# Waiting until 1 year to intro solids?



## batsoup (Feb 3, 2006)

I met someone who has waited until her kids are 1 before introducing solids. I've been reading up on Baby-led weaning/intro to solids and am liking it, but I'm in NO RUSH for DS (6.5 months) to start eating, and I'd rather just keep breastfeeding him exclusively for another few months at least.

Have you done this? Have you read anything about it? I have heard that babes are fine on breastmilk until 1, but that's all -- no resources.

Tell me about your experience doing this and how it's worked for you. The kids I spoke of are awesome and fine and healthy, so i know it can work, i just want to know more!

Thanks!


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

A friend of the family didn't give her kids solids until 1 year- all six of them. I spoke with her when I was pregnant and considering UC because she UC'd some of her kids, and it came up in conversation. She didn't really give concrete reasons, only that that's what her mom did and she thought that was best for her kids. Her kids are fantastically healthy, heck one of em's always been on the chunky side







I think its more common in other parts of the world too, especially where food and water supplies are not as safe as in places like America. My 6 month old is still EBF and I think will be for many more months to come. We let him play with banana slices but he doesn't put them in his mouth, can't sit unassisted yet, no pincer grasp, etc...he's definitely not ready. When the babe picks up the food and eats it, then they're ready!


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## MamaRabbit (May 26, 2005)

DS had no solids until 13 months. I read up on all of the other posts here and on kellymom.com and made up my mind. I had planned on 1 year, but he was more interested a month later. I was told, oh, he'll miss the "window of opportunity" for solids, but yeah right. You should see that kid eat!


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## NotTheOnlyOne (Oct 23, 2006)

Both the WHO AND the APP

reccommend starting complimentary foods at 6 months. You wont find a ton of research done on waiting until a year.


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## nonnymoose (Mar 12, 2004)

I don't think it'll hurt anything, but I can tell you that, though waiting might have worked with my first child, it wouldn't have gone over very well with the second. He really, really, _really_ likes solid food.


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## Minerva (Jul 7, 2005)

Abby's almost 13 months and is still exclusively breastfeed. She has no interest in our food, which is just as well with our family history of allergies. And we aren't offering, either. We decided that if she's not mugging us for our dinners, we'll assume she doesn't want it since she puts everything else in her mouth.

For what it's worth, she's ridiculously healthy (just getting over her second cold ever) and at the top of the (formula) growth chart.


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## LEAW (Aug 5, 2004)

I planned on going to a year w/o solids, and ended up giving them to her at 10 months. She does have food allergies though, and her GI and pedi completely supported my decision to withold solids as long as possible.

Like I said, we planned a year, but at 10 months I was 25 lbs below pre preg. weight and losing quickly, while eating 2600-3000 cal/day. I couldn't stay healthy and continue to lose that much weight, so we started with the very lowest allergens (millet, turkey, pears) and used the Joneja scale for introducing solids to the food allergic baby (google "joneja scale" if you want to see it)... at 2 she still hasn't had everything there is to eat.

And of course the aap DOESN'T recommend it.. formula isn't complete enough to sustain a child to 12 months, you need solids when you ff... and since they base their knowledge in "generic" baby, they don't really recognize that someone might bf that long!


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## Neth Naneth (Aug 11, 2006)

I was going to wait 9 months but a lot of people told me to wait till the baby became interested in food. He eats something solid almost everyday and I try to eat when he is napping because he is so into eating.







We almost made it though.


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## Romana (Mar 3, 2006)

I believe in allowing the baby to choose, and if the baby shows strong interest I think it's best to allow healthy solids. I would have liked to EBF longer, but dd was grabbing food off our plates at 5.5 mos and we intro'd solids at 6 mos. I just remember the doctor saying she "wouldn't know what to do with" solids at 6 mos and we'd have to feed her with a spoon etc. but that just was not the case. She was chewing and eating long before she had any teeth.

Who knows, maybe my next babe won't show interest in solids, and then we'll wait!

Julia
dd 10 mos


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## Kristinmcall (Jan 10, 2007)

Now he is an extremely picky eater. I won't go into too much detail, but I think that for him, waiting that long may have contributed to his pickiness. I had a hard time getting him to take anything at 10 months, he seemed eager to eat from a spoon and loved rice cereal with breastmilk, but he was very reluctant to try anything with a different texture or smell. I feel that in his case, if I had started him a little earlier, when he might have been more receptive to new things, I might have an easier time getting him to eat more now. All kids are different though and I don't think there is anything wrong with exclusively breastfeeding for a long time.


