Please remember that I am not a doctor, and these are only my experiences and recommendations.
Always consult your baby's physician before changing your baby's diet.
Always consult your baby's physician before changing your baby's diet.
What to Introduce FIRST?
While I may consider myself a pretty good cook, I had absolutely NO CLUE which foods I should introduce Lucas to first, or how to prepare them in a way that would be appropriate for a baby. I did a bit of research on the internet, and happened upon a website that has everything you could possibly need to make homemade baby food.
WholesomeBabyFood.com is a Momtastic website that contains recipes, tips, safe food preparation and storage instructions, and much, much, more. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this site, even if you don't plan on making you baby homemade food. If you plan on making some (or even most) of your baby's food, Wholesome Baby Food has recipes for those fruits and veggies that aren't available in the baby food aisle of your grocery store.
WholesomeBabyFood.com is a Momtastic website that contains recipes, tips, safe food preparation and storage instructions, and much, much, more. I would HIGHLY recommend reading this site, even if you don't plan on making you baby homemade food. If you plan on making some (or even most) of your baby's food, Wholesome Baby Food has recipes for those fruits and veggies that aren't available in the baby food aisle of your grocery store.
Introducing Rice Cereal...It's an Old Wives' Tale that putting Rice Cereal into a baby's bottle right before bed will help them sleep longer. Women have been doing it for generations, despite the fact that a lot of people (including some doctors!) advise against it.
The American Board of Pediatrics recommends that infants are exclusively fed formula or breast milk for at least 4 months, but preferably up to 6 months. The ABP suggests solid foods, such as grains, fruits and vegetables can be introduced at six months, though many pediatricians advocate introducing them at as early as four months. At around 3 months, Clinton and I started giving Lucas rice cereal in a bottle, mixed in his breast milk right before bed. We noticed that no matter how much breast milk he was drinking (whether from a bottle or the breast), he just didn't seem to remain full for any length of time at night. |
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We began introducing the cereal slowly, adding one tablespoon to 4 ounces of breast milk. Though you could barely tell the difference by looking at the viscosity of the milk, it really seemed to help! As Lucas got a little older, we gradually mixed more cereal into his milk, until eventually we were giving him 7 ounces of milk with 3 ounces of cereal. In order for the cereal to flow, we had to use a "Y" cut nipple in his Dr. Brown's bottle.
Now, I'm not a pediatrician, and you shouldn't take my advice as sound medicine, but the difference was obvious. Lucas began sleeping for longer stretches of time, and within a week of introducing the cereal, he was sleeping through the night. Giving him a "rice bottle" also helped us establish a bedtime routine at a very young age, and allowed Lucas to understand that it was time to go to sleep.
Now, I'm not a pediatrician, and you shouldn't take my advice as sound medicine, but the difference was obvious. Lucas began sleeping for longer stretches of time, and within a week of introducing the cereal, he was sleeping through the night. Giving him a "rice bottle" also helped us establish a bedtime routine at a very young age, and allowed Lucas to understand that it was time to go to sleep.
Introducing Fruits and Veggies...At Lucas' 4-month check-up, our family doctor told us that we could begin giving him pureed fruits and veggies, as long as we were comfortable doing so. Since Lucas was already receiving Rice Cereal, Dr. Youngs recommended that we try some fruits and veggies. Sweet Potatoes, Squash, and Green Beans were his first suggestions.
I heard from a friend that it is good practice to give your baby a large variety of vegetables before introducing fruits, and our Doctor confirmed this fact. Because fruits are so sweet and yummy, most babies refuse veggies, if given the option between the two. I used this method with Lucas, and to this day, he favors veggies over most fruits. Granted, he does show preference toward certain vegetables, but is an all-around good eater. |
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Organic vs. All-Natural...
The first baby food we gave Lucas was Organic, because I was concerned with the pesticides and additives in most baby food purees. If you do the math on Organic versus "All Natural" baby food, the Organic option is about one and a half times the price.
Gerber All-Natural baby food is made with 100% natural fruits and vegetables, and has no added sugar, salt, starch, or artificial colors and flavors. Organic foods also have no added sugar, salt, starch, or artificial colors and flavors, but the fruits and veggies must meet the strict standards set by the USDA’s National Organic Program.
Deciding whether to purchase the All-Natural or Organic option is a personal choice for your family. I realized that Lucas was eating far too many jars of food for the Organic alternative to be a good choice for our family financially, so I switched to the "All Natural" option on the rare occasion that I purchase baby food.
