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Home > Nutrition for Mom & Baby > Solid Foods and the Breastfed Baby

Solid Foods and the Breastfed Baby & Toddler

Most of the literature I've read on starting solids seems to have been written on the assumption that baby will be weaned (or mostly weaned) between 6 and 9 months. The relatively large amounts of solids suggested early on are simply not consistent (for most babies, at any rate) with keeping breastmilk primary in baby's diet for the first 12 months, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and breastfeeding experts worldwide.

My purpose here is to offer a guide to starting solids for a breastfed baby, based upon my reading of the current breastfeeding literature. I am assuming that your baby will be breastfed well into the second year (or longer), but these suggestions can certainly be adapted if you plan on weaning earlier. If you're undecided or simply curious about continued nursing past the first year, see the Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet.

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My experience with starting solids

Here is how my children have gotten started on solids:

My daughter started solids at 6 months, but still ate *very* few solids in comparison to most kids her age at 18 mo. She ate tiny bits of baby food & cereal for a couple of months, but by 8 months would only eat what she could feed herself. By around 20 months, she had increased her solids intake to the point where she was no longer getting most of her calories from breastmilk.

My son also started solids around 6 months (he was mooching from my plate!), and he's always been more interested in food than his sister. He never had baby foods - only table foods (so far mainly meat, veggies, fruit, bread, occasional cheese). At almost 10 months, he eats solids 1-3 times per day (depending upon what he wants), but still in very limited amounts overall. He usually "yells" when he wants something we're eating, and we'll keep giving it to him (assuming it's something he can eat) until he loses interest and starts to seriously play with it.

 

Page last modified: 06/22/2005
Written: 5/21/98
Disclaimer: All material on this website is provided for educational purposes only, although every effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information. Unless otherwise noted, the articles at this website are not written by doctors or other health care professionals. If you are concerned about your health, or that of your child, consult with your health care provider regarding the advisability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your individual situation.
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since 2/19/98