Feeding lo - accomplishments and concerns. Month of September!

DolphinLover2002 · September 2015

Figured we'd start a new one of these since we switched to the monthly thing. I know we're all busy with work and our lo's. Post anything new here.

47923ang · September 2015

Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?

lwhrmomma · September 2015

423ang said:
Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?

There's an awesome group on Facebook..... "Homemade Baby Food Tips, Tricks and Secrets!" I am planning to start freezing soon as well. I'm also reading up on Baby Led Weaning and am hoping to try that.

ksimo6 · September 2015

Yup. Already made a bunch. I freeze them in ice cube trays. I've been grabbing fruit and veg at the farmers market and making small batches over the past few weeks.

henrytviii · September 2015

423ang said:
Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?

Nope. Baby lead weaning devotee here. Life-changing. No special food prep or spoon feeding, he'll be eating what we are eating. The other side effect is that we will all be eating more healthy since we'll have to have options for him with each meal. I can't believe we are 1/2 way to solids. These babies are growing too fast.

jessieR358 · September 2015

henrytviii said:

423ang said:
Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?
Nope. Baby lead weaning devotee here. Life-changing. No special food prep or spoon feeding, he'll be eating what we are eating. The other side effect is that we will all be eating more healthy since we'll have to have options for him with each meal. I can't believe we are 1/2 way to solids. These babies are growing too fast.

I plan on doing the same

aj1327 · September 2015

henrytviii said:

423ang said:
Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?
Nope. Baby lead weaning devotee here. Life-changing. No special food prep or spoon feeding, he'll be eating what we are eating. The other side effect is that we will all be eating more healthy since we'll have to have options for him with each meal. I can't believe we are 1/2 way to solids. These babies are growing too fast.

The more I read the more I plan on doing this too. How do you do meats? Tiny bites?

Sammy K · September 2015

henrytviii said:

423ang said:
Anyone plan on making your own baby food? I've read frozen purées are good for 3 months in the freezer. I'm thinking of getting a jump on making some, especially watching for sales on produce.

Tips?
Nope. Baby lead weaning devotee here. Life-changing. No special food prep or spoon feeding, he'll be eating what we are eating. The other side effect is that we will all be eating more healthy since we'll have to have options for him with each meal. I can't believe we are 1/2 way to solids. These babies are growing too fast.

Same here. DS never had baby food, only appropriate real food. I didn't realize that was a "thing" just what our pedi recommended and DH and I liked the idea.

devyns2nd · September 2015

I'm making my own too! I'm not sure if I'm going to do the ice cubes or just buy a masher and make them fresh.

YouAreMySunshine15 · September 2015

I think we'll do purées. It sounds easier to me than BLW, but I'll have to do some more research. I can't wait to introduce her to the wonderful world of food.

)

dancegurl1118 · September 2015

Definitely going to do baby led weaning. I mentioned in a previous thread how my pedi mentioned solids @ 4 months and I was like yeahhhh no. I'm not a short order cook so...baby will eat what we eat.

ETA: LO has taken a bottle 3 days in a row. She'll only take it laying down so...that's weird but whatever. I feel like I'm going to jinx myself buying more of the particular brand she likes so we're working with just one haha

LaurenAnn0405 · September 2015

@dancegurl1118 yay! hopefully she continues to take the bottle and that your troubles are over!

cheriep3 · September 2015

When are you starting solid foods? I can't wait to start! I'm planning on making veggies a few times per week for him.
Sorry if this has been asked, I searched and couldn't mind any answers.

momtobe613 · September 2015

@dancegurl1118 so glad baby is taking bottle. Still no dice over here. Hubby tries twice a day for about an hour each time with no luck. Baby is going to grandaddy and grandmommys on Saturday while me and DH go see a movie and get some lunch. Should be gone for about four hours. Mom is hoping to be able to get baby on bottle. If by the time we get back he still hasn't taken I might drop my DH off to work with my mom and go out for a little longer. Hoping to have a standoff with him before I go back to work and that he'll take it. I feel guilty doing it but knowing he's not taking it when I have to go back to work and am gone for 14 hours is giving me so much anxiety. It didn't help that he had his two month shots on Friday and my pediatrician said to keep trying but that some babies never take a bottle and that he might just wait for me to come home and then "reverse cycle" and eat all night. I'm praying that doesn't happen.... 12.5 hour shifts are long plus having to go back the next day that would just be miserable. Buttttt hubby did get him to take a whole ounce latched yesterday morning which had been our problem... He just wants to play with nipple... Chewing until he spits it it. We will try again tonight.

