When introducing solids, parents sometimes wonder at what age is it appropriate? Most pediatricians agree that solids are good for baby at 4 months old. However, studies have shown that breastfeed babies benefit from nursing exclusively until around 6 months of age. Talk with your spouse and your pediatrician before making a decision.
After introducing solids, babies may want to drink less and many parents wonder which is more important, nutrients from milk or nutrients from food? Well both are important! As long as your baby is growing and developing normally, you are good to go. A good way to make sure your baby is getting enough of both is to start the meal with some milk, then give solids, then finish it off with more milk. This is also helpful if baby is impatiently hungry so they won't reject the solid food as it takes a little longer to feed.
Once baby is regularly eating more and more solid meals, it can get confusing as to whether or not your baby is getting enough to eat. One thing to keep in mind is that a baby will never under-eat or over-eat. However, if they don't eat enough in one sitting because they want to go play, they may be hungrier sooner. Below is a neat guide of daily amounts that I found to helpful: (Amounts below are suggestions only. Check with your pediatrician with any questions or concerns.)
- At 6 months
- Up to 100 calories of solids (one medium jar of baby food is approx. 35-50 calories)
- 50 to 150 minutes of nursing; 28 to 38 ounces of formula (nursing times are different for every baby due to sucking speed, so judge accordingly :D )
- At 9 months
- 200 to 300 calories of solids
- 40 to 120 minutes of nursing; 24 to 34 ounces of formula
- At 12 months
- 300 to 500 calories of solids
Happy Feeding!
1. http://www.huggieshappybaby.com/info/bow/article.aspx?article_id=11095&_nc=633905290811064996&_nockcheck=true
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