When can my baby eat meat?

Once your baby's willingly eating cereal and strained fruits and vegetables, you can add meat to his repertoire. For most babies, this happens around 7 to 10 months. It doesn't matter if you introduce beef or poultry first. At this age, babies still tend to gag and don't have molars for chewing, so start with strained meats (available as jarred baby food) or meats you've pureed yourself. Never offer your baby pieces of meat until he's been eating other finger foods successfully and has several teeth — and then carefully chop the meat into extra-small bite-size pieces.

 

If your baby rejects meat at first, wait a few weeks (or even a month or longer) and then try again. Many parents find that they have better luck if they start at around 9 months, when babies should be drinking less breast milk or formula and getting more calories from whole foods. At this point, babies become less satisfied with the standard menu of cereal, fruits, and vegetables, says Marilyn Tanner, a registered dietitian at St. Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Meat is both dense and chock-full of protein, so it tends to be more filling than other foods.

 

You may find that your baby takes longer to accept meat than other foods. That's because, in addition to a new taste, meat has a new texture. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests mixing your baby's favorite vegetable into pureed, slightly warmed meat to help him adapt to the new flavor.

Sometime I just cannot stand people who preach and pray to breastfeeding. Because of such propaganda, my wife was so sad and depressed when her milk dried out in a month because she was too tired to constantly breastfeeding (we have twin daughter, and she need to mechanically pump the breast milk out as the nipple is too short). For those who can breastfeeding, good for you, but be sensitive to those who can't.

Your baby will let you know when he's ready. I get grief for starting my baby on solids at 4 months old. But he LOVES his food. He holds his little mouth open and makes "mmm" sounds. I gave him homemade pureed chicken at 6 months old. He wasn't sure at first, but he moves it now. If your baby rejects a food, just try again in a few weeks, move onto something else. There will be things that he just doesn't like. My baby doesn't like bananas or prunes, not to mention rice cereal! Don't be afraid to try exotic fruits and veggies. Some mango, or papaya. Apricots are a fav here! Dried apricots boiled in a scant amount of apple juice, mmm mmm!

About breastfeeding: I was bound and determined to breastfeed. I wasn't going to give up. I prayed, I ate healthy and drank tons of water, I pumped, I took supplements, I even just tried to relax. When my baby didn't gain weight and was only in the 1st percentile for weight at 3 weeks old...I knew I had to supplement for his health. I eventually had to go to formula full-time because I just ran out of what little milk I did have. The poor thing tried and tried to suck and was burning more calories then he was gaining. Breastmilk is the best choice if you are able to, but don't make others feel less sufficient as mothers because they just physically can't produce. It is not out fault. About solids: I started my son at 4 1\2 months on rice cereal and gradually introduced 1st food fruits and veggies around 5 1\2 months. He is not 8 months and on 2nd foods. Not interested in anything else yet. He is content with formula and two meals a day. Every baby is different. :)

To all those that would try to make perfectly wonderful mommy's feel guilty about not breastfeeding their babies, you really need to pull down that halo and realize that not everyone CAN breastfeed, and even if it's by choice, I am sure there are choices you make within your family as a parent that we could all throw sticks at. I did not breast feed my daughter because she was adopted and I didn't lactate out of thin air. *GASP* Could that be so? GET OVER IT

It's with sadness that I see the angry posts about 'breastfeeding nazis'. To the best of our (scientific) knowledge, breastfeeding only for about 6 months is uncontested to be the best feeding practice. Many (but not all) breastfeeding problems can be overcome. Even though this has been a WHO recommendation since 2003, it is not the advise you will always get out there. I am a health educator and I have not known much about why breast really is best. I didn't practice all this with my own baby. It doesn't make you a bad parent. But even if we don't live in a developing country, early introduction of solids or other drinks can cause the baby to get sick more often (diarrheoa, pneumonia) and displace breastmilk (baby drinks less than she otherwise would). Breastmilk is not just a fully sufficient source of nutrients, but essentially provides a big chunk of the immune system for a small baby. While every baby is different, all of them were designed for breastmilk.

My now 3 year old refused anything but a bottle until she was 12 months old. She would eat things like cheerios but never baby food. I would keep trying something new about once a week but never forced it. She was and remains extremely healthy. She is in the 90% for height and 90% for weight. It dosent seem to have effected her at all. Just don't stop trying. He will eventually eat when he is ready. I just noticed that when I got upset about her not eating so did she and it made the situation worse. I now have a 8 month old and am much more relaxed about things like that. Just don't sweat it. Babies know when they are ready and when they aren't.

My daughter is now 9 mths and she just recently has been accepting solids. She was only interested in nursing. I noticed when I tried forcing her or when I would get upset (b/c all the other babies were eating all of the time), things got worse. Things changed for the better when I let her get messy with her food and I relaxed about her not eating. Keep trying every day, but don't force him. One person told me, until they are a year old, they are only 'practicing' to eat, so there is no huge concern yet. I also found out you could ask your doctor to do a simple iron test if that's what you are worried about. Also, try Yogurt (not the fat free kinds) and drinking water from a cup between a few mouthfuls - mine LOVES these options.

I began weaning at four months as my baby was constantly hungry despite increasing her formula. My health visitor advised to give just baby rice at first then gradually introduce puree fruit and veggies. She's six months now and my heatlh visitor advised that its best to introduce meats now as iron reserves begin to run out at six months. She gets three solid meals a day varying from boiled strained meat and veggies, fruit, baby cereals and occasionally dairy. She also gets four eight ounce bottles of formula per day. Its best to introduce one new food each week so baby gets used to it. I've never had any problems with her weaning and she loves her food. She's active and healthy.

I understand how the person that asked everyone why they don't breast feed upset some people. I too think it's a personal choice but I am pro-breast feeding but understand some people can't. I read these posts because my baby loves meat and she is only a little over 7 months and no teeth. I just give her pureed chicken and she can't get enough. I agree with most of you guys on here that say wait until they are ready and if they reject something try again later. :) Let's all be kind to each other as mothers.

This is to the lady that posted 7/26/2008. You have no right to talk to someone like that. Just because the book says 4 months does not mean it has to be at 4 months. It all depends on the matured of your baby and if they are demonstrating signs of readiness. My background is in child development and my baby started stage 1 foods at 3 1/2 months and will be starting 2nd foods in the next week or so. People out there listen to your doctor but you live with your baby daily. Give them baby food when they are ready not when the books says they are ready. Don't force they will eat when they are ready to eat as long as they are gaining weight and not losing then no need to worry and no need to force, but their is also no need to withhold food if they are ready.