Myths About Solids Readiness

(1) MYTH: Baby's weight has reached a "magic" number
Just because your baby achieves "x" number of pounds, or has doubled birth weight, (or however much your baby weighs) does not mean that she is automatically ready for solids - particularly if she is under 6 months. It's the maturity of the digestive tract and baby's developmental readiness that makes the difference, not baby's weight.

(2) MYTH: "Your baby is big so you need to start solids."
Moms might be told to start solids for differing reasons when they have a large baby. Some are told that since baby is big, they won't be able to produce enough milk to satisfy baby. This is quite untrue - almost all mothers have the ability to produce enough milk to exclusively breastfeed twins and even triplets. If you allow your baby to nurse on cue, your body will make enough milk for your baby. Other moms are told that baby is eating too much, so mom should reduce baby's intake by limiting nursing and/or starting solids. There is absolutely NO evidence that a large breastfed baby will become a large child or adult, and limiting nursing can be quite dangerous for a baby.

(3) MYTH: "Your baby is small so you need to start solids."
Another reason often given for starting solids is because baby is small. I really don't see the sense in this. Ounce for ounce, breastmilk has more calories than most baby-safe solid foods and significantly more nutrients than any type of solid food that you can feed your baby. In addition, starting solids will quite possibly reduce the amount of milk that your baby is getting overall, rather than increase overall intake. One of the first recommendations for a baby who genuinely has slow weight gain is to decrease or eliminate solid foods and nurse more often.


(4) MYTH: Baby needs to start solids because there is not enough iron in breastmilk.
An additional reason given for starting solids is the "lack of iron in breastmilk." Breastmilk does have lower iron levels than formula, but the iron in breastmilk is more readily absorbed by the baby's gut than the iron in formula. Also, formula-fed babies tend to lose iron through fissures that develop in their intestines as a result of damage from cow's milk. Breastfed babies do not lose this iron. Sometime after the first 6 months (much later for a lot of babies), most babies will require an additional source of iron other than mother's milk. This can most often be obtained through small amounts of solid food.

(5) MYTH: Baby needs solids so he will sleep longer at night.
The popular belief that feeding solids at night will help baby sleep through the night has no basis in fact.