Help! What to feed my 8 month old

[tammyw]

My DS is just over eight months old. I tried solids at six but he didn't do so well with them, so we stopped until now. He seems VERY ready now. And he seems super hungry (nursing ALL the time). But I think he wants to feed himself. We tried some pureed foods and he wasn't that thrilled.

- What is a good finger food for an eight month old?
- Will he choke on finger foods at eight months?
- What foods are high in iron naturally? I don't want to do iron fortified cereals. (He's ONLY breastfed, no formula).

Any other suggestions?

[alegna]

Originally Posted by tammyw

- What is a good finger food for an eight month old?
- Will he choke on finger foods at eight months?
- What foods are high in iron naturally? I don't want to do iron fortified cereals. (He's ONLY breastfed, no formula).

Any other suggestions?

Finger foods are perfect- if a baby isn't ready for finger foods then they're not ready for solids at all.

Good foods to try:

sweet potato
cooked carrots
avacado
banana
ripe pear

I wouldn't worry about iron just yet, but after he gets the hang of eating, if you eat meat it's one of the best sources for iron.

-Angela

[tammyw]

I should add, the biggest reason we backed off solids is because he became really constipated when we tried at 6-7 months It was awful. Should I avoid certain constipating foods? Which foods promote healthy bowel movements? Should I add in prunes as well?

I should also add that his bowel movements have always been "odd" in that they're not thick at all. Like yellow water. But maybe not watery per se, although since we cloth diaper, I only go by the fact that all I see usually is yellow. No real "poop" if that makes sense.

[alegna]

I would not spoon feed at all, just let him self-feed (he'll eat a lot less that way) and just watch. Add one food at a time so you'll know what causes any problems.

good luck!

-Angela

[425lisamarie]

You can start offering water a little through the day. I wouldn't do bottled juice, but I actually juice my own fruit/veggies and DD goes ape for them. My favorite is carrot/apple/beet.

I mix some in with plain yogurt and both my kids drink it like they've never seen food before

But starting out, finger foods are the way to go. You can give a little water to get things moving if he tends to be constipated. Sometimes for DS I would cook prunes and then put the liquid in some water.

Really though, an 8 month old doesn't need anything. DD just now started at 9 months eating enough to fill her a little, but untill then it was just to smash it around and chew/spit it out

[tammyw]

Thanks! One more question - do I cook apples, peaches, pears? How?

[vermontgirl]

Originally Posted by tammyw

Thanks! One more question - do I cook apples, peaches, pears? How?

I wouldnt cook them because it is pointless and cooks the nutrients out. Peaches and pears are soft enough if you wait until they are ripe they are so soft and perfect for finger food. Apples dont have to be cooked either. The babe probably will just suck on chunks of apple. Make sure they are large chunks so that they are not able to be swallowed. I like to make raw applesauce by peeling/coring apples and putting them in the food processor. Add a little bit of water while it purees so that it becomes the exact texture of cooked applesauce. It is tart but so yummy. You can put some of this raw applesauce in front of babe and he/she can slap at it and taste some.
I would try not to cook food if you can help it. Raw food has all the nutrients.

[425lisamarie]

You'd be amazed at how much of a raw apple my DD (9 months) can eat and NEVER choke on with only 2 teeth!

[babygrant]

My son's favorite first foods were avacado cubes, peach cubes, grated cheese, pear cubes, sweet potato cubes. What I did with the slippery stuff (peaches, pears, etc) is roll them in ground flax seeds.

[Sydnee]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

You'd be amazed at how much of a raw apple my DD (9 months) can eat and NEVER choke on with only 2 teeth!

Yep, that's Alayna too, I grate it up real small, and she goes to town!!