Starting Solids and Foods for 6-12 months
I was dreading starting solids with my baby- I didn't have any particular fears but I knew it was a big step and I wanted to be successful. This is everything I learned from starting solids with my first baby.
Things to do before starting solids
1. Look up the difference between gagging and choking
This is important and it is something that really helped me. Expect your baby to gag in the beginning. It's normal and it is how they learn how to eat solids. Especially in the beginning- most of it is not actually going to end up in their stomach but they need to practice it. It can be kind of scary and anxiety provoking but I watched some videos of kids gagging (weird, I know) and it helped me prepare for giving my baby solids. It's important that you don't react when they gag- because having a big scary reaction can scare them and make them not want to try solids.
2. Let your baby start to play with spoons
This is something I did not do, but wish I would've done. Before you plan on giving your child solids you can introduce them to spoons and let them play/lick them and get used to them being in their mouth. I plan on doing this if we have a second baby.
3. Figure out your high chair situation
This was a learning process for us. Originally we had a basic graco high chair that we got for free as a hand me down. After a few days of using this I realized that this was not a good fit for us. The major thing I hated about this chair was that it was so big. It took up so much room in our dining room and the tray had so much real estate for him to make a mess. The other thing I hated about it was that it was an absolute PAIN to clean. The tray was so big and while it did come off it was hard to wash in the sink and dry. After a few days I was like- this is not a sustainable long term solution.
Eventually we went to ikea and got the cheap $30 Antelop chair and I LOVE IT. It's super easy to clean and it's small. I also love that it's easy to break down. If we are going some where for the weekend we just break it down and take it with us. They are so popular that third party sellers make specific mats and other accessories for them.
When getting a high chair you want to think about it long term- is this something that is safe but very easy to clean because I'm going to be cleaning it typically three times a day?
4. Start learning sign language (if interested)-
We use "more" and "all done" the most. We started incorporating it into daily routine before starting solids -such as the end of bath time or when finishing a bottle. While he isn't old enough to sign back to us he understands what they mean.
5. Know what to do if your child starts choking
You could take a class if you really wanted to- but I would say just be aware of the basic heimlich maneuver in babies. My husband and I have to take BLS for work so we did not do this but we were already familiar with how to do it. Hopefully you never need to use it but it's good to keep in the back of your mind.
General questions I had before I started
1. When is my kid ready for solids?
This is all parent/kid based. I've heard of people starting solids as old as 4 months but honestly I was super hesitant to start and waited until after he turned 6 months.
The main things to look for in readiness is:
1. Sitting un assisted or almost unassisted- your baby needs to have the core strength to sit up and prevent choking
2. Showing an interest in food and what others around are eating
2. How often should I feed my kid?
There's no hard and fast rule for this- it's mostly about you and what ever fits into your schedule. As a far as timing goes we tried to time it about 45 min to an hour after having a bottle/breastfeeding. We don't want solids to replace his nutrition that he is getting from milk but we also want him to be hungry enough to want to try and eat the solids we put in front of him (Of note- this was never an issue with my kid- he will literally eat anything at anytime- but I know other kids are more picky)
We started with one meal a day- dinner- because we were both home and then bumped it up to twice a day once we got more comfortable. At this point he was on 3 naps a day so we did like a mid day meal and then dinner. Once he dropped his 3rd nap and went to 2 naps a day we starting giving him breakfast as well. Again we try not to give him solids too close to when he is due for milk.
3. What should I feed my kid?
This was nerve racking for me and I didn't know what to pick and his "first official solid". In the end its not really a big deal- just pick something and go. One thing I found helpful was I googled "100 foods before 1" and it gave me a list with a bunch of different ideas for him to try. I felt like it was easy for us to fall into a rut of giving him the same things over and over so having a list made it easier for us when we were making our grocery list for us to pick something new for him to try.
A general rule of thumb is to start with veggies before starting with fruits because fruits are sweeter and babies are likely to prefer them and theoretically refuse veggies. This didn't happen with us (again my kid literally eats anything- for now) but I've heard it is common.
4. BLW vs Purees?
This is a hot topic amongst mom groups but honestly I think it's silly be to hardcore on one end of the spectrum or the other. We did somewhat of a combination and just let him take the lead. We started with purees to get him used to having something other than milk and then just introduced him to things as they came up. A good rule of thumb is that if you can smush it with your thumb and pointer finger than it is safe to give to your baby. We continue to do a combination of both softened solids and purees and we will continue to do so until he shows us that he is tired of the purees.
5. How can I do this so it's not super messy?
You can't. It's important to let them explore the food and that usually means making a mess. Although it's anxiety provoking try to let it go. The best thing that I've found is to limit the amount of food given to them at one time and to time the messier foods for closer to bath time.
6. What about allergies?
Our baby ended up having an allergic reaction. It's a good idea to have some children's benadryl on hand before you start solids and to be mindful of what you are giving your baby in the early days. When he had the allergic reaction (hives) we were told to stop and wait a few weeks and try again. Thankfully when we tried again he had no reaction. Sometimes their bodies just need time to adjust to new foods but it's important to expose them to allergens early to determine if they have a true allergy.
