tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89907155974562443922024-03-12T20:53:47.768-05:00Adventures in Solid FoodResearch and experiments in baby-led solidscharismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-75655188846933058382013-08-30T21:30:00.001-05:002013-08-30T21:30:13.816-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just a quick note to let you know that the videos are all fixed! Youtube was not playing nicely. Sorry for the inconvenience!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-20680736978447209382011-10-31T11:31:00.000-05:002011-10-31T11:31:26.316-05:00Why Not Baby Cereal??<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've been reading articles lately on the case against against infant cereal, and I thought I'd share the information! Enjoy the great reads!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.foodrenegade.com/why-ditch-infant-cereals/</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/feeding-babies</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-44252694546493033252011-09-22T08:57:00.001-05:002011-09-22T10:33:14.711-05:00Choking and Readiness<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s1600/babyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s320/babyMail.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="246" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Dear charisma,</i></span></div>
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<i>Hi there.
I am hoping for some advice. My guy is 20 pounds at 6.5 months (exclusively breastfed). I have tried giving him some food slices a couple times. I tried at around 6 months and he gagged once or twice which turned into choking, and then he vomited a ton. I waited another week and tried some cooked carrots, which he did okay with. Then I tried pear again and he choked. I had to turn him upside down and whack him on the back. He is okay, but I am traumatized and feeling like a failure at BLS. He is big and strong, but not quite solid on sitting by himself. That is the only thing that leads me to believe I've started too soon. What advice would you give me? Is he okay to keep waiting for solids? I can't handle the choking and question whether I should just go the pureed route.
I would love input, as I am getting pressure from a doctor to feed him cereal for iron. I really love the BLS concept. </i><br />
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<i>Needing reassurance in NY
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Dear Needing reassurance,</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'd say that your little guy is just not ready yet. It's important to wait until ALL the readiness signs are present, including sitting up. Also, if your little one is 20 pounds already at 6 months, then clearly he's not lacking nutrition. Buttercup is 20 pounds at 20 months!
Maybe this information will make you feel better: my chiropractor went to an infant nutrition seminar last year. It turns out that babies don't actually need anything besides breastmilk (exclusively) for the first year. I'm planning on waiting longer to start solids with this next baby (due in a few weeks). Also, the iron thing is a myth (see the <a href="http:/baby-led-solids.blogspot.com/p/faqs-about-bls-baby-led-solids.html">FAQs</a> for more about the iron myth and readiness signs. Doctors don't receive nutrition or breastfeeding training during medical school, and many of them don't stay current on the latest research. The iron in breastmilk is much more bioavailable than anything artificial you could give your baby. La Leche League also confirms that cereal is absolutely unnecessary (and potentially harmful to babies' long-term health).
Also, remember that babies who are going to choke are going to choke on purees, too. In fact, purees could pose MORE of a choking hazard, since babies aren't sure if they're supposed to chew it or suck it back like milk.
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Also, if you're worried about mess at other people's houses, you could try putting a towel down on the floor and letting him eat down there. Then you can wrap up the mess and tuck it away in your bag. Voila! Sometimes we had living room "picnics" just because I was too lazy to do the highchair thing. Doesn't work so well once they become mobile, though...</div>
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Hope that helps!</div>
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charisma</div>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-18219814256435943082011-07-26T10:29:00.000-05:002011-07-26T10:29:09.808-05:0010 Reasons to Delay Solids Until at Least 6 Months<br />
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10 Reasons to Delay Solids Until at Least 6 Months</h1>
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<a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/blogger/64/christie_haskell" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">To view original post by Christie Haskell, click here.</a> </address>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Despite some clear messages from many health organizations, old recommendations -- or old wives' tales -- have many <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">babies starting on solids before they reach 6 months old</strong>. Reasons range from "Baby is big enough!" to "Baby is too small!" (huh?) and even "I can just tell she's ready."</span></div>
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Even when it seems like baby is interested in food before then, often they're just interested in mimicking you, and would copy you putting something in your mouth the same way they'd copy putting your hairbrush on your head -- just copying, not intestinal lining cellular changes, the thing we're <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">really </em>waiting for.</div>
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There are very good reasons <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to delay solids until at least 6 months </strong>...<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></strong></div>
