My baby is 9 months old and he does very well with purees and sometimes we mash avocado and other things. We really want him to eat other solids but we are scared of him choking.
We see videos of parents giving things like shredded chicken and honestly cant fathom our baby eating something like that without choking.
Can anyone recommend some simple foods that will help him with chewing and swallowing?
We’ve been having chicken livers in these corn fritters and also as a bolognese sauce - more details here: https://monsherman.substack.com/p/recent-feeding-wins?r=7kx85&utm\_medium=ios
What other creative ways are you guys serving liver? She loves it and I’m very keen to keep her iron levels up as I know it’ll put us in better stead to fight those daycare bugs.
I can’t decide if my algorithm hates me or if people are really this much more organized and dedicated than me….
For reference, my LO just turned 8 months old and is fed pumped breastmilk. She’s in daycare full time and the daycare has a kitchen. So once she turns 1, she’ll be getting breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack there. So for most weekdays, we’ll just feed her dinner.
Currently, I’m alternating between bringing her purées (Beech Nut premade ones, *the horror!!!*), teething crackers/snacks, and leftover dinner that we ate. Everyone else in her class and apparently my social media is feeding their babies full blown gourmet meals.
She still gets plenty of breastmilk bottles. My husband and I both work full time and aren’t… the greatest eaters. So the idea of just “feeding her what we eat” both stresses me out with choking (even with following Solid Starts guidance) and just general lack of nutrition. We’re starting to eat better in preparation for when she truly will be eating what we eat but some nights are better than others. Tonight she chowed down on salmon and avocado like we ate, tomorrow she’s probably going to have buttered bread and a piece of cheese and barely eat it. We have, however, emphasized continuing to feed her common allergens (dairy, egg, wheat, peanuts, almond (flour), fish, etc.)
I love the idea of just feeding her what we eat, but again, it’s not always the healthiest options. And currently with the anxiety of choking and her still being so little, feeding her (anything other than breastmilk) when we’re out and about just doesn’t seem doable.
My question is…. Are you all (especially working parents) truly feeding your babies these giant multi-course meals multiple times a day? If you are, is your baby actually eating it?
I was always under the impression that food before one was for allergen exposure and just general exploration. If so, why are we making these giant meals?
Thank you in advance!
My little one is starting solids soon and I’m trying to figure out if making baby food at home is actually worth the effort
I keep seeing people making their own purees, freezing little portions, buying fresh ingredients etc... but then I’m thinking about all the steaming, blending, portioning and cleaning. Is it actually cheaper than buying pouches and jars?
Or is the real benefit more about knowing exactly what goes into baby’s food?
For parents who make most of your baby’s food at home, what’s your routine?
Do you use a baby food maker, or just whatever you already have in the kitchen
Hello! I am tired of trying to feed my LO (13 m) who just doesn't really like food still. I really try - probably over do it with high expectations.
I always prepare her meals separately as she mostly rejects the "adult food". She still tends to accept lumpy and saucy foods, fruit, and yoghurt.
It would be so nice to know when your LO started just eating what you're eating every meal? (limiting salt and spice etc. ofc).
I kind of expected it to be around now but feel it's so far away. I'm a SAHM for 2 months more than she'll go to daycare where they will serve bread, fruit, veg.
Thank you in advance to all you fellow parents.
Our baby is about to turn 6 months old and is definitely ready to start baby led weaning. She’s had purées for a while and absolutely loves them.
Both of us work full time so she spends time with family m-f, 9-5. For a while we were giving her purées at the dinner table, but we started to notice a horrible sleep disruption. It didn’t seem to matter what it was, she would wake every two hours. Our best guess is she was having trouble digesting.
We’ve stopped giving her purées at dinner, and only on the morning on weekends. Family has started feeding it to her m-f. Sleep has gotten better.
My question is, did anyone else have similar issues? Is her tummy just not ready? We would love to start solids but I’m nervous to try in the evenings. How do working parents do it?
