One of the most important nutrients for older babies, especially breastfed babies, is iron. Learn more about the best iron-rich foods for infants and toddlers.
Introducing the Top 8 Allergens to Infants
Age-appropriate Portions for Toddlers (and Moms)
How to Help Your Little One Feel Full with Solids
This post is by Rachel Rothman, MS, RD, and is the second post of a three-part series about introducing solids to your little one. Rachel is a mom to a toddler and a pediatric dietitian. Rachel is the instructor of "Toddler Nutrition" and “Introduction to Solids” classes at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center. Join us for the next Toddler Nutrition class on October 29th at 10:00am. More information and registration can be found here.
In my previous post, I addressed a parent’s responsibilities for the “when” (setting meal time) and the “what” (the food to be served) of feeding. This approach is generally referred to as the feeding relationship: Parents are responsible for the “what, when, and where of feeding; children are responsible for the how much and whether of eating” [1]. The relationship is between parent and child, and between the child and the food they eat. Now that we’ve established the parent’s responsibilities, we can move to the child’s responsibilities – whether to eat, and how much to eat.
Understanding Infant Sleep - 6 weeks to 4 months
In our previous sleep article, we discussed normal sleep patterns and realistic sleep expectations for infants up to 6 weeks. By the time we hit 6 weeks, our children have gone through so many developmental changes, including what shapes their sleep patterns. What do these patterns look like now and when will you start to actually get some sleep?
Two Things More Important than Portion Sizes when Offering Solids to Infants
Join Rachel Rothman, MS, RD in our three-part blog series to learn more about introducing solids to your little one. Rachel is a pediatric dietitian and the instructor of our Introduction to Solids classes here at the SDBFC.
Introduction to Solids, Serving Sizes, Feeding Relationship
When babies are 4-6 months of age, many moms start thinking about how much solid food kids should eat. It’s easy to get caught up in a race toward the “starting solids” milestone, but what comes next? Many parents wonder, now that their little one has started eating solid foods, how much is enough? Am I making him/her overeat? Am I wasting food? Am I teaching poor habits?
What might reassure you is that as long as your selections contain a balance of protein, carbohydrate, fats and vitamins and minerals, measuring “servings” of food consumed may not necessarily be the best way to ensure your baby’s success at adopting a solid diet.
Understanding Infant Sleep - The First 6 Weeks
“I slept like a baby”
When I hear this saying, I immediately envision sleeping deeply, soundly, and for 10 hours straight. Whoever came up with that saying clearly didn’t have children! All of the babies I know definitely do not sleep soundly for an extended period of time until at least toddlerhood… and even then sleep can be disrupted by teething, colds, and just regular night waking. With current infant sleep recommendations stating that babies should learn to sleep on their own, all night, by 6 months, I have to wonder how much of this information is hearsay and old-wives’ tales and how much is evidence-based (using good research models).
So, let’s break this down using the most current research.
Top Tips for Introducing Solids to Your Baby
Written by Rachel Rothman, MS, RD
At your baby’s four-month visit, your pediatrician may have talked to you about starting your baby on solid foods and probably recommended to start between 4-6 months. It’s usually recommended that baby can start solids when he/she is sitting up mainly on his/her own, has a pincer grasp, seems interested in food, and opens his/her mouth when food is offered. As a pediatric dietitian, I get asked many questions about infant nutrition and starting baby on solid foods.
When Should I Introduce Solids While Breastfeeding?
Dear SDBFC,
Thanks for responding to this question on Facebook the other day, but I would love to hear more on this topic: does breast milk start losing its nutritional value after 6 months? If the pediatrician states solids (in particular enriched rice cereal) twice a day are needed, are there any alternate opinions? I'm curious if the WHO or LLL have any alternate evidence.
Sincerely,
Abby
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Dear Abby,
Thank you for your excellent questions. Solids are a huge topic of discussion in our weekly breastfeeding support group and pretty much every pediatrician in town has a different philosophy. Here’s what the official organizations recommend