BF and making your own solids questions

sarbear2

If you bf and make your own solids... how long will you add Breastmilk to make the puree, or will you later switch to just water? I rarely pump, so I will have to start adding in pumping sessions just to make his cereal/purees.If I am making a large batch I will use breastmilk, but for a small batch, is it okay to just use water?

Also, how do you take your food with you? It seems like the premade jars are easy because they don't need to be refridgerated, but with homemade purees it seems like they would need to stay cold? If you are going to be gone all day, do you just bring some and not worry about keeping them cold?

Bluescarf

I never use my breastmilk pumped in ds's purees. A couple of times in the beginning I did hand express a little into his food to think it out. When I cook his food I use the cooking water to thin it out, except for carrots, and with that I don't even need to. I also ended up buying some jars of food for when we're out, because I am super paranoid about it not staying cold enough. Also, it's just easier.

walkercpa

I don't usually add BM to DS's purees or his cereal, unless I have some extra in the fridge. I just cook his veggies or fruit or whatever in water, then use the cooking water to thin if needed. As far as taking food with us...we are boring and mostly just go to other people's houses, so I put his food back in a fridge when we get where we're going. Another good portable option is bananas...just bring a whole banana with you and mash it when your LO is ready to eat.

CarrieLiz

The book that I have recommended using the water that most (but not all) of the foods are steamed in since it contains a lot of the nutrients.  But some of the foods I didn't even need to thin out with water - they were fine just how they were.  And if you make a big batch to freeze, the book suggested not adding any water to it until you defrost it and are ready to feed your LO.  I think it's because the water could cause freezer burn.

I bought some baby food to have on hand just in case, and then when I used them I just washed the glass jars they came in.  I made and froze my purees in big batches, so if I go somewhere I just take a cube out of the freezer, put it in the glass jar and I'm good to go.  But I would think that if you make them with BM you'd need to keep them cold. 

sarbieb

The first few weeks of solids I was adding BM but since I'm working and pumping there's no way I could give up a drip for the food! So I started mixing in an oz of formula (LO never had it before then). That only lasted a month or so. Now I mix water or nothing at all since she can eat thicker purees. I don't think there's really one way to do it!

 

drpayne

I never added breast milk.  If LO doesn't eat it, it goes to waste and I couldn't bare the thought of throwing away my pumped milk.  When I first introduced oatmeal, I added formula (maybe for a week or two?) and then tried water and he still took it.  I'm also not sure I've heard of mixing milk into purees.. unless you decide to use breast milk in the cereal and then mix a fruit or veggie into that.  As far as a "large batch"... everything I've read suggests using the water from the steamed veggies or tap water to thin the purees.

I freeze my purees in covered ice cube trays so I have ziplock freezer bags full of cubes of sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, etc.  I usually take them out of the freezer then night before, throw them in little containers.  These are nice because the lid is attached so it's just one piece but the "take and toss" things work well too.  This works for day care.  For longer trips I take the pre-packaged stuff that doesn't have to be refrigerated.  Also, a container of applesauce or a banana that you can mash up are easy to throw in your purse.  I've also ordered sides of avocado at restaurants and mashed that up for him.

 

bbzangel70j

i just weaned but when i was bfing i used formula in his cereal. i barely made enough for his bottles and had to supplement anyway from day 1 so he was fine with the formula in his cereal. i use the water from steaming fruits and veggies to thin his purees.

Goodysgirl

I never have for either LO.  If they need watering down, I'd use the water that I steamed the food in.

 

RayRay007

I mixed BM with cereal for just over a month until I knew that she was still gaining well and still healthy and still BF'ing enough times a day. It was then that I started introducing veg/fruit and I mixed them and cereal with water.

I'm never gone all day, but I do have a few jars of store bought food that I have on hand for days like that and I have an emergency stash in my diaper bag for days when I'm out and decide to go out for lunch or stay longer somewhere.

roxyfoxy85

I still make my son's oatmeal with expressed breast milk. I have an oversupply, but I plan to go to all frozen bm at 9 months. Then I'll use water if he's still eating oatmeal. However, I don't thin out the purees before I freeze them. I keep the food I've made in the deep freeze so it takes awhile for them to defrost and just bring them with me when I'm out. I have these https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Freeze-Reusable-Containers-12-Pack/dp/B002YQQQJW/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1319761073&sr=1-1 and they are AWESOME. Screw on lid and just the right size.

memali26

I always used water to thin purees and formula for cereal. The cooking water is safe for most foods and adds some nutrients that were leeched back in.

We have traveled quite a bit with homemade baby food, more than just day trips. For day trips, I would thaw the cubes the night before then while we were out store them in a lidded container in a small cooler with a few ice packs. To travel (visiting family over the holidays, for instance) I would keep it all frozen and pack it in a cooler with several larger ice packs. We made several 3-6 hour drives with frozen cubes that were still very frozen when we arrived at our destination. When we got there I would just pop them back in the freezer until needed.