1) How long should I wait after she has nursed to offer solids?
There is a saying that you should wait at least 20 minutes to prevent interference with the absorption of iron from breastmilk (esp if your lo is iron deficient). But I guess a lot of people are too eager to BLW so not many of them observe this!
I admit that we always try to but sometimes we can't (because you know life with a baby is always very rush).
2) How many times now shd I offer solids? once or twice or more??Shd I offer solids whenever I am having my meals (which is typically b/l/d)?
The theory is that you can get your lo sit & eat together with you whenever you have meals or snacks. But you may start gradually instead. The core thing is that food at this beginning stage is for exploration (i.e. mess!!!) not as sources of nutrition (perhaps except iron - but it depends.
We started with breakfast and lunch and later added an afternoon snack. Sometimes we omit a meal when really busy or DS naps late.
3) Should I start offering her water with her "meals"? I have bought her a straw cup.Do i offer her water in that or shd I help her drink from an open cup?
Yes you should offer her some water (whether she takes or not is another matter) whenever having solids to prevent constipation (but you may skip if time to breastfeeding is very near). Some people here taught their los to drink from a regular cup (wow!), some a straw cup, and others a sippy cup (e.g. me). DS just takes a few sips each time.
4) I know babies need to eat full fat stuff.What are the good fats that I can offer her? How much butter / ghee /cheese is okay to give on a toast?
healthy fats: olive oil, fish, avocado, nut butter (any allergy to peanut?), flax oil, etc.
Also don't forget saturated fats: yogurt, egg, butter, coconut oil, etc... Saturated fats are also good for babies (before 2 years)
According to Gill Rapley (the author of "BLW" (book)), everyday you can give a quarter of a baby-sized handful of healthy fats to a baby.
5) What type of cheese can I give her? We dont eat a lot of cheese so I have no idea about the types available .I sometimes make cheese/paneer at home using full fat milk.Could I give her that too?
Well, let other tell you because this is also my question (most cheese I can find contains a lot of sodium) (perhaps some brands of cream or cottage cheese are OK.)
6) Are eggs safe now?Can I give her an omelette?
The conservative guideline is that egg white after 12 months. Well it all depends on whether your lo is allergic to it. We gave the whole egg since the 9th month.
7) What type of rice would be good for her? I think I did read somewhere that brown short grain rice is better because it cooks softer. :?
The rice people in your country normally eat. You may fry or slightly overcook it to make it more easy to be grasped.
8) I understand that babies dont need a lot of fiber now.We are from India and I use whole wheat flour for making flatbreads( chapatis/rotis/parathas etc).Could I give her those flatbreads or do I make flatbreads using dough which has 50/50 whole wheat n refined flour?
Babies don't need too much insoluble fiber but still a lot of soluble fiber. So stay away from brans. Alternate between whole wheat bread and white bread or just don't use 100% whole wheat.
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