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1.<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> It's recommended</strong> by the <a href="http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/complementary_feeding/en/" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a>, <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Resources-for-parents/Weaning---starting-solid-food/" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">UNICEF</a>, <a href="http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/breastfeedingpolicy.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">The American Academy of Family Physicians</a>, <a href="http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/foodinfa.pdf" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">National Health & Medical Research Council</a>, and many prominent pediatricians. The lower range numbers, and many of the reasons along with it, have been outdated for quite awhile.</div>
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2. Waiting until the <a href="http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">cells lining the baby's gut</a> have closed helps <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prevent many allergies, gas, rashes, and medical issues</strong>.</div>
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3. Waiting also shows less incidences of <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gastroenteritis, diabetes, and <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/Research/Obesity/Timing-of-solid-food-introduction-and-the-risk-of-obesity/" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">obesity</a> </strong>(as much as six-fold!) and even ear infections.</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. Breastfeeding for at least <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">seven</em> months actually shows <a href="http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">decreased rates of anemia</a>.</div>
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5. Baby is much<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> less likely to choke</strong> -- even on purees -- when baby is older, and can also sit upright of their own accord (babies should never be fed foods leaning back).</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. Baby's gut doesn't produce <a href="http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">enzymes to aid in digestion</a> until 3-4 months, and the ones that break down more complicated fats, starches, and carbohydrates won't be produced until 6-9 months, meaning lots of <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gas, constipation, vomiting, and wasted nutrients</strong> before then. Even <a href="http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/Research/Infant-nutrition/Fussy-infants-more-likely-to-receive-food-before-4-months/" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">generally fussiness months later</a> is noted in babies who were started too early.</div>
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7. While <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">some babies may be ready <a href="http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/02/starting-solids-can-babies-be-ready.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">between 4-6 months</a></strong> (no evidence has ever shown anything but risks earlier), it's impossible to tell without looking with a microscope in the gut, so waiting until 6 months minimum is a safer move for all babies.</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
8. <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Waiting until your baby can pick up and put food into their own mouth</strong> while sitting up straight is a clear sign of readiness, especially if they can gum and swallow the foods. The <a href="http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4096999.pdf" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Department of Health's Infant Feeding</a> recommendation actually suggests allowing babies who show readiness before 6 months to play with finger foods (that's right, no purees), as it's also unlikely they will swallow before they're biologically ready.</div>
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9. The tongue thrust reflex is to help prevent choking, but spoons of liquid purees can often get past it, since the reflex point is farther forward than an adult's gagging reflex. <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Putting food in the front of the mouth and allowing baby to move it back</strong>, which they can't do until often after 6 months, helps prevent choking and is also, of course, a sign of readiness.</div>
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10. Most parent assumptions about when babies are ready are related to other biological norms -- waking up at night, reaching for food, mimicking your eating, wanting to eat more -- and are confused for signs of readiness. Having a set date AND a list of readiness signs<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> helps prevent early introduction based on confusion about normal behaviors</strong>.</div>
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My friend at the Analytical Armadillo has a much longer and <a href="http://www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/02/starting-solids-can-babies-be-ready.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">science-heavy post</a> that I adore, but after all is said and done, it pretty much comes down to this: <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are no benefits, only risks, to starting a baby before they're biologically ready</strong>, and since we can't see the gut, we have to go by outside cues, and waiting until a bare minimum of 6 months is the safest way to play it. If a couple weeks is the difference between a gut infection and not, the choice is pretty clear.</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-16793967371133357362011-06-08T09:32:00.001-05:002011-06-08T09:37:38.983-05:00Your Questions: Meal Frequency<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s1600/babyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s320/babyMail.jpg" width="246" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Dear charisma,</i></span><br />
