weaning

My son will be 6 months old in two weeks and we've been breastfeeding the whole time (after a tricky start with pumping/using cups-I've been reading the BF thread with interest!) After a slow start with gaining weight, he is now probably 20 pounds (haven't had him weighed in a month). 

What I want to know is-can we carry on only breastfeeding for a few more months? Or must I introduce some solids? He's not been too keen on expressed breastmilk (tried it once, know I need to try again as there is a time when I need to be away from him during the day for a few days).  I might travel to the States in May/June and would like to still be BF for the flights, etc., just wasn't sure if post-6 months I need to be introducing foods. Or is that the key for me-simply introducing things but not actually weaning him off breastmilk?

Thanks
Katherine

My opinion is that if he is six months old, he will start to need to try some new foods, so I say start with some cereals, veggies and fruits. You can either make your own or buy them ready made at the supermarkets, you can of course still breastfeed for as long as you like, but I think that at six months, starting solids is a good option. Again, don't stop breastfeeding, sounds like thats working really brilliantly for you! Keep up the good work!

If I recall correctly, you can give him solids AM & PM for a while, like breakfast and dinner, and bf when you feel like it, and in a month or two, build up to three meals a day! Let us know how he gets on! Its a really fun time when you start solids with a little one!!!

Have you spoken to your HV?  They should help walk you through the weaning process and give you advice and support as well as help you look for the signs that your son's ready to wean...

When he starts demanding more milk and is no longer content with just milk he needs to add solids to his diet.  Like Racheeeee said it's best to start off slowly with baby cereals and gradually introduce fruits and veg purees (or you can go the Baby-led Weaning route).  It's usually recommended of just 1 food at a time so baby can acquire taste and you can determine immediately if there's an allergic reaction to which food.  I had to wait to wean DD until she was a little after 6 months on fruits & veg as her stomach just couldn't handle them, but she could take rusks and cereals just fine.

Also as Racheeee said you can continue BF as long as you like.  Introducing solids should compliment BF to start with and as nutritional requirements demand it you'll gradually cut back on milk feeds.

If you want some recipes to use or some informative books I can recommend:
Finger Foods for Babies and Toddlers by Jennie Maizels - it's more along the Baby Led weaning approach
Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner - its a good book with loads of nutritional information and support from beginning weaning through each month / stage.  Not patronising and even has meals the whole family can enjoy as baby gets older.
Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley - Pretty self explanatory.  Very good nutrition information towards the back of the book.

I've never used it, but a friend of mine recommended Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel.  I found the aforementioned Annabel Karmel book more useful.

What I want to know is-can we carry on only breastfeeding for a few more months? Or must I introduce some solids?

You don't *have* to start on solids.  Breast milk is more than capable of maintaining your baby's needs for the first 12 months.  Breast milk has more calories and usually more nutrients than solids anyway.  If you want to wait, there is no reason you can't.

YOu may want to start introducing solids when he expresses an interest.  But to answer your most basic question, it certainly isn't a *must* that you start on solids at 6 months .

And also, if you continue BF (and I warmly recommend it, especially for those flights!), you don't actually cut back on milk feeds once solids are introduced.  It remains demand feeding.  As your little guy takes in the solids, he will adjust his feeds accordingly, you don't even need to do it for him.  Most babies, especially at 6 months, don't eat much when they first start on solids as a rule.   Think of it as milk first, solids are an extra, at least until one year, when the situation reverses itself. "Food is for fun until 1".   

I agree with Sara Smile. Breast milk is all they need for the first year. Solids is more of a "practice" thing, so they can learn to like different flavors and textures, getting them ready for when they really need solid foods.

ETA: Never give solids before breast milk. Always nurse (or bottle feed) breast milk first and then follow with food, whether it's cereal, fruit, or veggies. Breast milk is their most important source of nutrition at this point.

Thank you so much for your advice! I knew that I could post on here and get quick and helpful responses! We haven't had a health visitor since he was about 6 weeks old. I was meant to get on a new mums group thing, but they were short-staffed and I was told it was already full of mums more in need (!)

It's good to hear that it's okay to keep breastfeeding and then 'top-up' with the solids. Some things that I've heard at weigh-in clinics are sort of contradictory.

As BF was so difficult for me and my boy, now that we've got it, I love it and want to keep doing it until I have to go back to work (probably at 10 months, darn!)

Katherine

I am doing Baby Led Weaning with DD and have had just a great experience with it.  It compliments breastfeeding on demand really well.   One of the basic principles is that solids should be looked at as experimentation and exploration until 1 year of age.  There is no pressure to get them onto three meals a day by x-age.  At 10 months DD will eat just about anything and has cut herself down to 3 milk-feeds a day, 3 solid meals a day and as many snacks as she can get her hands on.  I cannot eat something without a little begging from DD for a taste. 

The only real book out there is in the one by Gill Rapley.  If you have an NCT branch near to you, check out their weaning courses.  The one near me was all about Baby-led, but as it's NCT was very much in favour of continuing breastfeeding during the process and letting baby lead the way.

You definitely don't have to wean onto solids because as others have said breast milk is sufficient.  But it is quite fun to watch them explore food and be involved with mealtimes etc.  Good luck!