Introducing Solids - Saint Paul,MN

K for the first year of your babies life the majority of his nutrition should come from breast milk or formula. Basically all cereal and baby food is for is to teach your baby how to eat and to start getting used to different flavors. So when you start rice cereal it's a really small amount like 2 tbsp mixed with breast milk or formula. You give it to him and then still nurse or give him a bottle too. But he is still really young so if he doesn't care for it or it makes him spit up or get constipated then stop giving it to him for now and try again in a couple months. Both my girls never liked the cereal or baby food so they never ate it. I just nursed them until they were old enough to start eating table food like around 11 months. So just give it a try and give him a few spoonfuls to see if he likes it.

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Rice cereal is a training food. Start by mixing it very runny. You will know your baby is ready to start eating when he can move the food from the spoon to the back of his mouth with his tongue and swallow without gagging. If he gags, wait a couple of days and try again. Once he is taking the thin cereal, start slowly making it thicker. Give it to him once or twice a day, but do not let it interfere with his formula/breast milk intake since rice cereal has no real nutritional value and is simply a training tool. Once he is taking the rice cereal well you can switch to oatmeal and than mixed grain. All these can be found in the infant section at Walmart or Target, or at any local grocery store. After he has been on oats or mixed grains for at least a week you can start to introduce veggies. My ped said to start all veggies first since fruit allergies are more common. Wait 3 or 4 days between new foods so you can watch for any reactions. Make sure to introduce only one new food at a time, and avoid mixed flavors until you have already tried all the different ingredients separately. As he starts to eat more you can add feedings until he is eating 3 times a day, but he should still be taking in plently of formula or breast milk as well. Talk with your Ped, they can help guide you along the way, and be sure to avoid dairy and eggs until 12 months, and peanuts(nuts in general) and honey until 24 months.

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I was also clueless with my first baby. I bought a book by Ruth Yaron, called "Super Baby Food". It was fantastic. It told me when to introduce each food, how much to give the baby and also showed me how to cook all my own baby food. I never bought a jar in the shop and saved a ton of money! I agree with the other Mom (as did Ruth Yaron) that the baby's primary source of nutrition is breast milk or formula and the solids are really just a step toward eating table food. If your baby doesn't like something, don't worry. Try another time or try something else. Good luck.

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I agree that starting with the same foods you would in your home country (as many as you can source while here) would probably be better than rice cereal. The US puts too much focus on carbohydrates rather than easily digestible protein sources and "good fats" like avocado. Hence we tend to have the high rates of diabetes and obesity.

Jarred baby food is expensive in my opinion. I made my own by just cooking and blending it to whatever texture my baby was ready to eat. I would make a larger batch of one thing, freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store it in the freezer until I was ready to thaw it for my son. That way you can introduce more variety than what is commercially available. The books people recommended are a great place to start for ideas. Just introduce foods one or two at a time to make sure there is no allergy or food sensitivity issue.

I made all my daughter's food, and she's a terrific eater. I think, in part, because she didn't start with the bland jarred baby food. I second the recommendation for www.wholesomebabyfood.com. I also consulted the book, "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Annabel Karmel. I used a small Cuisinart mini prep since that was the perfect size for making small amounts.

If your baby is breastfed, you really don't have to start with rice cereal since breastmilk already has so many carbs. This approach was condoned by our pediatrician; rice cereal is just sort of a cultural norm but not an absolute. We started with a lot of vegetables and fruits, waiting several days between each before trying a new one. Then we started with oatmeal prepared at home. (The boxed rice cereal tastes really, truly awful.)

Your baby won't eat much right away, just a couple spoonfuls. Don't try to force more - it's a really new experience they are trying to get used to. Start once, then twice a day and increase the food as his appetite for it increases. Don't stress: it's not so hard! The most important thing before he turns one is just to expose him to a lot of different tastes and let him take the lead. Most of his food intake should still be breastmilk or formula.

