Stage 2 & Finger foods.

[missjacey44]

How do you know when they are ready for finger foods?

When should i move to stage 2 jars? Hes been having stage 1 for nearly 2months. Will he show any kind of signs he is 'ready' or do i just try and see?

What kind of finger foods do you introduce first?

 

[Bec L]

I'm not sure about the jars as I haven't been using them, but maybe just try him on a Stage 2 and see how he gets on. I was a bit scared about the finger food thing, but started with some carrot sticks which I had slightly cooked so they were soft. Also toast and little sticks of cucumber.

You can also buy bags of Finger Foods (Organix do them) which you could try him with. Good luck.

 

[Becky]

I just started Jacob with finger food he has this for lunch instead of a jar I bought all the Organix finger food bags and he likes the carrot ones best and I cut up some cucumber, banana or whatever else I have around and give it to him. His new favorite is bread I give that to him in small slices.

He started putting everything in his mouth and trying to eat anything and everything so I thought I would give it a go

With jars he has 1 stage 1 left in the cupboard then im moving onto stage 2 as I figure if he can eat bread, cucumber etc he can handle slightly lumpier food

If Tye isnt ready he will be the first to let you know dont worry x

 

[~KACI~]

Rusks are good finger foods to start with as they melt in the mouth, put be prepared as it dries like concrete

 

[missjacey44]

Im soo soo scared that he will chock. Thats my biggest fear out of everything.

I think i will use all my stage 1 jars and try a stage 2 and see how he gets on though.

 

[missjacey44]

How do they eat things like cucumber with no teeth! Or is that a stupid question!?!

 

[~KACI~]

They gums are pretty hard

I always found that mine took to finge foods better then stage2 as they both gagged on them, but not on finger foods?? Strange i know,

But i doubt he will choke with rusks

 

[Becky]

How do they eat things like cucumber with no teeth! Or is that a stupid question!?!

He gums it to death and sucks out the middle bit! I cut it length ways so its long thin strips

The other thing you have to watch when giving food like that is how much they shove in there mouth at once! Jacob thought he was practising for sword swallowing when I first gave him cucumber he now has the hang on it

x

 

[missjacey44]

Oh yeah i guess so, I know how hard they are from putting my finger in his mouth!!

I will try the rusks i guess then, Although i dont think he would hold it to his mouth for longer than 2secs, more likely play with it or throw it.

 

[Mervs Mum]

If you have lots of smooth stuff to use you could try adding some baby pasta to it to give it some texure but not as much as stage 2 IYKWIM.

I have some purees that I'm moving on from now as we are at the finger food / 'stage 2' stage so rather than waste them, I got the baby pasta and I boil 2 teaspoons of it, drain and mix in as much or little as you like to your smooth stuff - hey presto stage 2!! It also means you can use a flavour that you know Tye usually likes then it's just a case of him sussing the texture.

 

[ryder]

Rusks are a good finger food...

I give Jasmine the odd finger food, usually a rusk each day... I was speaking to one HV who said they dont recommend finger foods until 8 months, because some babies dont have the proper motor skills and it is a choking hazard, and they arn;'t efficient enough to get enough from a finger food. At 6 months they need extra iron, which comes mainly from cereals which are iron fortified, and different veggies or meat.

Of course, everyone has an opinion, and there is no right or wrong... You know your baby.

I usually give a cereal for breakfast for the added iron... and then at lunch I give her a rusk while im making her a fruit/ricecereal meal... and then at dinner she gets mashed veggies. I try and make it as balanced as possible.

Buying your own food and mashing is a good transitional type of feeding too before getting them to actually have to chew and break down food.

 

[Rachiebaby24]

Maley has food i make but sometimes she has stage 2 jars....finger foods she has is Melon (watermelon is good as it disintegrates quickly), cucumber, rusks, banana, toast crusts, rice cakes.....

I used to get scared she would choke and even now with Banana she will bite it with her gums,,,im just always ready to scoop it out her mouth if she takes a large bite.....with banana i put little lumps in her mouth to encourage her to chew....enough to chew but not enough to choke....

 

[missjacey44]

Right i take it when you guys say you give LO's finger food.. they actually hold the food to their mouth and chew/suck and whatever? I gave Tye a rusk and he dropped it.. i gave it to him again..and he waved it in the air.. i gave it to him again and he smacked himself over the head with it a few times.. But he was happy to suck on it when i held it to his mouth

He puts toys to his mouth to chew and suck on but cant seem to work out what to do with the rusk..

 

[Mervs Mum]

If you keep giving him it he'll work it out hun. I've been giving Hebe 'finger food' since she was 4 months old and she's only just really started 'eating' it - before she was waving/dropping/playing/smacking herself in the swede with it.....

 

[Becky]

Try putting it to his mouth for him for the first couple of times so he realises what it is! He will soon get the hang of it! He is just checking to see if it make noises like his other toys first lol x

 

[missjacey44]

Thanks girls. I will keep trying to give him it and im sure he will get the hang of it! Bless him, he does make me laugh sometimes!

 

[Becky]

I also found rusks were a bit chunky for Jacob to hold at first so broke them down into smaller pieces like long thin bits you could give that a go x