A fellow blogger and friend asked about first baby food experiences. Since baby food has been on my mind recently, I'll give my two cents. But keep in mind, I'm definitely not an expert or anything. Gosh, I really don't know what I'm talking about, I'm a very new mama. =)
So I had all intentions of waiting until Callie was 6 months to start solids; she had been exclusively breastfed before that, but she just seemed...well, hungry, among other things, so we decided to try feeding her at 5 months (and our pediatrician suggested we could start any time between 4 and 6 months - since it can sometimes help her to sleep through the night. No such luck). We started w/ bananas, avocado, and rice cereal (banana and avocado first, no reason really except I thought it seemed a little healthier than plain rice?).
I also have Super Baby Foods...I like the book. It kind of matches my would-be philosophy (making your own fresh baby food instead of canned, using organic and whole grain when possible, etc). The book says to start w/ cereal, banana, sweet potato, or avocado, so that's pretty much what we've done. It's funny to me how really little she actually eats! All this big fuss for like a teaspoon!
I was planning to feed her avocado the majority of the time (it has omega-3's and is considered a super food). However, she really didn't love it. So, I mixed it with some breastmilk to make it thinner and sweeter, it looked like whipped guacamole (I told Kyle I would give him $10 if he would try a bite. He refused. Just kidding. Not really.). =) Anyway, she made the funniest "gag" face, opened her mouth up and put her chin forward. So, I don't think it was her favorite thing ever.
Honestly, sometimes I feel like Callie is my little experiment - I don't really know what I'm doing! And after feeding her for the first time, I felt guilty, like maybe I should have waited? Maybe I should have tried vegetables first instead of fruit? Maybe I should have started with cereal? Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard?
Anyway...there it was, my two cents. Your comments are appreciated.
Anyway...there it was, my two cents. Your comments are appreciated.
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3 comments:
You sound like me. I gave Aiden avacado first hoping he would love it. He HATED it. Eventually I would puree it with banana or applesauce and he would eat it. I did wait til 6 months cause he wasn't seeming hungry and he is slow when it comes to learning to like new foods. Currently, he is a herbivore and I rack my brain trying to find protein sources for him and spend hours trying recipes hoping he'll eat it. I miss the babyfood stage cause it seemed so much easier than feeding a toddler. I made some of my own baby food but I used lots of Happy Baby frozen baby food. It's organic and has added DHA. I LOVED that stuff. I have lots of coupons if you want them...they need to find a home and be put to use.
Ahh, baby food...this is one of those things I thought I would have so much control over and I sadly found out that it wasn't the case. I also started Abbie on baby food at 5 months and she did great. She loved almost all the babyfood we gave her (we did not make our own)but from the very first time we tried meat with her, she has always been a little finnicky (sp?) about it. Sometimes she picks it out of things and other times she will eat it plain...she leaves me a little clueless sometimes. She also never liked Avacado (I didn't follow the same guidelines you are but she still didn't like it when we did try it.) She LOVES bluberries though so I guess that fills one of the superfood categories. Anyway, I have learned that I probably make a much bigger deal about feeding her than I really need to. Peter has ALWAYS told me - if she is hungry, she will eat. I know he is right but sometimes it is so frustrating when I prepare something and she won't even try it. I guess this is yet another way that the Lord has taught me to be more patient. It is so nice that she can now eat everything that we eat and I don't have to prepare something separately for her but I remember those days to be frustrating at times. Ok, so I've gone on long enough, but that is our experience in a nutshell.
Yes, thinking too hard. But, you won't ever stop thinking too hard about things to do with your baby!
In that book, Super Baby Foods, she mentions that it takes a baby about 15 - 20 times with one food to determine a like or dislike. I don't know if I believe it. Levi screams when I try to feed him squash.
And, guidelines change. The one that has stayed the same since Sage was a baby is no honey until after one. My ped told me I don't have to wait for anything else.
And Levi seemed to hate the rice porridge when I made it, so I quit, I really should try again though.
You're doing a great job.
She is so adorable. I can't wait to meet her in person!
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