Feeding Considerations
Because you are going to start solid foods at some point during this time in your baby's life, you can expect mealtimes to become a little more interesting. It can also be fun to watch your baby's face as you introduce new foods, tastes, and textures. Even though she begins to eat some solid foods, don't expect your baby to cut back very much on breast or formula feeding just yet. The bulk of her calories and nutrition will still be from breastmilk or formula.
Continuing to Breastfeed
Although many mothers start out with a plan to breastfeed until their baby is at least a year old, many stop breastfeeding around this time. They may want to stop because they are having problems, they are getting pressure to stop from other family members or friends, or simply because they think that they have breastfed long enough.
Just because your baby is getting a tooth or has started biting, isn't a reason for his mother to stop breastfeeding. Babies can be discouraged from biting by stopping the feeding after they bite and saying “No” firmly or by gently pushing them into the breast for a few seconds.
Before stopping, moms should consider if the baby is really ready to stop. If they both enjoy breastfeeding, there may be no reason to stop yet. Remember that the AAP guidelines recommend breastfeeding for at least a year. This is a good time for you to offer some support and encouragement for mom to continue to breastfeed as long as she and your baby want. And you can get help from a lactation consultant if she is stopping before she wants to because of problems.
One simple reason to continue to breastfeed at this age is that both mom and baby still get all of the benefits that breastfeeding provides. Also consider that if breastfeeding has been going well up to this point, then it should continue to go well with few problems. And your baby will probably cut back on some feedings soon and may be down to just five to seven feedings a day by six months.
Continuing Formula
At this age, your baby is likely to still be taking five to six ounces of formula four to six times a day. Although she may be eating more at each feeding and feeding fewer times a day, the total daily formula intake will still be about twenty-four to thirty-two ounces. Don't expect any big changes in formula feeding until later, when your baby is eating a good two or three meals of solid foods each day.
Special formula for older infants is available, but you don't necessarily need to use it. The regular infant formulas, plus the solid foods that she will be eating, provide all of the nutrition that your baby will need until she is twelve months old.
Starting Solids
You can start solid foods at some point during these months of your baby's life. As long as you don't start too early or before your baby is ready, she should do well with solids. A reflex called the tongue thrust reflex is most likely going to be the limiting factor in starting solids. This reflex causes a baby to use her tongue to push nonliquids out of her mouth, which is useful to avoid choking on things. Because this reflex usually goes away at about four months, most infants aren't ready to start solids before then.
Even if you think that your baby is ready for solids, that doesn't mean that she will want to eat them. If your baby isn't ready for solids, then wait before offering them. Don't try to rush things by putting solid foods in a bottle or infant feeder before she is ready.
Your baby may be ready for solid foods if she:
Has doubled her birth weight
Is at least four months old
Has lost her tongue thrust reflex
Has no risks for developing food allergies (risks include having other food allergies, eczema, or asthma, or having other family members with these problems)
The first solid to try is an iron-fortified rice cereal. You can slowly work your way up from there. If you start the cereal early, right at four months, you can probably wait another month or two to start vegetables or fruits. Parents who start a little later can go a little quicker, although it is still a very good idea to wait two to three days between introducing new foods so that you can watch for a reaction. (See Chapter 11 for more information on infant nutrition.)
