Honestly guys I have been dreading this milestone. Don’t get me wrong, obviously starting solids with your baby is a great sign that baby is growing and developing, but I was just really hoping that Miles would somehow stay a little baby forever (gasp).
Doesn’t every mom feel the same? I mean half a year has pretty much gone by and I don’t know how it happened so fast!
Well, the good thing is I was being dramatic and actually love watching Miles interact not only with myself but with other people like his dad or grandparents who can now feed him too and see his reactions to different kinds of foods. I knew he was ready to start because I noticed that he would literally stop playing with his toys to watch me take bites out of anything that was going into my mouth. We held off for as long as we could but one day, I decided that he was ready and it wasn’t fair to hold him back from all the good things that food gives!
Today, I’m sharing my tips to introducing baby to solids and what’s worked for us in achieving this milestone with Miles.
[ Make yourself a list of single fruits or veggies you’d like to try for the week ]
You can do this week by week or at least for the first month. I recommend this so that you know what you plan to add to your existing grocery list. Since it’s recommended that you try the same food for about 2-3 days (to watch for baby’s food sensitivities and allergies), you’ll have a little “menu” planned out for baby and find yourself organized and not running out in the middle of the day to grab something different to make for baby. If you see physical adverse signs of a potential allergy call your pediatrician.
[ Choose a time of day that works best for baby ]
Start by offering breast or bottle as usual and then offer the solid in small teaspoon amounts. In the beginning, I started by mixing the solids with a bit of breastmilk just so Miles would at least recognize a familiar taste in the food before giving up on it. I was also given some advice to start earlier on in the day when baby is happy and so that you could keep an eye out for allergic reactions throughout the day.
[Offer a wide range of single foods ]
Just because you don’t like cauliflower doesn’t mean that baby will too. By introducing a wide range of foods, your baby will start to develop their own likeness for certain foods as well as be able to explore different textures and tastes. I also found this so amusing to watch because you really never know until they’ve given something a try!
[ Now, offer combinations ]
Once Miles started getting comfortable with single solids, I, for the life of me, couldn’t seem to figure out what flavours would work together – it was like cooking again but for baby! I already struggle to make meals for my husband and I on a daily basis, that adding Miles’ combination foods was another added stress. To solve this, one of the easiest things I did was try Gerber Baby Organic Pureés. This allowed me to save time and costs just by giving him some foods that he has already tried individually, but combined in delicious ways I would have never thought to put together. I find the new pureés convenient because you can SEE how much baby is taking in with their new transparent packaging! No more trying to guess how much baby ate, just look for yourself and save the remaining amount for a feeding later on.
Have fun
It’s going to get messy, and yes you can use a bib but you won’t always have control over where baby’s hands are going to go next. Just keep in mind that this is new for baby too. Food may get on the floor, all over the tray, over baby and maybe even you but it isn’t the end of the world. I just keep a damp and dry cloth nearby incase I need it. Just enjoy this milestone as it comes because they’re coming on real quick!
*This post has been in partnership with Gerber (Nestlé) however all comments and opinions are my own.
Miles’ outfit: KidWild Organics | Mama’s outfit: Aritzia Bottoms + Zara Top (old) + Maya Brenner Necklace | Photography: Janet Kwan
