How did you introduce solids/water/sippy cup??

[Brz04]

I'm a bit confused about how this all works (FTM here). We have started out with rice cereal which he wasn't too crazy about so we've moved on to veggies once a day around lunch time (we've tried green beans, carrots and are now doing sweet potatoes). He's loved all the veggies he's tried and eats well from a spoon. We are going to start fruits next (maybe start with pears??) and then after we try a few of those and determine no allergies then we will start fruit in the morning and veggie at lunch. Is this the correct way to intro solids?? When do you build up to 3 meals a day and what do you give around "dinner" time if he's already doing a fruit and veggies for breakfast and lunch? When do you start offering water and a sippy cup? And protein like meats? Or other drinks like juices? How do you determine and how long would it take to see a reaction from a certain food they can't have??? Feeling very clueless here any advice welcome!!

 

[MindUtopia]

Unless there is a history of allergies in your family, you don't need to stagger the foods you introduce. They can eat anything you would normally eat, minus honey, whole nuts and sugar/salt from 6 months. I wouldn't necessarily worry about a reaction. If you get one, it will be obvious (we have a possible allergy and it was pretty obvious what caused it even though she eats everything). We started lunch at 6 months and worked up to 3 meals by about 7.5 months. You can really do it at whatever speed works for you and your baby. There is no rule that they have to be eating so much by a certain point. I just found that worked for us. She didn't eat that much at first anyway and it took me some time to get up to speed with planning meals for all of us. But I'd move in the direction soon of offering for meals what you would normally eat yourself, whether as finger foods or mashed. So for dinner, we were doing cheesy jacket potatoes, roast veg, pieces of roast chicken, baked fish, plus sometimes things like rice cakes and toast with various things on it (avocado, cashew butter, mashed banana, hummus, etc.). That way you can introduce more protein, dairy, and grains in addition to fruit and veg.

As for a sippy, I'd offer one by putting a sippy of water on the tray when you're having a meal. He may not pick it up for a long time, but it will at least get him used to it. My daughter didn't really drink out of it until about 9 months, but she was getting plenty of milk so she didn't need the extra hydration. Giving it to her to play with in the bath (or outside when it's warm) helped because she could dump it upside down and shake it and play with it and not make too much of a mess while she figured out how it worked. You shouldn't really offer juice. It's too sugary for them. I think they say at least not before 2, but ideally not for awhile after that. All they really need is water. They should get their calories from food and milk. And it saves you spending money on something extra since water is largely free.

 

[Brz04]

Unless there is a history of allergies in your family, you don't need to stagger the foods you introduce. They can eat anything you would normally eat, minus honey, whole nuts and sugar/salt from 6 months. I wouldn't necessarily worry about a reaction. If you get one, it will be obvious (we have a possible allergy and it was pretty obvious what caused it even though she eats everything). We started lunch at 6 months and worked up to 3 meals by about 7.5 months. You can really do it at whatever speed works for you and your baby. There is no rule that they have to be eating so much by a certain point. I just found that worked for us. She didn't eat that much at first anyway and it took me some time to get up to speed with planning meals for all of us. But I'd move in the direction soon of offering for meals what you would normally eat yourself, whether as finger foods or mashed. So for dinner, we were doing cheesy jacket potatoes, roast veg, pieces of roast chicken, baked fish, plus sometimes things like rice cakes and toast with various things on it (avocado, cashew butter, mashed banana, hummus, etc.). That way you can introduce more protein, dairy, and grains in addition to fruit and veg.

As for a sippy, I'd offer one by putting a sippy of water on the tray when you're having a meal. He may not pick it up for a long time, but it will at least get him used to it. My daughter didn't really drink out of it until about 9 months, but she was getting plenty of milk so she didn't need the extra hydration. Giving it to her to play with in the bath (or outside when it's warm) helped because she could dump it upside down and shake it and play with it and not make too much of a mess while she figured out how it worked. You shouldn't really offer juice. It's too sugary for them. I think they say at least not before 2, but ideally not for awhile after that. All they really need is water. They should get their calories from food and milk. And it saves you spending money on something extra since water is largely free.

Great advice thank you!!!

 

[Girly922]

We're doing BLW so we skipped the purees. We've only just started but DD has shown signs of being ready for a while. I give her toast fingers, I just put them on her tray. Whatever she eats, she eats. Whatever she leaves, so be it. She has toast fingers and fruit for lunch and whatever we're having for dinner. Tonight we had chicken so she had strips of plain chicken breast. She loves sweet potato wedges too.

As for introducing a sippy cup. I put a couple of ounces in a sippy and pass it to her. At the moment it's more for her to figure out how to use a cup. She tries to drink out of it but can't figure to tip it up yet. I let her play with it more than anything.

 

[Brz04]

We're doing BLW so we skipped the purees. We've only just started but DD has shown signs of being ready for a while. I give her toast fingers, I just put them on her tray. Whatever she eats, she eats. Whatever she leaves, so be it. She has toast fingers and fruit for lunch and whatever we're having for dinner. Tonight we had chicken so she had strips of plain chicken breast. She loves sweet potato wedges too.

As for introducing a sippy cup. I put a couple of ounces in a sippy and pass it to her. At the moment it's more for her to figure out how to use a cup. She tries to drink out of it but can't figure to tip it up yet. I let her play with it more than anything.

Thank you!! What is BLW??

 

[Girly922]

Sorry, it's baby led weaning. No purees, no spoon feeding. I put her food on her tray and just let her pick it up and feed herself. She hates me trying to feed her anything, she'll try and take it out of my hands so she can hold it herself.

 

[muffingirl]

I worked up to 3 meals by 7 months. With the sippy cup I held it & tipped to give her the idea, now she picks it up to try & drink by herself... Albeit messily! My health visitor did our 6 month review & gave me the confidence to just give family foods but just watch sugar & salt. I've given protein in the form of slow cooked chicken casserole, spaghetti bolognaise & mince which can be frozen in small portions & added to pasta/fresh veg etc.

 

[scoobydrlp]

We did BLW as well and it went really well. We started at 6 months, and she learned pretty quickly. Same with sippy cup, we only gave water, and offered it when she was in her high chair. It took her a while to figure out how to tip the cup up to get anything out though.

 

[HKateH]

We did BLW too from 5.5 months. I just gave LO a variety of foods each day to try. My LO tried everything including eggs and peanut butter in the first couple of weeks.

As for three meals, I'm a firm believer in just following what your baby needs - we didn't introduce a third meal and snacks until he began getting hungry for food rather than milk, at around nine months. Up until then we basically gave him food to play with and what he ate, he ate. I didn't worry as he still had lots of milk.

As for the sippy - it took my LO a long time to get it. He was never fussed at using it with water in it so I gave him cow's milk from 11 months and he loved it. Now he will drink both cow's milk and water from his cup happily but it's still a bit hit and miss as when he's had enough, he likes to shake or everywhere.

I wouldn't worry - I've never met a child yet who never mastered how to drink from a cup!

 

[tessjs]

I'm doing traditional weaning but i just wanted to add that a health nurse told me to only start water from 12 months does this sound right??? She said all the hydration they get is from milk right now.i have a 6.5 month old.

 

[Girly922]

In the UK, they recommend babies having water from 6 months if they are formula fed but it's not necessary with breastfed babies.

 

[scoobydrlp]

I don't think there's a real NEED for water prior to 12 months, but introducing it earlier will help get them used to the idea for when there is a need. It took quite a while for my LO to actually drink any more than a single sip from her sippy, so if I had waited until 12 months to offer it she probably wouldn't have started actually drinking any until much later.