As with many areas of breastfeeding, we can watch our baby and we will find the answers to most of our questions about starting solids.

Is my baby ready for solid food?

A basic rule about starting solids - babies that are ready for solid foods generally can feed themselves.  This means that they are able to sit up on their own without support.  This also means that they have a pincer grip and can use their index finger and thumb to pick up small objects and put them in their mouths.  This also means that they have lost the tongue-thrust reflex.  What is the tongue-thrust reflex?  Babies will push anything out of their mouth (except for the breast), using their tongue, while the tongue-thrust reflex is intact.  If a parent were to feed them solid foods before they are ready, the baby just ejects the food, albeit slowly, using their tongue and the food dribbles down their chin. (they do this with soothers also!) Some babies are ready for solids between 4-6 months, but many babies are well over 6 months of age before they show signs of readiness for solid foods, and sometimes even closer to 1 year of age.

What solid foods can I begin with?

To minimize the development of allergies when starting solids, it is best to stay away from dairy (from all animals), wheat, eggs, corn, nuts, strawberries, shellfish, and anything else to which your family has a history of allergies.  To optimize health, do not feed children under 1 year honey, citrus, tomatoes, tuna, high-sugar and high-salt foods.  Also avoid foods that could cause choking:  whole grapes, hot dogs (not a healthy choice anyways!), popcorn, hard fruits/veggies and dried fruit.  So what is left when starting our baby on solids??

Baby's first solid foods can be banana, avocado, softened small pieces of meat, cooked or steamed veggies, unsweetened applesauce, small pieces of fruit, or rice.  It's best to start with one food at a time to catch any possibilities of sensitivities if a rash shows up either on the face, or later that day in the diaper area, or anywhere on their body.  Mixed foods should be avoided until parents know that baby tolerates each separate ingredient.  Often, parents will choose a baby-friendly food from what they have made for supper and  and put it on the high chair tray in front of baby, so that everyone is sitting together to have dinner.  Whether or not baby actually eats all or any of what he is given is irrelevant - it's fun and sets the stage for family time over the dinner hour for years to come.

Why am I starting solid foods with my baby?

Breast milk is the only food baby needs for the first year of life.  It is essential during this time, and solid foods are not supposed to replace breastmilk as a form of sustenance.  In fact, it is recommended that we feed solids to our babies after we breastfeed!  So why do we start solid foods?  Some babies wonder that too, as they are not really ready to start solids until they are approaching their first birthday.  However, other babies would tell you (if they could talk!) that they LOVE solids - they love the different tastes, the feel of them (in their mouth, on their hands), they love sitting with Mom or Dad while they're eating, they love throwing it and playing in it and getting to know a bit more of their world.   All of these experiences are important to our baby's development - when they are ready for it.  Starting solid foods is not about giving baby something that is missing in breast milk.  Starting solid foods is about giving baby another experience - tasting and feeling and experimenting with the stuff that will become the mainstay of their diet for the rest of their lives.  

What's a breastfeeding mom to do when her baby gets their first tooth?  In reality, for most mothers, they don't need to do anything!!  It is comforting to know that babies cannot breastfeed and bite at the same time - the mechanics of breastfeeding do not allow it.  However, some babies will attempt to clamp down while at the breast at some point in their breastfeeding career.  Many babies only do this once - they learn quickly from Mom that breasts are not for biting!!   Here are some things to do if your darling baby turns into a chompin' cherub:

1.  Pull baby in tightly to you to cover their nose with breast tissue, so that baby must let go in order to breathe.  Many moms will pull baby away from the breast when they bite, but this just increases tissue trauma.

2.  Exclaim with conviction that Mommy is not for biting, and give baby an appropriate chew toy or cloth instead.  Some mothers need to be careful not to scare their baby when they do this, while other babies respond calmly to their mothers exclamation.  Understand that baby is learning, and is not intending to hurt you!

3.  As baby clamps down, reach around with a free hand and quickly de-latch them by slipping your finger in between their gums and breaking the suction, while quickly removing your breast from their mouth.

4.  For those occasional babies that bite repeatedly, mothers often find that it occurs at the same point in a feeding.  This allows them to anticipate the clamping down and de-latch baby before it happens.  For example, some babies can clamp down as they fall asleep at the breast, so for those babies, it would be important to be ready with a finger to de-latch as they fall asleep.  Other babies may clamp down at the beginning of a feed if they're waiting for the let-down to happen.  Again, be ready with a finger and ever-watchful, reminding baby as needed that Mommy is not for biting.

5.  Thankfully, biting at the breast does not often repeat itself as babies are quick learners and Mothers are motivated teachers!!