As a new mom when it came time to introduce solid foods to my daughter I was a bit lost. I was nervous and sought out help from my mommy friends because I wanted to just ensure I was ‘doing it right’. Little did I know at the time that there is no right way, but there are many ways you can try.
Around 5/6 months, I started to puree food. Of course I did this myself instead of buying food because I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was in it. I started off with sweet potato, carrots, pear, apple, peas, & corn. She loved the first 4, but was not into the peas and corn. I realized that it was the texture she wasn’t used to. I had a hard time making my peas and corn smooth. I ended up purchasing the items I had trouble making at the store. She loved them too. Homemade or store bought, I just wanted to make sure she was getting the foods she needed.
I did try other items using a mesh feeder. The only negative feedback I received from others and noticed myself was that it was messy and hard to clean. But it worked great and she loved it. In this we put, banana, avocado, & watermelon. I also ended up freezing fruit and putting it into the mesh, to help sooth her when she was teething. It helped tremendously.
As I mentioned I sought out help from my mommy friends because I wanted to give my daughter a variety of food but was unsure how or what to do. I kept hearing about baby-led weaning and wanted to try it out. I heard so many great things about it. This is the information provide to me from my Mommy friends that I found really helpful.
Mommy Allison – We do/did BLW. We had great experiences both times with the girls. The idea is that babies learn to chew 1st then swallow 2nd. opposed to started with baby food or purees where baby learns to swallow 1st then chew later. It’s important to understand the difference of choking and gagging. Sloan started with grilled chicken at 6mo with no teeth until 9mo and ate whatever we ate for meals minus the spices/seasoning. For Quinn she wasn’t interested in food until around 10mo but same she ate what we ate. Food before 1 is just for fun. So if she isn’t interested just keep trying to introduce. Let her start getting the feel for foods on her plate or tray and using a spoon or fork. Best liked foods for the girls were avocado slices, bell peppers, bananas, grilled chicken, cheese, cucumber.
Mommy Lorraine – BLW is great. I’d say go for it! Definitely helped with my younger one in many aspects. I would suggest to start around 7 months. Remember there is no rush. Food before 1 is just for fun. The first foods I gave my little one was sweet potatoes, carrots and avocado. My little one was eating nearly everything by the time she was 9 months. Also it takes a little getting used to but just know she will gag and that is normal. Know the difference between gagging and choking. Good luck!
I ended up giving Emma solids around 8/9 months. I would cut things into small pieces because I was nervous about coking. She did gag every now and then but after the first few times I knew it was natural and didn’t panic. I cut up Toast with peanut butter, Egg, avocado, sweet potato, & banana. I continued adding items as she grew. I did avoid giving her anything with tons of spices as I didn’t want to overwhelm her palate. Although I’ve read that introducing bold spices can actually help them like more foods and not be such picky eaters. (I haven’t tried it but would love to hear from anyone who has tried this)