My 8 month old has eczema triggered by food. Today i was tired and already overwhelmed with the days tasks so i didnt give him a bib or aquaphor as a barrier and he had such a terrible reaction that he was scratching himself raw. Blood on his crib sheets, bathroom and diaper changing pad. We were both crying as i was holding his hands away to not scratch and he looked soo irritated and uncomfortable. I tried to clean him up with a wet wash cloth and got a thick layer of aquaphor on him and i nursed him to sleep.
I feel terrible and now discouraged from letting him eat solids until he heals.
How do others deal with the eczema flare ups from messy eating??
I obviously dont expect my baby to eat neater. Hes learning and i expect the mess... I just get so discouraged seeing my baby suffering.
Before even starting this meal he had already woken up with dry eyelids and a swollen eye(from scratching them).
ETA: ive taken my baby to the dermatologist and he has a steroidal skincare routine but tapering down seemed to make his flare ups come back. Steroids are not meant to be used longer than 1 or 2 weeks so im not sure how to proceed with solids.
Another edit: appointments are slow, there's not much i can do besides wait. I didn't mention it in my post but i did take him to a doctor before i made this post and they just gave him oral Benadryl and a referral for an allergist. I even messaged his dermatologist. If he had an allergist i would have messaged them too. I guess i just wanted to vent at the frustration of weaning. I was excited for the eating stage and to cook for my baby because i love cooking but i can't. I was wondering if other parents dealt with eczema or how they eventually got on with solids. Sounds like the allergist will be able to give us a food plan though so that is reassuring.
Hello! I am an FTM to a one month old baby girl who is currently set to start daycare at 3 months when I have to return to work.
One of the things that has challenged me the most so far has been feeding. My baby is pretty sleepy most of the time, and when she gets hungry, she often goes from zero (mild lip smacking) to 100 (wailing) within 2-5 minutes. Since you're obviously not supposed to let newborns "cry it out," I've been trying my best to drop everything and get her fed when this happens, which means literally everything else has gone by the wayside for me. I can't even figure out how I'm supposed to pump and feed her at the same time eventually, even though I'll need to work on that soon. The few times I've tried have ended in dropping things on the floor, lol.
Here's my concern: let's say my baby takes 15-20 minutes to finish a bottle, which she currently does. Let's say she gets hungry while another infant is eating. Realistically, does this mean she will be left to scream for the 15-20 minutes it takes THAT baby to finish their bottle? Maybe I am being thick, but I'm not sure I see how group care and feeding infants on demand can go together. Is my instinct right here, or are daycare workers just way more efficient than FTMs in a way that enables them to deal with this juggling?
Please be honest with me about your experiences here.
You were so right. My daughter is 5 days shy of 11 months old and lately she has been an eating machine (when she’s not sick, of course, which is rare lol). After two full meals and a snack at daycare, she totally devoured the mom-and-dad-are-having-salad-so-I-need-to-figure-out-what-to-feed-you meal I threw together. Sautéed shrimp, Dr. Praegers Sweet Potato Littles, and some broccoli. Was deeply unhappy to see an empty plate so she topped it all off with half a slice of cheddar cheese, one strawberry, and a few blueberries. I feel like I’m raising the Very Hungry Caterpillar all of a sudden and I’m not mad about it.
Yall my baby is 8 months old have tried BLW and she barely eats , I wanted to try and get her up to two meals a day and I’m trying to introduce meats like ground turkey so far she only likes things like sweet potatoes , yogurt etc idk what to do like should I just be mixing meat in everything?? How do yall maintain their iron levels ? I’m so anxious that I’m depriving her of nutritional needs …
Hello, I am a FTM of a 5.5 month old trying to wrap my head around introducing solids. There is so much more to it than I initially understood..such as puree feeding vs baby led weaning vs a combo of both. I also came to find out that there are specific ways to prepare foods to reduce chances of choking, to introduce allergens as soon as possible, and to practice drinking out of straw cups. Is there anything else I should prepare for, tips you could provide, what worked best for you, whether you did exclusively baby led weaning or also did purees? I would appreciate any advice or resources!
when did your children start using utensils? I've tried giving my 16 month old utensils here and there, but honestly it feels like she's dropping most of them vs actually eating them, and then I feel bad/stressed that she didn't eat enough. if we feed her ourselves directly - she eats so well!! and if it's a food that can eat with her fingers - she eats most of it really well too. but if it's something like rice or more mushy/crumbly, then obviously it's harder for her to eat with her hands. I wonder if maybe I haven't tried hard enough with her utensils or simply not teaching her properly? lol. any tips or even suggestions that you used for utensils and when you started would be helpful! thanks!