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## 425lisamarie (Mar 4, 2005)

Well, DS didn't want anything to do with food untill about 13 or 14 months....except yogurt. After he started he never stopped







!

DD will eat anything in sight....you should see the way she zooms across the floor for a plate of food


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## BethSLP (Mar 27, 2005)

DD started eating on her 9 month birthday! We began offering around 8.5 months but the gag reflex was strong. She seemed interested, but after a few bites she'd choke. So we backed off. She was on antibiotics for a raging double ear infection. I didnt offer food because her gut was already ripped up from the antibiotics. The day she went off the antibiotics was her 9 month b-day. She was trying to eat leaves off the floor so I put Gerber Puffs there instead. She ate like 40 in a row!!!

I, too, was told that there was a "window of opportunity." In our case that definetly was NOT true. DD is interested in eating now, sits in her highchair, and readily chomps up any finger foods she can get her hands on. Finger foods is all she wants though. She likes to self feed.

My ped does a test at 9 months for iron deficiency. I do not know all the details on it, but I believe even Kellymom talks about how EBF babies can get low on iron towards the end of the first year. Again, I don't know but I would look into it if I was not now feeding DD some solids at 9 months.

My mom fed me at 9 months so I think thats why we went this route. Also DH has some allergies. Dr. Sears says there is a theory that babies who have allergy vulnerability will sometimes have a gag reflex longer to protect themselves from food (hence protecting against developing an allergy). In our case, I believe this may be a possibility. Also, my DD got her first teeth at 8.5 months. It seemed like her interest in food was related to the teeth also.....but thats just my random idea. We just watched her for signs of readiness and didn't push it. Offered every now and again and determined she was not yet ready. Then all of the sudden, she was ready and eating away.

I personally think its good to feed your child when they show signs of readiness, like Dr. Sears explains in THE BABY BOOK. Just as I believe its wrong to feed your kid too early (with plans of sleeping through the night or because of some arbitrary threat of a "window of opportunity"), I also think its wrong to withhold solids from a baby who wants to eat because you want to cling to this idea of being alternative and delaying solids....just my opinion.

Best of luck!
XOXO
B


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## MAMom (Mar 24, 2005)

We made a conscious decision to EBF /not introduce solids until 1 year for DD.

She just turned one last week, and we've introduced pears and sweet potatoes so far. We skipped the whole 'pureed foods' stage and went straight to self feeding.

It worked for us (in fact, I think EBF is a lot easier than doing foods - my breasts are always with me & there's no mess to clean up off the floor after she nurses









Our relatively mainstream family practice doc was fully supportive of waiting until after a year for solids, which was a bonus b/c I was ready for a fight from him actually - it was nice to not have to have it.


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## Tripletmommy (Dec 12, 2005)

I couldn't find any info on inroducing solids other then @ 6 months. So that is when I started. I was on my own at the time with three 6 month olds so some days it was easier to nurse then line them up for food, so that is what I did.

My kids where over a year before they where really eating baby food. Some of it was my choosing and some was thier dislike of it.

Thay are now 3 and eat EVERYTHING! They have no allergies or texture issues. I have a new baby and will probably wait till 9 months before starting cereal.

HTH, Good luck.


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## MamaRabbit (May 26, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BethSLP* 
My ped does a test at 9 months for iron deficiency. I do not know all the details on it, but I believe even Kellymom talks about how EBF babies can get low on iron towards the end of the first year. Again, I don't know but I would look into it if I was not now feeding DD some solids at 9 months.

My opinion on this is that introducing solids hinders the body's natural ability to absorb the natural iron from the breastmilk.

I had my son's iron checked at 9mo just to prove his pediatrician wrong that he'd be anemic. His iron was perfect.


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## Mrs_Hos (May 3, 2004)

dd was 11 mo when she got her 1st solids...now she eats eveything...even collard greens!


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

i didnt do it on purpose, but we didnt really introduce solids until 11/12mths old, and ds didnt become really interested until 15mths old, now he rushes back and forth between us and his high chair asking to be put in, and when he sees food on the counter, he signs "eat".

we are still introducing them slowly, so far hes only had a reaction to bananas, which was unfortunate because he LOVED them.


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## batsoup (Feb 3, 2006)

this is all really good info - thank you everyone! Anyone else?


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## CalebsMama05 (Nov 26, 2005)

I decided to wait until ds2 was interested in solids before I gave any. at least 6m. as it turns out he got interested just before his 6m birthday and now gets some solids. just a bit off my plate every day or every other day. just what he manages to grab...just fun at this point though and nurses the same...maybe even a little more.


