Home Starting baby on solid foods...

[Dreamer_D]

Thanks ltl. I have no reason so far to suspect any issues. Hunter has thrived on breast milk and he is a big healthy boy. He was exposed to some regular formula in his first week when my milk took 7 days to come in, we supplemented for a day or so, and he didn''t seem to have any problems but as you say, it may have been too little to notice. I have no dietary issues so I am hoping he has my constituion!

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Me too. Starting solids should really be a fun time of infancy. It is really fun to see them learn to eat and get excited when they find something new they like.

Have fun with feeding time!

 

[gailrmv]

ltlfirecracker thanks for the great info on the current thought re: allergens! We''re pretty allergy prone in my family (I have pretty bad environmental allergies, dh has severe food allergies) so we are pretty nervous about solids for that reason. I am hoping that our son will be OK. I got an epi pen jr to have on hand just in case!

neatfreak thanks for the review of the beaba!

DD So exciting for Hunter to start solids! I was reading Jack Newman''s website earlier today finding BF help for a friend with a new baby... I checked out his article on starting solids here I thought it was a good article. I like his laid back approach about solids. Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you - we''re just a few weeks behind ya!

 

[atroop711]

I started with some organic oatmeal cereal (rice can be binding). I mixed it with the formula (I stopped BF at 4mo) and started feeding him like this. Turns out he liked it better mixed with water

. After a few weeks I introduced fruits then veggies (around 7mo).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/18/2009 10:49:28 PM
Author: TanDogMom

DD So exciting for Hunter to start solids! I was reading Jack Newman''s website earlier today finding BF help for a friend with a new baby... I checked out his article on starting solids here I thought it was a good article. I like his laid back approach about solids. Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you - we''re just a few weeks behind ya!

Yeah, I read similar opinions on the Sears site that EBree recommended and also in some books I looked at. Seems like at 6mo there isn''t a great reason to start with cereal over, say, banana, and I thought it was a real "Duh of course!" moment to read that breast milk is much sweeter than fruit so it is silly to think that starting with fruit will cause a BF baby to turn his or her nose up at veggies! LOL! BFing would spoil all kids for veggies if that were true. But maybe there are other reasons to start with cereal? Ltl Firecracker?

We plan to start on saturday morning because DH wants to see his first taste of food!

As of this moment I am thinking of starting him with banana or avocado, since we have both in the house and they are very ripe and mushy. But we will see! I have a feeling he will gobble it, he loves grabbing anything in our hands and trying to get it in his mouth. For example...

 

[LtlFirecracker]

DD - I am laughing at that picture. That is so funny.


We actually had our am discussion on starting solids yesterday. The old timers sat there and fought over which food to start first. Cereal is a favorite food to start with because it can be mixed in the breast milk (but you have to do it right before you give it because breast milk breaks down cereal). That way, the texture is not totally new for the baby. But the one thing I took away from that...there is no right way, and everyone thinks there is.

Speaking starting with husband there. One of my co-workers, who has a 2 year old told us to warn the parents that the first couple weeks are more about learning to eat, and getting the textures, than getting the nutrients. She said she was so excited, waited for her husband to get home thinking it would be some big event. She gave the baby the food and he spit back out at her.

They also stressed the importance of establishing meal times. Even at this age, have a schedule for eating time and when it is dinner time, keep the baby in the high chair with you (I guess you could feed before or after, but in couple months, the baby can start feeding himself and working on that skill while you eat. With all of our overweight children, some of the pediatricians are really stressing the habits that parents establish for their children in the early years.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/20/2009 11:06:39 AM
Author: LtlFirecracker
DD - I am laughing at that picture. That is so funny.


We actually had our am discussion on starting solids yesterday. The old timers sat there and fought over which food to start first. Cereal is a favorite food to start with because it can be mixed in the breast milk (but you have to do it right before you give it because breast milk breaks down cereal). That way, the texture is not totally new for the baby. But the one thing I took away from that...there is no right way, and everyone thinks there is.

Speaking starting with husband there. One of my co-workers, who has a 2 year old told us to warn the parents that the first couple weeks are more about learning to eat, and getting the textures, than getting the nutrients. She said she was so excited, waited for her husband to get home thinking it would be some big event. She gave the baby the food and he spit back out at her.

