Hitting any milestone is exciting for both parents and baby :)
Baby Isaac is a few weeks from reaching one of the most exciting, yet scariest milestones (for me anyway) - 6 months. Along with many other achievements, the 6 months milestone is exciting for parents as it is when they are first introduced to their first foods. Although some people decide to start them as earlier, I wanted to give bub a full 6 months of exclusive mummy goodness :)! Breastfeeding is such a natural, simple and convenient way of feeding your baby and it made my life easy, especially knowing that they are receiving the best nutrition nature can provide. Now that it's time to think about food preparation, I'm treading in unknown waters. There seems to be so much protocol when it comes to introducing baby's first food. I've been told by several different people that I 'must' start with baby cereal, to avoid this and that, to give them this and that, watch out for allergies, make sure this, make sure that, do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that... So you can see why I found this milestone the scariest...
After admitting my fears to my great friend Lisa, she recommended me to visit Wholesome Baby Food. Lisa also has a beautiful baby boy (Ethan) who is just 2 months older than Isaac. Having only gone through the experience herself recently, I truly admired her methods and approach to feeding the baby. Baby Ethan seemed to really enjoy his meals, so seeing that got me a little excited and instilled some confidence in me. I really hope Isaac would be as enthusiastic with solids as he is with breastmilk :)
I am so grateful for Lisa referring me to the website as it made me realise that introducing baby's first food is not as scary as everyone makes out. I'm even looking forward to all the foods I can introduce and prepare for my baby... I also highly recommend this website to all mothers and expecting mums! It is a great source of information which I constantly refer back to. Remember, the first steps are so important as they help our little ones develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Here are some points which resonated strongly with me:
- Milk should still be the primary source of nutrition - solids should be given after I've nursed him.
- Introduce new foods in the morning or early afternoon - that way, if there is a reaction, your pediatrician is in office
- Remember the 4 day waiting rule when introducing new foods - if there is an allergic reaction, it's easier to determine which food triggered it
- Baby rice cereal does NOT need to be the first food! In fact, it's better to start off with more healthier and nutritional foods such as avocados, sweet potato, banana, or pears! Baby rice cereal actually has a low nutritional value
- Make your own baby foods and baby rice cereal... at home... from scratch! It's easy!
Not only do you save money, you know exactly what goes into their food. By not buying processed food, you get more nutrition, taste and quality. The thought of feeding my baby eating something that may have been made before my baby was even born makes me sick... Now that I have a thermomix, I have no excuses! - Go ORGANIC - it may cost a little more, but bubs would consume more pesticides than adults due to body size. Bubs doesn't eat a lot anyway and going organic means that bubs won't be consuming the chemicals, pesticides and nitrate. Organic foods also have a higher nutritional levels and are not genetically modified - need I say more?
- Visit EWG for guides on the 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean Fifteen' foods. You'd be surprised at what made the dirty dozen! I was...
So, after all my reading and research, we've decided to not start bubs on baby rice cereal. Compared to other starter fruits and veg options, it just doesn't compare in nutrients, texture and taste. We will likely introduce it after he's our first foods plan for Isaac:
- Avocados - they have a high nutrient conent, are sodium and cholesterol free and consists of Vitamins A and C, Niacin, Folate, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium and good monounsaturated fats which is important for developing brains, bodies and their central nervous system. They're also so delicious :p
- Bananas - they consist of Vitamins A and C, Folate, Potassium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Magnesium, Calcium
- Pears - they consist of Vitamins A and C, Folate, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium
- Yams/Sweet potatoes - they consist of Vitamins A and C, Folate, Potassium, Sodium, Selenium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium
Watch this space...
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