Nutritional Guidelines for Starting Solids

[placeboeffect]

We started our nine month old on solids around six months but recently she has really taken to it. So much so that she doesn't really have much interest in her formula any more. She nibbles at her bottle and then tosses it aside and demands solids which she devours voraciously. At our nine month pediatrician visit yesterday or doc said not to worry about her having balanced meals but having a balanced month. However, I'm having trouble finding what those monthly guidelines are. Does anyone have a resource for this information? I guess I also need to know how much would be in a serving of the basic infant foods as well.

Thanks in advance.

[amldaley]

I don't even know what a "balanced month" means! I think a month is too big of a picture for a baby...heck, I think it's too big for an adult!

I think you might be hard presses to find such guidelines. The AAP just says that most nutrients sould still be coming from breast or formula and make sure baby is trying a variety of fruits, veg, grains & meats.

Added: DD refuses the bottle for foods at daycare sometimes. We insist she has the bottle first and they give her the bottle away from the eating table. I never give her a bottle in her high chair at home (then again, I nurse, so rarely five her a bottle at home).

[newg]

Maybe try a sippy or straw cup instead of the bottle? I was always told BM or formula should be the main source of nutrition until 12 months.....we did bottle of BM or BF away from the table and then I put her in her highchair for solids.
I would also mix her BM into her foods to help make sure she was still getting enough if she was refusing to finish the last bit from me!

[DrSally]

I think there's a certain amount of BM or formula (which is easier to measure) that they're supposed to have daily before 12 months. I'm surprised he didn't give you a number. I agree with pp about trying it in a cup. I agree with having a balanced week, rather than focusing on a specific day's food, but I would try to stick with a certain amount of formula per day.