My 6 Month Old Will Not Eat

don;t worry.. i breast fed my first child til she was 10 mos + old.. she was nvr hungry and very healthy!,, I started her very slowly w/cereal diluted not very thick and fed her with a spoon.. about a wk later /made it more thick and slowly she started responding to the spoon feeding ..while still breast feeding..about 1 yr she was completely weaned and eating all foods...kids are very smart..when they are hungry they eat.. tired they sleep...
want attentin. they cry..we should b so smart..shw ws eting by 14 mos by herself and potty trained..as I had ano on the way!! Good Luck...and a child shall guide them

6 months seems too early. From everything I've read including advice from pediatrician, nine months is when you should start giving them food (trying, that is). I started then with my son, and at that age he wasn't interested at all! It took almost a year for him to really start eating. (He's now an extremely healthy 3 year old who eats a variety of things with a lot of appetite). As long as you have enough milk, that's the best nutrition she can get. I wouldn't worry at all, just try again at nine months and see.

good luck,
G.

What are you mixing the cereal with? I had to mix it with some juice at first. Now I just use breast milk. Who knows she may not be ready, just don't give up.

Hi there,
I totally understand the worries about not being able to start doing what the Dr. tells you to do immediately.Oh the joys of being a first time Mom! Your first advice to start solids in a bottle feeder is what I would suggest also. But keep in mind if she is being fed the bottle by you, she will probably not want it when she smells your breast milk right there. Get Dad to feed it to her and if she's anything like my son, you may have to leave the room. If he heard my voice he would stop taking the bottle and cry. I wouldn't be to worried that she doesn't want food from the spoon. Both of mine took it from the spoon but it did not look easy at first. So try the feeder and see what happens. It doesn't really matter how she gets it at first just that she gets the added nutrients.
Good Luck!

Stop stressing about this, your child is not ready for cereal and that is really not a big deal. As long as she is getting plenty of breastmilk (or formual) she is not being deprived!!! All the nuttrients baby needs are in your breastmilk!

My son was not ready for solid food until he was 8 mos old. I breastfed exclusively until then. My pediatrician told me that breastmilk or formula is fine until they are ready. Every baby is different. I think your baby just needs more time.

One additional thing, be very careful when putting any cereal in a bottle. The best way to do that is to get a bottle feeder specially designed for cereal to avoid choking hazards.

Did your pediatrician say why they reccomended starting solids? Or is this just something they reccomend to everyone at 5 mos? (My pediatrician advises not starting solids until after 6 mos especially if breastfeeding.) You can also talk to your pediatrician, I am sure it's not a big deal as long as baby is not losing weight and is having normal diapers!

Since you are breastfeeding I wouldn't worry too much. My son ate some days, then would go for a week not wanting much to do with food. I think when they are that little it is not a big deal. My son still has his days he doesn't want much to do with food and he is 10 months old and in the 90% for weight and length. If he doesn't seem to be into eating solids I will just throw in an extra nursing session. My little one had some ear infection problems and that is what was causing his somewhat low appetite one time so you might want to get her ears checked just to be sure she is all good in that dept. Other than that, with time she will get the hang of it:) I don't know how you give her her cereal, but my son loves it with a little baby food fruit. Best wishes!!

Hi K.,

I nursed my son. when it came time to start solid foods. I did this. I put a little rice cereal and breast milk in a bottle with a nipple that had a little bigger hole in it. At first it took him time to get us to it, but when he did. I started to cut the bottle at lunch and started him on the vegetables in baby food first. Then added in the fruit in the baby food. It will take some work to get her to eat, but when she is ready she will let you know. Then reason I started with the veges first is because I watched my youngest sister started on the fruit and she wouldn't eat the veges. I wish you luck.

Don't stop nursing - that's not the problem. Some babies just don't like different textures than milk. At this age, it's not necessary for them to get outside nutrients, but feeding them is more to get them used to eating. Give it a short rest and keep trying again. But try not to wait too much longer because the longer you wait, the more you risk her not taking food in the future - when she (and you!) needs it. Make it fun. Make her warm and comfortable in her high chair, play games and smile a lot. "Wipe" it onto the roof of her mouth with the spoon when she smiles back. Start with a teaspoon and gradually work your way up. Talk to your peditrician or call the nurse at the office. They can give you better tips than I can! I'd ask if it could be that she has a condition like acid reflux that makes it hurt for her to eat, or if it could be that she just doesn't want to eat. Hope this helps!

