My Baby Started Solids: Baby-Led Weaning & Purees. Our Process, First Foods, and Must Haves
Can you believe it? My newborn is now a 7-month-old baby, embarking on the exciting journey of eating solids. As a mom of two, I'm familiar with this process, which is both thrilling and a little nerve-wracking. Luckily, my little adventurer, Kelly Rae, is fearless, always happy, and has taken the entire process in stride and is loving every minute of starting solids.
Just like with my first baby, we're introducing both purees and age-appropriate solids to Kelly Rae. While the recommended age to start introducing "real food" is around 6 months, we waited until Kelly Rae was fully sitting up on her own. She absolutely loves the purees, especially the sweet ones (more on that later), and she's been doing great with the different solid foods we've offered her.
We've decided to combine purees with baby-led weaning because it is what works best for us. Baby-led weaning is all about offering finger foods and letting the baby feed themselves right from the start. I appreciate the emphasis on independence and allowing Kelly Rae to regulate her own food intake. At the same time, we also do purees because she enjoys them and it gives us the opportunity to introduce a variety of foods. I'm careful not to force-feed her purees and usually pre-load the spoon, letting her feed herself.
In addition to solids and purees, we offer Kelly Rae a cup of water with every meal. While breastmilk remains her primary source of nutrition and hydration for the first year, giving her water allows her to practice using a cup, and surprisingly, she's quite good at it!
When introducing new foods, we follow our pediatrician's guidance of introducing one new food every few days to ensure she doesn't have any allergies before making it a regular part of her diet.
While it's exciting to see Kelly Rae's reactions to different foods and have her join us at the table during family dinners, introducing solid foods can also be a bit scary. Watching your baby learn to handle food and occasionally gag can be nerve-wracking. However, for me, it's important to remember that gagging is a normal reflex for babies and actually helps prevent choking. But even though I’ve been through this process before, it still worries me. My best advice is to take it at your own pace when introducing real food for the first time.
The amount of information out there can be overwhelming, but I found reading the book "Simple and Safe Baby-Led Weaning" and consulting with my pediatrician to be helpful. I also use the Solid Starts app, which categorizes foods and provides demonstrations on how to offer them to babies of different ages. I also highly recommend taking a CPR and choking course. Knowing that I have the tools to handle emergencies puts my mind at ease throughout this process.
Apart from that, I try to block out the noise and endless advice on starting solids. All babies eventually figure out eating, so there's no need to rush.
Baby’s First Foods (Month 6 & 7)
I'm thrilled to share with you a list of the incredible first foods my little foodie has tried during these months.
Purees
Sweet Potato
Avocado
Banana
Pear
Apple Sauce
Yogurt
Solids
Bananas
Broccoli
Sweet Potato
Red Sauce
Avocado
Waffle
Pizza Crust
Noodles
Starting Solids Must Haves
As a seasoned mom who's been through this exciting phase, I've compiled a list of must-have supplies and my recommendations for your solid food journey. From clever feeding tools to handy storage solutions, these essentials will have you and your baby well-prepared for the messy (yet oh-so-fun) adventure of starting solids.
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At Home
For Purees
For On the Go
Best of luck to you and your little one on your new milestone of introducing “real food”! Until next time, XXX McKenzie