Supplies I found helpful when starting solids
Goo Tensils- these are great for first spoons and purees. Also great for baby to teach themselves how to bring utensils to the mouth
https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Spoon-GOOtensils-Silicone-Utensils-Raspberry/dp/B0B9T6G3RK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3F1K0XD0DV5PY&keywords=goo+tensils+baby&qid=1687209511&sprefix=goo+tensi%2Caps%2C595&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Silicone pocket bibs- Honestly these are great- and in my opinion fabric bibs for food are now a thing of the past. One of our relatives gifted us some fabric bibs and I just donated them. Why on earth would I spend time doing more laundry when I just run these things under the sink I also love that they catch a lot of food that baby drops as they are eating. As he has gotten older he has also learned to reach into the pocket and grab the food that he dropped.
https://www.amazon.com/PandaEar-Silicone-Babies-Toddlers-Waterproof/dp/B08GFCX964/ref=sr_1_5?crid=ZJA5LQCQK0KM&keywords=silicone+bibs+for+babies&qid=1687209545&sprefix=silicone%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-5
Pincher grasp place mat- This was super helpful for us. It gives a little more grip for tiny fingers and allows babies to pick up small foods
https://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Finger-Foods-Placemat/dp/B082N8V5R8/ref=sr_1_6?crid=RPBWJ98SDNF8&keywords=food+mat+for+baby+high+chair+pincher+grasp&qid=1687209620&sprefix=food+mat+for+baby+high+chair+pincher+grasp%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-6
Mesh teether- great for fruits. We found some fruits really hard for him to pick up (like mango) but it was perfect in a teether. He loved it!
https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Fresh-Food-Feeder-Green/dp/B000GK5XY2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=23HJ06WYC5LRE&keywords=mesh+teether&qid=1687209658&sprefix=mesh+teethe%2Caps%2C229&sr=8-5
Baby spoons/utensils- Now there is a ton of different baby spoons/forks out there. We just kind of picked some and went with it. He's not as interested in feeding himself with a spoon although we try- we know it will come with time. It is nice to have a little spoon for portion controls to feed them with.
https://www.amazon.com/Infant-Spoons-5-Pack-Silicone-Training/dp/B09BWN59Q8/ref=sr_1_12_sspa?crid=21FE6JFFEEXPC&keywords=baby+spoons&qid=1687209695&sprefix=baby+spoon%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-12-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Washable mat- if you don't have a dog this is super clutch. I like that this is machine washable. We usually take it out to the back patio once a day and shake out all the food droppings
https://www.amazon.com/Wo-Baby-Washable-Water-resistant-Anti-slip/dp/B07DC635SF/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?crid=2A6TNJN3MPMYG&keywords=food+mat+for+baby+high+chair&qid=1687209585&sprefix=food+mat%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Optional things
Bowls- You can totally just use your own in the beginning. I got some of the ezpz brand silicone bowls but honestly it was too much for him at this age- I think we will introduce them to him again when he gets a little bit older and can handle more food on his plate all at once
Baby food jars- we made alot of our own baby food because my husband likes to cook. We found these 8 and 4 oz jars helpful because my husband would make a lot all at once.
https://www.amazon.com/WeeSprout-Glass-Storage-ounce-Variety/dp/B09ZGFK1YZ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3H2LFDA3ZMTCO&keywords=baby+food+jars&qid=1687209748&sprefix=baby+food+jar%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Reuseable pouches- again we make alot of our own food and the reusable pouches are nice-especially when we are out for the day. We didn't really introduce the pouches until about 9-10months and he still needs some help with them but it's really nice for on the go meals. Often my husband will make a big batch of them and freeze the for when we need them.
https://www.amazon.com/ChooMee-SnakPack-Reusable-Premium-Double/dp/B01GH7ZOSM/ref=sr_1_8?crid=34BKJ8ELKHBG1&keywords=reusable+baby+food+pouches&qid=1687209778&sprefix=reus%2Caps%2C243&sr=8-8
What I learned:
Plan on serving your messier meals right before bath- if we were planning on giving something really messy we would give it to him for dinner. That way it was bath time right after dinner and it wasn't a big deal if he made a huge mess
Give a little bit at a time- If you put all of the food you have sectioned out for your baby to them all at once chances are they are going to throw it or wipe it on things. Instead give them 1-2 bites at a time- it keeps them interested and then less that you have to pick up if they do throw it
Don't make a huge deal about food throwing. Know that it's a normal expected thing and if you make a huge reaction towards it the more likely they are to do it again. Now when he does throw food we will pick it up and say " When you throw things on the floor it means you are all done- are you all done?" If he does it again we say calmly "ok all done!"while also signing "all done" and the meal is over. It's not a 100% game changer but slowly he is learning and does it less often
Soup is a great option when you are running out of ideas- we were making a lot of soup in the winter months for me to take to work but discovered it was perfect for babies. There are a lot of variety of veggies and everything should be soft enough to chew.
If it is safe for them to eat offer whatever you are eating. We found he wanted to try everything and we are embracing it as long as possible. I know at some point he will become picky but I want to expose him to as many things as possible.
Comments
Post a Comment