Now that MG is almost 7 months (which is completely absurd) she has been eating solids for about a month. And let me just tell you this – she is really, really, really good at it. Girlfriend can eat.
We are doing a mix of things with her eating, not subscribing to either the traditional puree only method or baby led weaning. As always, we’ve found what works best for us and we are going with it.
Our doctor encouraged us to start with rice cereal at 5 months. We held off because Maddie Grace didn’t show the signs of being ready to start solids, and because I read about the dangers associated with feeding babies rice cereal. Now I occasionally mix it in her applesauce to make it more filling before bedtime in hopes that she will sleep longer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to make a difference in her sleeping pattern whether she has rice cereal before bed or not. Instead we went straight to other solids about a week before MG turned 6 months old.
I love the concept of baby led weaning and encouraging your baby to eat on their own terms. (Don’t know what baby led weaning is? Read more about it here). It’s easier for mom because you don’t always have to spoon feed baby. Plus it supposedly creates less picky eaters which can’t hurt. And you can feed your baby lots of healthy veggies and fruits that you know aren’t processed and you know where they come from. It’s really fun to watch MG figure out how to eat food for herself and how to play with her food. Downside? It’s really messy. It’s we need to get a dog to lick the floor clean type messy and spray off all her clothes with a hose.
But then again sometimes I’m lazy and don’t feel like cooking vegetables and fruit, especially when we are out and about for the day, so I like the puree packets that I can just grab and take with me. It makes it so much easier to go shopping, stop for lunch and pull out a puree packet and feed it to her while I eat my food as well.
Our favorite foods so far? Apple, pear, sweet potato, green beans, eggs, spinach, applesauce, yogurt, squash, carrots, and bananas. Sometimes I make MG little spinach omelets and she loves them. Honestly we haven’t found one thing Maddie Grace doesn’t like to eat. She even ate sauerkraut one day when it was in arms reach of her and acted like she loved it. Oh and one more thing that she loves…
Puffs. These things are like crack to Maddie Grace. And yes, I’m aware that they aren’t the healthiest food for babies around – I’ve read the ingredients. But she absolutely loves them and would eat them all day long if we would let her. They are the perfect size for her to pick up and put in her mouth herself, and easy for her to chew and swallow. So I let her eat them. Probably too many of them, but she’s really happy, and that’s what matters. I mean I buy the ones that say they’re healthy and organic, that counts for something right?
I’m still breastfeeding and despite constantly being fed solids MG wants to nurse every 3 hours or so. Thankfully she hasn’t grown any teeth yet so we haven’t faced that hurdle, and haven’t had any real issues with nursing at all, besides the fact that sometimes I just don’t feel like nursing her. This is particularly the case when we are running errands or out shopping. I’m more comfortable nursing in public now so long as I have a cover with me, or around my friends. I currently have a nursing cover
from Boho Mama that works well for when we are on the go. [Heads up: the promo code ARKRLDUS will make it $39.99 at checkout].
What are your favorite first foods for baby? Any advice?
I needed this tips when my kids were younger, one of my kids had the hardest time transitioning!
MG is uber cute! And I agree with you…I prefer babies at their own pace weening too. That's how I did it with my kid and fortunately she grew up without picking at her food. 🙂
Thank you! That's awesome!
How adorable! thanks for sharing!
Gray post! I miss the joys of breastfeeding. No better way to be close to your kids, even after they start solids! Your daughter is adorable, too. 🙂
What a cute little munchkin!!
Thank you!
I remember these days! MG is adorable!
Thank you!
Aw what a cute baby! I can't wait for the time I get to be a momma <3
Thank you 🙂
Maddie Grace is such a little cute <3
Thanks 🙂
Your daughter is beautiful and it's so nice seeing how much care and concern you are putting in to raising her. I'm sure this article will be very helpful to many young moms.
Thank you 🙂
Such a cutie pie and it's always exciting to try new things!
Thanks! It really is!
We did baby led weaning with my son and it was great – your daughter is so cute, too!
Dont have kids yet but whatever works for you and your baby is the best way forward.
Beautiful baby! I wish that there had been posts like this when my kiddo's were little!
She's so precious.
Thank you!
She's so cute! I don't have any kiddos yet, so no advice from me! Haha!
We didn't do BLW with my first because it terrified me, but my second refused purees so we were forced in to it. SO much easier!
I'm honestly glad he's past the "new eater" stage. It's no good for my anxiety. ha
Thank you! Yes it's hard to know what to do!!! And to constantly think they might be choking!
What a sweet little face:) You're doing a great job mom, hitting all the right foods. I liked to blend them together, add some spices like cinnamon, etc. We also were big fans of avacado. But as long as she's enjoying it, keep trying new things! She'll tell you when and what she doesn't like.
Thank you 🙂 She does like avocado as well! And I've tried some cinnamon on apples and she seems to like it!!
what a cutie! With both my daughters I fed her them solids when they were ready.
We did baby led with my daughter and she's a great eater now, it's amazing because her parents are so picky. She also loved those puffs too.
Good to know! I'm picky and it makes life more difficult!
No kids so have not advice, but I think it would be so fun to explore what foods a baby likes!
I've heard about the challenges of baby feeding from my girlfriends… but i do think if we have kids we would try to do the baby led weaning. 🙂
I remember how nervous I was when we started my little man on solids. He took quite some time to warm up to eating people food, but as with you we found what worked for us, I think that's the best way to go! 🙂
I'm not a mom so I have no advise to give, but I just wanted to say that your baby is so cute!!
Thank you 🙂
Such a cutie! Some great tips for me down the line.
So precious and adorable!!!! I was so nervous when I started solids.
Aww so cute! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This will definitely come in handy later on. PS- She is adorable!
Thank you 🙂
Little MG is adorable, and must be growing so much, given how much she is eating!!
She is! I think she goes up a size every day!
MG is an absolute angel!!
Thanks!
My gosh she is SO cute!
Thank you 🙂
She's so cute!
Thanks!
What a cutie! She has the best smile!!
She's darling! And thanks for sharing your approach. I'm not there yet, but someday!
So cute! I think I like the idea of baby led weaning best. My brother and sisters and I were never fussy eaters and I think that's mainly because the food was put in front of us and we just got on with it!
She is gorgeous by the way!
Katie <3
What a cutie! I like that you guys are doing what works for you!