Introducing solid foods after six months doesn’t mean replacing breastfeeding—it means complementing it to meet your baby’s evolving nutritional needs. Breast milk continues to play a central role in supporting your baby’s immunity, development, and emotional bonding while iron-rich solids help fill growing nutritional gaps.
While starting solids around six months is an exciting milestone, breast milk should remain at the heart of your baby’s diet. Here’s why continuing to nurse is important, even as mealtimes shift and grow.
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Once your baby reaches six months and starts exploring solid foods, breast milk still plays a vital part in their growth and development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), solids are introduced to add to, not replace, the nourishment breast milk provides.
From six to twelve months, breast milk can still make up 50% or more of your baby’s daily energy intake. It remains the primary source of calories for babies aged six to eight months, which is why it continues to be the backbone of our thoughtfully created 6–8 month meal plans.
Following gentle, age-appropriate feeding schedules can help balance solid foods and breast milk in a way that supports your baby’s unique needs.
Breast milk delivers more than just energy and nourishment. It's filled with antibodies that boost your baby’s immune system, as well as enzymes and hormones that support digestion and healthy development.
💡 Quick Tip: Your milk naturally adapts to your growing baby’s nutritional needs—how amazing is that?
It also provides emotional comfort and safety during major developmental transitions.
You might’ve heard the saying, “Food before one is just for fun.” There’s truth in the idea that exploring solids is a joyful, messy adventure—but it’s also much more than that.
Around six months, your baby starts to need more iron and zinc, as stores they were born with begin to decline. At this stage, breast milk alone may not supply quite enough of these key nutrients. That’s why the CDC and AAP encourage including iron-rich complementary foods to support healthy growth.
👶 Parent Tip: Let your baby explore foods at their pace, while still nursing regularly to provide balanced nutrition.
Experts including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months. Around this time, it becomes important to start introducing solid foods.
These early meals help meet your baby's changing nutrient needs and introduce them to a world of flavors, textures, and self-feeding skills.
It’s not just about the calendar—readiness is about observing your baby's development. Understanding when your baby is ready for solids includes watching for physical and behavioral signs that indicate they’re prepared for this next step.
Your baby may be ready if they can:
👶 Parent Tip: It’s best to wait until your baby shows several of these signs before starting solids—no need to rush.
By six months, your baby begins needing more than what breast milk alone can provide—especially iron and other essential nutrients.
Between 7 and 12 months, a baby’s iron needs rise to about 11 mg per day, yet breast milk delivers only around 0.35 mg per liter.
💡 Quick Tip: Include iron-rich foods like meats, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals early on to meet this important goal.
Creating practical feeding schedules can help ease the shift to solids. Check out our meal plans for babies 6–8 months—they’re loaded with iron, zinc, and other age-appropriate nutrients.
Once you’ve seen those telltale signs of readiness, it’s time to decide how to start offering solids. Many parents wonder: What feeding method is right?
Traditional spoon-feeding uses purees and gradually adds thicker textures and small soft chunks. Baby-led weaning offers soft, finger-friendly foods babies feed themselves.
👶 Parent Tip: Combining both methods? Totally fine! Flexibility is your superpower during this stage.
Whatever method you choose, prioritize soft foods that easily squish between your fingers. This helps lower the risk of choking.
Some wonderful first foods include:
Experts like the AAP now advise offering allergens early to help reduce food allergy risk. Go slow—introduce one allergen at a time and wait 3–5 days to monitor for any reaction.
The nine most common allergens:
👶 Parent Tip: Talk to your pediatrician if you have any family history of food allergies.
A helpful way to approach starting solids is to breastfeed before offering solid food. This supports your milk supply while fuels your baby with nutrients and comfort.
The WHO recommends:
Here’s a simple example. Modify based on your unique family rhythm!
💡 Quick Tip: Night feedings are totally normal—no need to cut them if your baby still needs the comfort or nourishment.
As your baby gets used to solids, it’s fine to begin offering small sips of water with meals using a cup. This helps them learn new drinking skills, not replace breast milk.
Babies aged 6–12 months may start with around 4 to 8 ounces of water per day. Many only take a few sips at first—and that’s okay!
💡 Quick Tip: Keep water amounts small; breast milk should still be your baby’s main source of hydration.
Even though juice is fruit-based, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises avoiding it before 12 months. Juice lacks fiber and adds unnecessary sugar.
Instead of juice, try:
👶 Parent Tip: Real fruits = real flavor. Let your baby explore natural sweetness in whole foods!
Written by: Dr. Diana Jimenez, Pediatrician specializing in child nutrition, lactation, and child development.
Sources:
World Health Organization (WHO) - Complementary Feeding American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) - Switching To Solid Foods
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - When to Introduce Solid Foods
La Leche League International (LLLI) - Starting Solids
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