Glad it's working out for you. That is so relieving and gives me hope.

dancegurl1118 · September 2015

@momtobe613 I was planning on having a standoff with her as well. She still doesn't take as much as the breast (only 3ish oz as opposed to 5) but it's something. The idea of reverse cycling after a 12 hour shift has actually made me cry before so I feel ya...hoping for some success for you soon!

Marcantonio · September 2015

Two questions!!

1- I love the BLW theory and approach. I'm a first time mom and need someone to assure me LO won't be choking every meal - I know things need to be soft-ish and grab-able ( and I'm first aid, cpr certified ) but baby choking is like my ultimate fear!!

2- till then; when LO is about 4 months I'll start a new job in homecare and hope to continue feeding just breastmilk till 6 months. Any tips for pumping on the road? Good rest stops to use? I pumped at my old job which was at a large academic hospital but they provided pumping rooms and hospital grade pumps to use. I was spoiled!

Thanks!

Sammy K · September 2015

Marcantonio said:
Two questions!!

1- I love the BLW theory and approach. I'm a first time mom and need someone to assure me LO won't be choking every meal - I know things need to be soft-ish and grab-able ( and I'm first aid, cpr certified ) but baby choking is like my ultimate fear!!

I didn't know BLW was a thing, but this is what we did with DS and we never had a choking incident. I would probably avoid things like hot dogs that are a choking risk. We stuck to fruits and veggies at first, then found out DS really liked meat and fish. We didn't give him steak, but otherwise he ate what we had, with the exception of salads/raw veggies. It was so much fun!

47923ang · September 2015

Marcantonio said:
Two questions!!

2- till then; when LO is about 4 months I'll start a new job in homecare and hope to continue feeding just breastmilk till 6 months. Any tips for pumping on the road? Good rest stops to use? I pumped at my old job which was at a large academic hospital but they provided pumping rooms and hospital grade pumps to use. I was spoiled!

Thanks!

My job is mostly mobile, so I pump in the car a lot. I have a car adapter, a nursing cover, and I usually just park in a less crowded part of a parking lot. Or a parking lot of a park. I have pumped while driving, but for that I need to hook everything up while parked, pump while driving, then pull over to unhook everything. (I don't like pumping while actually driving but I do it sometimes in a pinch).

Also, Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby have family rooms that you could use.

jessieR358 · September 2015

Sammy K said:

Marcantonio said:
Two questions!!

1- I love the BLW theory and approach. I'm a first time mom and need someone to assure me LO won't be choking every meal - I know things need to be soft-ish and grab-able ( and I'm first aid, cpr certified ) but baby choking is like my ultimate fear!!

I didn't know BLW was a thing, but this is what we did with DS and we never had a choking incident. I would probably avoid things like hot dogs that are a choking risk. We stuck to fruits and veggies at first, then found out DS really liked meat and fish. We didn't give him steak, but otherwise he ate what we had, with the exception of salads/raw veggies. It was so much fun!

There is lots of information on baby led weaning online. What foods to start with and how to start it. The key is to let the baby eat it. You never put food in their mouths with BLW which helps with choking risk.

Never give a baby a hotdog! Toddlers shouldn't really be eating hotdogs or grapes. They are the same size as their airway and can seriously choke.

theletlers · September 2015

I am hoping to start feeding my LO closer to the 4 month mark as long as his pediatrician is okay with it for him. I'm hoping in doing so he will sleep for more than an hour and a half at a time. I would really really really love to sleep for two consecutive hours at night...maybe by Halloween...or thanksgiving...so I will be making my own baby food with our stock of produce we grew out of our garden and what's missing I will get from local farmers at the farmers market. But I am considering around the 6/7 month to switch to baby led weaning. I'm opening to going at the pace LO sets for himself!

lovethatcolosun · September 2015

Today marks two weeks that I've been EBF. I even went camping without formula back up. That was huge for me. Last night I really wanted to give her a bottle so bad when she kept getting up every hour and a half to eat. Hoping tonight goes better, but I'm still proud of what we've accomplished.

aliciaspinnet · September 2015

Have any of you guys experienced painful latch when baby is teething? The way LO has been behaving for the past few days (fussy, drooling, refusing his pacifier) makes me suspect that he's teething, and I'm starting to get a painful nipple on the right (which was my problem side when I started breastfeeding). I don't think I have thrush or anything. I think I'd better get the lanolin out again.

janat1717 · September 2015

We also want to do BLW, although the nursing difficulties are putting the pressure on to jump the gun sooner. This also made me realize that we will miss Farmers Market season which is making me question freezing some of that for the little guy

virginiaunicorn11 · September 2015

aliciaspinnet said:
Have any of you guys experienced painful latch when baby is teething? The way LO has been behaving for the past few days (fussy, drooling, refusing his pacifier) makes me suspect that he's teething, and I'm starting to get a painful nipple on the right (which was my problem side when I started breastfeeding). I don't think I have thrush or anything. I think I'd better get the lanolin out again.

