LETS EAT!

A wide variety of information can be found when trying to study when it is appropriate to introduce foods to your baby. If you are a new mother, as I am, it is an extremely stressful time. Many from the older generation, such as my mother, found waiting to be unnecessary.

“I was feeding you bananas and oatmeal by the time you were 2 and a half months old!” Of course mothers are always right. Others, say that it is dangerous to actually begin foods until they are at least 6 months of age. According too Baby Center, a child should only be given breast milk or formula until they are at least four months of age. Then between 4 and 6 months of age, you can look for signs that your baby is ready to start food. Some of these signs are anything from holding their head up to being able to sit in a high chair. Once again, there is a lot of room for speculation.

Here is what worked for me. Being a busy mom who is still in school, and working two jobs, I only solely breast fed for the first month. After that I began to supplement with formula as well. This took a great deal of stress off of me being the sole person to proved her feedings. Around three months of age, I noticed that my daughter, Evelynn, was having a problem keeping her food down. Each time she would eat, she would become extremely fussy. This led to her not wanting to eat and being gassy. From there she would have crying and screaming fits that were overwhelming, to say the least. I brought her to her doctors and they recommended I begin her on rice cereal. They say this is the first step in beginning you baby on foods. Gerber suggest that rice cereal is “recommended as the first solid baby food because it’s nutritionally and developmentally appropriate.” They also offer some interesting tips on how to feed your baby rice cereal on a spoon or even mix it in their bottle.

This worked for me and Evelynn and soon her reflux issues were behind us. From there I began to introduce vegetable and fruits to her diet. The only thing I recommend is wait and only introducing a new food to your child three days at a time. So if you start them on peas, wait three days before you give them something else that is new. This way if you notice any react​​ions, it will be easy to determine what caused the problem to occur. This is also what parenting.com recommends. Now Evelynn eats rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas and soon to be squash! She is happy and healthy and these are the rules I followed for introducing new foods to her.

Being a new parent is stressful and challenging. Sometimes you just have to go with your instincts. That is what my recommendation is for any new mom out there. You know your baby and you know what is best for them. So go with your gut! And don’t forget you can always consult the doctor, that is what they are there for!