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## Samjm (Mar 12, 2005)

We waited till DD showed interest in our food - by that I mean she was grabbing the stuff off our plates. That was at 6 months. She already had teeth as well, and all the other signs of readiness. She progressed onto very soft chunks of food by 7 months, because she hated the purees.

I think every baby is different, and it is important to read your babies cues. Some babies will do very well waiting till 1 yr, but others (like DD) would be very unhappy and hungry if we had waited.


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## 2+twins (Apr 20, 2004)

I didn't wait quite a full year. My twins, who are now 10 months, were almost 10 months when they tried their first solids. They both were expressing a lot of interest - one more than the other (scavenging for crumbs his older siblings would accidentally drop on the ground). It's gone over well with the one who was scavenging already. The other twin isn't quite so ready. So while we've given them a little bit of solids, it's been very laid back and really only a handful of times (honestly it's just such a pita - I'd rather nurse them). So we started solids *close* to a year. We don't do well baby checks so I don't know what their iron levels are like but they appear plenty healthy. My less-interested baby is huge (about 25 lbs now).


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## *guest (Oct 7, 2005)

At almost 8 months, she has no solids for nutrition. We've certainly offered because she likes to play with food and experiment with self-feeding, but that's about it. When food gets in her mouth, she makes the face of horror and thrusts it out or gags (this is with self-feeding, btw), so she is ultimately in charge. She does have a dairy sensitivity, so we're following the Joneja scale someone mentioned above, as far as what we do even allow her to play with. She'll decide when she's ready to actually consume, which is my personal ideal. If that's at 9 months or 12 months, I don't really care. I think Dr. Sears has some citations about BM being OK for the first 9-12 months. Usually you hear 6, but I am pretty sure he explicitly says longer.


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## MiriamF (Feb 8, 2006)

I'm glad to see a thread like this started because there seems to be virtually no information/support for us mamas who delay solids up till a year a longer. My 10 month old daughter is still 100% exclusively breastfed, though she's had her fair share of "food play". Honestly, she displayed all the 'signs' of readiness that people say is indication that they can eat but I think 6 months is a common age where babies are really interested in EVERYTHING, and getting really good at reaching out and grabbing everything. This doesn't mean they have to eat. We may have lost that 'window of opportunity' to get her used to eating food at an early age, but I'm glad we got past it, and now when we're eating she might yell hysterically but it's only because she wants to immerse her little hands into my plate and fling food everywhere. Argh!









We plan on continuing to avoid solids until 12 months. I'm not worried and I haven't a doubt that it is the most natural thing in the world for babies to exclusively breastfeed until at least 12 month of age, maybe even longer! I really think there are endless benefits to extended exclusive breastfeeding and avoiding solids. And that's just my two cents!


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## NYCVeg (Jan 31, 2005)

My dd is 8.5 months and has never eaten solids. She showed all the signs of readiness at 6.5 months (pincer grasp, sitting, etc.), so we began to offer small chunks of stuff. She pick it up, maybe give it a lick, then make a horrible face and spit out anything she actually managed to get in her mouth.







Just to experiment, I've tried giving her a few mushy things (applesauce, mashed butternut squash) on a spoon, but she thinks that's icky, too. She just has no interest in eating. We'll continue putting a little chunk of something in front of her a couple of times a week, and, when she's ready, I assume she'll actually eat something. We're not really in any rush.

I have a friend whose first didn't eat any solids until just over a year (her younger two were interested much earlier, though). He's a happy, healthy 5-year-old and he eats plenty.


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## jenniferlynne (Jun 17, 2006)

Wow, this is really interesting! I'd never heard of delaying solids that long but it makes sense. I'm just wondering if anyone had trouble producing enough breast milk to nourish an older babe? It doesn't sound like it! I'm just wondering b/c with DS (who started solids at 6 mos.), I had plenty of breast milk but was losing weight despite the fact that I was eating constantly. In fact, he was sleeping through the night but I couldn't because I had to get up to eat! He was a pretty voracious eater, though, and absolutely huge for his age...


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## MiriamF (Feb 8, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenniferlynne* 
I'm just wondering if anyone had trouble producing enough breast milk to nourish an older babe? It doesn't sound like it!

I'm vegan, we eat 100% sugar-free, mostly oil-free, whole foods, and heck we even just cut out gluten a few weeks ago! At nine months my daughter was 20 lbs and is growing like a weed. She's ten months now and going strong - just started taking several steps at a time. I've never even given thought to producing enough milk.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Samjm* 
I think every baby is different, and it is important to read your babies cues. Some babies will do very well waiting till 1 yr, but others (like DD) would be very unhappy and hungry if we had waited.

