Baby’s first solids

Is your baby sitting unassisted? If no then it’s too early for solid food

@Victoria he is not sitting unassisted and the doctor said most babies won’t until 6-9 months. But solids start around 4-6 months, as long as they can hold their head up unassisted, which he can do. He is sitting up “assisted”. Like if he has something against his back, he will sit without falling over. But no, he is not sitting up by himself yet.

With my daughter (now 20 months) I started her on foods at 4 months. She started sitting unassisted at 4.5 months. I started with oatmeal and purées (apples, carrots, sweet potatoes and squash) the first couple of weeks so she could get some different tastes. Once she got used to eating I started giving her baby oatmeal every morning for breakfast. Sometimes plain, sometimes with a little bit of purée added in. I used the beech nut brand of oatmeal and baby food but I know some people don’t use that brand for certain reasons. I think I did only breakfast until about 6 months then did BLW for lunch and a purée for dinner and stuck with that until probably 10 months when she started eating more solids. I was still breastfeeding but as she got older I just spread out her feedings and offered snacks in between. I hope I answered all your questions. I can also give a more detailed list of foods that I gave her as far as both purées and for BLW if you’d like.

My daughter was an early bloomer and rushed through milestones (which I wasn’t ready for) so our journey was a little unconventional. Just don’t want you to think you should be giving him more than he’s ready for

@Bria I would actually really love that list if you have it! What is BLW? And did you give her the purées and oatmeal by themselves or through a bottle mixed with formula/breastmilk?

@Mollie BLW=baby led weaning. For me that meant following my daughter lead and cues when it came to food. I did mostly purées but if she wanted what I had and I could give it to her safely, then she had some. I gave it to her by themselves I never used bottles. Purées: apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas, green beans. Blueberries and raspberries mixed with oatmeal BLW: large broccoli stalks, cauliflower, asparagus, beef and cheese taco roll, mashed sweet potatoes, fries, chicken nuggets, steak strips, mango spears, peanut butter on toast, rice, pasta

Please please please don't mix cereal into their bottle. Choking hazard.

I started with purees and that's all I've done so far. We started at 4 month so October 6 and she has loved it so far. Been debating on cereal but I know there isn't any actual nutrition to it so I'm on the fence.

I’m wondering if your pediatrician is on the older side.. bc recommending solids so early is a thing of the past unless the baby has really bad GERD or something. And older doctors seem to not be keeping up with continuing education and recommending early start erroneously 😒 the recommendation these days is 6 months.

And adding cereal to the bottles is also not recommended anymore bc of aspiration risk.

@MJ_xo our first pediatrician was actually around my age and said we could start at 4 months if we wanted

@Bria just saying. It’s more of a thing to see older pediatricians giving that kind of outdated advice. You can look at the literature yourself and determine when it’s best to introduce solids. When MDs tell patients they can do something if they want, it’s either bc they don’t know enough about it and are too lazy to find out and give correct information, or it’s really no big deal and you can do it if you want. Up to the patient to do the hw unfortunately. I know this being in the field.

@MJ_xo i understand where you’re coming from. I’ve never heard of putting the baby food in the bottle though. I personally had goals for my daughter when it came to starting solids which she met; that’s why we started so early

@Bria every parent can do what they want for their baby. But hopefully from a place where they are making the best informed decision. You also had a doctor giving you the ok, we shouldn’t have to doubt their advice 😒

Babies at that age only need 1 meal of solids per day and it’s recommended to do it in the morning especially if you’re introducing a new food, that way you can monitor if there is an allergic reaction. It’s also recommended to give a bottle first and then wait 45-60 minutes before giving solids since they should still be getting the majority of their nutrition from breast milk/formula. Please don’t put any solids in their bottle unless there is a medical reason to. If you’re going to do cereal, just mix the cereal and formula together in a bowl and spoon feed. My pediatrician said we can start solids as well but my son isn’t showing all the signs of readiness yet so we are going to wait. I will also be doing a mixture of purées and baby led weaning to introduce him to different foods and different textures.

Check out the solid starts app. My pediatrician recommended it. We haven't started solids yet but plan on making our own purees by mashing foods with breastmilk.

These are my suggestions per my little bird’s recommendations☺️🙃 Here’s a 4-week schedule for introducing non-sweet purees to your baby: Week 1: Vegetables 1. Day 1-3: Steamed and pureed carrots 2. Day 4-6: Steamed and pureed zucchini 3. Day 7: Steamed and pureed cauliflower Week 2: Vegetables & Grains 1. Day 1-3: Steamed and pureed sweet potato (although slightly sweet, it’s rich in nutrients) 2. Day 4-6: Boiled and pureed butternut squash 3. Day 7: Oatmeal or rice cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula Week 3: Vegetables & Protein 1. Day 1-3: Steamed and pureed peas 2. Day 4-6: Pureed lentils (well-cooked) 3. Day 7: Steamed and pureed green beans

Week 4: Mixed Purees 1. Day 1-3: Broccoli and potato puree 2. Day 4-6: Spinach and zucchini puree 3. Day 7: Carrot, pea, and potato puree Notes: • Introduce one new food every 3 days to monitor for any allergic reactions. • Avoid salt, sugar, and spices for now. • Ensure each puree has a smooth texture to prevent choking.

It’s generally recommended to give breastmilk or formula first and then offer purees afterward. This ensures that your baby is getting most of their nutrients from breastmilk/formula, which is still their primary source of nutrition until around 12 months. Here’s a suggested order: 1. Breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby as usual. 2. Afterward, wait about 30 minutes to an hour, then offer 1-2 tablespoons of puree. This approach helps your baby stay full from the milk but still leaves room for trying new foods without feeling overly hungry or frustrated. Over time, as they get used to solids, you can shift to offering solids more frequently alongside milk.