Hello LLL Ladies!
I'm the proud mama of a robust nearly 8-month-old son who has been EBF/EBF + solids to this point. He is in excellent health and spirits at 30" and almost 19lbs and seems to tackle a new milestone daily. Phew. I'm amazed I have 2 minutes to type out this post.
In a nutshell, our solids journey is as follows:
- EBF to 6.75 months. We are now EBF + solids.
- Philosophy: Blend of BLS and purees, as dictated by son's interest. Food is to taste and enjoy and doesn't carry additional baggage (e.g. punishment, praise, bribes)
- Foods eaten/licked (ha ha!): Butternut squash, green zucchini, carrots, green peas, egg yolk, sweet potato, quinoa, red delicious apple, and extra-virgin olive oil (next up: avocado, banana, roasted red pepper, turkey breast, and home-made rice cereal)
- DS' attitude: Gobbled down his first-ever serving of solids, butternut squash. Since then, he's been blase. The only exception was when my baked apples received an excited "Yay!!" and arms up in the air like football goal posts last night.
- Quantity consumed: 1 micro-bite (varies by mood) up to 1 Tbsp (apple)
- Dining atmosphere: Relaxed. Usually 1 meal per day offered after BFing and approx. 1-2 hours before bed. If the day is a "fussy" one, I will either forego solids altogether or offer them at lunch.
Reassurance please!
- Due to his good health and hearty BFing, I'm not concerned with "too little" solids at this point. Am I in good company?
- Satiety cues-- how to discern? My son will close his eyes and wrinkle his nose even when self-feeding a food he clearly loves, like home-made baked apples. I'lladmit I'm having difficulty knowing when to stop pushing food. As a result, my philosophy has been to err on the side of conservatism by making food available to him to self-feed in the absence of a clear "no" following a spoon feeding attempt.
- Etiquette -- DS has a well-developed pincer grasp, but often prefers to use it to play with his food rather than eat it. Boiled carrots succumb to gravity at an alarming rate in our house. I choose to see this as hilarious and a good opportunity to learn about food in a low-pressure environment. Please reassure me that my child won't be throwing spaghetti at waiters in two years time if we follow this laid back approach.
More importantly, how did YOUR lo's journey to solids proceed? Please feel free to be as detailed or concise as you like and include any age you want!
Thanks all!
Alpha.