Starting Solids + Breastfeeding

Starting Solids: A New Adventure for Your Baby!

It’s official — your little one is ready to start solids! But remember, while it’s exciting to introduce new flavors and textures, solid foods are meant to complement breastmilk or formula, not replace it. Solids, while fun and exciting, aren’t nutrient-dense enough to replace milk just yet.

Why?

Breastmilk or formula still provides the majority of your baby’s nutrition during the first year. Solids are more about exploring new tastes, improving motor skills, and learning how to eat, rather than filling up their tummy.

Why Milk Still Matters:

At 6 months, your baby’s digestive system is ready to explore new flavors and textures, but breastmilk or formula is still the primary source of nutrition. Solids don’t yet offer the calories, protein, healthy fats, or vitamins that your baby gets from milk. It’s all about giving them a taste of the world around them, not replacing what’s most important for their growth.

Babies still need on average 25-30 ounces of milk daily for the first year of life. While this intake may lower as they get closer to a year old, this is not to be intentional.

What makes breastmilk so special?

• Complete nutrition: It provides the right balance of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals for your baby’s developing body and brain.

• Immune support: Antibodies in breastmilk help protect your baby from infections and illness.

• Easily digestible: It’s perfectly suited to your baby’s tiny tummy and still provides the bulk of their calories until around 12 months.

• Custom-made for your baby: Your body tailors the composition of breastmilk to meet your baby’s specific needs, which is something no solid food can replicate.