XP: Questions on starting solids

JoNi2010 · March 2013

mobile: Questions on starting solids

Our pedi encouraged us to start solids at our 4 month appointment last week. The LO is starting to show some interest so we decided this weekend we will try. DH and I will want try sweet potatoes first. My question for those who have started - did you guys start with baby food out of the jar (ie the sweet potatoes) or did you guys cook your own? If you guys cooked your own, for something like sweet potatoes, did you guys manually mash it or put it through a processor? And did you guys give it straight to the baby or mix it with some BM or formula to thin it out?

Sorry for all the questions - I totally did not think about this ahead of time at the pedi's appointment! TIA!!

AJKayakMomma · March 2013

Are you sure he meant veggies? Some docs will say cereal at 4 months but I've never heard lately of any doc saying veggies at 4 months.

I will be making my own, you can hand mash or food processor. Food processor is easier.

kross605 · March 2013

AJKayakMomma:
Are you sure he meant veggies? Some docs will say cereal at 4 months but I've never heard lately of any doc saying veggies at 4 months.
I will be making my own, you can hand mash or food processor. Food processor is easier.

Agreed. You usually start with cereal or wait until about 6 months and start with fruit/veg. But maybe there are alternative views on that.

Whenever you start fruit/veg, jars or homemade are fine, its personal preference. I made my own, mostly. For sweet potatoes I baked them and then peeled the skin off and pureed them in a food processor. i didnt add anything. If you boil them you can add a smidge of the water you boiled them in. I did the same kind of process (bake/boil/roast/steam and puree) for pretty much all the food I made.

twinkjk · March 2013

We started fruits and veggies at four months. Pedi said it was fine but just to allow 3-4 days on one food before switching to another.

We started with avocado because it didn't require and steaming/cooking. Just mash it and send it through the food processor. But we did thin it out quite a bit with formula so it would be easier for LO to eat.

There are lots and lots of products for making homemade baby food--we are just using our regular food processor and steamer--no need to buy something new.

pmduggan01 · March 2013

We started our DS on rice and then oatmeal cereal per the ped's recommendation at 4 months. We are going to add barley this week. He still likes it pretty thin -- and the first few feedings it was almost liquid.

From what I understand, the gist is to get them used to eating/textures while learning if there are any intolerances or allergies to that particular food, which is why we feed him 3-5 days on one food.

It's an adventure! Good luck!

shaunah816 · March 2013

It's now pretty standard to see pediatricians recommend that you don't have to start with cereal, you can go straight to certain fruits and veggie purees. Starting with cereal was seen as a way to get babies used to the new texture of solid food, but there's no real reason that first food after 4 months needs to be cereal. wholesomebabyfood.com has lists of which foods can be fed at which intervals, and has a chart for 4-6 months that includes appropriate fruits and veggies, along with different grain cereals.

dmhrn13 · March 2013

I just saw my pedi this week, LO is 4 months old. She says the newest research says 4 months is when to start (the thinking before was less food allergies if you waited, but now its less if you start a bit earlier). She said there is no reason to start with rice cereal & as a matter of fact, a lot of babies don't like it. I am also reading The Wholesome Baby Food Guide by Maggie Meade & she says the same. We started this week with bananas. I mashed them up & thinned with some breast milk. The whole start with veggies & not fruit is a myth because breastmilk is already sweet so you're not going to trick them into liking veggies first.