I have been exclusively breastfeeding Laurel, and I'm really proud of that. Before she was born I attended a breastfeeding class offered to expectant mothers at the hospital we were delivering at, I even dragged my hubby along! (He was very well-behaved, but he told me afterward that there were a lot of boobie jokes he had to hold in). After reading all the positives associated with breastfeeding I was really committed to stick it out through any difficulties and give it my best shot. Our hospital really advocates for immediate skin-to-skin, so I was able to hold her on me right away, and breast feed her within an hour after her birth. The first days in the hospital were a little rocky, and I'm so thankful to the nurses and lactation consultants that helped L and me get the hang of things. Now when I nurse her its old hat for both of us.
Originally I wasn't going to start giving L any solids until 6 months. I was very surprised when our pediatrician told us to go ahead and start with solids at her 4 month appointment. She said that between 4 and 6 months babies are open to trying new flavors and textures, and she said she'd start with single grain cereals, then fruit, then yellow vegetables followed by green veggies, giving Laurel a week with a particular food before moving to a new one. Laurel had been showing interest in what I had been eating, but I still waited a few weeks before starting her on rice cereal.
I made my own rice cereal by grinding single grain organic brown rice into a powder and then cooking with with water on the stovetop. I then froze tablespoon size portions in an ice cube tray. I made her barley cereal the same way. I used recipes found in this book, which I love! (It was a gift from my brother-in-law and his wife, along with a Beaba Babycook). When I fed her the rice and barley cereals I mixed them with some breastmilk, which gave the cereals a familiar taste, and she seemed to enjoy eating, though I don't think she actually got much into her belly! Haha!
Well, this week I made applesauce. I used 1 McIntosh apple (this cookbook recommends McIntosh, Pink Lady, or Gala apples, as they tend to be sweeter and less tart than say a Granny Smith) and made it in the Babycook. It was super easy, and the applesauce came out beautiful (and delicious - I had to try it!). The one apple made enough applesauce for about 5 tablespoon size servings, which I also froze. So far L doesn't seem to be liking the applesauce! She makes a horrible face after the first taste, and then doesn't seem interested in having any more, unlike with the cereal where she happily opened up her mouth and kept coming back for more! I think it's because the apples are a little tart, and its a completely new taste for her, the cereals probably tasted mostly like breastmilk, but this apple flavor is totally different. I plan on making a new batch of applesauce with a Gala apple and see if she prefers that one better, if she doesn't then no big deal.
When she hits the six month mark in a week or so I plan to start Baby Led Weaning (BLW). It's not really weaning, it should really be called Baby Led Self Feeding. Pretty much the idea is you don't give the baby pureed food, you give them a soft but firm item and let them go to town. If they like it they'll eat it, if they don't then they won't (which is where I got the mindset to not stress about the applesauce). As the baby's teeth emerge and their pincher grip develop you change the size and firmness of the food you give them. BLW is said to help develop a strong pincher grip, and to expose babies to different flavors helping them to be more adventurous and less picky in their food choices. Right from the start you give baby a softer version of something you're eating, there's no need to make a special meal for him or her (which can become a whole other thing later on!) And just like making your own baby food, since you are the one preparing dinner, you know what is going into your baby's body (there's an article in the July issue of Parents Magazine about food dyes - it's pretty intimidating). Another plus is that the baby feeds themselves! The parent doesn't have to sit there and spoon feed, which means its likely we can all enjoy eating at the same time! I'm really excited to try it, and there's really no downfall if it takes her a while to get it since she will be getting her main calories from breastmilk still. I can't wait to try it and let you know how it goes!Has anyone else tried making their own baby food, or tried BLW? How did it go? Any tips, tricks or resources you'd like to share?
No comments:
Post a Comment