The trick is that you need to buy about 3 bottles and put her food in it! You don't have to stop nursing cold turkey, but if she's not taking the ceral from a spoon, give it to her in a bottle. Depending on how long you wait, you will be depriving her from substantial foods. I agree with the doctor. You must introduce her to something new besides breast milk.

My pedi told me to start my son on rice cereal at 4 months. My son maybe ate a few spoons if at all until maybe 6 months and not until about 8 months did he really begin to take it in (and other stage 1 foods). DO NOT stop breastfeeding any less! That's the best nutrients your daughter can get right now! Most countries don't introduce foods until after 12 months so its pure breastmilk for them for a full year! Just keep sitting her in the high chair for breakfast and lunch time and keep trying. One day she'll open up and start taking some spoons. I wasted lots of baby food doing this but they'll understand eventually. Good luck! And don't worry! =)

My daughter didn't really get into solids until well after her first birthday. My pediatrician told me that the first 6 months are practice anyway - the primary source of nutrition is breastmilk or formula. I wouldn't worry too much about it. She's getting everything she needs from you. Just expose her to some different tastes and textures. Show her how much fun it is to eat "real food". She'll be eating in no time!

Please don't rush your baby to eat table food. She will get there soon and nursing won't last forever. I nursed both of my children until they were toddlers (3 years and 2.5 years) and it was the best thing I could have done for both of them. Mother's milk is the perfect food for your baby and she will eventually start eating table food when she is ready. Enjoy every moment that you have with your precious baby, as the years fly by fast!
Blessings to you and your family.....

Is she getting full and at a healthy weight for her? Does she also sleep all night and not wake up for the bottle? Hey, if she is happy and not losing weight, I would let her take her time also. I would probably let the doc know that she is still breast feeding only for his records. It seems that different generations and cultures have different thoughts on this. Yet all generations and cultures grow up healthy.

Hello K. and CONGRATULATIONS!

I nursed my daughter for the first 13 months of her life and she was very content and healthy! Although that was over 30 years ago!

For the first 12 months of her life I FORBID anyone to give her ANYTHING at all besides my milk! And I monitored it like a hawk! She went from me to a cup. A bottle NEVER touched her mouth. That was long before these new easy pumps! After that I slowly introduced her to food, though she did not care much for it either at first.

Fortunately she had a big brother (who I was not successful at nursing) and I recalled having to introduce foods very slowly to him, though he was much younger when he required food. Back then the doctors believed that a new food every week to two weeks was best for the babies' digestive system to adapt to - so that was the way I introduced food to my daughter.

My daughter was a butter ball and a very happy baby! If she is healthy and you are providing her sufficient nutrition, I would say let her be the judge of when she needs more.

No, I am not a doctor - just a mother of 4 and a grandmother of 4!

Enjoy these precious months. They grow so fast!

K.,

I had a similar experience to Jennifer F, with both my girls. They both were exclusively breastfed until probably 9 months or so, when I'd give them a taste here-and-there of table food. I tried the whole baby food thing with my oldest, but wasn't totally committed to it (since she was going for table food, anyway), and I never bothered trying the second time around.

Breastmilk hands-down is the best nutrition you can give your baby, so if you don't think she's ready or really wants to start solids - go with your gut. Pediatricians know a lot, but they don't know it ALL. I've always been a very instinctual parent, and it's served me (and my girls) well.

Best wishes, and congratulations on your baby girl!
M.

Breast milk is the most substantial food. it has proteins, fats, vitamins and so on and everything is natural and organic. What does a bowl of cereal has?
I know people who started solids at 9 month. me personally, I started at 8 month and only as supplemet. I wish I waited longer.

You just need to make sure that you eat really well.

Breast milk IS the best food for your baby now. Many moms wait until 1 year to give solids. I have known lots of happy, healthy breast fed babies who were learning to walk AND learning to eat at the same time! I wait until the baby starts asking to eat MY food and then I know she's ready for solids. http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

You could offer her something ( smooshed banana, unsweetened applesause, cooked peas in a blender..) every once in a while and see if she shows interest, but if she is healthy I wouldn't worry. Cutting out nursing sessions isn't a good idea yet.

