Starting Solids!

[scrub-jay]

We are starting solids (finally!) soon!! What are the best books/advice for preparing the food at home? Our ped recommended a book, but we'd like to have a second with good advice to compare. Also - any recommendations on products would be much appreciated too (like high-chairs, spoons, etc). I've heard that there is one spoon that is AMAZING for starting solids because food sticks to it and the baby can't fling food off of it...of course, I can't remember what it was. *sigh*

[HouseofWool]

Don't overthink it. Start with something bland that can easily be mixed with expressed milk. Avoid wheat and highly allergenic foods (strawberries, eggs, shellfish, peanut butter etc). I usually did rice cereal with milk for the first meals. If they don't like that try something like mashed banana.

[Auspicious]

I love http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ .

We use this for a high chair. It's great because you don't have to make room for a separate baby high chair--it just sits right on one of your adult dining chairs. Of course if you need all your chairs for adults to sit on, then you'll want a true separate high chair. I would make sure you get one with the removable tray insert, though. We don't have that and I wish we did!

I'm curious to know what the magic spoon is--I haven't heard of it.

[HouseofWool]

I used this for a high chair. (it had a much more gender neutral pattern, but same basic chair.

[migirl]

I use Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (I think I got the rec from someone here?). I think some of the stuff can be a little over-the-top (I don't make the porridge stuff), but I like the guidelines about what to feed when and how to prepare it.

[ladymoreta]

My MIL got me a Beaba Babycook (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/pro...by-food-maker/), and I love it! You can steam and purée the food in it. I also have the cookbook that was on display with it, but for now, I'm just doing purées of individual things, so I haven't used a recipe yet.

I love the Bumbo for feeding DS. It seems like it keeps him more still than his high chair. I set it up on the island in the kitchen and just stand to feed him. (I know, it's not supposed to be on an elevated surface, but I am right there.)

[Michele]

Just for another perspective, I went with more of a "feed himself" method with both of my boys. I chopped up small soft foods and they ate with us at meal times. Started with bananas, avocado and really cooked sweet potatoes and moved on from there. D didn't eat much until he was over a year, and K ate right around 6 or 7 months.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ditto Kris's suggestion on the SpaceSaver. My kids used it well into age 2, also for finger painting & other crafts. It transitions really well from "can't sit up" to "just need a booster."

For the most part, I didn't make my own baby food. The ped did give me a detailed list of what to feed when. It started with a month of baby rice cereal at 4 months (although he had us delay until 6 months because we have food allergies in the family). Then was a month of adding oatmeal, barley, other cereals. I can't remember what's next. I followed the schedule for the oldest ones. The younger ones went to self-feeding pretty quickly, and I just avoided the common allergens until they were 1 year.

The most important thing you need is the camera.

[Pollyanna]

The most important thing you need is the camera.

Best advice ever!!!

I let Gerber prepare our children's baby food, they seem to have it down to a science.

[Vishenka69]

My baby also prefers Gerber food to anything I try to make at home. She actually gags at home made food.

Make sure to use plastic bowls, because they will fly out of your hands when you least expect it. I'm also on the hunt for big plastic bibs that snap instead of velcro. She learned to take off the ones that velcro in the middle of the meal. I use bath toys to distract her and keep her hands busy. After the meal I just wash them with the dishes. I like the regular big highchair on wheels, our whole main level is one big space and I just wheel her around so I can keep an eye on her while doing stuff.

[spotty_dog]

Just for another perspective, I went with more of a "feed himself" method with both of my boys.

Ditto. I started with homemade purees with Eddy but moved mostly to table foods by 7-8 months. Natalie never had purees, just table food starting at 5.5-6 months. http://wholesomebabyfood.com has some information about baby-led solids.

Our high chair is the basic IKEA model.

[SuzySunshine]

R would eat nothing off of a spoon until about a month ago when I started giving him yogurt, it is still pretty much the only thing he will eat off of a spoon. So he got a TON of diced everything starting about six months of course he had teeth early too. So just remember every child is different - have fun!