Alternatives to purees?

jlb08

We are trying to start LO on solids and have been trying for a couple months now, but we are struggling a bit. DS does NOT like the purees at all and will clamp his mouth shut after the first couple spoonfuls. We have tried all kinds of vegetables and fruits (green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, apples, etc), but that doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't want to force it or make eating a negative experience for him. I'm wondering if maybe it's the texture of the purees that he doesn't like.

How do we start introducing foods that aren't purees? I'm planning to try puffs and mum-mums, maybe also some mashed up bananas or some pears. What other things would be good to start? Also I've heard a lot about BLW but don't know much about it.

 Thoughts or advice? I feel rather clueless about all this. TIA!

ETA: How small should pieces of food be? Obviously not so big that they can't chew/swallow, but I'm worried about DS choking!

Lara0802

I'd try BLW.  At first, the pieces of food should be large enough for your LO to hold onto. Think of the size of pickle spears. Try giving him half a ripe banana, or very ripe pear slices, or you can try chunks of avocado, or cooked sweet potato spears. We've given DD banana already and she loved it. She had no problem with it, she barely ate any of it really, just gummed it. 

Also, baby mum mums are great. The first time DD tried them she gagged slightly, but she tried again. Now she's a pro. Again, more ends up on her, but she's learning. She even "bites" it now.  

blu-eyedwife

Lara0802:

I'd try BLW.  At first, the pieces of food should be large enough for your LO to hold onto. Think of the size of pickle spears. Try giving him half a ripe banana, or very ripe pear slices, or you can try chunks of avocado, or cooked sweet potato spears. We've given DD banana already and she loved it. She had no problem with it, she barely ate any of it really, just gummed it. 

I agree with the BLW suggestion. We skipped purees and went straight to real foods and he looooves eating. He reaches for food when he sees it, even when we're not at the table. Last week I was holding him while throwing ingredients for soup in a pot and he grabbed some kale and just started munching away.

I would, however, recommend starring the book before beginning introducing foods. I think that there are some components of it that really require some background information. The only times I've heard of a baby choking during BLW, it was clear the parents were doing things the book specifically cautions against doing.

juliane2004

Or just wait another month and try again. Some babies aren't ready at 6 months yet.

There's no rush to push them to be on regular food. My kids weren't on regular food only until 13 months or so. Up till 13 months, formula was their primary source of nutrition.

Food is fun until one.

memali26

You can go the BLW route, or take a break for a few weeks and try again, or try thickening purees. Neither of my girls would eat them thin and runny, I have to make them thick like mashed potatoes or add cereal to thicken them up. I also make their baby food - DD1 refused jarred foods, but loved the stuff I made. I think the taste is a little different.

Cookiecake7

memali26:

You can go the BLW route, or take a break for a few weeks and try again, or try thickening purees. Neither of my girls would eat them thin and runny, I have to make them thick like mashed potatoes or add cereal to thicken them up. I also make their baby food - DD1 refused jarred foods, but loved the stuff I made. I think the taste is a little different.

This. We tried purees around 5.5-6 months and she just wasn't having it. I waited a week or two and tried again with really thick purees and she loved it. We also let her feed herself but that didn't come until closer to 7+ months.

lalamomma

our friend is a pediatrican and her daugheter was the same, she gives her small bites of some stuff (that mashes easily) including Tofu (soft) and 'spears' of others like asparagus and green beans so she can hold them. our LO didn't like Puffs at first but took right to mumm mumms and now LOVES puffs. I think the mumm's just helped her learn to chomp a little more.

 

Netty_3

Check out the Baby Led Weaning book.  I got it at the library...there's also a cookbook. We're starting this week...it may be a good alternative for your LO.  It may just be that he doesn't want food shoveled in his mouth for him when he doesn't know what it is. Who knows...I'm new to all this too.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/57909728/100BLWrecipes