S., mom to four girls ages 13 months (newly weaned) to 5 years.

I started my son on cereal at 4 months at my doctor's urging and it just didn't feel right-- he initially had a hard time with it and it just seemed so early to me. We had been relying solely on breastfeeding until that point and I wish I had waited longer. So, I guess if I could go back intime I'd nurse until my son had shown me that he was ready for solids, instead of following some arbitrary doctor's guidelines. (I normally trust my doctor, but I read somewhere afterwards that the whole solids-starting-at-a-certain-age thing actually began when solid foods companies starting advertising and pushing their products!) Until your daughter starts becoming so active that she needs more nutrients, and if it doesn't bother you that you're her sole source of food right now, I'd suggest you kick back and enjoy this time with her. However, since it is an expectation in our society that kids her age start to experiment with solids, I'd continue to include her in mealtimes by offering some in her highchair, even if it's just for her to mush and move around and play with. She'll come around when she's ready. Good luck

If you are still nursing her, there really is no urgency to feed her solids. In fact it may avoid development of allergies by delaying introducing other foods until her digestive system matures some more.
Sometimes infants who have not been cutting teeth yet are not interested in baby foods or cereals - even up to 12 months. Babies will often give you an indication that they are ready for new foods; they will start showing an interest and trying to grab what you are eating. I hope you don't decide to nurse her less - that is the best nutrition she can possibly have. As long as she is healthy and happy, don't be in a hurry. There is an organization called La Leche League that suppports and advises nursing mothers. Look for a group in your area - they may even have meetings that you can attend to meet other nursing moms.

First of all, don't think of other foods as "more substantial!" They don't hold a candle to your liquid gold and if she was not getting enough nutrients she would definitely let you know. For the first year your milk is the best possible for her. She might get interested soon in something else, maybe not. My friend's baby didn't touch anything besides breast milk until she was about 10 mos old. And when she does get interested in other foods, make your own, there are not too many nutrients left in the jarred baby foods at the store. With my little Braun blender I could make small batches of anything and everything, sweet potato,lightly steamed zucchini with a dab of butter, fresh avocado with fresh apple, you name it. So much healthier because all the enzymes and vitamins in the food are still there, not cooked completely out like in the commercial baby foods. Most of all, don't make food an issue, she'll feel your tension, or that you want her to eat, and she'll back off even more. The best advice I got was, they know when they are hungry, and they definitely won't starve themselves. So keep it fun and enjoy!

Hi K.,
First of all, I don't understand how the doc should recommend this. Babies get what they need from your milk without anything else.If she is not ready, I wouldn't worry about it. What signs did you see that made you start wondering if she is or isn't ready? I breastfed my daughter to the age of 16 months. The amount didn't dwindle until around 12mos. when she weened herself. I have to say this experience ranked up there equally with the BEST days of my life. I can say if you do have some success, try veggies first before introducing sweet items. This will avoid her difficult with these veggies in her future. YOu can try bottling your breast milk and adding the cereal to this milk little by little.

I have 4 girls. My oldest loved baby food. But my other 3 never liked it. I tried everything (mixing the cereal with breast milk, formula, juice, baby food fruit- everything). My best suggestion is to try again- but wait a little while- maybe your daughter will like the baby food but not the cereal. If she doesn't like that then soon she will be able to try eating little bits of real food. All 4 of my girls are great eaters and love a variety of food. good luck.

Hi, K.,
Congratulations on your baby girl! I had the exact same problem. I nursed only and then tried baby foods at six months. I tried everything. Each week I'd try a new food, and my daughter would always spit it out or not even take it. One thing I read is that you want eating time to be a pleasant experience so they'll have positive eating habits later. I just tried every breakfast, lunch and dinner (before nursing, so she was hungry). My daughter FINALLY started eating baby foods at about 9 months. It was SO frustrating. I felt like I was wasting time and baby food! But I was patient. Another thing that helped was if I let her hold a baby spoon while I was trying to feed her. Feeding felt like a battle and was always a mess. Then at about 12 months she started refusing baby food again and only wants to pick up the food and feed herself. Now she is 13 months old and she loves all table food chopped up. All I can say is hang in there, be patient and consistent. I'd keep nursing as long as you want to and wouldn't stop or change that just to try to get other solids in. I did start giving mine Enfamil vitamin drops with Iron(at first that was a battle too) since I knew she wasn't eating anything....but you might check with your doctor. I'm sorry you're having to deal with this too! Let us know how it goes!