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<i>My quick questions for today are: how many times a day was Buttercup eating at 7 months, and which meals of the day was she eating (breakfast, lunch and/or dinner)?</i></div>
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<i>Since we're trying to set some sort of routine to get LO's naps and bedtime in order, I'm wondering if skipping dinner on one day, or having lunch and no dinner on other days is messing up his schedule? </i><br />
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<i>Also, I'm still not comfortable setting him up at friends' tables because of the mess. Any suggestions?</i></div>
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<i>how many meals?</i></div>
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Dear how many meals,<br />
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Here is a quick answer for your quick question: we started off Buttercup with one meal a day (dinner). By 7 months I think we were usually doing two meals (lunch and dinner), but they were very casual. If it was too inconvenient we would skip a meal. Baby should still be getting 99% of calories from breastmilk at that point, so I really didn't worry about it. </span></div>
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Also, if you're worried about mess at other people's houses, you could try putting a towel down on the floor and letting him eat down there. Then you can wrap up the mess and tuck it away in your bag. Voila! Sometimes we had living room "picnics" just because I was too lazy to do the highchair thing. Doesn't work so well once they become mobile, though...</div>
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Hope that helps!<br />
charisma</div>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-91679689445121083662011-06-01T09:55:00.000-05:002011-06-01T09:55:31.095-05:00Our first gag/puke<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, I guess it was inevitable: Buttercup had her first dinnertime gag/puke (at 16 months). She was happily munching on a plum, and a piece of the skin got hung up in her throat. It didn't help that she also had a cold, so it was really congested and slimy in there. But, she vomited a little bit. She didn't seem scared or freaked out at all, so I just let her deal with it. Then, I calmly pushed the "rejected" foods off her tray into a paper towel and gave her fresh food, which she proceeded to eat as if nothing happened. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The thing to remember is that gagging is a normal part of the learning-to-eat process (for all babies, not just baby-led solids babies). I was never worried that Buttercup was choking, because she was still making noises, and didn't look scared. The best thing to do in those situations is to stay calm and let them move the objectionable object out of their mouths by themselves. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What are some of your gagging experiences? </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-90270467499730333802011-05-25T20:49:00.001-05:002011-06-01T09:56:32.762-05:00Dips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vPvO9cbE2UU/Td2xiW5sJXI/AAAAAAAAATo/eGwN38-Y7u8/s1600/P5230008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vPvO9cbE2UU/Td2xiW5sJXI/AAAAAAAAATo/eGwN38-Y7u8/s320/P5230008.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another great way to introduce your baby-led solids baby to the concept of utensils is by using dips. Dips can be any number of healthy items: peanut butter, yogurt for fruit, a milk/cheese sauce, hummus, homemade salad dressing...you can even plop some soup on your baby's highchair tray and provide strips of bread for dipping. The word on the street is that dipping is a precursor to using a spoon. It makes sense to me!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For this meal, we were having homemade falafel (chickpea patties) with a greek yogurt/lemon juice sauce. We put a spoonful on Buttercup's tray, and demonstrated dipping the falafel in the sauce. She immediately copied us, loving every minute of it!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-27679815134498231872011-05-14T08:55:00.000-05:002011-05-14T08:55:41.169-05:00Using Utensils<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TlphNYI1jd0/Tc3haefltzI/AAAAAAAAATg/ORhyF6BfTFU/s1600/P5060001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TlphNYI1jd0/Tc3haefltzI/AAAAAAAAATg/ORhyF6BfTFU/s320/P5060001.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know a lot of parents agonize over their babies learning to use utensils. I've heard people use that as an argument against baby-led solids. I, however, have no such qualms. Having said that, we have started letting Buttercup experiment with a little metal fork and spoon in the past month (she's 15 months now, by the way). I think metal is better than plastic, since the fork tines tend to be more effective at picking up food. Plus, I am not crazy about plastics.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At first, it's best to offer your baby a pre-loaded spoon or fork. Forks seem to work better, for several reasons. Firstly, stabbing is an easier motion for babies than scooping. Also, babies tend to turn utensils upside-down when they get to their mouths, so if you offer a loaded spoon, it's going to get messy without your guidance. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From there, Buttercup has transitioned into trying to load her own utensils. Because babies are little sponges, they observe how mom and dad do things, and want to copy. Buttercup will pick food up with her left hand and put it on the utensil in her right (dominant) hand. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've found that stickier foods (like starchy or cheesy foods) are easier to manage than other foods (fruits and veggies). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes, especially with runny foods (think soups), Buttercup still needs us to guide the spoon to her mouth. