5 TIPS FOR INTRODUCING SOLIDS TO YOUR BABY
Introducing Solids Tip 1
Talk to your doctor. Our son woke up at least every 2 to 3 hours to nurse and during growth spurt weeks it was literally every hour. I was dead tired all the time. People suggested putting a little cereal in a bottle for one of his night time feedings. We tried it once and after doing research and talking to our doctor, I decided that I would just suck it up and wake up nurse him when he needed it. Needless to say, I was a zombie for months. Some of the things our doctor mentioned when I asked when would be a good time to start solids and below are a few of what I can remember
- Your baby should be able to sit up in a high chair and hold his/her head up on his own.
- He/She should show signs of interest in food and open his mouth when it is offered.
Our little guy had no interest in food at 6 months when we first tried and so we did not push it. It wasn’t till he was 9 months old that he started showing interest. We also skipped cereal after talking to some nurse friends who are moms and they mentioned that cereal had no nutritional value. I made the decision to not bother with trying to give him any.
Introducing Solids Tip 2
Check for allergies by applying some food to their cheek. Our pediatrician told us this neat little trick. However, our son does also have very sensitive skin. The first time I tried peanut butter and eggs his skin turned red and then cleared up. I held off on feeding him those two things for a few weeks and then I tried the skin test again. Another way to make sure your child does not have any food allergies that we were told about and read about was giving them the same thing at least 2 to 3 days straight before introducing a new food. I also made sure not to mix fruits and vegetables so we could better track what he may or may not have been allergic to.
Introducing Solids Tip 3
Experiment with different textures. In the first few months our little guy did not like bananas and each time I gave him some he would gag. However, he loved avocados, which was quite a surprise to me. It did make my heart happy because I love avocado.
Introducing Solids Tip 4
Start with pureed foods and let baby set the pace on what to feed him next. I wanted to make all of our son’s food, but when you work full time as well it can be a challenge. A lot of friends made their babies’ food on the weekend and just froze it. I dislike batch cooking when it comes to meal planning because I hate being in the kitchen for hours at a time. I have to be in the mood for it. I made his food the first month and then I was fortunate enough to partner with Little Spoon. I will be writing a more detailed review next week on Little Spoon. We absolutely loved their food.
Introducing Solids Tip 5
My last and final tip is to make it fun. Introducing solids to your baby should not be stressful.
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All PHOTOS: Emma Parker Photography