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Home › Articles › Feeding Baby › Does Baby Know Best?

Does Baby Know Best?

The Real Scoop on Solids

Part Two

By Ann Calandro, RNC, IBCLC

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

All of the children continued to grow at steady rates on the growth curve. Some of them grew rapidly, but many of them grew slowly.

The smallest was 15 pounds at 1 year; the largest was 33 pounds at 1 year. Most of them were approximately 20 pounds at 12 months of age. (It is normal for breastfeeding children to slow their rates of growth between 6 and 12 months.)

Many mothers reported that their children were small due to family growth patterns, but all the mothers reported that their babies achieved excellent developmental milestones. Most of them reported that their children were advanced in development for their age.

Once solid foods began, most of these children ate a variety of foods and did not particularly show any problems accepting foods. Several of the children disliked "mushy" foods. Two of the children wanted to only feed themselves and would not accept food from a spoon.

When the Worlds Collide
What did health care providers say about these children exclusively breastfeeding? Four mothers had very concerned health care providers. One mother had a very concerned health nurse.

"My pediatrician at the time felt that Ruby would 'never learn to eat anything but liquids and mushy foods' if she didn't get solids before 1 year," says Joi Straaten of Sandy, Utah, the mother of two late starters.

One mother reported that in her experience public health nurses were a real problem, pressuring for the introduction of solids no later than 4 to 6 months from the initial postpartum home visit and reiterating this at every immunization appointment.

The other 27 babies who started solids late had health care providers who did not get upset or overly concerned and simply observed the babies for normal growth and development instead. One mother, who had gotten advice from a health care provider that resulted in the premature weaning of her first child, did not share this information with her baby's health care provider.

True Stories

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

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