Kellymom.com has a lot of good info about teething. It is basically impossible for baby to bite and drink at the same time. So if it really is from teething, that site can help you watch for signs baby is done drinking so you can manage the biting.

My nipples have been a little more tender lately, too. Although my in-laws loooove saying LO is probably teething (every time he touches his mouth, since he was 6 weeks old - don't get me started), I don't think he is. I think he's older and sucking harder. But that's just a guess.

karaelaine1991 · September 2015

I've been suspecting that LO has reflux for a few weeks now. She spits up several times a day (which I do think is fairly normal) and then over the past few days she's been really fighting me on eating. She pulls away from the nipple and cries, and sometimes she gets so upset that she goes rigid and makes herself throw up. DH thinks this is normal and she's just going through a phase but my mommy gut says otherwise so I called the pediatrician and got her a prescription for Zantec. Hoping and praying that this gives my poor girl some comfort.

virginiaunicorn11 · September 2015

DH sent me this article about breastfeeding/breast milk that I find fascinating. It talks about how breastmilk acts as an antibiotic/medicine, how that's possible, etc. It's a little long, and probably not of super broad interest, but wanted to post it for those interested:

https://www.thestranger.com/features/feature/2015/08/26/22755273/the-more-i-learn-about-breast-milk-the-more-amazed-i-am

PS, She doesn't knock formula, and I'm not doing so either

HoosOnFirst · September 2015

@virginiaunicorn11 I appreciate the "ps". So many people feel the need to point out breastmilk is best to formula moms, as though we aren't aware of it! It always strikes me as silly when they bother to tell me.

Ps I'm a big fan of bf-ing moms... I could not hack it!

ChardeeMacDennis · September 2015

That was SO interesting @virginiaunicorn11!

Sammy K · September 2015

@virginiaunicorn11 Great read!

rrcameron21 · September 2015

I wish someone would have advised me about how hard it would be to get LO to take a bottle after being EBF. I would have been at least using a bottle once a day or something. I go back to work in 3 weeks and I feel like I'm going to be spending most of it stressing about him eating! This boy loves the boob soooo much. I love Breast feeding too! But, I have to go back to work... And he has to eat.

Struggle city over here.

virginiaunicorn11 · September 2015

hoodoll82 said:
@virginiaunicorn11 I appreciate the "ps". So many people feel the need to point out breastmilk is best to formula moms, as though we aren't aware of it! It always strikes me as silly when they bother to tell me.

Ps I'm a big fan of bf-ing moms... I could not hack it!

Oh, we all know it's not a matter of "hacking it" don't we?! Things work out or they don't, and if your kid is getting the attention they need and you are doing your best, then it's all good. You're a good mom, @hoodoll82 , I can tell. It's ridiculous you would ever have to defend or explain yourself.

I am personally a little OVER IT in having to acknowledge e'erbody's choices every time a topic is mentioned. For example, I am not sure if I'm more annoyed by the people mad about Breastfeeding Month or by the fact that Breastfeeding Month is (has to be?) a Thing. Um, what?

There was a Scary Mommy post about how if your kid is eating and alive, you're "a perfect mom." Which I thought was an awesome message, but then there are women in the comments screaming about "what about when kids die and it's not the parents' fault." (Which is horrific and has all my sympathy, obviously... But really? We have to give a shout out to EVERY situation in EVERY conversation?)

So yeah. I am super glad my PS made you, and hopefully others, comfortable. Thanks for letting me know - seriously. And I'm also hoping for the day when one of us can say "formula" or "breastmilk" or "bedshare" or "crib on day zero" or whatever, without any of us feeling inherently defensive. Because I'm certainly not judging, and I'd be mortified if my interest in one article about breastmilk made you think that. I also would like to be able to feed my kid in public without a cover without it being some political statement.

But if you put Mt. Dew in your kid's bottle, all bets are off. I judge that so hard. ;-)

henrytviii · September 2015

No Mtn Dew here just orange Fanta, it's all natural, right??

