Emma | Starting Solids

Our baby girl is getting sooo big!...And we have moved on to solids.  It still doesn't seem real that we have a baby, not to mention a baby who is almost half a year old and eating something other than breast milk now.

To top that off, I have NO idea what I'm doing!  Any other new mommies feel this way, or am I the only one?  I mean, I know it's not that simple, but these little babes should really come with instruction manuals.  Especially when introducing solids.  I was so nervous about this part of her milestones.  When do I start?  What should I feed her?  What if I start too early?  Seriously....instruction manual.

I read that you shouldn't give breastfed babies anything besides breast milk for the first six months of their life.  Our pediatrician, however, told us that whenever I was ready we could begin introducing solids, because let's be honest, this has been an emotional roller coaster for this mama.  All the information out there can be so overwhelming.  So, hopefully my experience can be helpful to any of you who have questions like I did.

This has turned out to be such a great time with Emma.  I could tell she was ready and we are going on almost 4 weeks of solids and have tried a different food each week.  We have tried oatmeal (loves), carrots (not a fan, but we will be returning to this later), avocado (likes) and pumpkin with a little nutmeg and cinnamon (loves-just like her mama).  I have let her chew on a banana, which she also likes.  It is so cute to see her little baby teeth dig into the banana.  I'm a mess for anything this girl does! 

You can check out this YouTube video here of Emma's first time eating oatmeal!



How she first felt about avocado. Ha!

We are still on a pretty good schedule and she is only eating solids at dinner time with us.  I am still breastfeeding all the other times and think it's important that I continue to do this.  I plan to wait and start more solids throughout the day after she is six months old.  However, I have learned that plans don't always work when you have a baby.  So, we'll see :)

My favorite product that has been a huge help in this process is the Beaba Babycook.  This thing is amazing!  It steams, blends and reheats veggies, fruits and meats.  It is easy to clean with not many parts.  It feels so good to be able to make food for Emma and know exactly what is going in her little body.  And one of the best parts is that you can make the food ahead of time and freeze it.  Two carrots made 4 meals!!

On a side note: I have read a little about Baby-Led Weaning instead of starting with pureed foods, which you can read about here and here.  I have found both articles useful.  I am considering doing a mix of the two and begin adding some very soft finger foods to feed herself.  She shows a lot of interest in wanting to do things herself.

Here is link to Lucie's List on Starting Solids.  If you are a mommy and not subscribed to her blog, you really should.  It's really great information and she is so funny.

What are some of your kiddos favorite foods?  Any suggestions?  Advice?

Update: Since starting solids, Emma has tried spinach, peas and asparagus and LOVES her veggies.