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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Our "solids method"
We're not doing purees. We're not doing spoon feeding. We're not doing prepared cereals.
I did a lot of reading, and I talked to our LC and our pediatrician. This is, from what I understand, the best way to protect my milk supply as well as make sure he's ready.
So, we are giving him soft foods that he can mash with his hands, even suck off his fingers. They're of course cut into very small pieces for him. I've even mashed them up for him to make it a little easier. He's fine sucking it off his fingers, but if anything akin to a glob enters his mouth, he holds his breath and pushes it out desperately.
Here's the "method" we were told to use to determine whether he's ready:
-can sit unassisted and doesn't slump in high chair (check)
-can pick up the food, get it to/in his mouth, swallow, and then wants more (he can pick it up and get it in his mouth. He cannot swallow even a small amount of well-mashed food. He still has a very strong tongue thrust reflex.)
Big bonus - I don't have to puree anything, freeze anything, etc.
Also, on the topic of iron "deficiency" in breastmilk - I asked our pedi about it, because I wanted to know what food I should start with since I don't want to do anything boxed or jarred. She said it wasn't a concern - while breastmilk is much lower in iron than formula, the iron in it is more bio-available and so better-absorbed. So it apparently evens out in the end.
He's growing just fine on breastmilk and not nursing constantly, so there's no reason to push solids on him right now. We give him opportunities to try them. He even sucks on our apples when we eat them. But he's made it clear that he's not ready to actually have solids. And purees can cause a drop in milk supply - if I were FF or EP and could make sure he continued to get adequate milk, I might do them. That's a drawback/mindfuck of EBF I guess!
I'd love to hear what other people have to say about this - I don't think this is the only way to do things. I think it's the way that addresses *my* concerns as a mom. And my particular kid is just not ready quite yet. I'm sure there *are* 4m/o that are ready. My 6m/o just isn't.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Our "solids method"
See that was what I said in the other post. Some kids are ready, but some kids aren't. You can't be for sure until you are in the shoes of that parent who is trying or not trying solids.
For us, Lucy was ready. For other they aren't. I didn't like that she made us solid feeding moms seem like we were the devil because we started early.
I guess this is the new FF vs. BF debate huh?
I've heard a that a couple of other people are doing this.
Even though I know my milk supply would be ok b/c I pump, I'm still really interested.
So what will you give him? I know you did the avacados. I'm sure you could do bananas. What else is there that you don't have to puree?
Do you have any links on this brea? I'm really interested in doing it this way (or at least, mostly like that and seldomly do purees).
This is baby led weaning right?
https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyledweaning.htm
I think I'd rather go this way too. I'm hoping to wait till 6 months and I just think this method sounds like such a good idea. I also want to protect my milk supply as well.
Score for knuckle-bumps
PS: No teeth here yet. And sleep is still but a dream of mine I hope to one day attain. Anything better in your house?
Your plan sounds great! Mainly because it is what works for you and most importantly DS!
In regards to the other posts, I wonder if it does come down to a FF vs BF thing. I don't know how often a BF baby eats and how much and all that stuff. So who am I to judge when a BF baby or anyone else's baby for that matter is ready? All I know is the FF side and when both of my sons were ready. I don't have to worry about self weaning and missing feedings and I can always tell how much food he is getting. If I was BF, then maybe I would have also waited to start solids in fear of him not BF any more. who knows? not me.
We tried banana. Also made him think he was choking. I mashed the crap out of it. It was practically liquid and he got the teeeeensiest glob in his mouth.
You can do squash this way, too - you might want to overcook it a little.
You can do sweet potatoes.
You can soften peaches by boiling them for a minute, then they're easily pealed and not so gross that you can't eat what you're not offering :-)
Rice, like Brahim said.
It'll take me a bit to dig up all the various articles I read. I'm bad about bookmarking :-) You can look on kellymom as well as askdrsears.com. I believe I also found some info on LLL's website. The wholesomebabyfoods or whatever website is helpful in listing what foods to try, and you can get creative in figuring out how to offer them.
I basically found several things that said, "watch for these signs of readiness." And listed pincer, sitting up, tongue thrust gone, and a couple others. And I was like, "how the eff do I know until I give him solids that his tongue thrust reflex is gone???"' Yea...didn't. Sooooo thought he was ready, though his pincer isn't all that great yet.
After I did all this reading, I asked our LC at the last Nurse and Chat about it, and she's the one that clearly laid out our "method." Everything else just listed things that were signs of readiness. My pedi is really laid back about the whole thing - he's growing fine and meeting milestones fine, so there's no reason to change anything right this second.
aokiedokie
Tammy - I don't know that the line is necessarily between bottle and breast, but I the sort of supply paranoia that can come along with BF most *definitely* played into my choice.
Frenchy - he already has a spoon, a cup, and a plate that he plays with at mealtimes. He's had that since he could sit up well in the high chair around 4-4.5 months. We even gave him the spoon while there was food mashed all over his tray. He actually took more interest in the spoon than the food, even though the food was the novelty! He'll figure out the spoon eventually - I mean, DH and I eat with utensils, so he's got some good role models :-)
Summerly - last night=shitttaaaaay. He's napping now and I am powering through the day and planning to go to bed with him around 8PM.
LOVE IT.
This is basically how I did it with my first daughter (now 15 years old, no allergies and absolutely no digestive problems...and she tries ANYTHING)
I'll be doing it the same way when I feel as if Ethan is ready. As I mentioned in another post, he got some applesauce the other night from grampa and he really did swallow it well and not a single drop of it was pushed out, but I'm still holding off and will definitely put mushed up food on his tray when we're ready.
But, like you said, I'm not willing to give up the milk supply just yet.
Oh, and one more thing. I AM SO FREAKING JEALOUS THAT BENNETT GETS TO GO TO THE FARMER'S MARKET IN HIS SMARTWOOL SOCKS.
Harumpf. B-town has the bestest farmer's market. And I bet you got his smart wool at JL Waters, didn't you? JEALOUS JEALOUS JEALOUS!
Really?! Dang. I absolutely LOVE smartwool!
Well, I am still jealous that Ben gets to go to the Farmer's market.
I rate this post 5 stars.
I was actually just reading about this in The Baby Book last night. Scarlett won't be starting solids for a loooooong time, but I am trying to do as much research as possible now.
Bloggin' It
Yea - basically the concern is that purees are easier to get into the baby (I don't know how else to put it, and that sounds like force-feeding...not at all what I mean) - so they're taking in more of the food that supposed to be "experimenting" and less of the food (milk/formula) that's supposed to be "nutrition" - and, since you feed them by spoon, you're leading and not the baby - so it gives the baby less opportunity to signal that they're done.
Does that make sense? Did that answer your question? If you were asking what the diff is between baby-led weaning and what we're doing, I'd say nothing - this was just laid out simply enough for my mommy brain to understand :-)
I'm off to playtime, then I teach, so I won't be around until this evening - and maybe not even then because I'm planning to go to bed when DS does! So, I won't be around to respond, I don't think.
Yep, that answers it! I was thinking the force feeding thing but not to that extreme, if that makes sense! But it does seem like it is just easier for them to eat more when they are purees, so I was just curious if that was the idea behind why it can cause a milk supply decrease. Thanks!!