I agree with going with what you know (your cultural norms and customs). I followed all of the "advice" with my first baby - rice cereal, pureed food, then mushy food, etc. but with my second child, I'm much more relaxed. My second child (10 months) eats less pureed food and more mushy food (well-cooked veggies: peas, carrots, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, fruits: bananas, strawberries, canteloupe, grapes, apples, yogurt, stewed prunes (for iron and constipation), cereals: barley, rice, multigrain, oatmeal, egg yolks, grated cheese, dry toast, tofu, lentils, brown rice, pasta. Some of the reason she eats more mushy foods is that I started her on solids later - she was about 8 months before I really got serious and also because she is much happier when she can feed herself.

I wouldn't worry too much about when you start solids, what is more important is whether or not your baby is ready. Does your baby show interest in your food when you are eating? Did your baby stop the tongue reflex - where they stick their tongue out? As others have mentioned breast milk or formula is what they really need for the first 12 months. Solid food during this first year is more about teaching them to eat and introducing new tastes, textures and the like.

I made and still make all of our baby food. My first child refused to eat jarred food. I was traveling with him and brought some along for the convenience but he would not eat it. I ended up buying yogurt, bread, banana and cheese in the airport and gave him that.

I bought a hand blender and used that to puree the veggies and fruits. I found it came in handy since it was less cleaning than using a blender. Same idea though as a blender. I also made batches and would freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays (well, I bought a special container that was BPA free) and then reheat in the microwave or defrost in the refrigerator.

The only veggie that you have to be careful with is carrots. I was told by my pediatrician that some carrots contain nitrates and the nitrate amount increases after cooking and storing them. So, with carrots, the baby should eat them right after they are cooked and then throw out the rest. I only made enough carrots for one meal. I was told that this was only important for the first year of life. After the baby is 12-13 months, then you don't have to worry about it anymore. Ask your doctor about that when you go for a check up.

Good luck and feel free to email me if you have more questions.

whatever you do, your baby still gets most of his nutrition from milk. so whether you are nursing or bottle feeding, do that FIRST. make the solids be less about fulfilling his hunger and more about making it a fun new experience.

and you dont have to only start with rice cereal. you can start with whatever you want. the rice cereal is only recommended because they are afraid babies dont get enough iron after 6 months. so you can include that, or the other kinds of baby cereal, but dont feel like you have to limit yourself to that. after all, have YOU tasted that stuff? not exactly the pleasurable experience in solid foods. gross LOL

anyway, just follow your instincts. if you give him some, and he rejects it, theres nothing wrong with waiting longer, especially if you are breastfeeding. most kids this age though cant wait for solids. :)

and remember, when it comes to adjusted age and due date, due dates are estimated. i dont know your situation, but your baby is 6 months old. im not saying that to pressure you, but only to put it into perspective that your baby is who he is, and whether he was early, or late, or "on time" hes going to develop the way hes supposed to. follow his lead, and follow your heart. you will know what he needs, and the more you listen to your instincts, the better they work. :)
good luck!

I agree with the moms that say give your baby the foods you would give as first foods in your original country! Also, if you don't want to start yet with the solids, you don't have to, breast milk alone is plenty of nutrition for the first full year if necessary. Call your relatives or write or e-mail and ask for advice! The way we do it in the USA is not always the best - look at our disease and obesity rates - look at how picky many american kids that were started on all those bland plain baby foods are!

I am born and bread here, as were my parents and grandparents, and I kind of bucked the system, so to speak, I nursed my kids till they were both 9 month old, then switched to formula, along with solids. I did buy the baby cereals, Oatmeal and Barley and Wheat, I never did much rice cereal, as I heard it was a "constipator" and has barely any nutrition on its own. We really just started steaming or boiling fruits and veggies, and pureeing them in a Magic Bullet blender, and freezing them in ice cube trays - popping them out into ziploc bags labeled with date and type of food for sotrage after 24 hours of freezing. Home made foods are fresher and have much mroe nutrients and flavor, and you cna add the same spices/ingredients and flavors as you would to your own food.

They say if kids don't try a fod by the time they are 3 they will reject it for the next 5-6 years after that - it is an evolutionary defense mechanism - that is th etime "cave man babies" would be able to run around a try new nuts and berries ontheir own, and if they didn't recognize a new taster they would automatically spit it out to save themselves form a possible poisonous food. Anyway, if you have the time and want to , make your own, and start giving the baby the food you make for your own family early ( as soon as you know they can handle the texture and any allergic possibilities are cleared) or you will have many more battles over food down the road.