K.,

My daughter was just like that. In fact she never did eat any infant cereal or baby food of any kind, even though I tried. All infants really need their first year is breast milk or formula, so I am sure she'll be fine, but double check with your pediatrician. My daughter went to table foods at 10 months and loved feeding herself and did great. She just skipped the baby food. She is now almost five and loves eating and is perfectly healthy.

If I were you, I'd lay off for a month or so and try again. She might accept it then. Isn't funny how even little babies can have such strong preferences? Good luck, I'm sure you and she will do awesome!

My oldest daughter didn't take anything (including a bottle) except strictly nursing until she was 13 months. We discovered at 18 months that she has a very serious peanut allergy. Some children with allergies delay solid foods until later. I wouldn't worry if she is not taking solids at this point. Keep nursing. One book that helped me was Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yarron. Even if you don't make any of your own baby food, it is a wonderful resource. The author's bibliography is extensive. Several good first foods to try are avacado, sweet potato, and banana. It is good (although messy) to have them feed themself initially, so they can get used to the texture and it helps them develop their coordinate, and helps eliminate overfeeding. Hope this helps! Good Luck!

Hi,

I would encourage you to just relax and not worry about this too much right now. Myu baby is 11 months, breast fed, and never showed much interest in bottled food at all. She is just beginning to eat table food with us, and is still nursing. They all have their own preferences. In time the baby will adjust. Keep nursing! it's the best thing for them:)

Blessings,
S. Lewis

K.,
One thing I want to add because I didn't see it mentioned, is that I had a friend who's son was "tongue tied" and that made it difficult for him to eat. It's an easy thing for the doctor to see from what I know - I think they just have to look under the tongue. Her son had a hard time sucking too though so feeding was always a struggle.

Anyway, I start with just a bit of cereal mixed with lots of milk (breastmilk if that's what the baby is used to) so it's more like drinking off the spoon until they get the hang of it. No pressure at first, it's just an exercience in getting the coordination of eating. I usually give half the bottle first (or more), then some cereal because if they're too hungry and worked up they'll be frustrated with the new experience. Then the rest of the bottle. And I just do it once a day to get going - as others have mentioned, it's not exactly about the nutritional value at first.

Good luck!

My oldest (now 7) was solely breastfed for probably 8 months. He did not want anything else - wouldn't have anything to do with it. Your baby truly does get everything she needs from you. If you are eating healthy and drinking plenty of water, you have enough for the pair of you. Remember, she will take what she needs from you (the leftovers are for you). What I started doing is slowly mixing other foods with breastmilk. I think the first thing he ate really well was mashed bananas - "watered" way down with breastmilk. The next thing I got him to eat was cereal with breastmilk. My suggestion would be to do what feels right to you for your baby.

what are you mixing it with??? try mixing it with your breast milk. Sometimes babies who are solely breastfead have a hard time with transistioning unless it is mixed with same.

You can also try mixing it with juice and formula instead of just plain water.

Also, the only other advice I can give you is there are several types out ther (rice, oatmeal, barley, etc) get em all, and keep trying a little every day until she takes it..I think they say it takes something like 7 or more tries before a baby will take something new that they are refusing...

And sometimes babies are just picky...

Good Luck!!

you might try offering food before you nurse, and don't wait until she is starving. mix cereal with a little apple sauce, and maybe a little breast milk. that will make it more appealing. i wouldn't eat the cereal alone either YUK! offer the cereal 15-30 minutes before she should be ready to nurse, that way she's getting hungry, but not yet starving. if you wait too late, she'll just get mad that you're not feeding her what she wants when she's hungry. if not successful, don't stress out about it. at some point your breast milk will no longer satisfy her, and she will want to try what you are eating. my kids didn't do baby food for very long. i started introducing cereal at about 6 months, and by 1 year, they were all on table food. it's much cheaper than buying baby food.

