| Author | |
doris
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1103
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 4:17am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I thought I'd start another thread rather than hijack Jenn's.
I've always introduced solids at 6 months. I see from the other thread that some people delay it until later. Could you share why you do that? Isn't there a worry about the baby's iron supplies?
There's no family history of allergies and my baby is feeding like mad so I'm quite keen to fill him up...
__________________
Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ladycarobe
Forum Pro
Joined: Dec 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 276
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 5:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have decided to delay introducing solids because of a family history of allergies (Dh: milk, me: wheat).
I never worried about iron levels (maybe because nobody warned me  ), the doctors around here seem much more worried about this supposed window in which you *must* get them to eat solids otherwise they end up with all kinds of problems talking and eating. I always thougth this very weird, it's not like I keep them locked in a closet and never let them see people eat or never let them mouth objects .
Anyway, both my daugthers were totally not interested in solids at 6 months. My eldest discoverd eating the week after her first birthday, I then introduced new foods using an allergy list and she is a very easy eater now. My youngest daughter started eating a little earlier, I think around 11 mo...and is also a very good eater now. Both didn't like the traditional pureed baby food, they went straigth into the normal food (sligthly cut up).
You don't have a family history of allergies and if your ds is interested...I would say go for it!
However, my eldest breastfed A LOT and even after letting her eat solids she stayed that way, so I don't know if introducing solids will change that for your son. Sorry.
__________________
best wishes,
Ladycarobe.
mom to dd6 , dd4  and dd2  and pregnant.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Tina P.
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1638
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 7:49am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Elizabeth, I also start my kids on solids at about the six-month mark. It's not a magic age. They just seem to be ready for it. I started one of mine feeding later on mushy solids later ~ we were probably moving and I just wanted to keep things neat and tidy ~ and he lasted only one month from mushy food to people food! He's one of my most adventurous eaters.
__________________
Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Kathryn UK
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 27 2005
Location: England
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 924
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 10:46am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Elizabeth, I mostly went down the baby led weaning route with Naomi ... it seems logical to me that when they are physically able to hold, chew and swallow their own food, they are ready for solids. This doesn't usually happen until around six months, and may be later. The baby effectively determines her own readiness and how much food she wants to eat, just as a breastfed baby decides how much milk she wants. Naomi was munching her way happily through rice cakes, carrots and quite a bit else at six months. This was little darling chomping her way through turkey sandwich and cucumber slices at seven months  . She did have some mashed food, but mostly it was finger food from the beginning. It makes weaning very easy.
__________________
Kathryn
Dh Michael,  Rachel(3/95) Hannah(8/98) Naomi(6/06)  (11/07)
The Bookworm
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angie Mc
Board Moderator
Joined: Jan 31 2005
Location: Arizona
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 11400
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 1:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Here are some excellent resources from kellymom.com about introducing solids and iron supplementation to add to the conversation.
Having worked with many breastfeeding moms, I've seen children show signs of readiness for solids anywhere from 4 to 15 months. My children ready between 10 and 12 months so we pretty much went straight to squished family food and finger food.
Elizabeth, is your pediatrician worried about your baby's iron stores?
Love,
__________________
Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
About Me
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 2:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
One of the things I've always heard about the iron stores is the idea that breast milk is "so low" in iron.. but no one ever mentions that what is there is totally useable by the baby.. and what they supplement in other things is not easily used by the baby's body. Oh yes, let's give a hard to process form of iron at a high level instead of a lower level of a form that can easily be used.
This might go back to the whole distrust of a woman's body (hence pregnancy being a medical problem) because the man's body is the "ideal" and so things particular to women (pregnancy, lactation) are suspect.
If you consider that God designed people and called what He made "good".. then it stands to reason that perhaps infants aren't supposed to get as much iron as they say.. or that they're not supposed to have high levels of vit. K at birth etc.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
doris
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1103
|
| Posted: July 25 2008 at 2:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks, all, for your very helpful responses.
Kathryn, my friend has done baby led weaning, and it does appeal. It was purees for my elders so this will be a learning experience for me, too.
