July 1, 2020
From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to start feeding my baby. First with breastmilk that I would be able to supply, I loved the idea of fueling my body to feed my baby. Followed by years of fun & creative meals to get Charlie excited about food and spending time in the kitchen with his mama. OBVIOUSLY this a little premature, but all that to bring light on the fact that I am a food lover. And because of this I spent a large amount of time researching the process of solid food introductions. I feel prepared to start this process, and wanted to share resources that I have found in hopes that you too can make the right decision for your little one.
My Approach:
Before doing too much research, I knew that I wanted to follow baby led weaning. Essentially: baby-led weaning is a concept that allows babies to feed themselves finger foods right from the start, usually around 6 months of age. The benefits of baby led weaning have shown that these practices can help with motor skill development & it gives babies the opportunity to explore different tastes, textures, etc and has been said to assist in the prevention of future picky eaters. That all sounded great to me!
Additionally, At 4 months our pediatrician advised that we could start introducing things like rice cereal & oatmeal. Will and I didn’t feel like Charlie was ready at that time, and while oatmeal is something we plan on feeding Charlie, we felt like rice cereal was an old school way of baby feeding.
As I continued my research when Charlie turned 5 months, I began to see the signs of readiness from him: showing interest in food, hand to mouth coordination, sitting up (mostly) on this own. But I just wasn’t sure he was quite ready for finger foods. Which is why we are doing the combination approach. This approach allows for a mix of purees on pre-loaded spoons (Still promoting self feeding) and baby led weaning. Below I’ll share the resources I used in order to help reach the decision that this approach felt right for us.
And I’ll leave you with this as you decide what is best for you: Go with your gut. You know your baby best, and you will just know when he/she is ready.
Feeding Schedule:
**Breast Milk and/or formula will remain to be babies main source of nutrition until at least 12 months of age**
At 5 months: We are feeding Charlie once a day, in the morning. Following his first bottle after waking up for the day. Amount: 2-3 Tablespoons + 1 Ounce of Water. This is what I am offering him, most of it ends up on his face or the floor.
At 6 -7 months: We are feeding Charlie at breakfast & Dinner (2 times a day). Following his first bottle in the morning & prior to bed time at night. We’ve moved on to more baby led weaning, and away from purees.
Order of Introduction:
As I mentioned above, because we started feeding at 5.5 months I made the decision to start him off with purees until he is 6 months of age. Our goal is expose Charlie to as many foods as possible before he is 1 year old. I have created a downloadable checklist for our fridge to keep track of these introductions.
It’s recommended to only introduce one new food at a time. The best time of day to introduce a new food is in the morning. You or a care provider will then be able to monitor your baby for any allergic reactions in the hours to follow. It’s also recommended that only introduce a new food after 2-3 days, to assure no allergic reactions are lingering.
First Food: Avocado : Mashed with a small amount of formula
Second Food: Sweet Potato : Steamed then pureed in food processor with small amount of formula
Third Food: Carrots : Steamed then pureed in food processor with small amount of formula
Fourth Food: Butternut Squash, Steamed then pureed in food processor with small amount of water
Check out this post for more information on introducing Allergens: Baby Led Weaning: Ideas on How to Safely Introduce Allergens
Products I purchased for feeding:
EZtotZ Little Dippers Baby Spoon / Bumpkins Silicone Chewtensils / Silicone Bib Set / Floor Protector / EzPz Tiny Cup / EzPZ Happy Mat / Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair / Silicone Storage Container / EZpZ First Food Set / Not Pictured: Silicone Feeder
Other Kitchen Items (not required but helpful):
– Blender
– Food Processor
– Immersion Blender
– Steamer Basket
Resources:
Safety Courses:
Infant CPR & Choking Course
Blogs & Instagram Accounts:
Feeding Littles : Blog / IG Account
Solid Starts: Blog / IG Account
Healthy Mom Healthy Baby: Blog / IG Account
Baby Led Wean Team: Blog / IG Account
Kids Eat in Color: Blog / IG Account
Kid Friendly IG Account
Books I Read:
Baby Led Feeding
Baby Led Weaning – The Essential Guide
The Big Book of Organic Baby Food
Free Baby’s First Foods Checklist that includes 85+ foods to try!