I agree. I don't think 6 months or 12 months are a magic number. Each baby is different. My middle son who was my biggest ate the least solids in the beginning. My smallest and youngest is 6 months and just started this week and LOVES eating. I didn't think it was fair to him to make him wait any longer. I kept having to remove food he'd grab from his hands and he was not happy with me! Here he is tonight.
But if I had a baby who did not seem at all interested, or was not showing ALL of the developmental signs of readiness for solids, then I'd certainly wait, until 1 year or more if that was what was right for that baby.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenniferlynne* 
I'm just wondering if anyone had trouble producing enough breast milk to nourish an older babe? It doesn't sound like it!

Of course not. This is how humans were designed. At 11 months my dd would take a taste here and there of solids. She was 13 months before she would consume as much as 1-2 tablespoons total across a day. Never had any supply problems.

-Angela


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## batsoup (Feb 3, 2006)

I'm so glad i started this thread -- it's been really interesting!

DS is getting more and more interested in food as the days go by -- hard to eat my own meals b/c he wants MY food so much. So i've been giving him an apple to play with, and occasionally a nibble of something else. Like everyone's been saying, he's so into it, i can't deny him, but i'm not making any kind of effort to get him to swallow anything! (not sure if he has yet, mostly licking/chewing). So maybe that's where we'll be for a while -- just food as toy, which is what i've heard a lot " food is for fun before one", etc.


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## BethSLP (Mar 27, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MamaRabbit* 
My opinion on this is that introducing solids hinders the body's natural ability to absorb the natural iron from the breastmilk.

I'm sure this is possible. However, I did want to mention that a friend of mine who's son was not interested in solids and was EBF came back with low iron at his 9 month check. So its possible for this to be an issue with an EBF baby. Whether or not its the lack of solids is definetly debatable. I'd have the check regardless, but thats JMO.

XOXO
B


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## Attached Mama (Dec 4, 2005)

We gave dd solids by 6 mos because she was showing all the signs or "readiness" at 4 mos. But we kept it for the longest time at a bite or two per day. Then around maybe 10 mos she got a bite or two for lunch and a little few bites for dinner - it was almost always just what we were eating - whatever of that she could eat and it was always a very small amount. Around 12 mos she started getting little meals and now at 19 mos she eats pretty good.

Just our experience if you want to limit solids but not forgoe them completely.


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## Ducky5306 (Jul 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BethSLP* 
I'm sure this is possible. However, I did want to mention that a friend of mine who's son was not interested in solids and was EBF came back with low iron at his 9 month check. So its possible for this to be an issue with an EBF baby. Whether or not its the lack of solids is definetly debatable. I'd have the check regardless, but thats JMO.

XOXO
B

my (then) 8 month old also had low iron and was 99% EBF (He likes to play with food and sometimes half a bite might make in to his mouth!) he nurses all the time still and he weighs in at 23 pounds so i know he is getting enough! he is over 9 months now and starting slowly to be interested in eatting some solids i'm just fallowing his lead (within reason)


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## AmieV (Mar 31, 2005)

My ped doesn't even do the iron screen at 9 months...DD's have never had a blood draw other than the PKU. I keep meaning to ask why he doesn't and I always forget(I'm not really concerned, she seems healthy enough to me), but I've always been curious. Anyone else's ped not do them? He's been a ped for like 20 years and is pretty progressive when it comes to bf'ing stuff so I haven't really ever given it a second thought.

Both of my girls were chomping at the bit for solids early on...we fed DD1 a little before 6 months, this time I'm waiting, especially since it's only a couple weeks away. But it's getting really, really hard to eat around her since she's trying to get our food and jam it in her mouth. I also feel bad because she watches us eat like a hungry bird and moves her mouth like she's chewing.


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## Ducky5306 (Jul 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AmieV* 
My ped doesn't even do the iron screen at 9 months...DD's have never had a blood draw other than the PKU. I keep meaning to ask why he doesn't and I always forget(I'm not really concerned, she seems healthy enough to me), but I've always been curious. Anyone else's ped not do them? He's been a ped for like 20 years and is pretty progressive when it comes to bf'ing stuff so I haven't really ever given it a second thought.


Normally my ped dosen't do a iron check at 9 months either but my DS has Breath Holding Spells and they can be related to low iron sometimes so thats why i had them test his iron


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## Houdini (Jul 14, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *batsoup* 
I met someone who has waited until her kids are 1 before introducing solids. I've been reading up on Baby-led weaning/intro to solids and am liking it, but I'm in NO RUSH for DS (6.5 months) to start eating, and I'd rather just keep breastfeeding him exclusively for another few months at least.