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At this point, utensils are mainly for exploration and fun. Most of the time Buttercup still eats with her hands. Sometimes she'll play with her empty fork/spoon. But, if she isn't interested in a food on her tray, she might suddenly want to eat lots of it if we put it on her fork. That is a helpful trick! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-89255958675614250632011-04-30T09:12:00.001-05:002011-04-30T18:49:30.067-05:00And the winner is...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Susansmoaks! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You've won your very own copy of "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook: Over 130 Delicious Recipes for the Whole Family to Enjoy.” <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It was great to see everyone's comments and hear how wonderful all your babies are doing with their baby-led eating. Keep it up!</span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Susan said that her daughter's favorite food is carrots. Carrots make for a great first food for babies, since they are really nutritious and naturally the right shape (french-fry shaped). Just boil them to get them soft enough for your little one. When Buttercup was first starting out she would gnaw on the end of the carrot. Now that she is older, though, we can cut the carrots into slices for her and she will pick them up with her thumb and forefinger. An added fun factor is that carrots make for a very colorful diaper the next day! </span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">What's the great thing about doing carrots the baby-led solids way? By waiting until at least 6 months to introduce solids, you don't have to worry about your baby turning an orange color from eating too many carrots (did you ever hear horror stories about that happening to babies with carrot purees?). By waiting til your baby is older, you ensure her tiny system is actually ready to break down the foods she's putting in her mouth.</span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Click here for a flashback of Buttercup's first taste of <a href="http://baby-led-solids.blogspot.com/2010/07/experiment-7-carrot.html">carrot</a>.</span></span></i></span></span></span></i></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-65522909439916000172011-04-29T09:49:00.000-05:002011-04-29T09:49:06.327-05:00Giveaway Drumroll...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We will be announcing the winner of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook” </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">giveaway tomorrow. Today's the last chance to leave your comment for a chance to win! </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-81792776762926094182011-04-25T11:25:00.003-05:002011-05-04T08:16:03.393-05:00Your Questions: "cereal for iron?"<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s1600/babyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s320/babyMail.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="246" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This question came from an online forum, but I see all the time. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear charisma,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My pediatrician is pushing a fortified cereal for the iron (we've been exclusively breastfeeding). I know red meat is a great source of iron, but if the baby can't really chew it up, then do they get any of the good nutrients, like iron, from it? Is there a way to prepare it so that they can actually swallow it (maybe a meatball)? Also, I guess it okay to give them meat right away? I'm wondering if I should give her iron fortified oatmeal for the iron. </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cereal Confusion</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Dear Cereal Confusion,</i></span></div>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Unfortunately, pediatricians receive no training in infant nutrition or breastfeeding. At my local La Leche I heard from a pediatrician who said that her entire nutrition/breastfeeding training came from a one hour class during medical school. As you know, this research is updated constantly. First of all, iron-fortified cereals were designed for formula-fed babies, not breastfed babies. The iron in breastmilk is much more bioavailable than anything found in "fortified" products. </i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>As far as iron-dense foods? Beans and chickpeas, (give them a little squish to prevent choking if your baby doesn't have many teeth), lentils, green leafy veggies (like broccoli), dark poultry meat, ground beef, egg yolks and prunes and raisins, have lots of iron.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Also - and I know this doesn't help you right now - but for your future babies make sure that you don't let your doctor or midwife cut the umbilical cord until it is done pulsating. That way your baby is getting all of his blood out of the placenta (and therefore iron stores) before the cord is separated from his body. Babies whose moms do this have much better iron levels for the first year of life than other babies. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Good luck!</i></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-line;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><i>charisma</i></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-line;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: pre-line;"></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-20765104968835453632011-04-20T14:24:00.001-05:002011-04-25T11:36:30.906-05:00Giveaway: Baby-Led Weaning Cookbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GGFKI1igDgw/Ta8xSluHp1I/AAAAAAAAATY/e7WPUjFod4s/s1600/cookbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GGFKI1igDgw/Ta8xSluHp1I/AAAAAAAAATY/e7WPUjFod4s/s320/cookbook.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">That's right – we’re doing a giveaway! The
authors of the original "Baby-Led Weaning" book have come up with a
