Introducing Solids

I agree with the baby led weaning. We did it. Marvelous way of weaning! Skye refused to eat anything that could possibly irritate her tummy. For example, one day she tried yogurt, it make her tummy upset so for the next few months she refused to eat it. Sucking food off a spoon s dangerous - if they learn to eat like that then they do have more of a chance they might choke when they suck lumpy food off a spoon.

Skye eats all textures, her first food was a pancake then blue berries and peas and roasted butternut fingers.

@ Laurakm, I would confirm with your friend about tht one, because it sounds like her daughter has a sensory issue which has nithing to do with learning to "suck on purees". Before blenders and strainers were invented babies would have eaten pretty much normal foods (at the very best they may have been chewed by mom first), and it makes no sense evolutionary speaking for purees to be an essential food. Actually pureed food is relatively new (only been used for the last 60 years or so).

Its also not ideal if your child is sucking foods - because that puts them at a much higher risk of choking (You dont suck your food even if its just mashed potato). I did BLW too, and in the beginning avoided messy porridges etc but James now eats mash, jungle oats, pronutro, soups with no problems

I echo the 6 month thing. WHO recommends around six months following developmental cues (the actual guidelines are not earlier than 17 weeks, but for some reason many HCP think that means introduce at 17 weeks). If your baby sits, brings hand to mouth and seems to be mooching off you when you eat its probably a sign that her GUT is ready for solids.

Sorry didn't answer your first question. Paiges first meal was pita bread fingers, mielie and broccoli , I just put it in front of her and she fed herself. In the begining she didn't get a lot down, she mostly gummed and sucked the food, but she was exploring and learning and still getting her nutritional requirements from breastmilk.

Within a few weeks I noticed she was eating a lot and loving it.

Laurakim, paige eats food of all textures,I give her rice, pap, mash potato with mince etc. She sometimes has weetbix or oats for breakfast. Like we eat food of various textures, so does she, I just let her feed herself and don't mash all her food. I know quite a few moms who's babies are close on a year old and refuse to eat anything except purity, because they have never tried other textures.

She is still breastfeeding so I also assume that stimulates the sucking reflex.l

Niki did she actually eat the finger foods from that age? Do they know to lift them to their mouth?

Did you introduce mashed food at any point? Reason I am asking is because apparently having the rice pap (for example) consistency is actually important to develop the sucking reflex for eating foods - I have a friend whose daughter is in OT because she skipped the rice cereal stage because the child wasnt interested so went straight to "lumpier" food.

I actually like the idea of introducing finger foods first and my older kids did start eating our meals very early on actually. There breakfast and lunch was cereal, veg/fruit but dinner was what we ate.

Hi Laurakim.

I introduced solids using the baby led weaning philosophy and it worked for us, no pureed food or cereals. from day one Paige ate finger foods and fed herself. She loves her food and there is nothing she won’t eat. Its great, because we all eat together as a family, we don’t have to feed her and she pretty much eats what we eat, I just adjusted our meals so they don’t have salt etc.

If this is something you may be interested in - check out the following thread

www.moomie.co.za/index.php?option=com_ku...640&Itemid=82#190246

My paed, breastfeeding consultant, the baby led weaning book and the world health organisation recommend only introducing solids at 6 months, but as 1st timer mentioned there are signs that you baby is ready, my daughter showed signed of being ready at around 5- 5.5 months and this was when we introduced solids.

I introduced new foods, sometimes more than just one at every meal, so she tried a few new foods every day and we never had any issues, she had a mild reaction to cheese once, so we just removed cheese for a while and re- introduced it again a few weeks later.

She ate eggs, peanut butter etc from around 6 months, if you have a history of allergies in your family then I would be cautious.

Good luck with whatever you decide

I was clueless when it came to introducing solids and got myself the Feeding Sense book which pretty much echoes what your dietitian said. The concept worked very well for us, but then again we don't have any allergies in our families. If you are unsure, rather chat to your paed about it.