My 7-month-old bub isn’t a big eater! 🥹 Originally, we were using the big round stainless steel plates, but I found it so hard to gauge how much he was actually eating.
Offering his meals as 3 little dishes like this means he gets to try a few different things (and we get to see what actually sticks! 😂).
I decided to use our sauce trays instead, and honestly, the portions just look so cute haha. We also tend to offer him the foods one at a time on his high chair tray so he can explore each one.
Also… any tips for a baby who DOES NOT like fruit?! 😂 It feels like every other baby is happily smashing fruit and Greek yoghurt, meanwhile mine will gag and spew the second something is even slightly tart. 😂😭
Hi parents! We’ve just started weaning and are still mostly doing purées because I’m really scared of choking. 😥
Is there any gadget/device you’d recommend having at home in case a baby chokes? Has anyone bought something that gave them extra peace of mind?
I’m planning to learn baby first aid too, but would love to hear what other parents recommend. Thank you!
I recently posted recommendations for high chairs and you guys SHOWED UP! Thank you!
Now, is the Catchy worth it? That affects my decision for which high chair because they don’t have a Catchy that is compatible with every high chair.
She’s in daycare so most weekdays she would just have 1 meal at home and then weekends.
We got a splat mat and moving it and picking it up wasn’t worth it.
Is the Catchy worth it or just another gimmicky thing I don’t need?
Also, feel free to put your favorite high chair here too!
I’m a first-year lead teacher in a toddler classroom (1-year-olds) and could use some advice. I have a child who is still breastfed. He eats table food well and will drink water from a cup, but he refuses to drink his breast milk from a cup while he’s at daycare. Throughout the day, he’s on and off crying and screaming until someone picks him up. Once he’s being held, he immediately starts pulling at bra straps and trying to pull shirts down, and it’s pretty obvious he’s looking to nurse for comfort. He does the same thing to his mom at pickup and immediately tries to nurse. Of course, we can’t nurse him at daycare, so we’re trying to figure out the best way to handle it. We comfort him, redirect him, and continue offering his breast milk in a cup, but he refuses it. Has anyone dealt with this before? Did the child eventually adjust, or was there something that helped? I’m looking for advice from other teachers or parents who’ve been through a similar situation.
Edit: I don’t necessarily care that he doesn’t drink it, he drinks plenty of water. I just hate having to waste breastmilk. I know how important that is to moms.
Just curious what others thoughts are on salt in foods, I know we are supposed to restrict salt esp during their first year and I have tried my best to separate out his portions before seasoning or rinse things. But sometimes it’s just easier to give him a few pieces of cut up ravioli or dumplings and obv can’t rinse those lol. I’m tired and sometimes have no more capacity to prep a special meal for him, I usually just cook things for myself that I can give baby and have been a little more lax with the salt thing as he is nearing 1 year. I’ll give him cheese (cottage cheese, sprinkle feta or parm to entice him to eat less desired foods), add butter to things (sometimes dont always have unsalted on hand) and esp if we are at a restaurant, I’ll just scrape the sauce off of whatever im eating before giving him bites. How much should I be concerned about salt intake??
My son had his 4-month appointment today, and our pediatrician said we could start introducing purees if he’s showing interest.
I’m a little surprised because 4 months seems early to me. He definitely watches us eat and seems interested, but he can’t sit up on his own yet, so I’m not sure how feeding purees is supposed to work safely.
When did your baby start purees? Did you wait until 6 months, or did you start around 4 months if your pediatrician gave the okay? If you started earlier, what signs of readiness did your baby show?