cookbook, <i>"The Baby-led Weaning Cookbook: Over 130 Delicious
Recipes for the Whole Family to Enjoy” </i>and have graciously offered me a copy to give to one of my loyal
readers.<i></i></span><b><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">This book offers comprehensive recipes and
meal plans to follow so the entire family can take part in making your child a
happy and confident eater. It also includes: simple advice on how to start;
essential at-a-glance information on nutrition and food safety; and, ideas for
quick snacks and lunch boxes as well as desserts and family dinners.</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">GIVEAWAY RULES: </span></b><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Limited to US/Canada residents only</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">To enter, leave a comment on this post
with your baby's favorite BLS food</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Winner will be selected at random</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Giveaway expires Friday, April 29, 2011</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">GOOD
LUCK!</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-63563168484542110992011-04-11T19:05:00.002-05:002011-04-11T19:15:33.415-05:00Your Questions: "baby won't eat"<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s1600/babyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s320/babyMail.jpg" width="246" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've had lots of questions about readiness signs and baby-led solids lately. Please remember to watch for all the readiness signs before embarking on baby-led solids. Read on for more!</span><br />
<hr />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear charisma,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm totally interested in this method of feeding, but my baby boy is a determined and stubborn one. He is 7 months now and refuses to eat anything I try to feed him. I have been pureeing all his fruits and veggies, and so far he hasn't liked anything. I'm worried because I want him to get all the nutrients he needs. He is growing fine, but only likes breastfeeding. I want to try to do this; however, my baby doesn't put ANYTHING in his mouth. It's like he's not interested at all in eating food! He's at the right age, so I am in a pickle. Do you have any suggestions?</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baby Won't Eat</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Dear Baby,</i></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I would say that if your baby is gaining weight well and happy then don't worry about solids for now. Every baby develops at their own pace. There is new research that indicates babies don't need ANY solids until after a year. My chiropractor went to a seminar recently where she was encouraged to just breastfeed on demand til the first birthday. </i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I would definitely NOT force the issue. Getting stressed out about trying to get food in your baby's mouth is only going to make him more resistant to trying new foods. When he's ready he'll start reaching out and grabbing for food and wanting to experiment with it. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>So, I guess my advice is to just relax and follow your baby's lead. </i></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Just remember that your baby needs to have ALL of the 'readiness signs' before starting baby-led solids. By way of review, those signs are:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 18px;"><b></b></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b></b></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b></b></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><b><blockquote>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>She can sit up reasonably well</i></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>She can grab toys and bring them to her mouth</i></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>She chews things (watch out Mommy fingers!)</i></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>She is intently interested in YOUR food (ex: Buttercup started crying one day while watching me eat)</i></span></span></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Her thrusting reflex is gone</i></span></span></span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Hope that helps!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>charisma</i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-30114805313843766522011-03-28T15:12:00.003-05:002011-04-03T20:58:04.438-05:00Your Questions: Iron & Waiting Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s1600/babyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0PIteaUctFU/TZki0N1_nBI/AAAAAAAAATI/QZLohuexzA0/s320/babyMail.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the new features of 'Adventures in Solid Food' is going to be questions from readers (and subsequent answers). Here is the first installment, which was sparked by a great email from a blog reader. Maybe this will help someone else with the same question.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Dear charisma,</i></span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I remember you writing how you are on a good vitamin and have no reason to worry about anemia. Same here, I am still taking my prenatal vitamins, never had any problems with anemia, but I am tempted to get my LO's blood checked in a few months to be sure all is good. At the same time though, I wouldn't want to unnecessarily make him have to do blood tests every 2 months. My pediatrician was not against BLS, but she did say iron is important after the 6-month mark. I know that with BLS, babies are not eating as much and so are still absorbing the iron from breastmilk. Have you ever had Buttercup checked for her iron levels?</i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I was also wondering if you waited the 3-4 days before introducing Buttercup to a new food. It seems like you introduced several foods in Week 1.