6mths to start solids

[yuukalim0404]

Hi,
I have not been back for a while.
Anyway have managed to perserve till 6mths now with baby exclusively fed on breastmilk!! Yes, after all the various issues of undersupply, blocked ducts, thrust, then overactive letdown, pumping, decreased supply and inflammed joints etc etc.

Now moving on, I know I have to start solids, have read Nursing mother guide to weaning, and Gina Ford's book on weaning...but still unsure that's why I am back for advice!

There are a few things I will like to check with some experienced moms( Cara, Milk monster etc) or LLL experts (Sarah)
1) Baby is now 6mths and 1 week old, I am chinese and my mother in law takes care of baby in daytime and says we should give only cooked diluted porridege to her for first 1mth before starting any veg or fruits.
However, Gina says we should start fruit puree( pear/apple) at the start with rice cereal? how do I blend East and West without compromising my baby???

Baby schedule now is like:
7am BF ( usually drink little)
10-11ish BF ( for first time,my mother in kaw gave her 3tsp of cooked porridge once here yesterday- she seemed fine but don't particularly like it.)
2ish EBM
6-7ish EBM
anytime 11-12ish BF ( drinks a lot) -6oz?
she wakes up at 4am usually for BF ( drinks a lot)

For each EBM is like around 5-5.5oz, baby is active and happy, is hitting her dev milestones, but more on the smaller frame size like me. (Her wt at 4.5mths was 5.6kg)

How should I incorprate the solids in her schedule? and what solids should I start first with and what to avoid initailly? (eg 6-7mths)
I am worried beacuse I read she needs iron now and hope to start her solids soon but don't want to overload her system.

I still intend to BF and Gina says I should drop the night feed so she takes more solids but I am not sure how to go about doing that as she is genuinely hungry at the nights.

Recently in the morning feed while BF, she always drinks a little (1-2mins) then unlatch and look at me and smiles, then continues, and the cycle continues till she refuse to suck anymore( arch back etc), I suspect she is not hungry, but then she becomes hungry in just 1-2hrs later and the whole cycle gets so disrupted like if she is back to newborn days!! Why is this so?

Any comments/ advice will be great!! Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post

 

[LLL_Sarah]

There is lots of information about how to start solids (including other mothers' stories) on the LLLI web site at http://www.llli.org/NB/NBsolids.html

The thing to remember is that your milk will be the best food your child ever receives in the whole of his life. So don't be in a hurry to replace it. For this reason we usually give milk first and solids afterwards for around the first year; so that the food works as a top up for the milk.

Many babies don't like solid food at first and others love it from the beginning. Just go at your baby's pace. Of my four children one started at five months and another at eight and a half months. Your milk will be sufficient if your baby isn?t keen.

There is a lot of talk about only low levels of iron in breastfeed and this is true because they fortify formula with tones of iron. But the iron in breast milk is much better absorbed than the iron in formula - that's why they need to add so much of it.

It is very unlikely that your baby will suffer from a lack of iron while breastfeeding unless the mother is suffering from a lack of iron. If you are worried ask your doctor to check your level.

The second food group introduced to babies is usually meat - this contains lots of iron and so supplements the iron the baby gets from milk as he grows.

I don't think it matters whether you introduce fruits first or rice congee first to your baby. Ultimately your baby will be eating both. This is the same with starting with an Asian diet or a Western diet - as your baby grows he will be eating both.

There is another thread discussing babies who drink a little, look around a little, then drink a little and look around again, http://www.geobaby.com/forum/thread128157-2.html This is really common and very normal at this stage of breastfeeding.

Also very normal is babies waking up and feeding at night. It is nothing to worry about although you may want to think about how to make night waking as easy as possible. This usually means having the baby close so that you can get him quickly and without disturbing you too much.

Best wishes,
SARAH

 

[yuukalim0404]

Sarah,
Thanks so much for the great input, btw the link is about night waking and not baby who are distracted during feeding. Could you send me to the right link please?
Thanks!