admin Introducing solids to your baby is very fun and exciting initially. Then when you start to research about the venture of starting solids like most things in motherhood can be very overwhelming. You will come across all sorts of ways to start solids from what first foods to give baby to how much to which method to use. There are two main methods for starting solids that you will find through your research or maybe your child’s pediatrician will mention. The two methods are starting with pureed foods or doing baby led weaning. A lot of first time moms (me included) feel like they have to choose a method and stick with it. But it isn’t one or the other. Many moms out there swear by the baby led weaning approach for many reasons but baby led weaning can seem a little nerve wracking to first time moms (again me included).
I felt inspired to explain why I personally didn’t go with one or the other since I will be starting solids with my second son in a couple of months. I want other moms to know that there isn’t a wrong way to start solids and the decision should honestly be made based on your comfort level and what you think your baby can handle.
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Here’s why I chose to do the mixed approach:
I personally didn’t feel comfortable giving my first son bites of soft solid foods until I knew what he could handle. So I decided to start with puree foods and then planned on gradually introducing him to the baby led weaning (BLW) approach.
On the contrary, I didn’t want to only do pureed foods because I have read how beneficial BLW is to enhancing baby’s fine motor skills and babies learn a lot from exploring their foods beyond just tasting it. They need to feel it, play with it, and learn how to take bites of food.
How I introduced solids:
So the main rules I followed was introducing one food at a time for a few days to see if my baby was allergic to any foods and then avoid choking hazards like raw fruits and veggies. Also, avoiding honey until age 1. Anything else was fair game.
I started with rice cereal and breast milk when my first son turned five months. We did that once a day for a month. Then I started with pureed avocado when he turned six months. Avocado is a great solid to start with because it doesn’t have a strong taste and it is full of nutrients for baby.
We did pureed foods for a few weeks until he got the hang of it. Then I wanted to introduce him to the BLW approach. Instead of pureeing the avocado, I cut it up into bite small pieces. To my surprise, he did really well. Of course more ended up in his chair than his mouth but he had a lot of fun with it.
I stuck with really soft foods that he already had like banana, microwaved apple to soften it, steamed veggies like carrots and zucchini, etc. Then around seven months or so, I introduced toast. He LOVED it and did really well.
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I will say with BLW, you are suppose to do finger size pieces so baby can grab it and take bites of it. That personally didn’t work with our first. He would put the whole piece is his mouth and gag. I didn’t feel comfortable with it. So I would chop it up into bite size pieces small enough for him to use his pincher grasp with. Again, you can modify the method to your comfort level and what your baby can handle.
I would make sure that every day he would practice handling foods with BLW method and then the rest of the time we would do pureed.
Luke who is now 22 months still eats veggie/fruit pouches for snack time (because he loves them and they are perfect for on the go), other than that he can now fully self feed himself with table food.
I want to say we stopped purees around a year or so.
Some pieces of advice to add:
Food is just for fun until one:
I fell into the trap constantly where I felt like he wasn’t getting enough or didn’t want to eat some days or more ended up everywhere else but in his tummy. But this is an important reminder to know is that breast milk/formula is their number one form of nutrition until they are one. Everything else is simply practice. SO when you are worrying that your baby isn’t getting enough, remember food is just for fun until they’re one.
Take your time:
It’s so exciting introducing solids and seeing your baby’s reaction. So fun that sometimes you want to rush it. But don’t. Trust me. There will be a time where you will miss the simplicity of only having to feed your baby breastmilk/formula. Enjoy the process. Before you know it, you’ll be scratching your head trying to figure out what to make your toddler for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, lol.
Freeze pureed foods:
If you plan on making your own baby food, then I would recommend making more than what your baby needs so you can freeze the rest for later. It is a huge time saver to just grab what you need out of the freezer and thaw it out especially if you don’t have any table foods on hand for BLW.
Let your baby lead:
Your baby will let you know when they’re done. Try not to force feed. I was really bad at that at first because like I mentioned above I was afraid he wasn’t ever eating enough especially the older he got. But babies are great at knowing when they’re hungry. They will eat when they need too. Also, let your baby be messy. Exploring foods by playing with them and yes making a mess is just as important as eating solids. Trust me mama if you are a control freak like me, it’s really hard. But let it go, and let your baby learn.
Keep offering foods they don’t like:
Sometimes it takes a few times for baby to get used to a food or like it. And even foods they like, they may not like the next day. Keep offering a wide range of foods every day so that way they hopefully won’t be a picky eater (like my toddler is). Wait a few days to offer the food they didn’t like and they may surprise you.
Side Tip- My little man disliked green beans so I would mix it with a fruit like apple or blueberries (sounds interesting) but he loved it. And eventually he could eat green beans by themselves.
Starting solids can be overwhelming and a little scary but once you find what works for you and your babe, you’ll do just fine. Listen to your gut and have fun. If you have questions at all or anything to add, don’t hesitate to comment below.
