Feeding Nourished Babies Series :: FAQ’s and Thoughts to Keep in Mind

I have spent a lot of time over the last few months putting together some tips that have helped me learn how to feed my babies in a traditional, nourishing way.

Wait a minute…”learn” how to feed my babies?

Yes.

Feeding my babies in a traditional, nourishing way was very foreign territory to me. I grew up in up an environment where toxic baby cereals are considered a good first food. In fact my first born had baby cereal as her first taste of solid food. When she was constipated a week later I trashed it. I had no idea where to start from there – but I knew I didn’t want to start with that. There was very limited information with details for this type A personality to follow 5 years ago when I had my first baby.

I hope this detailed Feeding Nourished Babies Series will help you wade through mainstream medicine’s processed baby food recommendations so you can make your own decisions on what is best to feed *your* baby to nourish their growing minds and bodies!

So here are some important things to keep in mind as I’m talking introducing nourishing solids to baby, and some FAQ’s that I usually come across! I hope this is helpful – and feel free to post questions in the comments!

• HERE is a general idea of what I have followed for feeding my babies – it is basically the WAPF guidelines for feeding babies.
• I have started my girls with tastes of nourishing solids between 4-5 months. You don’t have to though! All three of my girls now have sat up by 4 months! They had very great head control early as well. This is not the same for all babies, and if your baby isn’t sitting well or doesn’t have great head control then I would wait. Follow your mama gut instincts and start solids when you and baby are ready!
• When I started tastes of solids around 4-5 months it was exactly that – *tastes* – usually no more than a teaspoon or two until they were closer to 6 months. It takes baby a week or two to figure that tongue out – I look at the “feedings” as oral practice for learning the coordination of how to eat, learning how to sit at the table with the family and be together, and share a meal!
• Out of all the “first foods” that I mention from egg yolks to avocadao, to gentle veggies and bone broth, my babies were never getting the same thing day after day. In those first months some days they got a “feeding” once or twice a day, and some days they didn’t get any at all. When I introduced a new food I would give it to them one or two times and then not give it to them again for a week so I could watch for reactions. This is one reason I liked started around 4-5 months with the foods – it takes a while to get things introduced! Relax! Don’t force it all down!
• Be sure to change up textures and tastes! One of the reasons I feel my big girls are not “picky” eaters (I honestly can’t think of one food they won’t eat!) is because I never “babied” them when it came to food. I’m not a strainer, or flavor masker. If they made a face a new texture or taste – we kept trying. I don’t mask veggie flavors with apples or something else “sweet.” I don’t strain or over puree. I make the food a fairly smooth consistency for the first month maybe, but not forever.
• It can take up to 15 attempts of a new food for baby to accept the new food! This is the same for all first foods! If baby makes a funny face at first, don’t give up! They are getting used to new tastes, textures, and feelings in their mouth! Give them a chance to learn how this feels, how to use their tongue, etc!
• Watch baby for a week during those first introductions. If you see any weird diaper action going on, redness around the mouth, or rashes on the skin, you will want to stop. Try the food again in a month and see what happens.

So talk to me! And keep the questions coming!

*PLEASE NOTE: Baby’s first foods can be a very heated topic. Please let’s play nice and respect every mama’s choice to start solids when she feels is right for her baby. I am a STICKLER on this!