I have a friend whose babies weren't ready to eat even at 10 months. They are all teens now and very healthy.

My baby, on the other hand, was ready at 5 months.

I wouldn't stop nursing now. At 6 months, she's probably still getting all the nourishment she needs if she nurses often enough. Try waiting a month and see what happens. You can always put her in the high chair when you eat, and give her a spoon or something safe to play with, and try again when she's ready.

I've heard that the later you start solids, it can be better, depending on the baby. As long as she's not failing to thrive or anything, don't worry about it!

I am a SAHM with 2 kids, and I nursed both my kids past the age of 1. Honestly, I don't think you should worry about your 6 month old not eating. At that age, they still get almost all their nutrition from nursing, so any additional food they eat is more for tasting than nutrition. I have friends whose kids didn't eat anything but breast milk or formula for the first 8 months, and they are big, healthy, chunky babies. Some babies just aren't ready to eat regular food at 6 months, and that is perfectly fine.

K., As a lactation consultant, I always want moms to nurse as long they can. Your daughter has a lifetime of eating regular food ahead of her, but just a short time to breastfeed. As a mom, I had a son who did not like food when I first tried it at 6 months. A pediatrician told me that before we had prepared baby food, and blenders, babies did not eat table food till they had teeth and could chew - think about it. So I backed off for awhile. You can keep offering foods occasionally, but I definately wouldn't push it, unless her weight warrants it. She will eventually eat regular foods, and will eventually wean from the breast and you will miss that time. Oh, and that son who didn't like food so much at 6 months, is now 21 and doesn't miss too many meals. Enjoy those babies while you can, they grow up too fast!
S.
Mother of 3 grown, and Nana to 2 (soon to be 3)

I root for you for breastfeeding your first child, I breastfed my son til he was one but when he was 8 months old, I pumped out of my breast milk into a training cup..
Try introduce her some baby foods sweets like bananas, fruitty ones first then later can mix with baby cereal then baby veggies. Don't try force it into her mouth, can put a bit taste on her lips and see if she enjoys the taste.
No, I would not advise to stop nursing til you are ready to wean her from nursing. Your daughter is very healthy from the breastmilk, Whatever you eat, goes through the milk so she's bascially tasting what you been eating!
Mix breastmilk with the cereal as well!
Best of luck

First let me say all children are different, and congratulations on nursing for six months!

I am a mother of three and a certified breastfeeding counselor. I nursed all three of my kids, and my oldest who is now ten, had medical issues. She refused to eat solids until she was over a year old and then went straight to table food (neither she or my second child would have anything to do with baby food). I too thought that because you can start giving solids, that meant you had to. Out of fear that my daughter would be missing something, I did some research. A lot of people start solids because they want their babies to sleep longer. The reason a baby will sleep longer, is that solids take a lot more energy for their little tummies to digest. Breastfed babies normally wake more often because breastmilk is so easy for their young digestive system to digest (this is a good thing). As far as depriving your daughter, because your breastmilk changes as your baby grows, she is going to get the nutrients she needs. As long as she is consistently growing and gaining weight there is no need for concern. As an added bonus, studies show that the longer a child is exclusively breastfed, the lower the risk of obesity when they are older. So let me encourage you to continue nursing, especially if your not ready to stop, and periodically try the solids. Let me warn you though, breastfed babies have more sophisticated taste buds since the flavors of what you eat do show up in your milk, and she may want to go straight to table food also!

My son would NOT eat anything from a jar, I got several books and recipes online and made my own baby food fresh. It was daunting at first but I soon got used to it, and made about a weeks worth at a time and froze it. I froze it in ice cube trays, they were the perfect size and then I can take one out when i started dinner and it would er thawed and ready to warm up by dinner time, eventually I got a "baby food mill" by Gerber and used it to mill table food. So my son has never eaten from a jar and never had a bottle in his mouth. and he is very normal. The only thing i would do different is start him on vegetables, I was so concerned about getting him to eat that I gave up trying to vegetables and started on fruit...now he doesn't like veggies very much but we still get him to eat them.
Good luck
OH and have you ever tried that jar food? YUK I don't blame them for not eating it. After having flavored milk would you want plain bland food, I didn't either. LOL

I wouldn't nurse her less. For the first year of life, solids are just for play. Breastmilk or formula should be her main source of nutrition.

