jar food & breastfeeding

Kamryn had her 6 month check up last week. She's doing great! The doctor said she can start eating stage 2 jar food now. My question is how do I balance between jar food and breastfeeding? She told me to feed her food and if she's still hungry, I could bf her. It's so hard to tell, though. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Beth

I have always followed the rule that milk is the primary source of nutrition for the first year. Because of that, I would nurse her first then feed her after that.

I should remember this stuff but I don't! It seems like at 6months they were still primarily bf with just a few bites first of the food at meal times and strictly bf at other feedings, it seems like it was a little later, more like 9mos-12mos before they were eating more food than they were bf. But like I said I am drawing a blank so I could be wrong. In other words, I'm not much help! lol

well, the doctor told me she would have a good bf first thing when she wakes up, have food at three meals, then a good bf before bed. It just seems like I would be cutting her off from bf if I did that and only offered her it after feeding her jar food.

When they did start solids, the bf did decrease but they still took a pretty solid feeding that way even after solids. HTH. What your doc said sounds about right.



This post has been edited by luvmykids on May 3 2006, 09:01 AM

Hmmm... sounds a bit too extreme in my opinion. Just keep nursing her on demand and supplementing with solids at meal time. Sounds like you know what to do anyway

By the time I was started stage 2 foods (I think Andrew was about 7 1/2 months old) I would just once or twice a day give him some jarred fruit or veggies and then nurse him when he was done. Since he was still nursing several times a day and only getting baby food once or twice, the nursing was his main source of nutrition.

I wouldn't only BF morning and night... I hope that's not what your doctor meant. At six months you should still be nursing a few times a day - I think at that age Andrew was nursing about six times a day, sometimes a more sometimes less.

ALWAYS ALWAYS nurse first then wait about 1/2 hour to an hour then feed solids. In order for babies to get OPTIMAL brain growth and development their primary source of nutrition should be breastmilk and/or formula. Solids should ONLY be tastes for the 1st year of life.

I often wonder how PEDS do not understand this very important information. The AAP knows it, they should too. Just shows you how docs are not as informed as they should be and that scares me to death when they are caring for my children. And this isn't that a PED isn't very educated in BF (which is true a lot of the time) because this is a standard for formula fed babies as well.

I'm sorry but I must respectfully disagree with your PED.

This post has been edited by coasterqueen on May 3 2006, 09:53 AM

I agree with Karen. I always offered the breast first. And I did it several times throughout the day...never only morning and night. If anything, the jarred food is the one that can be served twice a day to start.

That sounds like she wouldn't be getting nearly enough milk to me. I was told to cut out one feeding a day, like the 10 am one, and offer food, but then also offer BM.