Hi all-

I have been nomail and just finished reading the postings that accumulated before I went nomail and had to comment on the intr. solids discussion. When moms ask me about introducing solids, I quote them AAPs policy, and also reinforce that the introduction of solids does not increase a baby's caloric intake-the number of calories remain stable. This of course means that a baby who is taking solids before 6 months of age is receiving less breast milk, and the solid is replacing a nutrient-dense food with one that is inferior  (this does appear to be evidence-based as LLL "The Breastfeeding Answer Book" references a study that concluded this information). (Now, I'm not going to go into the fact that this is a secondary source and I didn't see the original study). 

When a mom asks me about starting solids before 6 months of age, I ask her how often the baby is breastfeeding. If the answer is well below 12x/24 hr period, I tell her I wouldn't even DREAM of introducting solids at this point. I point out that a baby is displaying signs of readiness when they have met the following criteria: an interest in solid food, the tongue extrusion reflex is gone, the baby has doubled his/her birth weight, can sit well, AND is breastfeeding more than 12x/day for several days in a row (not just a couple which would indicate a growth spurt and not a sign of readiness).

 I cringe when I hear stories about babies "tasting" common allergens before 9-12 months of age due to gut closure time-lines.(now I know that there is starting to be some discussion that delaying introduction of allergenic foods does not affect prevention of food allergies, but I tend to be conservative when it comes to this issue). Anyway, these are my thoughts on the issue. (couldn't resist!)

Sadly, I must remain nomail :-(   We just closed on a 1922 house that needs EXTENSIVE rehab so I will be quite busy for some time. I will miss you all!

Warmly,

Stacy D. Kucharczk MSN, RN, CPNP, IBCLC
BestFeeding Lactation Services, LLC
Virginia Beach, USA

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