Dear all:

Actually solids should COMPLEMENT the breast milk, not replace it.  Kay Dewey did a great talk at the 
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine several years back on the topic of when solids end up doing what 
they shouldn't - replace the breast milk.  It has nothing to do with when the food or the breast is 
offered.  They found it didn't matter.  What did matter was how many times the food was offered.  If I 
remember correctly the study was done in Mexico so I am assuming these were not the sleep trained 
babies we encounter, they were more likely to be on cue feeders and probably nursing more at night.  
So, the critical juncture seemed to be 5 feedings ore more a day of solids in the 9-12 month range 
started to REPLACE the breast milk.   Now, this may differ with some of our heavily sleep trained 
babies.

What solids offer is NOT calories.  Most solids are less dense in calories and therefore do not improve 
weight gain.  What they should offer initially is a source of iron and zinc which appears to be in the 
6-9 month range for most infants (yes, there are exceptions we all know).  I remember the theory 
went that we were clubbing those random free range animals and chewing up bits of meat and 
sticking it in our babies mouths in our preagricultural era.  Remember - free range in an environment 
that doesn't contain our current chemical stew and, because they weren't congregated into pens 
where bacteria can proliferate, they weren't filled with antibiotics.  

Best, Susan Burger

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