feeding solids to lo at 5 months.. so many questions!

[Amel]

hi there i have seen all the signs in my lo to consider introducing solids, she's above average too, and her pediatrician also gave me the green light to go ahead and start solids.

so 3 weeks ago, when my lo was 4.5 months old, i started with one meal a day (carrot puree), and gradually every week i introduced a new meal. so it was like, 1 meal in the first week (breakfast at around 10 am), 2 meals in the second week (add lunch at 2 pm), 3 meals in the 3rd week (add dinner at 6 pm).

so here are my concerns:

 - Should i give her the solids before or after the milk? what difference does it make?
 - When can i increase the amount of solids per feed? im still giving her 3 teaspoonfuls each meal
 - What will the E.A.S.Y routine be like at 5 months? 6 months?
 - When does my lo need solids for nutrients more than milk?
 - How do i know if my lo has an allergic reaction to a certain food?

Please help. i need advice, i am a first time mommy!

[~inbalance~]

Hi Amel.  I know it seems rather overwhelming when you're a first time mom, but you're off to a good start.    Let's see if I can help with a few of your questions.

Up until your baby is a year old, milk is the primary source of her nutrition.  During this time it is important to introduce solids for supplementary nutrition, but it helps to keep in mind that milk will be the most important part.  Therefore it is recommended that you offer milk before solids so that she is still getting all the proper nutrition from her milk and not filling up on solids first.  This is especially true for the first few months when starting out with solid foods.  Often after 9mos or so, and depending on if your LO is breast or bottle fed, you might then decide to switch to offering solids first.  Until then, keep offering milk first.  Here is a link with some info about how much milk your LO needs.  Make sure that she is getting the proper amounts of milk before filling her up on solids.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=57483.0

Because she is still so young and there is no rush to get her eating large amounts of solid foods yet, I would keep offering her what you are doing for now.  Her tummy is still so tiny, and again since milk is more important, you want to make sure she is getting all her milk.  If you start to notice she seems to want more solids, and her milk intake is not dropping, then you can try offering a little bit more.  But always make sure she's getting enough milk.

When it comes to EASY and solids, the easiest way to look at it is that milk feeds are the E, and solids are part of the A (usually offered 30mins-1hr after milk).  Remember that solid food before 1yr is for fun and exploration, so try not to think of them so much as 'meals' just yet and more as part of activity time.  Here are some sample routines:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68458.0

After a year is when solids will become the main source of nutrition for your baby.  Until then keep focussing on the milk feeds.  Solids before a year will still offer a good part of your baby's nutrition, but as long as you are offering a good variety of solid foods, your baby will be getting everything she needs.  As she gets older you will be able to incorporate lots of healthy foods into her repertoire

Some things to look out for with regards to reactions are rashes, either on the body or on the bum after a bowel movement, runny nose, diarreha and/or vomiting, gassiness and tummy upset, fussiness or disrupted sleep.  It is tricky sometimes to know if a food is causing these issues or if it is something else.  A really good idea is to keep a log of new foods introduced and any reactions that they may have caused.  Sometimes you have to play detective.

You can browse through the FAQ section for even more helpful information:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=94.0

Hope that helps, let me know if you have more questions.  

[Texomamama]

Amel,

Martina has provided a very detailed and absolutely spot on answer to your questions.  But in case you want additional validation, I second everything she has said:

- milk/formula is the primary source of nutrition until they are at least one.  Until then, solids are for fun and for supplementation.  They provide little nutrition.  In your example of carrots above, one jar of carrot puree has about 35 calories.  That is as much as only 1.5 oz of milk or formula, so you can get an idea of just how little purees offer.
- since milk is more important, always offer solids an hour after milk.  Consider it part of "A" or play time.
-common reactions to foods include hives, rashes and GI distress.  Often, it takes 2-3 days for a reaction to become apparent, which is why it is a good idea to offer only one food for a few days until you are sure it does not cause problems.  Keeping a log or note pad is a good idea. Having said that, I tend to wait only 1-2 days if I don't see a reaction right away, if it is a food that is commonly considered relatively "mild". You can do a search or puruse the "food allergies" board for an idea of what foods are generally considered mild versus those that are more likely to cause reactions.

HTH.

[Amel]

Thanks alot Martina and Texomamama. i will do just that and will look out for any reaction. i hope all goes well and she continues to drink her milk so that she STTN

[Daylene]

Not to contradict anything that was previously said, but just a side view.  A jar of carrot puree might be only 35 calories, but it has a LOT of nutrition packed in!  That's why veggies are such an amazing food for humans.  There's nothing healthier on the planet.    It's not too early to start instilling a love of vegetables in your LO.  No, I'm not trying to contradict Martina or Texomamama and say that carrots are more important at 5 months than milk is.... just pointing out that there's more involved in a food's value than just calories.  And vegetables make WONDERFUL first foods.  Bravo to you for starting her on those! 

[frac09]

I have question, if you nurse and then an hour later give solids, and then and hour later it's nap time... when are you suppose to leave the house to do things?

[~inbalance~]

I have question, if you nurse and then an hour later give solids, and then and hour later it's nap time... when are you suppose to leave the house to do things?

Um, well this answer I think will vary from person to person, but at this age....you don't!  Or you take solids with you.  Or you skip solids since they are for fun anyway.  Really depends on the mom I think!  When I only had one LO and I was trying to establish a good routine which included milk feeds, solids, and good naps, we stayed in to make it work.  As they get older and their A time increases, it makes it easier to get out.  But then I had my second, and with two LOs you can't always stay in when the older one needs to get out.  So in that case my DS2 has to be more flexible, and we feed on the go.  We can BF anywhere we go, and we can do solids almost anywhere too, so you just kinda figure out what works.