[eastkygal]

This is my second time around so you'd think I'd know enough about feeding a baby to answer this question myself, but my second DD is much much different than my first. DD1 hated "babyfood" and was EBF until around 10 months old. Even then, she just ate snacky things like cucumbers and relied mostly on BM for her nourishment. DD2 has been interested in food from a very early age and we started purees with her at 6 months. She loved them, and they have become a big part of her diet. It hasn't interfered with breastfeeding whatsoever. Currently, she wants to eat 3 meals of food a day plus snacks. Most of this has been purees that I've either bought or made myself. Bananas in a self feeder, the odd cracker, apples for snacks. She drinks water from a sipper. Lately, she is even more hungry for food and is resisting more and more me feeding her with a spoon. She only has 6 teeth in the front, but handles solid chunks and shreds of meat pretty well. The only thing I foresee being a problem with her feeding herself, is not eating enough variety, and not getting satisfied. Also, the mess she'll make if I offer her a variety of foods that are mushy and such. I found a book from 1975-78 called Baby Gourmet Cookbook and it is really awesome. It has recipes for older babies that I think I'll try. Most of them fit our TF diet too. Does anyone have any other recommendations as my daughter moves away from relying on her mommy to feed her.

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[LadyCatherine185]

Here is a page from kellymom.com on some good finger foods.

We have only done self-feeding with 8 mo DS. No purees or spoon feeding (other than dipping a spoon in hummus and giving him the spoon). We are doing BLW with him, following his cues. He started eating solids right at 6 months (he had all readiness signs by 5 months, but we waited till 6 months to start) and loves to feed himself soft chunks of food. He has allergies so I usually give him some avocado, or banana, as well as whatever we are eating that he isn't allergic to.

Just start offering her foods from your plate cut up small enough. She will feed herself what she needs. If she is still nursing, she is getting plenty of nutrition from you. Just follow her lead!

 

[sapphire_chan]

An experiment was done back in the '30s. Basically, they let babies choose whatever they wanted from an assortment of purees and then after several months of letting them pick, they tested their blood (or maybe it was tested regularly, I'm feeling too lazy to get the book and check). The babies all went through phases of only eating one thing. They were all nutritionally fine. So as long as a variety of healthy food is available babies'll get what they need.

You can minimize mess a bit and reduce the risk of choking at the same time by giving her only a few pieces of food at a time. Like a couple pieces of several different items. As she eats a given item replace it so she keeps having all the choices available.

 

[XanaduMama]

Just give her little bits of whatever you're eating: it doesn't have to be that mushy. dd loves bits of meat, veggies, rice, anything really. I don't give her really hard things (nuts, hard fruits/veg), but she pretty much chews up anything she gets. No purees, no mushy foods. She's also really good at feeding herself with a spoon (yogurt, oatmeal etc), though much of that stuff gets eaten with her hands too.

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[eastkygal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan An experiment was done back in the '30s. Basically, they let babies choose whatever they wanted from an assortment of purees and then after several months of letting them pick, they tested their blood (or maybe it was tested regularly, I'm feeling too lazy to get the book and check). The babies all went through phases of only eating one thing. They were all nutritionally fine. So as long as a variety of healthy food is available babies'll get what they need. You can minimize mess a bit and reduce the risk of choking at the same time by giving her only a few pieces of food at a time. Like a couple pieces of several different items. As she eats a given item replace it so she keeps having all the choices available.

Thanks. This was greatly helpful. I did this with breakfast this morning. She had eggs, sausage, and fruit. I lined it up on her tray and kept it separated, replenished it as she ate. She ate a big breakfast and no puree afterward! Really cool!

Xanadu - Wow! spoon feeding self? I should try to give her one and see what happens.

 

[SageR]

We don't do cereals or purees either. I just give my ds some of what we're eating (excepting allergenic or really hard foods). I put a few pieces at time on the highchair tray. If he wants it he eats it and if he doesn't he drops it one the floor.

I will second giving her a spoon, and a cup without a lid too. My ods went right from the breast to a regular cup, and fed himself with a spoon shortly after a year. Just start with really small amounts.

 

[XanaduMama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eastkygal Xanadu - Wow! spoon feeding self? I should try to give her one and see what happens.

Here's a brief video of dd feeding herself with a spoon at 8mo.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=40219700702

She's really good at it now (13mo). http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9&id=720730702