</i></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Inquisitive about iron</i></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hi there, Inquisitive</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buttercup had her iron levels checked at her one year appointment and they were A-OK. I definitely wouldn't want to have her blood drawn more often than absolutely necessary. It was not a fun experience. Another thing to consider is: did you wait to cut your baby's umbilical cord until it stopped pulsating? If you did, then your little one automatically has more iron reserves than he would have had otherwise. Also, the iron in breastmilk is a lot more bioavailable than the iron in other foods. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, maybe all that can help put your mind to rest.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We did not wait between foods. If we'd experienced a problem/allergy we would have been more cautious, but neither Hubby nor I are allergicky people. The only thing we were slightly cautious about was egg, both because of family history of allergies and because Buttercup had reacted to it via breastmilk (eczema).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Good luck as you begin BLS!</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">charisma </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-84556255714763617402011-03-16T11:47:00.001-05:002011-04-03T20:57:32.977-05:00Your Baby Doesn't Have to Become a Picky Eater<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 19px;">Posted by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/blogger/64/christie_haskell" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Christie Haskell</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="userImageRight" height="267" src="http://cdn-ugc.cafemom.com/gen/resize/182/267/80/2011/03/02/19/d3/y5/pon9et6z483llp.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; float: right; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;" width="182" /></em>Struggles with <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">picky eaters</strong> is a commonly heard complaint from moms. <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My kids won't eat anything but chicken nuggets.</em><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> My daughter hates drinking water.</em><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> He's waged war against anything leafy. </em><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">She only eats white bread. </em>We've heard these issues way too often.<em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em>Some info suggests that finicky eaters could be a result of their <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">diet as a baby</strong> -- both the liquid diet and the solid foods.</div>
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We know <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">babies taste flavors</strong> of the foods you eat when you're pregnant, and when you're breastfeeding, too. <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flavors babies are exposed to in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8335564/Flavours-in-mothers-milk-may-determine-the-foods-children-like.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">2- to 5-month period</a></strong> can affect their food preferences for life -- for better or worse.</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Breastfed babies seemed to enjoy a wider variety of flavors</strong> than their formula-fed counterparts, even into toddlerhood and as far as adolescence. Those who were given sour or bitter formulas (like the high-calorie formulas for preemies) continued to like the sour taste even as they got much older, long past weaning. On the other hand, babies who weren't given the especially sour formula in those first six months outright rejected it if offered a little while later. </div>
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The coolest part about this speculation is that as babies start discovering things to put in their mouths, they'll recognize tastes that are food because they remember the taste from being in the womb or from their first foods, like a banana, and reject bad tastes of things that could be dangerous, like toxic plants or chemicals.</div>
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The problem might come in when babies are fed really <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">bland diets</strong> in the first months, like the American <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">formula to rice cereal </strong>and<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> bland, unseasoned baby food, rice puffs, and cow's milk</strong>.<strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></strong>Apparently babies on this diet can end up with a "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1486309/Babies-fed-on-a-bland-diet-develop-taste-for-junk-food.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">beige carbohydrate</a>" preference, where they really only want things like, well, white breads, white rice, salt, and sugars. In fact, there's a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/babies/2010-12-01-babyfood01_st_N.htm" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">strong argument against these "white" foods</a>, especially for babies.</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
