About to introduce my baby to solids

Roxana - posted on 02/21/2013

i didnt have plans on buying baby food and for a while i was making my own. maybe i became too lazy but i found it was easier to have canned food if im out during the day in case he needed it.
Its good to give a taste of everything* so she can build up a good stomach as she gets older.
and as time goes by you'll be able to make a very detailed list to MIL. its important she follws your instructions though. and always, i mean ALWAYS leave a signed note to her saying if anything goes wrong she has the permission to seek medical attention. (just a sidenote)

Denise - posted on 02/21/2013

Great Info..

I dont have plans on buying any baby food just because I think itlls be cost effective. My daughter has had 2 teeth by 4 1/2 months. Yeah shes growing too fast..Everytime I eat with her near me she stares at me braking my heart and i lose my appetitie lol.. I let her get a lick of what im eating but then she grabs my hand to push whatever i have in my hand into her mouth LOL..if not she turns tomato red and as u can tell by my profile pic she is snow white twin lol.. Im def going to invest in a steamer and then create a puree from the baby bullet.. Hopefully everything goes well. It just sucks that I work from 7-5 and want to make sure to give correct instructions to my mother in law.

Roxana - posted on 02/21/2013

to each their own. but formula is still an important food for them. after a year (or more like: after you introduce fatty whole milk) formula gets cut to compensate.
i havent introduced whole milk yet so i cant give any input on that.
Ive slowly introduced foods, and around 9/10 months (or when you see a good amount of teeth) if you feel you want to add MORE solids, try cutting up veggies or fruits into tiny tiny pieces so she can pick them up and eat them
something like a snack during the day.

stores have these things called puffs.. ive never used them and dont care much for them but its also a good snack food (i think) when your little girl gets the hang of solids :)

Roxana - posted on 02/21/2013

well i dont have a steamer, so i take a big crock pot and put some water at the bottom and pul my collander in it. then i put the veggies and a lid on top, steam comes out through the holes that arent covered. (too lazy to buy a real steamer)
remember: organic is only labelled organic because it has the minimum requirements of 25% *real* food.
always read the labels: cant understand the word? dont feed it :)

I wouldnt reduce the milk just yet until your baby really gets into an eating schedule with solids. Sometimes my LO will eat his solids and then leave an ounce or 2 of milk because he's so full. I find that ok, if you feed solids first and notice that half of the milk remains, cut down on the solids so a majority of the milk is eaten. closer to a year you can drop the amount of milk, depending on your baby's growth.

Denise - posted on 02/21/2013

Thanks Dove!! Im so glad Im getting this feedback. My dummy self would have reducedher intake of milk as i have read some moms have been doing.. Giving their baby solids with a 4oz bottle.

Dove - posted on 02/21/2013

Offer the bottle before the food. Solids are not supposed to replace breast milk or formula until a year, so you don't reduce the amount of milk they get. Take your baby's lead and it gets a lot less confusing or stressful.

Denise - posted on 02/21/2013

Def. Helped.. Its hard hearing so many different stories out there and the pressure of chosing the correct method for your baby. Im def going to make the food at home. My mother in law is an Organic freak so she is beyond excited but wont go as far as i let her hahaha..To clarify your suggestion:

Morning Fruit Puree (In my case)
then should i give her a whole 7 oz bottle or should i deduct some oz for the fact she just ate her solid food?

the same question for dinner.

And when you say steam..How do you steam food over boiling..

Roxana - posted on 02/21/2013

Solids before 1 are just for "tasting" so until she passes the year mark she doesn't *need* 3 feedings a day.
I started when my son was 9 months old, i bought some baby cans and put 2 ounces of food for lunch.
Remember to try one type of food at a time, in case her body doesnt accept it, then you will know what she may or may not be allergic to. and keep a few days in between new foods in case signs show up later.
I started like this:
veggies first, orange color (carrots, squash, etc) 2 ounces once a day, for a month
then veggies of different colors (peas, corn, potatoes etc) 3 ounces once a day for a month
Then i introduced combined veggies or veggies and meat. (note: we incorporated mean around 10 months) 4 ounces one feeding for a month
I, then bought fruits and every week tried a different fruit for breakfast, (apples, pears, peaches, etc)
Now: he eats about 2 solid meals (he's 11.5 months old) one of fruit in the morning (4oz.) and one of veggies/meat for dinner (4oz) along with the forumla he drinks to supplement (5 bottles of 8oz a day maximum)

If you're looking for starter foods, avocado is good to start. Tofu is also a good starting option. It all depends on you and what you eat.
Kids this age enjoy texture so try various types of food to give a variety of tastes

If you chose to make your own pureed foods, steaming is better then boiling, the nutrients become dull/nonexistant when food is boiled as opposed to steamed.
you can always freeze portions and thaw them.

you can start in any way you please. I give my son solids first and then milk after. but some mothers choose to give milk first and solids after (in the case they dont drink the milk)
Good luck, hope ive answered a few questions