Have you tried something besides cereal? There is no rule that you have to start with cereal. I would try bananas or sweet potatoes. She might also want to wait until she can feed herself.

I breast fed my daughter exclusively for the first 6 months. After that, the doctor said to try cereal. She had to be almost force fed!! I mixed the cereal with breast milk and made it kind of runny. It is the only way she would even attempt to try it. She didn't really start eating baby food until about 10 months and at 15 months was still on Gerber 2nd's. Each child is different, but if she isn't hurting in the nutrition dept. I wouldn't worry too much.
My son (the oldest of the two) was eating whole tamales at 6 months and by 12 months eating whole plates of penne pasta!! They are as different as night and day!

She just may not be ready! If she is healthy and gaining weight there should not be anything to worry about ... best thing is to call and ask your ped. or the nurse if you need to worry! There is absolutely no reason to stop nursing no matter what you hear!

If you are nursing and eating properly, your baby is getting the nutrician she needs. Don't worry about her not eating more solid food. She doens't need it for the first year. Just let her play with some food. Try mixing breast milk with a little cereal in a bottle to let her get used to the taste. And don't be afraid of something more chunky than puree. My son's first food 6 months was rice kernals, not mushy cereal. He likes texture.

My first child was a porker! Boy she let ME know when she was more than hungry for my breast milk, thats when I started supplementing. Relax, if she's content with you enjoy this time.

Please do not stress about this. Continue to nurse and I promise when your milk no longer satisfies your little one, she will wat. I DO NOT believe in force feeding a child, that I feel is one of the reason we have so many obesse children. Let her nurse, and enjoy each minute of it. If her doctor continues to insist she "eat" I would look for another doctor as this is probably not the best one. Good Luck and Happy Nursing, B. -- Mother of 3 grown children granmother to 10

Stop trying completely for a month and then try again. Mornings are a good time and evenings right before bed. I always started w rice cereal for a week or so and then moved onto the multi-grain ones mixed w/breast milk.
(I am a mom of 4 and know how your feeling...just put it on the back burner for awhile, one of my kids wouldn't start eating till 9 months)

It might not be this, but my son was the same way and I found out that if the food was not just the right temperature he would spit it out and not eat it. You might try some warmer and some cooler and see if it makes a difference. Also I tried getting a spoon full of cereal on the spoon first then dipping it in something I knew he would eat like a fruit or baby pudding. Good luck.

The World Health Organization and AAP both recommend 6 months MINIMUM for introducing solid foods - fire your pediatrician and find a new one.

Your daughter doesn't need food until she has teeth or is at LEAST 6 months old. MINIMUM. Many exclusively breastfed babies get all the nutrients, fat and other stuff they need from the breast milk for up to a year. When your daughter WANTS to eat then she is ready to eat.

Until then you are doing exactly right - she does not NEED "more substantive food". There is NOTHING more substantive and beneficial than breastmilk. Nothing.
Your breastmilk is perfectly tailored to her current nutritional needs, also provides her with stem cell like cells for healthy brain development, white blood cells for fighting off infections and bacteria, etc. It IS the absolute best and there is NO reason to try to force her to eat if she isn't ready.

Find a new doctor who is familiar with breastfed babies and their unique needs instead of one who tries to put every single baby on the same timeline.

Blessings,
A. <><

P.S. Incidentally, my firstborn didn't eat solids until 7 months and my second born didn't eat solids until 8 months. It is perfectly normal and totally OK.

Hi K. -

I think you should take to a La Leche League before following some of the advice offered (all well meaning I know).
http://www.llli.org

If you nurse prior to feeding solids you know your daughter is getting all the nutrients that she needs through your breast milk (the very best source of nutrients for babies, if the formula companies advertize that!).

There is no rule that says babies have to start eating solids at that age. My son will soon be 4 years old and I was told he could start solids at 6 mths if I wanted him to. That did not cause any food issues with him (he ate everythng when he was young).

Good luck and if you are eating healthy then so is your baby! :-)

My first question would be this- hae you offerred a small mix of cereal w/ your breastmilk? Then it will taste as similiar to what she is used to. Typically, BF'd babies actually are more open to new tastes, because your milk changes as you eat.

