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Tips and Tricks for Introducing Solids to Your Baby
Article: Tips and Tricks for Introducing Solids to Your Baby
Helping your child move from breast breast milk or formula to solids is a milestone for both you and your baby. However, it can be challenging for some parents. Here are some tips and tricks I've compiled for introducing solid foods to your baby. Do remember, however, that you should follow your pediatrician's advice if you're in doubt. Start with fruits One tip I've heard from various is to start with fruits. Use really ripe bananas, mashed with a fork. Or sweet potatoes (baked, with the insides scooped out). Use a baby food grinder You can try small bits of real rice, mixed with meats (without seasonings). The meat should be meshed with baby food grinder (you can find these pretty cheap). Don't feed your baby directly from the jar This is an interesting tip I've heard from experienced mothers. Feeding your baby directly from the jar is not a good idea. Their saliva can mix with the food and make it taste bad. Put the food in a mug rather than a bowl so that you can feed baby more easily. Keep away the sweet tooth Try not to give baby sweet stuff at this stage. Deliberately give them vegetables before fruits to keep away that sweet tooth. Wait for the first tooth It is a good idea to wait until your baby gets his / her first tooth before even thinking of starting solids. One baby (I heard) got his first tooth at 5 months and began showing interest in what his father was eating shortly thereafter. At about 6 months, he was reaching for his parents' food. Starting your baby on solids need not be a difficult task. Hopefully the above tips will help you somewhat when that time arrives for your baby. Gary Hendricks www.baby-product-guide.com |
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In article ,
"Gary Hendricks" wrote: I don't usually read your posts, because they look like a marketing gimmick. However, the patronizing one about how us clueless women should talk to our menfolk got my attention, so I decided to read this one, too. Just out of curiosity, where do you GET this stuff? Article: Tips and Tricks for Introducing Solids to Your Baby Helping your child move from breast breast milk or formula to solids is a milestone for both you and your baby. However, it can be challenging for some parents. Here are some tips and tricks I've compiled for introducing solid foods to your baby. Do remember, however, that you should follow your pediatrician's advice if you're in doubt. Start with fruits One tip I've heard from various is to start with fruits. Use really ripe bananas, mashed with a fork. Or sweet potatoes (baked, with the insides scooped out). Use a baby food grinder You can try small bits of real rice, mixed with meats (without seasonings). The meat should be meshed with baby food grinder (you can find these pretty cheap). Forks work, too. And some babies like seasonings. Don't feed your baby directly from the jar This is an interesting tip I've heard from experienced mothers. Feeding your baby directly from the jar is not a good idea. Their saliva can mix with the food and make it taste bad. Put the food in a mug rather than a bowl so that you can feed baby more easily. This is one of the dumber things you've written. Why on earth would the food be less likely to mix with saliva when eaten from a mug or bowl instead of the jar? Feeding a baby from the jar works just fine -- the only problem is that you cannot feed them PART of a jar of food directly from the jar, then return the jar to the fridge for another feeding. Bringing the spoon back and forth from the mouth to the food introduces bacteria into the food -- and storing it for a while will allow that bacteria to grow. It's the same reason you don't drink directly from the milk bottle then put it back in the fridge, or, even when you live alone, eat directly out of containers that are going to be stored. Keep away the sweet tooth Try not to give baby sweet stuff at this stage. Deliberately give them vegetables before fruits to keep away that sweet tooth. In direct contradiction to your first suggestion, that you give fruits first. You could at least try for internal consistency in your suggestions. Wait for the first tooth It is a good idea to wait until your baby gets his / her first tooth before even thinking of starting solids. One baby (I heard) got his first tooth at 5 months and began showing interest in what his father was eating shortly thereafter. At about 6 months, he was reaching for his parents' food. The first tooth has nothing to do with readiness to eat solids. MOST kids start reaching for their parent's food around this age -- actually they start reaching for everything by this age. Some babies don't get their first tooth until well past their first birthday. Surely you aren't suggesting that they wait until then for solids? Starting your baby on solids need not be a difficult task. Hopefully the above tips will help you somewhat when that time arrives for your baby. Have you actually raised any children? As in, done most of the feeding, etc? -- Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care |
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Use a baby food grinder You can try small bits of real rice, mixed with meats (without seasonings). The meat should be meshed with baby food grinder (you can find these pretty cheap). Forks work, too. And some babies like seasonings. I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. Tori |
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On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 11:36:04 -0500, "Tori M."
