Women’s Health Blog

Breast milk is all your baby will need until at
least 4 months of age. There does come a time,
when breast milk will no longer supply all of your
baby’s nutrition needs. Full term babies will
start to require iron from other sources by 6 – 9
months of age.

Some babies that aren’t started on solid foods by
the age of 9 – 12 months may have a great level of
difficulty accepting solid foods. It’s actually
a developmental milestone when your child starts
solid foods – as he is now growing up.

When to start
The ideal time to begin solid foods is when the
baby shows interest in starting. Some babies
will show interest in solid food when it’s on
their parents’ plates, as early as 4 months of
age. By 5 – 6 months, most babies will reach out
and try to grab the food. When the baby starts to
reach for food, it’s normally the time to go
ahead and give him some.

Sometimes, it may be a better idea to start food
earlier. When a baby seems to get hungry or once
weight gain isn’t continuing at the desired rate,
it may be good to start solid foods as early as
3 months. It may be possible however, to continue
breast feeding alone and have the baby less
hungry or growing more rapidly.

Breast fed babies will digest solid foods better
and earlier than artificially fed babies because
the breast milk will contain enzymes which help
to digest fats, proteins, and starch. Breast
fed babies will also have had a variety of
different tastes in their life, since the flavors
of many foods the mother eats will pass into her
milk.

Introducing solid foods
When the baby begins to take solid foods at the
age of 5 – 6 months, there is very little difference
what he starts will or what order it is introduced.
You should however, avoid spicy foods or highly
allergenic foods at first, although if your
baby reaches for the potato on your plate, you
should let him have it if it isn’t too hot.

Offer your baby the foods that he seems to be
interested in. Allow your baby to enjoy the food
and don’t worry too much about how much he takes
at first, as much of it may end up on the floor
or in his hair anyhow.

The easiest way to get iron for your baby at 5 -
6 months of age is by giving him meat. Cereal for
infants has iron, although it is poorly absorbed
and may cause your baby to get constipated.

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The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style
of eating. The rules still apply with healthy eating,
although you should add variety, balance, and moderation.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat,
whether it be hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or even fish.
Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of
food they are or aren’t willing to eat. For example,
Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh yet they
will eat eggs and most dairy products. A Vegan on the
other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of
animal origin.

Because they don’t eat meet, vegetarians will often
wonder how they’ll get enough protein. Although you may
not realize it, the average American actually consumes
more protein than he actually needs. For the lacto-ovo
vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of
protein. Vegans on the other hand, get their protein
from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

Along the lines of beans, there are several to choose
from, including green or red lentils, peanuts, split
peas, pinto, soy, kidney, and many more. Some of them
you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in
chili, refried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and
rice, and pinto beans. Although some beans taste good
as they are, others are available with different flavors
to help enhance their taste. Nuts are hihg in protein,
although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which
means you should enjoy them in moderation. By having
one cup of cooked beans, you’ll get the same amount of
protein as eating two ounces of meat!

The nutrients of concern for vegans, who avoid all types
of animal food, are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D.
In the average North American diet, the primary source
for B12 is animals. To have an adequate intake of B12,
vegans should reguarly consume vitamin B12 supplements or
foods, which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products
or milk.

For calcium, vegans can rely on orange juice or soy
milk, as they are fortified with calcium. Beans and
leafy green vegetables will also contain some calcium as
well.

Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food
groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is
something you should always do. This is very important
for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy. If you
control what you eat, you’ll have many years of healthy
eating ahead of you.

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Many women find that they can eat whatever they may like during breast feeding. Even though it’s true that some stongly favored foods can change the taste of your milk, many babies seem to enjoy the varieties of breast milk flavors. Occasionally, your baby may get cranky at the breast after you eat certain foods. If you notice this happening, simply avoid that particular food.

The most common offenders duing breast feeding include chocolate, spices, citrus fruits, garlic, chili, lime, gassy vegetables, and fruits with laxative type effects, such as prunes and cherries.

You can have a cup or two of coffee a day, although too much caffeine can interfere with your baby’s sleep and even make him or her cranky. Keep in mind, caffeine is found in many soda’s, tea, and even over the counter type medicine as well.

It’s okay to have an alcoholic beverage every now and then, although having more than one drink can increase your blood alcohol level, putting the alcohol into your breast milk.

If you are planning to have more than one drink at a time, it’s best to wait two hours or more per drink before you resume any type of nursing or breast feeding. There is no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and its time to feed your baby. While breast feeding, any type of heavy drinking should be avoided.

Before you actually omit any foods from your diet, you should talk to your doctor. If you avoid certain foods and it causes a nutritional imbalance, you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on taking other foods or getting nutritional supplements.

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