Starting solids- advice or just support?

[NikNik]

Hi,
So my DD is about 5.5 months and I started her on solids a few weeks ago per GP and health nurse recommendations. She is showing all the signs of being ready but I can't seem to get her started really. I have been trying to feed her solids 30 minute-1 hour after a BF but she just takes a few bites then loses interest. However, when I have given her solids before BF, she usually gobbles it up, but I am reluctant to consistently do this as I don't want her to cut down on how much milk she is getting. And since I BF, I don't know exactly how much she is getting anyway, so I can't really monitor this. I go back to work in less than a month and was really hoping to have her on 3 meals a day before this. I don't want to force the solids on her- if she is not ready than that is fine, but she seems to want them (and everything I am eating) at other times a day. Any advice?

[~inbalance~]

I think it helps to remember solids are just for fun, so even if she is only eating a few bites that is fine.  Keep offering milk first as it's more important.  I know from my experience with DS2 in particular that you really can't rush solids, you do have to go at their pace. 

[NikNik]

This may be a dumb question but do I have to give the rice cereal at this point or can I just give pureed fruit or veg? She doesn't seem to like the rice much and I really just want to get her used to eating. Initially, i thought maybe the rice would bulk up her diet and getting her STTN or at least cutting out the 10 pm feed, but if she is not eating it than it is not going to help is it? Also, beginning to think that that is just wishful thinking anyway. Also, I have been giving her am solids about 30 min to an hour after her first BF but in the afternoon I usually give her solids around 4:30 or 5 and then give her last milk feed at 6pm. Is that too close to her milk feed? What do you think?

[~inbalance~]

do I have to give the rice cereal at this point or can I just give pureed fruit or veg?

You can skip rice cereal.  Lots of people don't do it and it's not necessary.

Also, I have been giving her am solids about 30 min to an hour after her first BF but in the afternoon I usually give her solids around 4:30 or 5 and then give her last milk feed at 6pm. Is that too close to her milk feed? What do you think?

This is fine.  Whatever works really. 

[annette.xx]

hey there!

tagging along too!! im doing the laziest weaning ever so simply just what ever he wants - if he doesnt eat it then no big deal - just doing milk as normal and then letting him decide the rest - but im offering 3 meals a day the last one looks about the same timing as yours - he still takes a good BF at bed so think its ok!!

6 months is major growth spurt coming so remember the milk with give them far more calories anyway!

when DS is 7/8 months and past growth spurt and established on taking solid food I will start to push out the milk feeds to be timed along side the solids - I think what I did with DD was pushed out the 11am feed to 11.30 and gave food first then milk in sippy cup then just did the 3 other milk feeds as normal so think it was;

BF - 7
SOLIDS - 8
SOLIDS AND MILK- 11.30
BF - 3
SOLIDS - 5PM
BF - 6.30

it all falls into place once they start having a good breakfast then they are not too hungry to need the 11am milk so can push it out...

lets hope we get easy solid feeders!!
my DD was a touchy baby but to my absolute suprise she was a dream feeder when it came to solids!

Annette.xx

[*Kara*]

Try not to rush it... baby will catch on!  A few bites of anything is enough since solids are just for fun right now

I do give DD cereal, but I also started very soon with things like banana, avocado and yams   The banana and avocado can be mashed with a fork and a bit of water for moisture (or BM/formula) and the yams can be steamed and mashed/pureed.  All were big hits here!

It only took DD a month or so of offering solids before she really embraced it... we did breakfast only for a couple of weeks, then I introduced lunch, and I am just starting to offer dinner to her now... she is just over 7 months and started solids a few days after turning 5 months.

[trimbler]

I agree with the pps, we started around the same time but then I got really worried that he seemed to start ok and then we'd have a few days when he'd just refuse. I just had to relax and not worry about how much solids he was eating - it really is the milk that's most important, so just focus on getting her enough milk and just letting her taste what she wants of the solids, I wouldn't do solids first at this stage. We actually found that we started too quickly with rice cereal and it was making DS uncomfortable so we then cut right down to just pears for breakfast for a while before gradually introducing other fruit and veggies and other meals. DS gradually started eating much more solids - I say gradually, but sometimes he'll suddenly decide to make a big jump in the amount he's eating! So don't worry, she'll get there when she needs to

[NikNik]

Thanks. She is doing much better. Actually, once she started sleeping better she started becoming more interested in the solids. Maybe she was just too tired to be trying new things before. It is still going slow but she seems to be enjoying the process now. So we will keep going slow and see how it goes. Thanks for the advice. 

[NikNik]

Ok- SO we are up to 3 meals a day now, and some days she eats and others not so much. I have a really basic questions to ask:

I have been offering 2-3 different foods at each meal-
Breakfast is pear or apple with cereal
Lunch is usually 2 savory (pumpkin and zucchini, for example) followed by 1 sweet (apple or pear)
Dinner is Cereal with 1-2 savory followed by 1 sweet

Am I offering her too much/too many different tastes per meal? Should I stick to one thing or one savory and one sweet?  Obviously I am asking because it is going very slowly and I end up wasting a lot of food (though some meals she eats everything)

Also wanted to ask- DD seems to be very fussy about temperature and consistency. The temperature has to be fairly warm and consistency has to bee smooth. Friends are telling me that if I don't vary the temp/textures than she will not eat anything else in the future. But if I don't heat up her foods than she doesn't eat it so I am not sure what to do.

I am finding the 3 day rule between new foods agonizing as she doesn't seem to like anything new I offer then I have to wait 3 more days to try something else. Meanwhile, every dinner is pretty much pumpkin, zucchini and pear since these have been most successful. Less successful have been carrots, apples and sweet potato. No success with peas or bananas. I am trying to enjoy this process- I even let her try to feed herself either with fingers or the spoon and she makes a huge mess- but I am finding it is often more frustrating than not. I also feel that if I just gave her a bowl of pears for every meal she would probably eat more.

Anyway, this was half for advice and half just to vent
Thanks!

[trimbler]

I could have written that at the same stage - in fact, I probably did write something quite similar! It was suggested to me that I could try mixing in something he liked with something he wasn't eating so well, and, after a little trial and error, that got him eating a greater variety of foods. Yes I know that means they're not exactly being introduced to new tastes one by one and Tracy recommended, but it did get him eating more veg. Then it's really up to you if you want to offer more than one food at each meal, if it's working for you then I'd carry on, but if it's just too much hassle then don't worry, she's just starting out and doesn't 'need' it at the moment, she's just learning and getting used to it.

Not sure what to suggest about the temperature/texture thing, although it's quite normal for LOs to start with really smooth stuff at first, I don't think that's really anything to worry about for now, just gradually introduce different textures once she's eating the smooth stuff well. I still find that I have to warm DS' savoury food if it's something I've cooked, but he'll happily eat anything cold out of a jar! Maybe a texture thing, have yet to work that one out...

I think we just need to try and ride out these phases, I've found that DS goes through a really good eating phase, taking two steps forward... and then a few steps back... HTH, I'm sure others will come back with good advice!

[~inbalance~]

I wouldn't worry about the temperature and texture issues, she is still young yet and lots of babies don't enjoy textures until later.  I think it's important to offer different temps and textures sometimes, but don't worry if she likes it a certain way.

If she has no allergies and intolerances I think you could be a little more lenient with the 3 day rule.  Just aware it would be harder to figure out if she does have a reaction.  Keeping a food log might help.

I always used to offer one savory and one sweet so I don't think you're doing too much.  Maybe keep it to 2 tastes per meal.

But overall follow your instinct, sounds like you're doing a great job.