Most babies are ready for new foods by 5-6 months. However, if you daughter is not, I would just wait a bit. At some point, she'll be interested in trying new things. Honestly, at this age, the amount they eat is so small, the majority of their calories and nutrients are still coming from nursing.

Definately do not stop nursing in order to encourage other foods! She'll do it when she's ready. You can try it at various times of the day, trying to catch her when she's in a good mood, not tired, not super hungry, but probably not very recently nursed either.

But if she turns away, or refuses to open her mouth, or pushes it out, she's letting you know she's not ready yet. Let her guide you. Pediatricians make recommendations based on averages for thousands of children. Treat yours as an individual!

She'll get there. Promise she won't be nursing still when she goes to prom. :)

Best wishes,
Shelley
birth doula
breastfeeding educator

My little girl is about the same age as yours. I don't think you should quit nursing, or nurse less. You might just try experimenting with the order of your feedings. Just nurse one side, then give solids, then nurse the other side. Or, you could give part of the solids first, then nurse, then give the rest of the solids. I know it can be frustrating, and even frightening, but you two will figure out something that works for both of you.

If your baby is nursing just fine, then you are NOT depriving her!!! You are giving her the best thing she could ever have. Giving her that other stuff before she is ready is actually depriving her! It doesn't have the nutrients that the breast milk has. I have 5 kids and didn't start feeding them any supplementation until about 10 months. They are extremely healthy and happy!! Babies that are already receiving formula do not react the same as nursing babies either. I would encourage you to breastfeed as long as possible even if it is against your doctor's advice (and hopefully it isn't). It is better for your baby AND you.

Also, a good first food for breastfeeding babies is mashed banana or avocado. My youngest absolutely LOVES avocado rt out of the shell. When you wait a little to introduce foods to your baby, you can skip the regular baby foods b/c they have teeth already and can pick up and chew things as well, but you MUST follow her cues! Frozen vegetables were always a favorite b/c it feels good to their swollen gums. Always keep an eye on them in case they accidentally swallow w/o gumming it first! (Mine were always ok.)

You don't want to force feed her. It really isn't healthy to do that. Allow your baby to reject it and just keep re-trying until she is ready. My youngest would never allow anything in his mouth until he fully inspected it first. Even if I put it in his mouth, he would spit it out if he hadn't looked it over and touched it first! This is ALL new for them and they need time to adjust! Trust your mothering instinct. Try not to worry too much!

Blessings,
M.
Mom to 5 Wonderful Kids
www.4MyChildrenSake.com

Then don't stop breast feeding. If she is healthy and getting what she needs to thrive don't worry about it, when she gets hungry she will eat. I breast fed my son till he was 10 1/2 months old and he weaned himself, it was a smooth transition. God knows what He is doing. Blessings.

Definately do not stop nursing!! Some babies just aren't ready to start solids at 6 months. Breastfed babies need NO other food than breastmilk before 12 months old. We start them earlier just to give them practice. Many, many moms don't start any solids until 12 months old. Your daughter is getting all the nutrients she needs from you. If I were you, I'd stop the cereal for a couple weeks and then try again. Keep up the great breastfeeding, though! :-)

At 6 months you are really expecting her to go for tastes and the experience, not to be getting a lot of nutrition from her solids so you can relax a bit (-: It seems to be best to try solids before nursing so she might be hungry enough to try something different. It may take a lot of tries with foods before she will really go for it, so you just have to keep trying, starting with soft foods with no lumps and gradually changing the texture over the next six months or so. Bananas mashes are a good start for alot of kids cos they arebn't strong flavours. Cereals are worth trying as well, baby cereals are very smooth pastes really. You can prepare foods and freeze a lot in ice cube trays so the amounts you defrost are suitable for little ones. My twins were mad keen on sweet potato, and I used that to introduce new tastes by blending it in with the sweet potato. Try a new food every few days and just go slow and remember at 6 months, you are only ewxpecting her to have tastes, not a full meal.
Enjoy! There are a lot of good books out there to help, the one we relied on was Baby and Toddler Meal Planner by Annabel Kareml I think her name was. English.
Enjoy the journey!

