Sorry I didn’t get around to posting yesterday. It was just one of those days where I needed to catch up on housework and get caught up from the weekend after being out of town for a family wedding. But, before I go into today’s post, I have to share a picture of my precious baby girl (even though she was so tired!). 
Anyhow, enough of my rant, let’s move on to the topic that has been on my mind lately since I started Mirella on solids a few weeks ago. Even though it has been less than 4 years since I introduced solid foods to Keenan, I’ve forgotten a lot of what I did with him. It’s funny how quick you forget about things, and then once you are doing them again with your next child, it slowly starts coming back (thankfully!). After starting Mirella on oatmeal and moving onto veggies, I’ve learned a few tips that I wish I knew when I had Keenan, so I thought I would share them for those of you who are starting solids with your little one…
5 Tips For Starting Your Baby On Solids
1. Trust yourself! Keenan’s Pediatrician didn’t recommend starting solids until the child was at least 7 months olf or showing signs of readiness, like grabbing for our food or reaching out for our utensils. His doctor followed the World Health Organization’s recommendations which was 7 months at the minimum. But, I felt a HUGE amount of pressure from family and friends who kept asking when we were going to start giving Keenan “real food.” When we said not until 7 months, they were shocked, which made my husband and I doubt our decision. But, we stuck to our guns and didn’t start him on solids (first being oatmeal) until he was 7 1/2 months old. When he ate that first bite, he was more than ready. He loved his oats from the start and never once gagged or spit it out. We have done the same thing with Mirella and it has worked just as well as it did with her brother (though it took her a tad longer to like her oatmeal!). This time, I’m fully confident in our decision to have waited so long to give her solid foods.
2. Who says cereal has to be first? With Keenan, we started him on oatmeal mixed with breast milk, which he ate for breakfast for about a month before introducing anything else. I followed a strict by-the-book schedule of introducing foods because that is what “was recommended” or “what everyone said I should do.” With Mirella, I gave her oatmeal mixed with breast milk for a couple of days and then added a pinch of cinnamon to it, along with some mashed banana, which she loves! If there aren’t any signs of an allergic reaction or intolerance after a couple of days, than why continue to wait to introduce other foods? I say, always go with your gut!
3. Don’t be in such a rush! With Keenan, I felt pressured to try so many new foods in a certain amount of time AND make sure he got his solids at each meal time. Looking back, I really think I put pressure on myself. It wasn’t like Keenan was going to grow up not eating solid food! Also, the amount of food that Keenan was just starting to eat was so small that he was still getting 90% of his calories from breast milk. With Mirella, I’ve slowed down a bit and started her with a few different veggies, bananas and avocados, rotating one new veggie in a week. If I don’t get around to introducing a new veggie, or we are out running errands and I forget to bring along some food for her to eat at lunch time, I don’t stress about it. In the grand scheme of things, she will be just fine.
4. Relax and lighten up! When we are sitting at the table for a meal or eating out (which we rarely do!) and Mirella seems interested in what we are eating, even though she is eating her own food, I try to give her a little piece to taste. With Keenan, I was so worried to give him our “table food” until he was almost a year old!
5. Have fun! When I started Keenan on solids, I felt it was more of a chore because nursing him was so much easier and convenient. I didn’t see it as being fun. After awhile, it was fun seeing his reaction to each new food we gave him, but for the first month or so, I forgot to cherish that time and truly take it all in. Now, I’m having fun introducing Mirella to each new food, enjoying her reactions and cherishing those precious moments of Keenan helping to feed her!
Questions:
For those of you veteran parents, any tips that you can add?
When did you start your child/children on solid foods?
Did you ever feel pressured to introduce solids from family members and other moms?
We started T on cereal right around 6 months. I still feed him mainly breast milk, but he eats ‘real food’ about 3 times a day and some mum mum crackers. Mirella is so sweet! xo
Mirella eats “real food” 2 times a day, but next week, I’m going to increase it to 3 times a day, too. She loves to eat her food when we are eating, but she is still getting most of her calories from breast milk, too.
I can’t even remember exactly when we started foods – I know that our 2nd one ate far less baby food and more of what we did right off the bat because it made life much easier.
It seems that Mirella is definitely more interested in what we are eating than Keenan was at the same age. If I’m holding her while I’m eating, she automatically opens her mouth when she sees me feeding myself with a fork or spoon.
I held off on the cereal for a while with my son and started him with bananas/avocado at 6 months. He’s my first baby and I was SO excited to start solid foods with him. A few weeks later the excitement wore off and it turned into a source of frustration 🙂 With baby #2, I am taking your advice and not rushing into it. Now that I have a picky toddler in the house, I don’t care to rush into solids with our next one!
Yes, take your time! It’s so much easier when they are just drinking milk! 🙂 But, the past week or so has been fun seeing her reaction and just enjoying the process. I love her faces when Mirella tries something new (either she lights up and kicks her feet if she likes it, or purses her lips if she doesn’t!). It’s priceless! Oh, and congrats on expecting baby #2!!
What a great picture of you too! Adorable!
Thank you!
I used LOTS of traditional baby food with my first and started around 5 months. He was very ready at that point though. I don’t remember at what point I transitioned to “finger foods” for him but it was probably closer to a year. With both babies #2 and #3, we started with some sort of cereal, soon after added fruit and veggies, and very quickly went to finger foods, but not until more like 6 months. And the youngest really wasn’t ready until 7 months at which time it just “clicked.” I just offered it every so often until it worked for him. The finger foods keeps them occupied in the high chair for pretty long periods of time, develops fine motor skills, and is SO much easier. The only time I use “baby” food is when we’re out and about. Even then I try to bring a banana or something else portable.
I have tried cut up banana and avocado pieces, but Mirella needs to refine her fine motor skills, so I just feed them to her! 🙂 But, I have to say that she is VERY interested in what we are eating, more so than Keenan was. She eats her baby food, but she definitely wants to try what we are eating.