3 Reasons Why Food Before One is NOT Just For Fun

Food before one is just for fun. I know you have heard that floating around on the Web. Maybe you even thought it might be true.Because if you hear something often enough it’s easy to believe it.

Well, today I am going to give you 3 Reasons Why “Food Before One is NOT Just For Fun”.

These reasons - based on facts -  are going to help  guide you in  your decisions to start solid foods for your baby. Because you may be aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies begin solid foods at 6 months of age.

I have created a checklist for you so that you can get an idea if your baby is showing signs of readiness to begin solid foods. Click here to download it now! 

You can watch my video blog above where I discuss this all in detail for you.

Or you can read it below. I have put some time stamps in for relevant points.   

With the introduction of the baby led weaning method of feeding, some mothers in the US have gotten confused about some terminology.

The word “weaning” has scared moms about introducing foods because it holds different meanings in the US and UK. To those of us in the US, weaning traditionally  meant “the withdrawal of breastfeeding”. But in the UK, where the baby led weaning method originated,  it means “the introduction of foods”.

So, some mothers who are breastfeeding have become concerned that adding foods to their baby’s diet means they will cause their child to wean from their breastmilk. This is an understandable confusion. But, just a confusion, not a truth.

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Babies feed for many more reasons than nutrition. Experts encourage the continuation of breast milk and formula as the primary source of nutrition until 6 months. At 6 months, it is recommended to add  “complementary foods" ( notice they aren’t called primary foods) to the  breast and /or formula feeding. Those still  remain primary. Neither are encouraged to be weaned until at least one year.

Both formula fed and breast fed babies can transition to cow’s milk at one year of age.  But breastfed babies can continue to feed as long as it is mutually desirable by the mom and baby.

Food before one  - and at any age -  should be fun. Part of feeding should be teaching children to enjoy family meals. But introduction of solid food  has many more reasons than that.

I discussed three reasons why it is important to initiate feeding at 6 months in the video above. [3:00]

These reasons  are:

1) Your baby’s iron stores begin to run out [3:07].

Baby gets a storage of iron from mom in utero that lasts for the first several months of life. But this store runs out at about 6 months. Baby then needs to replenish this from the foods he eats.

If this is not replenished, baby is at risk for iron deficiency anemia which has immediate and long term consequences to the baby. ( even if corrected)  

2) Babies need to learn the process of eating and advancing through the stages of learning how to eat different textures and flavors, and variety of foods.

There is a ideal window of opportunity for learning for this to take place. If this doesn’t start within this time, babies and children have feeding problems, food aversion, and limited diets  [7:15]

3) There is a correlation between the process of learning to eat solid foods and learning to develop speech.

The same muscles in the mouth, tongue, teeth and jaw that are used to progress through the stages of eating are used to develop the sounds needed for speech. [8:39]

Food should be a fun experience for your baby and for you. It doesn’t take the place of breastfeeding or formula. Solid foods  complement breast/formula feeding  until babies can begin to take in enough food  to sustain their body with enough nutrients. This is  typically by 9 months to one year of age for most  children.

But there are many more benefits of introducing solids than just calories and nutrients and fun.

Just as there are many more benefits to breastfeeding than caloric intake.

I hope that you found this alternative, and fact based, perspective on "food before one is just for fun" to be helpful. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

I have created a checklist for you so that you can get an idea if your baby is showing signs of readiness to begin solid foods. Download it here! 

 If your baby is showing those readiness signs, talk to your healthcare provider about the right time and method to start feeding your baby.

And remember to make it fun!

Love and Hugs for your family,

LuAnn