Many cereals are iron-fortified - I'd suggest starting with pieces of fruit
when baby is ready to grab them, probably around 8 or 9 months. (If
babies needed pureed food, G-d would have given women another set
of breasts to provide it!) Unless otherwise compromised, baby should
do fine on breastmilk alone through at least 12 months (I don't know of
studies beyond 12 months, but I'd bet they'll show exclusive BFing OK
a lot longer when/if they're done!)
I'd caution mom not to let solids interfere with BFing, suggest putting
small cut-up pieces of a mildly laxative fruit (like peaches) on dish in
front of baby at dinner table, but not feeding (when baby's ready,
she'll grab them herself! If constipation still occurs, and there's NO
iron supplementation, I'd be worried. I don't know if cut-up prunes are
safe for so young a child, but I'd ask the pedi if OK.
I'd try to avoid enemas if at all possible. Baby has no idea of what's
happening or why yet, only knows mom is doing something that's
invading her, causing pain and giving her cramps. If rectal treatment
is absolutely necessary, a glycerine suppository held in her anus (NOT
fully inserted!) is much less invasive and painful, and is probably all
she needs. Even that should only be used if laxative fruits fail.
Jonathan
On Sun, 27 Jul 1997 00:45:19 -0500, Mary Anne Banaszewski wrote:>
Ok, here's the situation: Mom has a 6 month old who has been doing
>fine until they started trying solids a few weeks ago. Only gave baby about
>1 Tbsp each day (rice cereal or pears) but baby's stooling pattern went
>from 1/day to nothing for 5-6 days, with stool very hard and difficult to
>pass (mom had to resort to enema to give baby relief). This has occured
>twice now; each time, mom has stopped the cereal or fruit by day 3 and
>baby still had no stool by day 5 or 6.
Only G-d knows the formula for mother's milk
L. Jonathan Kramer, P.E.
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Graduate Breastfeeding Counselor
Student Lactation Consultant
Certified Medela Nursing Bra Fitter
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