When did you introduce meat?

[mergirl]

My DS just turned 7 months. And though I'm not in any hurry to give him meat (not red meat, just poultry), my in-laws are coming for the holidays and they want to make him some chicken soup. I was planning on waiting until 9 months. He just started letting me feed him pureed foods only a few weeks ago. He's a very suspicious eater and does not take to new foods very well.

When did you guys start giving your babies meat?

P.S. I don't want to give him red meat at all, despite our families' beliefs that boys need to eat beef.

[lifeguard]

I started ds on meat around 7.5 months. I gave him a strip of steak to suck/chew on - he had no teeth yet so I figured he'd just get a little flavour on it. Well - he ate the darn thing with no apparent problems. After that he just got strips of whatever meat we were eating.

[Pookietooth]

We introduced it fairly early I think with ds -- he was a finger foods kid and mostly ate fruits but chicken was around 8 months. He had turkey on Thanksgiving when he was nine months.

[luvmybaby333]

We went straight from EBFing to single ingredient finger foods at 7 months. That included things like salmon flakes and small soft pieces of chicken breast.

[kriket]

we get the jars of baby meats from WIC and DS won't touch them with a 10 foot pole. He's 8m next week. I think it's the texture however.

[Mrsboyko]

We introduced meat before gluten. D had a piece of steak to gum first time around 6 months, long before he accepted any kind of "meal".

[FeminineFigure]

It was one of the first things I gave my DS, who is now 6.5 months. I started with TEENY bites off of my plate when he was 5.5 months because he showed so much interest/readiness. I am a big believer in Paleo/Primal eating, so meat is actually the biggest focus in his diet (other than breastmilk!). I just take small pieces, maybe squash them between my fingers and fingernails, and give them to him. He has always "chewed" the pieces very well, even though he has no teeth yet. He has had chicken, ground beef, turkey, ribeye, roast beef, and ostrich. I try to obtain grassfed meat if possible. Oh, and he's had marrow, too, which he loves! He eats the meat about 1 time per day, with dinner, and off of my plate.

[AKislandgirl]

DD loves meat! She had it around 6.5 months. Now at 10.5 months I'd say its one of her favorite things. She's had chicken, turkey, pork, and venison pretty regularly.

[nukuspot]

So far we've only done chicken but we started it about a few weeks ago (almost 8 months). She's had breast (from soup) and thigh meat and also likes to chew on the bone from the drumstick. I break pieces off my chicken and roll it real small (pea size) and put on her tray. She has no teeth so I suspect she swallows it whole...But she does like it!