Babies and ham

MSTie24

I've read that pork is a good early meat, but that ham is too salty.  Does anyone know if that is both deli ham as well as an oven cooked ham?  I'd love to give Charlie a small bit tomorrow but not if it's bad for her, of course.

~Lynchie~

I've never heard not to give a baby ham, and I have given it to Holden several times.  I'm sure she will be ok

Seattle_JiLLn

I've never heard not to give it to them... I think the bigger issue is how a baby could chew it at all.... it's not like it would dissolve.  Just cut it SUPER small? 

RobynK

You'll have to dice it up super small -- but I doubt she'd eat enough at her age to worry about the salt.  I hope she love it!

MSTie24

Yes, I'd cut it super tiny.  Most things that aren't pureed wind up on or in her lap/high chair seat/floor/cat or dog stomach so I doubt she'd actually swallow much.  More to keep her busy and happy at the table and share in the holiday meal.  Thanks!

mrssmith717

Um the only thing I could think of to worry about at this age is to make sure it doesn't have a honey glaze since she is under 1 y/o.  Other than that, there is no issue with giving her ham.

iHeartHimMore

Lila loves ham.  I don't think we started giving it to her until she was around 1, but only because we never really had it around.  (We've only ever given her the thin sliced deli stuff.)  I say go for it.  As long as it's not a choking hazard I don't see anything wrong with it.

Zista

Salt is bad for babies' kidneys, but all in moderation... e.g., they shouldn't have more than a slice of bread or one serving a day of cheese, since those are typically high in salt.  Same with ham.  Isaac eats bacon, which is WAY too salty, but we only ever give him one slice once or twice a week, so I'm not worried. 

And you know I disagree with the advice to cut it up. 

MSTie24

Zista:

And you know I disagree with the advice to cut it up. 

LOL.  We do BLW with toast, cheese sticks, veggie chunks, etc. as well as purees (to ensure she actually eats stuff since she is so little and needs the calories.)  But I am not going to get into a discussion with the ILs on BLW, it's not worth it to go there.   

Seattle_JiLLn

I'm all for giving kids actual solid foods, but I'm curious why you wouldn't cut up something like ham so they can actually eat it! I'm pretty sure an 8 month old can't chew a slab of ham.

Zista

Actually, they can.  Isaac eats full fry-shaped spears of raw and cooked veggies, fruits, and meats.  He loves steak, chicken, pork chops... we haven't tried ham yet (except in hash), but it shouldn't be any different.  Even if they can't get the full piece down, they bite off little bits and chew out all the juice, which is where most of the nutrients are anyways. 

S knows we're big proponents of "Baby Led Weaning"... we never did purees or chop things up.  He has had solids from day one, and his first steak after one week of starting (at 6 months).  She and most of my other friends think I'm crazy, hence the smiley face, but the argument is that BLW actually leads to less choking than starting with purees, since babies learn to chew before they learn to swallow.  I think if they could see Isaac noshing down the tuna melt, fries, and cucumber he had for dinner they would think I'm less crazy now. 

I know I'm in the minority, but it never hurts people to hear a different opinion than the "chop it up!" bandwagon... especially since this is such a fun, cheap, and hassle-free way to introduce babies to solids!

Zista

MSTie24:

Zista:

And you know I disagree with the advice to cut it up. 

LOL.  We do BLW with toast, cheese sticks, veggie chunks, etc. as well as purees (to ensure she actually eats stuff since she is so little and needs the calories.)  But I am not going to get into a discussion with the ILs on BLW, it's not worth it to go there.   

I'm lucky... my ILs seem to have forgotten the "norm" for what babies eat when, and never raised an eyebrow.  Glad C is gettting her hands dirty!     

Seattle_JiLLn

Zista:

Actually, they can.  Isaac eats full fry-shaped spears of raw and cooked veggies, fruits, and meats.  He loves steak, chicken, pork chops... we haven't tried ham yet (except in hash), but it shouldn't be any different.  Even if they can't get the full piece down, they bite off little bits and chew out all the juice, which is where most of the nutrients are anyways. 

S knows we're big proponents of "Baby Led Weaning"... we never did purees or chop things up.  He has had solids from day one, and his first steak after one week of starting (at 6 months).  She and most of my other friends think I'm crazy, hence the smiley face, but the argument is that BLW actually leads to less choking than starting with purees, since babies learn to chew before they learn to swallow.  I think if they could see Isaac noshing down the tuna melt, fries, and cucumber he had for dinner they would think I'm less crazy now. 

I know I'm in the minority, but it never hurts people to hear a different opinion than the "chop it up!" bandwagon... especially since this is such a fun, cheap, and hassle-free way to introduce babies to solids!

Yeah I never really did purees either. And not because of reading about blw or anything. It's just what worked for my kids. So I was just curious why cutting up a solid food small would have such a negative reaction. I cut up my own food and my four year olds food too. None of us sucks on pieces that are too big. So I guess to me cutting food isn't against the blw philosophy at all.

Zista

I'm sorry, SJ, I definitely wouldn't have thought "And you know I disagree with the advice to cut it up. " would be read as "such a negative reaction."  I'm a bit confused by that, but please know it wasn't my intention.

The reason for fry-shaped sticks of food is that it's easier for baby hands to grab and feed themselves.  A lot of babies don't develop a pincher grasp until 9-10 months of age, so it's harder for them to pick up small bits.  For those that can, more power to them. 

 

braveangel2

I have you all beat - I prechewed E's solid food for a few months.

Zista

Damn it, Angel, way to shame us all...