I did BLW with my first and was nervous about choking until I read the Baby Led Weaning Book. It explains how babies move thing around their mouths and how hard is to choke if they are putting the food in as opposed to being feed. They are also less likely to choke when they are older I'd recommend checking it out for help on how and what to feed. It's different than what you might think and worth researching the safe approach. Large pieces they can hold and naw on are better than small peices. You just put things in front of them, you never place food in their mouths. His first foods were roasted sweet potato sticks, large trees of broccoli, whole peeled apples, quiche, spinach & onion savory muffins, baked oatmeal, asparagus, roasted carrots and zucchini. DS1 was also using a spoon at 7 months to scoop yogurt, applesauce and mashed potatoes. Way messier than purees but less prep. We eventually had him eat in just a diaper. He is an amazing eater for a three year old. Sure he loves noodles and pancakes but his favorite foods are olives, broccoli, asparagus, fish, pesto, and all fruits. I attribute it to BWL. My favorite foods are candy, cereal, and fruit so clearly it's not my influence.

aj1327 · September 2015

I loved the article @virginiaunicorn11! Also totally agree with all you said above. I have so many friends that were able to breast feed one child but not the other. I fully give my baby credit for being EBF. I had no clue what I was doing and had the attitude that if it works great, if not, formula. He came out latching like a champ and showed me how it was done.

I also told DH that baby # 2 is going to the crib day one. This transition shit sucks, and we haven't even started the transition. Baby will probably be fine. It's us. DH asked me the other day if we were seriously putting him in his room by himself. Ummm, yeah it's his room, but who am I kidding? I'll be sleeping on the floor of his nursery. We've told ourselves this weekend. I think I can, I think I can...

dancegurl1118 · September 2015

@virginiaunicorn11 I'm with ya sister. It's just the state of our culture though...everyone's afraid to have an opinion at the risk of someone jumping down their throat because it doesn't include them. I know I do it too...everyone gets butthurt about every little thing so you always include a "BUT NOT ALWAYS!" to any form of opinion.

dancegurl1118 · September 2015

LO is now trying to suck her thumb WHILE she eats. Can you not?

HoosOnFirst · September 2015

dancegurl1118 said:
LO is now trying to suck her thumb WHILE she eats. Can you not?

Oh this is my LO too. It's so once she finished her food she can suck on fingers that taste like food. My LO really likes food that much.

rklinge0 · September 2015

Probably super late but I actually got lo to latch for a few minutes tonight. I have been exclusively pumping since day 1. I offer the boob at least once a week, probably because I am too lazy to do it everyday, but tonight she actually took it instead of licking my boob. This gives me hope that maybe I can do one feeding a day.

virginiaunicorn11 · September 2015

hoodoll82 said:

dancegurl1118 said:
LO is now trying to suck her thumb WHILE she eats. Can you not?
Oh this is my LO too. It's so once she finished her food she can suck on fingers that taste like food. My LO really likes food that much.

Ohhhhh. That makes sense. Sometimes LO will make his hungry cry, and get mad when I remove his fingers to try to feed him. It's getting confusing. Sometimes I just have to lie next to him quietly while he sucks his fingers (he cries if I leave) - this has replaced nursing him to sleep sometimes. Whatever works, I guess!

HoosOnFirst · September 2015

I also try not to assume that finger sucking = hunger. It always did in her early days, but I now think it's just her favorite activity, or possibly early teething signs. I'd say 70% of the time it's still hunger, but she loves to make loud horrible sucking noises when it's bedtime, even right after a feed! It's so gross lol.

dancegurl1118 · September 2015

@hoodoll82 if I fed her every time she was sucking her fingers she would never stop eating. She seriously sucks all day every day. And drools at the same time. It's so slimy and gross. Can't feel any bumps for teething though so I think that's just her..

KaLikeAWind · September 2015

When we give LO his bottle of formula, EVERY SINGLE TIME you take the bottle away to burp mid-feed, he cries bloody, bloody murder. I burp him every ounce or so, so that's 4 episodes of bloody, bloody murder crying. He also straightens his legs and arches backwards... Its a huge tantrum. As soon as you stick the bottle back in his mouth, everything relaxes and he's a loose pile of quiet baby again. The whole thing used to frustrate me a bit. It still frustrates DH, I think. But now for me, it just cracks me up. "I'm never gonna get to eat again!!! Whaaa!!! I'm gonna waste away cause I'm never going to eat again!!! WHAAAAAA!!!! STARVE TO DEATH CAUSE I'M NEVER GOING TO GET TO EAT AGAIN!!!!!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!"

At least I know he's full when we're done... He just kinda sits there against my arm with the baby version of someone leaning back, patting their belly, and loosening their belt after a huge meal.

)

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