Weaning BF Baby - Extra Iron?

[TicTacsMum]

DD will be 6 m in a few weeks and i'm beginning to think about what to do when i start her on solids. I've read that babies, esp bf ones, start to need to take iron on board at about this time as their stores will be running low.

Do i have to (i know i don't HAVE to do anything but you know what i mean) giver her cereals like baby rice or porridge for the iron or can i go straight on to pureed veg? Was thinking of introducing things like sweet potato, parsnip, broccoli, etc. Does this seem reasonable?

Cheers

at 6 months they can eat a nice variety of foods. I'd do all of the above

Thanks Marslady. I really want to know though if i can NOT give her baby rice or similar. The girls from my antenatal give their babies baby rice and it's like wallpaper paste!

You can go straight onto real foods - no need for baby rice.

Thanks - any foods i should deffo include for the iron or am i getting too hung up on this??!

Don't worry about iron, there isn't much in breastmilk, but it is very well absorbed. If you weren't anaemic in pregnancy etc the baby will be fine.

You can totally skip baby rice, and all the pureed things. Just give finger foods. It's called baby-led weaning (BLW) and is quite popular in some parts.

\link{http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html\Cite} re: iron. Really don't worry. There are some lists of high-iron foods for babies further down that page, too.

Thanks NQC - good link.

A little diluted fresh orange juice served with some iron-rich food will increase the iron uptake or absorption.

Hiya. I totally breat fed my daughter (and still do bf) when I weaned her at 6 months I completely skipped the foul baby rice and went straight onto veg, meat and fruits. I would always give her some rice or porridge after her meal (as a pudding)and she would take a small amount of this. She suffered from slight ecema (and none of the veg, meat or fruits made this worst - in fact she doesnt get it at all now!)
Do whatever u feel is best hun xxxx

Here is a link to the report Unicef are using for baby led weaning \link{http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voedsel/rapley_guidelines.html\ report} I am intending to go down this route with my 22 week daughter very soon.....

Never bothered with baby rice, never worried about iron, and DS is just fine. Next time I think we'd do baby-led weaning, as well. I didn't really know enough about it with DS.