Quote of the Day

"A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done." ~Author Unknown

Starting Solids - 8 months

Your baby is getting older and is able to digest new foods. You still need to make sure that you stick to the four day rule meaning, you wait every four days to introduce new foods to your baby.

Your baby should be able to grip most finger foods and should be able to gum most foods that you feed them. The food still needs to be soft to his/her mouth and a texture that can be mashed by their teethless mouths. Some babys have their front teeth but most don't have their molars. So becareful on the textures.

In the next couple of months to a year, your baby will probably want to attempt to feed themselves. So don't worry about the mess and let them learn. Remember that they will learn the more they practice.

Here is a list of the new foods to add:
Apricot
Apples
Cantaloupe
Honeydew Melon
Grapes (peeled and quartered, no choking)
Kiwi Fruit
Plums
Watermelon
Broccoli
Okra
Cooked Parsley
Tahini
Finely Ground Nuts
Finely Ground Seeds

You should still puree' your babies foods. You can gradually add less water to make the consistency thicker, but watch how your baby reacts. If your baby gags, chokes or spits the food out then it is still to thick. At about 8-9 months your baby will be able to eat the consistency of the 6-8oz store baby food. So you may want to compare the amount and the thickness when you are at the store.

Your baby should be eating about 4-5 servings of Fruits/Veggies everyday. They should be eating about 2-3 servings of grains/cereals and any proteins (tofu, nuts, tahini) that you want to add to their diet. Remember that breastmilk should still be their main source of food and make sure they are getting atleast 29-32oz of breastmilk a day (nursing 5 times a day). Make sure that you are adding water in with meals and in between with snacks. You could start trying a cup on your baby, but you can still use a sippy cup also.

Here is the feeding schedule to follow at 8 months:
Breastfeed upon awakening. Then you can nursing and feed solids for breakfast. Then nurse and feed solids for lunch. Then nurse and feed solids for dinner. Then nurse and put to bed. If you would like to you can add any snacks throughout the day. Add water in between feedings, especailly if it is a hot day.

I hope that your baby is accepting the solid foods and enjoying the variety that you are giving them. I hope that you are not struggling with the solids. It personally is not my favorite time. It is a real adjustment for me and another stage I have to get use to. So try to enjoy it and don't give up on your baby and solids.

Quote of the Day

"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along." ~Margaret Culkin Banning

Starting Solids - 7 months

Here is the list of food for your 7 month old. There is alot more food that you can feed them the older your baby gets.

When you introduce new foods make sure that you do it the early part of the day and wait at least four days in between new foods. Your baby will need time to adjust to all of these new foods. Your baby should be eating 1/2 cup or 4 ounces of food. That is the same amount as the little jars of baby food at the store. You will want to continue using the same food that your baby ate at 6 months. This is a new list to give you alot more options to feed your baby.

Here is the list of new foods:
Tofu
Homemade cereals
Asparagus
Carrots
Green Beans
Peas
Summer Squash
White Potatoes
Peaches

Here is a list of fruits to make juice:
Apple
Apricot
Grape
Papaya
Pear
Peach
Prune
Make sure when you do use juice to dilute it with more water than juice. Your baby is still to young for complete juice. Try to use more water than juices.

When you use the tofu you can mix it with the cereals or the fruit and veggies. Tofu is made out of cooked soybeans and is very nutritious. I could never get my kids to like it but I tried. So give it a try because my sister loved it for her kids. You can also try to mix bananas with the cereals to make it more tasty.

The food can be a little thicker as your baby gets older. You can puree' the food in your blender to make it the consistency of a thick cream. Make sure that it is smooth and not lumpy.

Here is the feeding schedule to include with your nursing:
When your baby wakes in the morning do your regular feeding and then give the baby some solids. Then you do your lunch feeding and then add some food. Then you do your feeding at dinner time and add some food. You want to start putting your baby on the some eating schedule as the family. Your baby needs to be eating solids at least 2 times a day if not 3. Make sure that your baby is still getting enough breastmilk because that still needs to be your baby's main food source. Your baby should still be nursing about 5 times a day. Finally you can nurse your baby before it goes to bed. Don't forget snacks if your baby needs something to hold them over before bed or a feeding. Also make sure that you are giving your baby enough water with the solid food. Your baby should be learning to use a sipping cup. Your baby doesn't need alot of water, but it helps with digesting the food better.