They also stressed the importance of establishing meal times. Even at this age, have a schedule for eating time and when it is dinner time, keep the baby in the high chair with you (I guess you could feed before or after, but in couple months, the baby can start feeding himself and working on that skill while you eat. With all of our overweight children, some of the pediatricians are really stressing the habits that parents establish for their children in the early years.

All good points. We don''t mind if he spits it out, but I know Dh will want to see the funny faces he makes and the reaction and also the mess. He is very involved and invested and he wants to see it.

How many times a day do you offer solids to babies at this age? I read it was 1x per day in the begining and after that I have heard 2x per day, so we could do breakfast and dinner... We bought a fancy highchair so he can sit with us at the table (mostly I just liked the design

), so we will try to make mealtimes a family thing. I plan to have a rule that kiddo has to sit down at the table or at least sit down to eat -- my aunt did this because she worried about choking and after seeing a baby choke on a ferry when her parents were letting her eat while they were holding her and distracted, I will be applying this rule too!

 

[Jas12]

lovin that picture DD

when we started solids it was twice a day. I think they say a tsp or so to start. That was just ridiculous for co, he was like a baby bird, scarfing down a whole bowl at a time and opening his mouth for more. I just let him lead the way and it all went fairly smoothly.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 8/20/2009 10:06:40 PM
Author: Jas12
lovin that picture DD

when we started solids it was twice a day. I think they say a tsp or so to start. That was just ridiculous for co, he was like a baby bird, scarfing down a whole bowl at a time and opening his mouth for more. I just let him lead the way and it all went fairly smoothly.

Well we gave Hunter his first solids tonight -- banana! He went at it like a baby bird too, what an apt description. I relized I didn''t have any spoons

so I fed him of my finger and he basically took my finger off trying to get at the food! Then, in between bites off my finger, he had his face pressed to the bumbo tray licking and slurping the drippings!

Sighh... he is definitely our child

 

[Jas12]

Yay, Hunter!!!

So cool to watch them go thru all their little stages and ages...

 

[Jas12]

This was my little bird (approx 5 /6 mos old) Posted a loooong time ago on the mommy thread

*sigh* DD, now i am all nostalgic. It was so fun introducing foods.

 

[Jas12]

Here were some foods thawing for a few meals in those first months of trying solids

cauliflower, eggplant, plum, avacado, carrot, squash, blueberry, broccoli (steamed and blended)

 

[Dreamer_D]

Jas what fun! I am looking forward to it, I am very curious to see what he likes and doesn''t. We are planning to stick with one food at a time for 3-4 days each one. Tomorrow we are going to try rice cereal, mostly because it is in the house and I guess I should! LOL!

How did you keep his hands out of the food when you were feeding him? Hunter just wants to grab it and the spoon and my hand and ram it all in his mouth! He is really strong actually, so it is hard to get myself extricated. haha It is fun though.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Hey DD

Just got back from a little weekend trip. Sounds like things are going great. I like the "let him lead the way" advice that you were given. He will have an opinion on all of this

Jas12 - cute picture

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/17/2009 11:42:26 AM
Author:dreamer_dachsie
Any good resources etc? I know nothing about it and have been exclusively BFing for the last 6 months. I have been avoiding learning about real food because it seems like a hassel

Can''t I just let him live on breast milk for another year? LOL!!

From the looks of your av, I don''t think so. Poor kids chewing on a can he''s so hungry!

LOL Sorry, just couldn''t resist!

I haven''t read the thread, but I''m sure you got lots of great advice/suggestions. And while it may seem like a bit of a hassle, it''s also a hilariously fun adventure, as they try out all those new foods!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/21/2009 11:27:09 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
How did you keep his hands out of the food when you were feeding him? Hunter just wants to grab it and the spoon and my hand and ram it all in his mouth! He is really strong actually, so it is hard to get myself extricated. haha It is fun though.

Simple! Give him two spoons of his own to hold. One for each hand.

(yes we go through 5 spoons each feeding at our house...)