Hi K.,

I have a 6 month baby and I am also a first time mommy. I just took my baby to her doctor and she is doing great. An advice about your baby not wanting any other food. Dont worry...she is getting all her nutrients by you nursing her. If your baby is healthy and happy and you dont see any negative signs....dont worry! Just enjoy your baby.

K.,

That is what happened to me with my youngest son! I actually waited to introduce solids until he was six months because he has allergies to soy and diary, and his doctor agreed that would be prudent. But it took a whole month to get him to eat baby food. Sometimes he would throw-up what I was trying to feed him, and I thought perhaps he had a sensitive gag reflex. This food struggle went on, and at 13 months I weaned him, because the dietary restrictions I had to observe were making me weak and fatigued (he also couldn't tolerate meat; his doctor thinks it was some kind of protein intolerance, which is highly unusual).

Meanwhile, he started catching various illnesses, as did I, and he stopped growing. I talked to his doctor about it, and she ordered blood work in an attempt to find out why. Finally when he was 16 months, I realized that he might have reflux and consulted his doctor again. When I explained what I had observed, she agreed and put him on medicine. After taking the medicine for a month, his eating vastly improved, and after a few months he started growing.

My oldest had reflux, but he was spitting up like a geyser since he was born. Of course, I didn't know about reflux, so it took a long time before I figured it out. I didn't know babies aren't supposed to spit up that much! With my second, I was watching for reflux, but he didn't have problems with breast milk, only with solids, so that threw me off.

Anyway, talk to your baby's doctor and ask about reflux. The digestive system doesn't fully develop until age 3, and some kiddos have really immature digestive systems.

Good luck! I hope you are able to resolve this soon. I know how much worry and concern eating problems can cause!

Dont feel bad,I have a 6month old grandson that my daughter was told the same thing. Believe it or not he does not want it either. I think these doctors are just pushing the food issue to soon. My grandson is still doing very well just drinking milk. (refused breastfeeding). He is gaining weight and growing just fine. I think it is a day by day situation. We parents as well as our children do not come with instructions. Dont give up and please dont feel as though you are doing anything wrong just because your baby is not ready.
I am a mother of 4 children one step daughter and 6 grandchildren

Hi, K.,

First, don't worry! Follow your daughter's cues, and you'll both do fine. She does NOT need cereal, especially at this age. Check out these links from the World Health Organization on breastfeeding and infant nutrition:
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeedi...
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/complementary_feeding...

Complementary foods (i.e., anything other than breastmilk) aren't even recommended until 6 months and up, and at that point, it's necessary to use "responsive feeding," or in other words, to follow your baby's cues.

Breastmilk is PERFECT for her, and will continue to be well past 6 months of age. You're not depriving her of more substantial foods - you're giving her everything she needs, exactly how she needs it. Well done! :)

I would offer her foods, if you wish, every couple of weeks until she's interested. Don't stress about it! You may also wish to offer something other than cereal, which is bland and not all that appealing to a baby who's used to the changing flavors and subtle sweetness of your breastmilk (did you know the flavor of your milk changes depending on what you eat? I've always thought that was very cool!). Dr. Sears (http://www.askdrsears.com/) recommends mushed ripe banana as a great first food, being much more similar to breastmilk in taste.

Up until at least 12 months, these "solid" foods are really just for fun, so enjoy it and remember she's getting what she really needs straight from you. :)

She's getting everything she needs right now. Keep trying, even if it is only 1 spoonful a day just for the experience in order to make it easier later on. She will get very interested in table food soon enough and then you will wish it would be as simple and clean and convenient as breastfeeding. Don't push her, don't rush her. Her curiousity will win in the end. Whatever you do - DON'T STOP NURSING because of this. She has no need of solids now!

some kids start solids later than others. I rememberer thinking my son would never learn to eat. It was so painstaking. She'll eat eventually. Are you mixing the cereal with formula? Maybe the smell of it freaks her out? As I recall the oatmeal or barley cereal tastes MUCH better than the rice cereal. Also, try applesauce or bananas, but keep doing it. One day those little pursed lips are going to pop open and she'll eat.

But as long as she's healthy, try not sweat it too much. Hang in there. Good luck, K..