Angie, my baby doesn't have a paediatrician! This is the NHS -- no paediatricans for well babies. I'd just heard about the iron thing and didn't want to risk damaging my lovely little one because of my own laziness but the Kellymom articles are very reassuring.
Jodie, very good points, thanks!
All in all, I'm tempted to delay the whole kaboodle until after our holidays...
__________________
Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ladycarobe
Forum Pro
Joined: Dec 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 276
|
| Posted: July 26 2008 at 2:05am | IP Logged
|
|
|
JodieLyn wrote:
This might go back to the whole distrust of a woman's body (hence pregnancy being a medical problem) because the man's body is the "ideal" and so things particular to women (pregnancy, lactation) are suspect.
If you consider that God designed people and called what He made "good".. then it stands to reason that perhaps infants aren't supposed to get as much iron as they say.. or that they're not supposed to have high levels of vit. K at birth etc. |
|
|
First time usng quotes, hope this is allright.
You are totally right about not trusting a woman's body! Drives me crazy, pregnancy is NOT a disease.
However, I have a slightly different opinion about the vitamine K issue. From what I understand, it is very difficult to raise the iron level in mother's breastmilk...no matter what she eats or how much she takes supplements..the level stays the same. To me that indicates that the iron level is how it is supposed to be. However this is not the case with vit K. Vit K is found in whole grains and dark green vegetables and is something a lot of mothers don't eat enough of. When the mother increases her intake of vit K, the amount of vit K in breastmilk increases. So I (IMHO) would not skip vit K supplementation unless you are very sure that you eat right.
__________________
best wishes,
Ladycarobe.
mom to dd6 , dd4 and dd2 and pregnant.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: July 27 2008 at 11:36pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I'm sorry Ladycarobe, I must not have been clear.. I'm talking about the vitamin K shot that infants are given at birth because their levels are naturally lower at that time and only rise to normal about day 8.. docs decided that since the levels are low that that can't be right and must be corrected.. when it seems to me if it's pretty universal that infants have a lower level at birth that perhaps it was designed that way.. especially when you consider that day 8 is when boys were circumcized.. which just happens to be when the vit. K levels are up to normal.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ladycarobe
Forum Pro
Joined: Dec 31 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 276
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 12:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi Jodie,
Ahhh, misunderstanding. In the Netherlands the baby gets a large dose of vitamine K at birth and then we have to supplement daily untill the baby is three months old. I thougth you were writing about that.
Never thougth about circumcizing..as that is totally uncommon in the Netherlands, unless you are jewish.
__________________
best wishes,
Ladycarobe.
mom to dd6 , dd4 and dd2 and pregnant.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
MarilynW
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4275
|
| Posted: July 28 2008 at 6:12am | IP Logged
|
|
|
We delay until 6 or 7 months because of food allergies. My (very good) pediatrician advises against going past 7 or 8 months as he says this is when babies are best able to click with the whole eating thing. You can also see readiness - my ds has always sat at the table with us (special seat which reclined, then moved up) - and by 6 months he was watching us intently and almost licking his lips
__________________
Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hopalenik
Forum Pro
Joined: Nov 17 2006
Location: Connecticut
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 230
|
| Posted: Aug 04 2008 at 11:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi, I wait till about 8 months, when they are swiping it off my plate. I am not worried about the iron issues, I am more concerned about getting pregnant before the baby is one year. My babies are always really fat and healthy and I think it gives me an extra 6 months of infertility (which is good because I have a big x cut on my womb and need a year between pregnancies).
__________________
Holly
Mom to dd 10, twins dd and ds (transplant as baby that failed 05/09, permanent dialysis patient) 8 , dd 5 and dd 3 1/2 and dd in Feb 2009. 2 I hope to meet in heaven.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
doris
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 24 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1103
|
| Posted: Aug 04 2008 at 4:14pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet -- baby was awake about 4 times in an 8-hour stretch last night -- I'm on my knees... But I doubt a bit of carrot will do the trick... Aaaargh!
__________________
Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Forum Locked) 
4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: More weaning -- when?