Have you done this? Have you read anything about it? I have heard that babes are fine on breastmilk until 1, but that's all -- no resources.

Tell me about your experience doing this and how it's worked for you. The kids I spoke of are awesome and fine and healthy, so i know it can work, i just want to know more!

Thanks!

Two of my four kids didn't start solids until they were a little over a year old. I didn't really read much about, the kids just had zero interest so I went with their cues. We had no issues with it and they are just as healthy as my kids who started solids at six months.


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## Trillian (Nov 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna* 

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jenniferlynne*
I'm just wondering if anyone had trouble producing enough breast milk to nourish an older babe? It doesn't sound like it!

Of course not. This is how humans were designed.

That seems very dismissive of the many mamas here who have posted about their experiences with that problem. Just because it doesn't normally happen doesn't mean it never happens. There is a lot of variation in babies and mothers' metabolisms and milk supplies and personal circumstances.

Think of it this way: could your milk supply adequately sustain another adult human being (2000-3000 calories a day)? If not, then there must be a point between infancy and adulthood when a child outpaces his mother's ability to exclusively breastfeed. That may happen earlier for some than for others.


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## lrlittle (Nov 11, 2005)

Now that I think about it I don't like the wording "starting them on solids" or "introducing" either at 6 mos. OR 1 year. If your baby is around when you're eating (which they should be, right?) it is VERY obvious when they become interested and ready for food. For us at first it was interest without actual eating. DS just wanted to play with it and even put it in his mouth and spit it out. Gradually he grabbed at food and fed himself. Provided you have a healthy BF'ing r'ship I would not withhold or force food at ANY age.

Doctors and authors try to make solids this really complicated, scientific formula. I want to yell at them, It's food! It's not that complicated!!! Stop confusing everyone!!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Trillian* 
That seems very dismissive of the many mamas here who have posted about their experiences with that problem. Just because it doesn't normally happen doesn't mean it never happens. There is a lot of variation in babies and mothers' metabolisms and milk supplies and personal circumstances.

Think of it this way: could your milk supply adequately sustain another adult human being (2000-3000 calories a day)? If not, then there must be a point between infancy and adulthood when a child outpaces his mother's ability to exclusively breastfeed. That may happen earlier for some than for others.

She didn't ask about an adult. She asked about a baby. Specifically UNDER A YEAR. I maintain that as long as both are physically healthy and there are no other issues there is no reason a mom can't provide enough milk for an under 12 month old.

-Angela


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## tsume (Jun 4, 2005)

Our first wasn't interested in solids until he was 10 months and then he would occasionally eat but still 99.99% of the time nurse.

Our second became interested at 8 months and still 99.99% of the time nursed.

It was well after a year before they actively consumed solid food. I become pregnant with our third and that was the time our second started eating more solids than nursing.

Our thrid is almost 8.5 months and she's more interested in playing with food than consuming food. We do offer her solids while at the table but that's to occupy her while we eat and not because we think she's going to eat the food.

And the older two eat everything. They are picky but we have food allergies and the things they are picky about happen to be the things they are allergic to.


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## Dylie Love (Sep 5, 2006)

My chiropractor urged me to exclusively bf for 1 yr. We tried introducing foods every month or so after 7 (because of all the other advice I was bombarded with) but he wanted nothing to do with it. At 1 yr he started solids. This is what I have learned:

-I think picky eaters are just that, regardless of when you start foods. (mine is still very picky)
-Breastmilk is the perfect food at any age (it changes to meet their needs) My son was off the charts his first 3 years and has always been VERY healthy. He did however have a low iron test around 18 months.

Good luck, stay strong and believe in bf!


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Trillian* 

Think of it this way: could your milk supply adequately sustain another adult human being (2000-3000 calories a day)? If not, then there must be a point between infancy and adulthood when a child outpaces his mother's ability to exclusively breastfeed. That may happen earlier for some than for others.

Maybe not right now but if the demand went up, the supply would most likely go up also. There are mothers of multiples who can exclusively breastfeed.

Everything I've read says that solids are just for play, textures, experimentin before a year anyways


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## poetesss (Mar 2, 2006)

Here's a reference from dr. Bob about EBF being okay for a year and stressing that food before then is "for social development and to get infants used to eating":

http://askdrsears.com/faq/bf4.asp


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## Trillian (Nov 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *the_lissa* 
There are mothers of multiples who can exclusively breastfeed.

True. There are also those who can't. (I have one friend who tried very hard to exclusively breastfeed her twins but couldn't.) I just wanted to point out that it is not helpful to speak in absolutes when discussing what other people can or can't do, as there are likely to always be many exceptions.


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