FEEDING LILY: STARTING SOLIDS
I’m at it again with another FAQ Lily post this time all about feeding her solids. I’m just as new to this as most of you, if not newer – first time mom over here! So it goes without saying I’m not an expert but just letting you know how we’ve been tackling this next transition. This should cover all the DM’s that are coming in on Instagram but if not, feel free to leave a comment below!
When did you start solids?
5 months old.
How did you know she was ready?
She can put things in her mouth, she can hold her head up and she is super interested in food. At 4 months she was starting to get really interested in everything I was eating and drinking. She would try and drink from my water cup after I nursed her. That interest got stronger and stronger over the last two months. At her 5 month check up our Dr recommended we start because she was interested and because she could hold her head up. Now she whines when she sees other people eating and wants their food.
What was the first food you gave?
We started with spoon-fed purees. We did avocado first, then sweet potatoes then bananas.
What method are you using?
We’re doing a mixture of spoon-fed purees and baby led weaning. Not following one method.
How do you know what to do?
I’ve been heavily relying on my friends who have babies a few months older than Lily. They are my number one resource. But some other resources that have been helpful for me are:
How are you dealing with allergens?
One of my closest friends was my “allergy guru” and walked me through this whole process so I’ll tell you what she told me. We did 3 days in a row per allergen and offered it with no other food. Then we took a few days in between to either try another non-allergen food or took a break from feeding at all if I was lazy. We did peanut butter then almond butter (mixed with a little warm water so it was easier to spoon feed). Then since she didn’t react to any of those, I gave her the Nuts for Nature Mixed Nut Butter which has cashews, almonds, chia seeds, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts. If she reacted to this mixture the plan was to then try them each separately to rule out what caused the reaction. But luckily we didn’t need to do that and basically crossed off all the scary nut allergens off the list.
So far we have done nuts and seeds, eggs, tahini. We still haven’t tried soy or shellfish but will take the same 3 day approach when we get there. We did these allergens when she was about 5.5 months old.
Are you worried about choking?
Yes I’m terrified. We are taking an infant CPR course soon. And I have been watching a lot of videos about gagging versus choking. What I have learned is gagging is very normal and good for them even though it’s scary to see. Until 8-9 months their gag reflex is closer to the front of their mouth which allows them to more easily push the food out with their tongues. It then moves closer to the back of the throat where our gag reflex is. It’s sort of like an extra layer of protection. Unlike gagging, choking is usually silent and I’m freakin terrified. I’m just trying to follow the baby led weaning guidelines of food sizes using the resources I mentioned above and of course watching her closely as she eats.
How much does she actually eat?
Like, basically nothing LOL. I would guess maybe a tablespoon of actual ingested food on a good day. Right now it’s more for her to play, be exposed to food and practice motor skills. She is still breastfeeding 5 times a day and we are going by the moto “food before one is just for fun.”
What highchair do you have?
The Stokke Tripp Trap
What plates are you using?
We have 2 so far, one brand is Kushies, one is Avanchy but so far they don’t stick to the tray as soon as it gets messy. When I find one that does I will let you know. I don’t even know why a plate is necessary right now to be honest. The tray works just fine.
How often are you giving her meals?
From 5-6 months old we just did purees after she nursed in the morning. Now (since like 3 days ago, lol) we also do “dinner.” I’ve been told the goal is to get them on to 3 meals a day by 9 months old so we will work to that. Definitely not doing food every day though.
Do you give her water?
I share my water with her. She loves drinking from these straws.
Did shen get constipated when you started food?
Yes! She didn’t poo for 4 days and she normally goes once a day. It’s weird because it doesn’t look like she’s actually ingesting any of the food but it still seemed to affect her…and, yes they smell so bad now!
Don’t you find it messy and annoying?
Yes and no. The clean up sucks because obviously who likes doing more dishes. But feeding her also gives us something to do aside from sit on the play mat together. Plus it’s so fun seeing their face as they try new things.
Did starting solids make you anxious at all?
10000% I was super scared for allergens and now for choking. At first I would start to imagine she was getting rashes or things like that. But like any new transition, it became less and less scary. It helped me to ask lots of questions to my friends who had just gone through it.
That should cover most of the frequently asked questions but if I missed anything or you have more questions, you know where to find me!
xoxo