrusion reflex (the reflex that pushes everything out of his mouth ) and show an interest in what others are eating. Some babies are not ready for solids until six to eight months. Let the infant take the lead. It helps if you hold the baby in your lap for the first few feedings and use infant size spoons. Cereal or other solids should never be put in a bottle or infant feeder. If a baby can't take food from a spoon, he is not ready for solids. If you wish a pediatrician will give you a list of what foods to introduce and when. Usually a baby starts on cereal, vegetables, fruit, meat and finally egg yolks. The order may vary depending on the pediatrician. The most important thing to remember is to go slowly. Don't overfeed the baby, remember you are INTRODUCING solids, your baby won't wake up one day and be ready to eat like a toddler . Breastmilk or formula should remain the major source of nutrition until one year of age. Although remember that a child older than this will still thrive and take great comfort on breastmilk, if you wish to keep nursing him.

BREASTFED BABY TO SOLIDS? WAIT A BIT... Adding anything to a thriving baby's diet in the early months can interfere with his normal breastfed health. Even one exposure to a formula or cereal causes changes in a young baby's body, and can trigger allergies that might have been avoided. Young babies have very low levels of an enzyme important to starch digestion, so early cereal may be filling, but it isn't effective food. Early fruits or vegetables can interfere with iron absorption. And studies indicate that babies sleep through the night when they're ready, not when they start solids. Is your baby gaining poorly? Supplementing a low milk supply can make your supply even lower. If weight gain is a concern, call a breastfeeding specialist for help in keeping your baby well-fed and nursing. So when is a baby ready for solids? If your baby is about 6 months old and can sit up, reach for food, put it in his mouth, chew and swallow it, and reach for more, he's ready, and he can do it himself without help from the baby food industry. In contrast, the old image of Mom patiently spooning puréed food in and Baby spitting it back out is a picture of a baby who is just not ready yet. The older guidelines that recommend starting solids "at 4 to 6 months" include formula-fed babies and those few breastfed infants whose growth is truly faltering. For the baby who is doing well on breastmilk alone, early solids may replace a complete, well-digested food with an incomplete, poorly digested one, and can lead to obesity, allergies, and even anemia. There are good reasons to wait until about 6 months, especially if there are allergies in the family. Some 4 and 5 month olds are "mouth hungry", and seem eager to eat. They more likely want to teethe or practice or socialize, and will probably be happy to sit at the table with cups, spoons, plates, and company. They may also be seeking more chances to nurse for food or comfort. On the other hand, the baby who insists on solid food before 6 months knows his own body. He is a person, not a calendar. Offer him age-appropriate finger foods and let him do it himself. That will increase the entertainment value, decrease the mess and expense, and eliminate worries about overdoing it. Other babies may not be interested in solids until well past the 6-month mark. No problem, so long as they continue to thrive. Follow your baby's lead. He will increase solids at his own pace, if you make them available to him at the family table. But breastmilk may be his main source of food for some time to come. Rest assured that your milk is a fully nutritious food for as long as your baby enjoys it. Breastfed is best fed. Relax and keep the food fun. La Leche League's pamphlet, Your Baby's First Solid Food, is a good source of more information on when and how to start solids. Call 1-800-LA LECHE or a local LLL Leader for a copy.

SHOULD I OFFER SOLIDS BEFORE OR AFTER NURSING. What we're aiming for during the first year is to have solids complementing breastmilk, not replacing it. This means that when solids are introduced the breastfeeding pattern is not in terrupted at all, but baby is fed solids in slowly increasing amounts as his appetite increases. Baby will be getting the same amount of breastmilk (or even more) as he gets older, with increasing amounts of solids on top of that. I think the main point in the matter is maintaining breastmilk as baby's main source of nutrition throughout the first year. This is important both to baby's good nutrition and good health. The nutrients in breastmilk are particularly important for growth and development during baby's first year. In addition, some (but certainly not all) of the health benefits of breastfeeding are directly related to the degree of exclusivity of breastfeeding (the greater the percentage of baby's diet made up of breastmilk, the greater the health benefit). Nursing before (rather than after) the solids is a good way to help keep the transition to solids proceeding slowly so that mom's milk supply is maintained and baby gets the breastmilk that he needs. Home > Nutrition for Mom & Baby > Why Delay Solids? Reasons for delaying solids Additional information References Survey The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies. Although my daughter started solids at six months, my reading on the subject has convinced me that waiting even longer can be a good thing. Reasons for delaying solids: Although babies continue to receive many immunities from breastmilk for as long as they nurse, the greatest immunity occurs while a baby is exclusively breastfed. Breastmilk contains 37 known immune mechanisms, and probably many more that are still unknown. One study has shown that babies who were exclusively breastfed for 4+ months had 40% fewer ear infections than breastfed babies whose diets were supplemented with other foods. Many studies have linked the degree of exclusivity of breastfeeding to enhanced health benefits (see Immune factors in human milk, Abstracts from moms4milk.org and Risks of Artificial Feeding). A baby's digestive system needs time to mature. If solids are started before a baby's system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, etc.). Protein digestion is incomplete in infancy. Gastric acid and pepsin are secreted at birth and increase toward adult values over the following 3 to 4 months. The pancreatic enzyme amylase does not reach adequate levels for digestion of starches until around 6 months, and carbohydrate enzymes such as maltase, isomaltase, and sucrase do not reach adult levels until around 7 months. Young infants also have low levels of lipase and bile salts, so fat digestion does not reach adult levels until 6-9 months. Delaying solids results in a decreased risk of food allergies. Your baby's intestinal tract can readily absorb intact macromolecules, including whole proteins, from birth until 4-5 months of age. Early exposure to many types of proteins may predispose your baby to future allergies. As long as your baby is exclusively breastfed, antibodies in breastmilk protect baby's digestive tract and reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions. Baby starts producing these antibodies on his own at around 6 months. It is well documented that prolonged exclusive breastfeeding results in a lower incidence of food allergies (see Allergy References and Risks of Artificial Feeding). The early introduction of solids is associated with increased body fat and weight in childhood. (see Wilson, 1998) Less respiratory illness. The probability of respiratory illness occurring at any time during childhood is significantly reduced if the child is fed exclusively breast milk for at least 15 weeks and no solid foods are introduced during this time. (see Wilson, 1998) Maintenance of mom's milk supply. Studies have shown that for a young baby solids replace milk in a baby's diet - they do not add to baby's total intake. The more solids that baby eats, the less milk he takes from mom, and less milk taken from mom means less milk production. Babies who eat lots of solids or who start solids early tend to wean prematurely. Effectiveness of breastfeeding as a natural child spacer. Breastfeeding is most effective in preventing pregnancy when your baby is exclusively breastfed and all of his nutritional and sucking needs are satisfied at the breast. Ease of feeding. Babies who start solids late can feed themselves. If anyone knows of good referances please let me know so that i can expand this information: REFERANCE AKNOWLEDGEMENTS:http://www.kellymom.com/,http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda/Diane/solids.html, annabel karmels baby and toddler meal planner.