When to Stop Feeding Jarred Foods....

Use a blender or food processor to sart blending and chopping up home cooked meals. It's much better for him than baby food. Mushed bananas, cook some potatoes and carrots, then mash them with a fork - put some salt in there, and he'll LOVE it. Have you every tasted those gerber foods? They're awful. My son didn't eat well until I got him on more of the home cooked meals. Also, if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, you can get a food chopper that fits on there and grinds food - perfect for baby. From there more and more you can get him used to regular food.

Hi R.,

My Daughter is 14 months old. She still only has four teeth so jarred baby food and soft food is a must. I bought a small blender from Bi-Mart ($9.99) when she was about nine months old. I put whatever I make for dinner in the blender (chicken, potatoes, steamed vegtables) and mix her favorite jarred baby food (sweet potatoes are great) with it. I have slowly changed the ratio of "regular" food and jarred baby food making it more chunky. She is doing great with it, but like your son, is still not interested in eating just the "regular" food. Everyone tells me that she will eat when she is ready. More teeth would help!! Good Luck!

You could give him some of what you eat just to get him used to what is normally eaten in your home. Like vegetables, peas,cooked carrot,cooked broccoli are all easy to gum. Does he have no teeth at all? Spaghetti noodles cut into really small pieces and put a little sauce on it to get him used to the taste. I used to put some of what we have for dinner in the blender. Don't go too spicy. Some people have a problem with some textures. You just have to experiment. Take it one step at a time let him try some of the soft foods that he's not going to choke on, until he gets more teeth, scrabbled eggs and yogurt are a couple good ones to start with.

You aren't being paranoid, just a concerned mom. As the others have said, every baby is different. I would agree to take cues from your son, and you certainly don't want him to choke. My first daughter didn't get teeth until late and was picky about foods. I pureed most of her food until even up to a year. I also used a Baby Safe Feeder with her (www.babysafefeeder.com). You put chunks of soft food into it that might otherwise be chokeables and the baby can gum the pulp of whatever food out through the mesh. You can even put cold raw apple in it. All he will get is juice from the chunks and the rest will turn into a brown sticky blob, but it seems to help with teething. My first daughter loved it. Our second daughter took to eating chunks of food right away so I haven't bothered with it, except for foods like the apple that she doesn't have the ability to eat whole yet. I think Munchkins makes something similar as well that you can find at either Target or maybe Walmart. The Baby Safe Feeder is at Toys R Us/Babies R Us and baby specialty stores. Be aware too that what your son likes to eat now might change as he goes through his toddler years since their tastes are just now developing. I hope this helps. Best of luck.

There is nothing wrong with jarred foods. I use the organics and if you read the ingredients, it's normal food prepared so that babies can easily take it in. I don't know about other brands, but the organic ones I buy don't add anything. My son is almost 13 months and I still give him jarred foods sometimes. So I wouldn't worry about it. What's important is he is getting the nutrients he needs, and all that is in your breast milk. Good job breastfeeding! I would just keep introducing other foods and he will catch on when he is ready. My son ate all kinds of food pretty early, but a friend his age (just turned one) wasn't even interested in jarred foods for a long time. They are both happy, healthy boys. One difference is my son got teeth a lot earlier? that could be a factor? I'm no expert, but I would suggest continue breastfeeding until you are confident your son will eat enough nutritious foods on his own. That way you know he's getting what he needs. So maybe bed before breast?

I would take the cue from him...he will let you know when he is ready. You can try the things with chunks from time to time...when he quits gaging on them is a good sign that he is ready to start the transition...when my son was ready for those...he would suck all the pureed stuff off and spit out the chunks. LOL. I started giving my son fruit flavored yogurt for breakfast in a bowl with a baby spoon to learn to use a spoon (this is MESSY), but he eventually got more in his mouth that anywhere else. If you are worried about your son learning to feed himself at the right age, you could always put the jar food in a bowl for him or try yogurt...but finger foods are just as important, so don't stop giving those. I remember when my son switched from second foods to third foods...a while after he was able to eat them with no problem i suddenly wondered why I was spending so much money on jar food when I could prepare something like baked squash and if he wanted it mashed, just use a potato masher or the blender. Kids seem to be pretty picky about the texture of their food. Good luck!

R.,
I think it is fine if he is still having jarred foods, only 9 mos old and each baby developes different. Each of my kids were different went it came to moving on to table foods and chunkier food. Maybe wait until next month and add some rice cereal to the puree foods a little at a time. Sometimes they will just move past the 3rd stage food strait to table food.

Did he spit up alot as a baby? might still have an easy gag reflex. My dd 7yo still has an easy gag reflex if she eat something that she doesn't like the feel of she will gag.

I think it is great that you are giving the finger food peas and carrots are great for learning plus the peas taste sweet, and added bonus when the are learning to eat table foods. Maybe try a very steamed yam or boiled spinach finely chopped and add that to pureed foods or mix some formula or breastmilk w/ it to smooth it out. Just be creative, let him have fun with it. We all do better at things when we think it is fun :)

I know it get trying on your nerves when things don't go as smooth as you would like, or think it should happen. I have 4 very different children and wow I've got lots of grey hair to tell the stories LOL.

Good luck!!
L.

hi R. i would not worry about it untill he is over a year ond the do chock on stuff easyer untill they are over one he will let you know when he is ready he will learn on his own if you are interested in a home based job drop me a line S.

They make a device now that has a handle with a little mesh bag on the end (you can get it at any walmart, target etc). You can put soft fruit or cooled, cooked veggies in it. The child holds the handle and sucks on the fruit through the bag. My son had one of these and loved it. This way they get used to feeding themselves, but there is no risk of chocking. Other than that I don't know when to stop feeding baby-food. My son got teeth at 4 months and around 6 months I started to give him whole food, which he ate himself. I've heard that some babies just aren't that interesting in eating until around 1 year old (they want to nurse or have a bottle). It varies based on the child, so listen to what your child is telling you. :)