Introducing solids this week!?

[@llli*cosmicbabe]

My little guy will be 6 months old on Thursday and I want to start baby led weaning. In fact I can't wait I'm super excited! But.... I've EBF for 6 months and I'm actually scared to death about giving him something else!!

Excited and Scared is that normal!?! I've read avocado is good to start them on but what else? I've read the baby led weaning book but what she group are those meals are at? I'm assuming he won't be sat down to a roast dinner on Sunday lol!

Also is there anyone who has delayed giving solids for any reason and carried on EBF?

Thanks cx

[@llli*carm3]

Yeah, I had mixed feelings about starting solids too. Up to the 6 month mark, it was just 'if she's hungry or thirsty, just nurse'. I remember wondering 'how will I know if she wants actual food, or milk?? This is going to be so much more work!'. But you're right, it's not like she took tons of solids first thing. We did things like bits of banana (squeezed into thirds), and I watched her like a hawk, I was so afraid she'd choke. But she was fine. We also did avocado- I'd wash the skin really well, and make sure there were no sharp or brittle bits of skin, and I'd just give her a chunk to gnaw on. We actually have some pretty hilarious photos of her covered in avocado. I'd give her a big chunk of apple to suck on too. At first, it's just for experimentation and motor skill development, right? Just nurse before solids and follow his lead, and you'll do great. I should also mention that I also did some whole grain cereals too - like steel cut oats and barley, that I fed to her with a spoon, but those were only every once in a while. I took her opening her mouth as a sign she wanted more, never forced it.

[@llli*newmomma22813]

My lo is 7 months now. We did our first blw foods at 6 months. I was super sad and kinda excited at the same time. Of course my MIL was extra excited ...mostly because she wanted to feed her. I have tried to explain blw so many times. We live next door to them and every time we were over she would begg to feed her baby food. It really just made me mad and dread starting solids anytime soon. But after I saw how excited and cute she was feeding herself food it got a lot easier.

Her first food was steemed broccoli. We don't have food allergies so I didn't wait between new foods. I have also done...carrots, sweet potato cut into sticks/ wedges and steamed. Peach half. Avacado skin on and just cut in wedges. Banana, strawberry, Watermelon, canalope. And probably more that I can't think of right now.

She gagged quite a bit at first. But handled it well. If she is napping when we eat we just don't do solids that night. I always nurse before we go to the table. I think I was just afraid that she would eat a ton of food and not want to nurse. But turns out that's not how it works and she still has a big appetite for nursing .
Good luck and have fun with it!

[@llli*maddieb]

Definitely normal. With my first I was excited and scared. By my third I was reluctant and scared. This is just me, but I find breastfeeding is so easy compared to solids, which are a mess and stay a mess for a long time. My 7 year old still makes a mess!

It does get fun. Eventually. Sort of. OK, my husband finds it fun. I prefer to nurse!

I suggest, get a big wipe-able mat to put under baby (unless the surface of the floor under baby is easy to clean/you have an accommodating dog) and start with soft-enough foods that very take little or any extra prep.

Bits of your own meals are probably fine, you might need to set apart/cook separately unseasoned bits. Besides things your family is allergic to, and some other stuff that are common allergens, added salts and sugar are unneeded and to be avoided as much as possible. I don't know about where you live but in the US, honey of any kind is considered unsafe for baby under one year. I suggest, don't make big plans or spend a lot of time prepping anything special so you are not dismayed when 99% of it ends up elsewhere besides IN baby.

Some more suggested first foods for baby led-soft ripe pear slices, soft-cooked potato, yams, carrots, cauliflower, very small pieces of soft cooked meat.
My baby's all appreciated chomping on a chicken leg bone, (drumstick) with all the cartilage/splinter bones removed, yes basically the bare bone from a cooked chicken leg.

When I wanted baby to have something basically puréed, like yogurt or mashed potatoes, I found putting it on my finger for her worked better than a spoon.

The occasional gagging scared me with the baby led, otherwise, baby led solids has been my favorite.

Every baby is different. Some take to solids right off, others are uninterested. All normal. If baby is not very interested, just wait another few weeks & try again.

If your baby likes solids and actually eats them right off, be prepared for poops to become... interesting.

If you plan to do yogurt, here is something I learned the hard way. This is the first baby I did not give "baby yogurt" to. So called "baby yogurts" are full of sugar. This baby loves plain, totally unsweetened yogurt because that is all I have every given her.

[@llli*sonogirl]

My baby also eats plain, unsweetened yogurt. She likes to do it herself with a spoon...messy, yes, but funny to watch and great learning for her! We do BLW, but haven't shied away from foods you do "need" a spoon for, like say yogurt, mashed potatoes, applesauce--just give her the spoon and let her at it!

I too was nervous about starting solids, but I kept it low stress, just gave her food, and she either ate it, or not! And now, truly, it is fun. Messy, but fun. We started with avocado at 6 months, because she showed the readiness signs. Followed with other veggies, fruits, and soft meats. She took to solids pretty well, and was swallowing really respectable portions by 7 months. She'll be 11 months soon, and there is literally nothing I offer her right now that she won't eat! And she LOVES strong flavors. She likes spicy foods, heavily seasoned foods, garlicky laden foods, and so on. She's a more adventurous eater than my husband.

[@llli*jpolizzi5]

How fun!! I started my son (now 5!) on solids at about 7/8 months. He was preemie so I waited. First food was a somewhat thinned out puréed sweet potato which I think is a great choice because it is sweet and they are used to sweet breastmilk. He loves solids! But of course we eased into it becoming "part of the routine" I do remember a moment of thinking "oh ****! I have to remember to prepare meals for him now too?'!?!" Have fun with it though you are shaping his future palate! I opted for veggies before rice cereals because I thought they'd be easier to digest and more flavorful. Great starter veggies: sweet potato and butternut squash. I gave my son tons of flavors and didn't hold back on what I let him try and he has never been a picky eater! Good luck!