scribbled: I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. I never have understood the whole idea of giving babies only bland foods. Yuk! Unless something is too spicy for their tummies to handle, or you want to avoid sodium for certain reasons, I never saw the point. I don't put sugar on anything, and don't overdo it with salt or pepper, but I don't see anything wrong with seasoning their food. Nan |
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Gary,
With all due respect, you need to do a lot more research so that you do not spread false information! Gary Hendricks wrote: Start with fruits One tip I've heard from various is to start with fruits. Use really ripe bananas, mashed with a fork. Or sweet potatoes (baked, with the insides scooped out). Starting with mashed fruit mixed with breastmilk, formula, or water, makes it more palatable to baby. Don't feed your baby directly from the jar This is an interesting tip I've heard from experienced mothers. Feeding your baby directly from the jar is not a good idea. Their saliva can mix with the food and make it taste bad. Put the food in a mug rather than a bowl so that you can feed baby more easily. What??? What's the difference between saliva mixing with food in a jar or in a bowl or mug or whatever???? Keep away the sweet tooth Try not to give baby sweet stuff at this stage. Deliberately give them vegetables before fruits to keep away that sweet tooth. No no no no no! Babies are genetically designed to have a sweet tooth. It's essential for survival that what baby wants most is the sweet taste of breastmilk, which is coincidentally what is best for his health in infanthood. It does not matter what food you start with, as long as by one year, you offer a healthy variety, and keep offering if baby refuses initially. Wait for the first tooth It is a good idea to wait until your baby gets his / her first tooth before even thinking of starting solids. One baby (I heard) got his first tooth at 5 months and began showing interest in what his father was eating shortly thereafter. At about 6 months, he was reaching for his parents' food. The tooth does NOT matter. The magical 6-month mark is when the baby's digestive system has matured enough to handle some solid food. Earlier than that, there is an increased chance of allergies. By the way, MOST babies show an interest in what the parents are eating because they show an interest in whatever the parents are doing anyway, be it eating, or writing, or typing on the computer, or whatever. -- Anita -- |
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"Nan" wrote in message ... On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 11:36:04 -0500, "Tori M." scribbled: I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. I never have understood the whole idea of giving babies only bland foods. Yuk! Unless something is too spicy for their tummies to handle, or you want to avoid sodium for certain reasons, I never saw the point. I don't put sugar on anything, and don't overdo it with salt or pepper, but I don't see anything wrong with seasoning their food. We just add enough salt and pepper so that she sees the shaker left something... we dont add it unless she is watching.. Tori -- Bonnie 3/20/02 Xavier due 10/17/04 |
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Nan wrote:
On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 11:36:04 -0500, "Tori M." scribbled: I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. I never have understood the whole idea of giving babies only bland foods. Yuk! Unless something is too spicy for their tummies to handle, or you want to avoid sodium for certain reasons, I never saw the point. I don't put sugar on anything, and don't overdo it with salt or pepper, but I don't see anything wrong with seasoning their food. This is fine for a baby over six months old. Younger than that, their sense of taste actually isn't developed enough to taste salt. Young babies will drink salt water, and it's not until they're about 18 months to two years old that they learn not to like it, much as an adult feels. There was a very tragic incident in England a few years back where some formula was prepared with salt instead of sugar. The babies in that ward all drank their formula and several of them died from sodium poisoning before the error was discovered. -- Anita -- |
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On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 11:36:04 -0500, "Tori M."
wrote: Use a baby food grinder You can try small bits of real rice, mixed with meats (without seasonings). The meat should be meshed with baby food grinder (you can find these pretty cheap). Forks work, too. And some babies like seasonings. I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. My DS is fond of using his foods as a way to get the condiments into his mouth. Salt and pepper are great to start with So is a sweet paprika, or garlic, depending on what's being served. Like with most baby things, proceed carefully and slowly and observe all reactions. At least, as best you can. When DS was about 14 months old, he decided he was going to try some of Daddy's Kick-*ss Chili. He took a handful from the bowl, stuck in his mouth, and chewed. My DH describes his expression as being quite disgusted and startled. That was a little _too_ hot and spicy at the time, and probably for some time to come. But DS loves barebecue sauce on his meats, and our spicy (but not hot -- we cook for flavor, not heat) foods. |
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dragonlady wrote in message ...
In article , "Gary Hendricks" wrote: snip Use a baby food grinder You can try small bits of real rice, mixed with meats (without seasonings). The meat should be meshed with baby food grinder (you can find these pretty cheap). Forks work, too. And some babies like seasonings. Mine sure did! He'd eat spicy over bland any time! Don't feed your baby directly from the jar This is an interesting tip I've heard from experienced mothers. Feeding your baby directly from the jar is not a good idea. Their saliva can mix with the food and make it taste bad. Put the food in a mug rather than a bowl so that you can feed baby more easily. This is one of the dumber things you've written. Why on earth would the food be less likely to mix with saliva when eaten from a mug or bowl instead of the jar? Unless you finish the entire jar in one sitting, the saliva will cause the food in the jar to spoil that much faster if you stick it back in the fridge for later. If you put the portion you want to feed baby into a bowl or something, the stuff left in the jar does not get contaminated. Make sense? Feeding a baby from the jar works just fine -- the only problem is that you cannot feed them PART of a jar of food directly from the jar, then return the jar to the fridge for another feeding. Bringing the spoon back and forth from the mouth to the food introduces bacteria into the food -- and storing it for a while will allow that bacteria to grow. It's the same reason you don't drink directly from the milk bottle then put it back in the fridge, or, even when you live alone, eat directly out of containers that are going to be stored. Keep away the sweet tooth Try not to give baby sweet stuff at this stage. Deliberately give them vegetables before fruits to keep away that sweet tooth. In direct contradiction to your first suggestion, that you give fruits first. You could at least try for internal consistency in your suggestions. I agree. And many babies, such as mine, *hated* veggies and refuses to eat them to this day. If I wanted him to eat solids, it had to be fruit. And I do believe fruit is a better first food than grains. Until a baby has the means to chew cerals, they often have a *very* hard time digesting them. Why cerals are pushed as a good first food is a mystery to me. dragon |
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Nan wrote in
: On Thu, 30 Sep 2004 11:36:04 -0500, "Tori M." scribbled: I know! Bonnie started eating eggs after I realized she wanted salt and pepper on them... before that I never even thought to try it... After that I tried adding seasoning to a few "will not eat foods" and she eats all of them that are appropriate with salt and peper. I never have understood the whole idea of giving babies only bland foods. Yuk! Unless something is too spicy for their tummies to handle, or you want to avoid sodium for certain reasons, I never saw the point. I don't put sugar on anything, and don't overdo it with salt or pepper, but I don't see anything wrong with seasoning their food. Boo *loved* green Tabasco on his food... that kid didn't do bland! lee |
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