Good Luck!

Jessie

I whole-heartedly agree with the mommy who said that following your own country's early dietary suggestions is not a bad idea. My husband is from a different country and we gave our daughter food from his culture from a very early age.

Even though it is harder, I also suggest making as much of your own as you can, as you move forward. Canning and jarring foods often reduces the nutrients in food. If you do buy food in jars and boxes, for convenience, travel, etc., I suggest going with the organic ones.

I would use my "stick blender" to make food for my daughter. You can also just cook food very soft and mash with a fork.

Dr. Sears has lots of good suggestions on natural, homemade foods. He is a pediatrician who raised 8 kids of his own! Here is his website.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030100.asp

Great questions--I hope you get the answers you need.

www.wholesomebabyfood.com. They have lots of charts about what to make when.

I usually do one meal a day for the first month (usually dinner). During the 7th month I do 2 meals and day and work your way up based on his appetite until he is eating 3 meals a day by 9 months. You may need to go slower with him because of his beign two months early he may have some issues with learning to use the spoon. The big rule is to wait 4 days before introducing a new food. So if you start with rice cereal on a Monday, he can only have rice cereal until Friday, on Friday you can introduce say peas and he can have peas and/or rice for the next four days. It takes about a month to build up any decent variety, but it protects against allergies.

I start out with cereal for a week or two and then move to other foods. I make most of my own foods, you just peel the veggies or fruits, steam and then puree them. My blender works better than my food processor. I freeze the purees in ice cube trays and dump them out into plastic bags. When its ready I pop out a cube and microwave it until I can stir (I don't serve the food warm so I don't have to worry about making sure the food is always warm or about it being too hot). I think making it myself is much better because I can control exactly what my baby eats, buy organic when possible, and mix things together when I am ready. You also get a lot more variety because when is the last time you saw a zuccini or broccoli puree in the store - but its my sons favorite green veggie puree. Plus it is amazingly easy and you can add spices starting around 8 months to get your baby used to a variety of flavors. Some foods I do not make are pureed meats and applesauce (I buy the motts organic natural for big kids, same stuff, better price). I buy jarred foods for eating at restaurants of when we are otherwise not at home, otherwise I make it myself.

Don't forget that the way we do things in this country is not neccesarily better, you can and should incorporate foods that babies would eat in your home country and when you can start adding spices, make sure to give your child a taste of your home.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solidfood6to8montholdbab...

I started my daughter on oatmeal (baby) mixed with breast milk and followed with avocado and cooked organic egg yolks mixed with breast milk soon after at 6 months. I think it's good to start babies with higher fat foods with protein. But I'm also a fan of Nourishing Traditions and that method of healthful eating. I don't agree that babies should be forced to wait until 12 months to eat solids. Especially if they're formula-fed. No pediatrician will recommend doing this and I trust them and their medical education and training far more than those who tout extended exclusive breastfeeding. (I Do support extended breastfeeding though :) I am still nursing my 2 y/o and am 6 months pregnant)

Another vote for http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com - they have tons of information about what to give babies when & how to prepare it, all for free!

There are a lot of different schools of thought on this one. I personally think that pureed foods aren't strictly necessary, and start thoroughly cooked table foods in bite sized pieces once baby is ready.

But if you want to go the pureed route, another great website to look at is http://weelicious.com/ There's some really fantastic puree recipes there.

There is a website www.wholesomebabyfood.com. It talks all about what to start and when and it has tons of recipes to make your own baby food, which is so easy. I made all of my babies food and he liked it so much better then jar food. You can even make your own rice cereal. I think it is best to make your own and he also eats a lot of organic veggies, which are best in my opinion. This website answered all of my baby food questions. I felt just like you when I started solids. Jacob is 1 now and he eats almost everything we eat now. You'll do fine and sometimes it takes them awhile before they get used to eating. More ends up on them, then in their mouths.