I’m excited to write this blog post to document our journey to starting solids and inspire other mommas!
Before we begin, I want to encourage you to find a method that works for you and your baby. There are no two babies that are the same and what works for us may not work for you.
With a BS in Food Science and Nutrition and a desire to lay a foundation that will encourage a healthy relationship with food for my son, I want to share how we’re starting! We’re only a couple of weeks in and every day looks different. Eating solids is a skill that has to be practiced, so be patient. The best thing you can do is stay out of the way and let your baby figure it out on their own without any reaction.
During my research and after talking to our pediatrician I was shocked to know that starting solids does not replace a feeding. I am still breastfeeding five times a day (every three hours).
For the first year they are expanding their palate and perfecting the skill of eating. Once you are comfortable it’s time to change things up add a new texture or food! Our end goal is for Brooks to eat what we eat at every meal.
When we started thinking about starting solids, we were quarantined with state-driven stay at home orders. Hello 2020 #coronavirus! Brooks was five and a half months, so we had time to practice.
when
There were three key milestones I wanted Brooks to master before we introduced solids, even if that meant waiting. 1) Sitting up unassisted for several minutes at a time, 2) showing interest in our food, and 3) having the desire to put things in his mouth. Just like tummy time, we practiced sitting up unassisted and we would eat in front of him more often saying things like crunchy, smooth, sweet, or chewy to explain food textures. Try and replace words like yummy and stay away from yucky completely with words that describe the specific foods. We also added a spoon to the set of toys Brooks likes to play with, so he could get the hang of putting the spoon in his mouth. He gagged and quickly learned how far the spoon goes into his mouth. Two weeks before he was 6 months old he had mastered sitting unassisted for 10+ mins at a time.
Your baby has their whole life to eat solid foods! It’s so important to wait until all of the developmental signs are there. Give your baby plenty of opportunity to practice before starting. Eating is a skill! We felt Brooks was ready so we started solids a week after he turned six months old!
what
We decided to take a flexible approach to starting solids by combining the traditional and baby-led feeding styles. Since I love learning about the science behind foods, I did lots of research to come up with the foods we would use. Your baby is born with about 6-8 months worth of iron stores (give or take depending on the mother’s iron stores during pregnancy). After that time, babies need iron from foods as a supplement to breastmilk. We’ve started with 1 meal a day and I’m offering three different food groups at each meal: a high calorie food, an iron rich food, and a vegetable. So far, I’ve served whatever we have in the refrigerator and modified it appropriately. I steamed, pureed, and sliced foods to give Brooks a wide variety of tastes and textures. Being in tune with your baby and his/her milestones is most important. Meet your baby where they are and practice! It took Brooks one whole week of meals before he swallowed his first piece of food! Do not get discouraged, this is normal! Remember, for the first year they are getting most of their nutrition from either the breast or bottle.
where
Believe it or not, where your baby eats is a huge part of the success! After I dive into explaining this a little more you may have the same ah ha moment as I did.
Highchair – This is the most important item! You want to find a highchair that has a foot support! This isn’t something you may think about, but listen up. Have you ever been to a bar or restaurant and the chair is either too tall or the bar stool doesn’t have a foot rest, and your feet are left dangling? Remember how uncomfortable and distracting that was? How often did you fidget, slouch, or move around to try and get comfortable? This is no different for babies. Parents jump to conclusions about why their baby doesn’t sit still at the table and this is most likely the main reason!
We are using the Nomi High Chair and are loving it for so many reasons:
The footrest can be adjusted without any tools so that it’s always in the correct spot for your child as they grow. It’s easy to wipe down. There are no crevices, cushions (sold separately and removable), or other places for food to get trapped. It’s lightweight making it easy to carry around with one hand. Having your baby at the table during mealtime encourages social skills, manners and how to be an active part of the family conversations. It’s not just for mealtime. You can easily pop off the tray making it chair or a stool that is perfect for activities like homework, crafts, coloring, games, and standing to help cook. This chair holds up to 330 lbs. We can’t wait to make so many memories with our Nomi! It’s an investment, but instead of spending $100 here and there on highchairs, boosters, and cooking stools this is an all in one!
Babycook – I’ve been either steaming or pureeing Brooks’ food in this and love how easy it is to use.
Spoon – These are the spoons we let Brooks use while playing and eating. I love them because the food doesn’t slide down the spoon and is easy for the baby to grip since they are silicone!
Bib – Our favorites linked here.
Mat – Our favorite linked here.
Sippy cup – We are practicing with this one.
Washcloth – I know this may seem silly, but these are my favorite washcloths for an easy clean up!
how
Like I said earlier, the first several months of eating is more for practice and skill building. Babies are getting their primary nutritients from milk or formula. You are in charge of what is offered, let them be in charge of how they eat and what they eat. Keep cool, calm, and collected. Babies can sense if you are anxious. Be prepared for a mess and don’t try and prevent them from making one. Once they are done eating, they will let you know, and then you can clean up.
Relax and enjoy this process! They learn so quickly and get so excited when they master new skills.
If you have any other tips or questions please let me know!
Our Nomi High Chair was gifted, but all opinions are my own.
I am not and do not claim to be an expert. Please consult with your pediatrician before starting solids.
Inspired, Maryashley