Introducing Solids: 6 Months

C.,

It is a bit overwhelming, isn't it? For making your own baby food, I've used the site http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/. I've found it simple and helpful.

For feedings, when your baby is first starting to eat solids, feed him either right before or right after a nursing. We started out doing just one feeding a day with cereal. When my boys were ready to move on to fruits and vegetables, we increased the feedings to twice a day, and then shortly after added a third feeding a day. I kept their feedings paired up with a nursing session until about a month ago (they're ten months now). I adjusted based on how much it seemed they were eating. I just paid attention to their cues. You can ask your pediatrician for what he/she suggests.

Good luck and have fun!

at that age I find this schedule works best (adjust times to your child, just spacing is even why I put them on at all)
6 wake, nurse/bottle
7:15 cereal w/fruit or veggie
7:45 nap
9:45 wake from nap, nurse/bottle
11 cereal w/fruit or veggie
11:30 nap
1:30 wake nurse/bottle
3 cereal if hungry
4 cat nap if needed
5 nurse/bottle
6 cereal w/fruit or veggie
7:30 bottle/nurse then asleep

I too used the wholesome baby site. Keep it simple: overripe banana. Avocado. Steamed apple, pear, peaches. Go to the local farmers market and buy some yummy looking produce, cook it up, throw it in your blender or food processor, and freeze it in ice cub trays.

But try bananas and avocados to start. No cooking on your part, and super yummy for them. Avocado also is loaded with good fats, a true super food that requires no cooking.

I can't really recall, but I think I started by feeding my daughter solids at lunch, and then added breakfast, and then dinner. My approach to solids was the same as my approach to nursing: let her decide how much is enough. I think she'd eat less than one ice cube at the start, and then, gradually, she increased it to 2, then three, etc. and as she started to eat more, I added variety, so at least two different things a meal, more typically three.

My daughter eats everything (well, she doesn't have all her molars, so she struggles with meat)....My goal was to have her eating what we ate by 12 months. Around 8-9 months, she wanted to eat what was on mommy's plate, so I got rid of a lot of the baby food and went to finger food.

Whatever you do, don't forget soup when he gets a bit older. My daughter loves potato leek and mushroom. I would make a homemade stock to keep the sodium low, and freeze the soup in ice cube trays. Healthy and a great way to introduce multiple veggies.

My advice: keep it simple. Give him good, quality foods Yes, go to Whole Foods and buy him good quality food! A good peach is worth its cost when introducing flavors! Most importantly, DO NOT STRESS. Tons of food will get thrown on the floor and thrown out. Ignore it. It's all part of the process of learning to eat, and if you show stress, then eating will become a stress area, and an area where your child will exert control by refusing what you give him. If you just put good, quality food down (your only job), and them him at it, he will turn into a champion eater.

Congrats on nursing and wanting to make your own baby food!

Please get the book "First Meals" by Annabel Karmel. It's short and simple with big color photos and fairly easy recipes. It really helped me..

I used the Super Baby food book, but only parts of it. It can get overwhelming and now that my daughter is 9 mo. I've tossed it aside. For introducing I just started with rice cereal after her morning nap, after 4 days of that I would introduce something new. I mainly used the book for the guides on how long to steam the veggies at the back of the book and then I would puree them, and I used it for the guide on what foods are good for tiny tummies. I did the freezing of tablespoon size servings until we started finger foods. It is so tricky but the trickiest part is that you really do have to follow your individual baby. We started with a half a teaspoon of food and moved up from there. And she would always nurse after food, she still likes to do that. Follow your instincts your baby will guide you. And if your nursing just keep reminding yourself your baby is getting everything they need from your breastmilk and the food is only textures. I have to remind myself of that all the time.

I remember feeling overwhelmed as well! It's been a couple years since I've been at that stage, but I remember feeding my son before nursing. I made all his food (except cereal). I usually took one day a week to make a whole bunch of food. I steamed the food, put it in a food processor and then froze the food in ice cube trays. I remember just starting with one ice cube per feeding. It felt good making my own food for my son.