None of this is all that surprising, of course, but what it does suggest is that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8335564/Flavours-in-mothers-milk-may-determine-the-foods-children-like.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">if you're breastfeeding, you may have a leg up</a>, as long as you continue to eat a wide variety of healthy foods (which is best for you anyway). If you're not nursing, when you do introduce foods, try skipping the bland and flavorless, unnecessary carbs like white rice cereal and puffs. Go for a wide variety of real flavors and tastes instead. If you puree foods, try doing it at home where the cooking and processing and watering down foods won't kill all the flavors, or try <a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/115704/your_baby_doesnt_need_purees" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #1c74bb; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">baby-led solids</a> where you just start out with whole foods and even spices.</div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Most of all, it's good to know that <strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">babies CAN handle flavor</strong> -- by assuming they can't, we really shouldn't be surprised when, as they get older, they don't branch out in tastes. Start your kids out with adventurous eating and they're more likely to continue that way. Start them out with bland, basic, and carb-loaded foods, and well ... welcome to the "Standard American Diet," aptly shortened to "SAD." Though sometimes despite your best efforts, kids can go through phases where they really limit themselves to certain foods. Kids who may not be neuro-typical aside, at that point you can really just choose what you allow and what you don't. If they're demanding peanut butter, say it can only go with bananas or after some sweet potato fries. Allow kids, even toddlers, to choose from a variety of fresh fruits and veggies themselves. Often food battles are about control, not taste, especially if you've given them an appreciation of a variety of foods in infancy.</div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-47535767749736068582011-03-13T16:08:00.002-05:002011-04-03T20:56:44.921-05:00Where Do We Go From Here?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The time has come to change the direction of this blog for a season. As much fun as it has been documenting Buttercup's meals, there's nothing really that special about a 13-month-old eating spaghetti (especially if she's already been doing it for 6 months). So, rather than posting about our experiments with baby-led solids I will be posting: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">interesting articles pertaining to infant nutrition and baby-led solids</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">common baby-led solids concerns that I see raised in various online forums</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">answers to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>your</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> questions. To email me a question, click on the green envelope icon.</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We have some exciting developments for you to look forward to, as well. Firstly, we are compiling the last 6 months' of experiments, as well as some other BLS thoughts into book form with a view to publication. This is going to take some work, but hopefully we will be able to produce a handy little practical guide to implementing baby-led solids. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am also busy incubating our next test subject for our future experiments. He/she will be here in October, and starting solids next spring. Keep an eye out for Adventures In Solid Food the sequel, coming Spring 2012 (ish). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Keep checking back here for more great BLS information, and happy eating!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-17982734809881971192011-02-24T09:34:00.001-06:002011-03-04T20:58:19.168-06:00Lessons Learned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6wb3qnSFh5A/TWZxh38n4sI/AAAAAAAAASg/VxO76iCI7lc/s1600/BLS_LessonsLearned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6wb3qnSFh5A/TWZxh38n4sI/AAAAAAAAASg/VxO76iCI7lc/s320/BLS_LessonsLearned.jpg" width="246" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Baby-Led Solids musings at one year:</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, we made it to one year. Most babies are eating table foods by this point, but most have not been doing so for six months. Here are some things we have discovered about the baby-led solids method of introducing solid foods:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buttercup has never been iron deficient. Yep, she's had her blood work done and everything! There is this myth that if you don't use the processed baby cereal starting at 4-6 months (or earlier in lots of families) that your baby will somehow be nutritionally deficient. Not true! Breastmilk is an amazing source of bioavailable iron. Also, Buttercup has always had a wide array of foods from all the food groups, so she has eaten plenty of naturally high-iron foods (as opposed to the fake stuff they use to fortify baby cereal that is difficult to digest and absorb into baby's body). </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buttercup has never been constipated once in her life. I know constipation is a frequent problem when introducing solids to your baby. I strongly believe that by giving your child control over what goes in her mouth and down her gullet you are helping her digestive system to not get overloaded with foods it's not ready to break down. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buttercup is anything but a picky eater. She has eaten spicy foods, any number of exotic fruits and vegetables, fish, tofu, goat cheese...She loves it all! I think because she's always been the one putting food in her own mouth it makes her more excited to try new things. Food has never been something that's been imposed on her; rather it's like a fun game with toys she gets to swallow!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Someone recently told me that Buttercup has more dexterity and more refined motor skills than any baby she's ever seen. I definitely attribute this to baby-led solids. Food is a great motivator. Buttercup learned to use her hands to move food to her mouth starting at six months. She had a solid pincer grasp at 7 months, and could drink out of a cup on her own at 7 months, too. I don't actually care about these "milestones" because I know babies develop in their own good time, but it is interesting to see the differences.</span></li>
</ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-84225155234735567662011-02-15T10:17:00.000-06:002011-02-15T10:17:02.069-06:00Cheese, take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcTgseeaJI/AAAAAAAAASM/61v9RtLluxA/s1600/P1240009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcTgseeaJI/AAAAAAAAASM/61v9RtLluxA/s320/P1240009.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, I was going to do a post about how Buttercup still isn't a cheese fan, but she has been won over at long last. I have periodically offered little cubes of cheese to Buttercup along with her usual fruits, veggies, chicken and fish, but she usually made a face similar to the one shown here. Not long ago I threw some cheese into her afternoon snack of dried fruit and...she ate it! Voila - suddenly she's a cheese girl! She has eaten cubes of cheddar and mozzarella, cheese shreds (cheddar), kefir cheese, string cheese, and of course we've continued giving her cheese mixed into entrées. It's a great way to increase her calcium intake now that she's over one, especially because she's not consistently excited about cow's milk yet. And, in case you're interested I am still breastfeeding Buttercup 3+ times a day. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't know what her original hangup with cheese was, but it was definitely an acquired taste for Buttercup. Persistence ended up paying off in the end, though. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: good source of calcium and fat</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: an acquired taste for some babies</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-62505391037683869672011-02-10T09:32:00.000-06:002011-02-10T09:32:38.830-06:00Quesadilla<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcSuHwcCkI/AAAAAAAAASI/0PzzCGBIZPM/s1600/P1130068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcSuHwcCkI/AAAAAAAAASI/0PzzCGBIZPM/s320/P1130068.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although your baby doesn't need teeth to effectively implement the baby-led solids method, there are times when they can be quite serviceable. I tried quesadillas a few months ago, before Buttercup had teeth, and it didn't go over too well. She tried a piece, spat it out then ignored it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Recently I made a quesadilla for my own lunch, and gave some to Buttercup. It was made with whole wheat tortillas, spinach, cheese, garlic and cumin. I cut it into little Buttercup-sized squares. She was much more interested now that she's got a few teeth. I've found she uses them to clamp on food while she pulls on it with her hand. Whatever works!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She definitely preferred the tortilla to the cheese. Whenever the melted cheese would squish out the sides and fall on her tray she would pick it up and try it, but spit it back out again. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: good and easy multiple-food-group meal</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: teeth make this food more manageable</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-74547794214972400472011-02-08T09:14:00.001-06:002011-02-08T09:14:58.240-06:00Green Pepper, take 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcOBGOXR8I/AAAAAAAAASA/jaFz3X_15kg/s1600/P1090049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcOBGOXR8I/AAAAAAAAASA/jaFz3X_15kg/s320/P1090049.JPG" width="240" /><alt="baby eating="" green="" pepper"=""></alt="baby></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One morning as I was cutting a green pepper Buttercup tootled into the kitchen. Upon seeing the pepper she begged me for it, so I plopped her in her chair and gave her a slice for her very own. She only ate half a slice at this sitting, but she has gleefully eaten these again since. It does seem as if she prefers red peppers to green ones, though. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This has been an interesting food to watch Buttercup eat along her evolutionary eating path. The <a href="http://baby-led-solids.blogspot.com/2010/08/bell-pepper.html">first time</a> I gave her pepper she wasn't interested at all. I think this is due to the fact that she was toothless and unable to do anything but suck on it. For quite some time Buttercup ate her peppers either <a href="http://baby-led-solids.blogspot.com/2010/09/bell-pepper-take-2.html">lightly steamed</a> or as part of a cooked entreé. This worked better since Buttercup was sans teeth until 10.5 months. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now she is able to use her little teeth to scrape and bite the pepper.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's nice that Buttercup is able to enjoy more foods raw now. This means less work for me and more nutrients for her!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: still high in vitamin C</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: some tools required (teeth)</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-16257534832041134042011-02-07T10:52:00.003-06:002011-02-07T15:38:28.629-06:00Cereal, take 2<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcQqx2r82I/AAAAAAAAASE/qcxkeWTT2AU/s1600/P1130067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcQqx2r82I/AAAAAAAAASE/qcxkeWTT2AU/s320/P1130067.JPG" width="240" /><alt= baby="" cream="" eating="" of="" wheat"=""></alt=></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Contrary to popular myth, baby cereal should not be the staple of an infant's diet. The American Academy of Pediatrics has published new research that proves giving baby cereal to babies causes all kinds of health problems, obesity and diabetes to name just a couple. Check out this <a href="http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/Rice-baby-food-under-fire-for-allegedly-causing/tEgYbur44kia8mRbDj3bKg.cspx">article</a> for more information. That is why the basis of Buttercup's diet has always been fresh fruits and veggies. For her occasional cereal she gets plain old breakfast cereal. Her favorite is Multigrain Cheerios, which is a good thing since it happens to be among the healthiest cereals out there.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With all the snow we've gotten lately, I have regressed to my childhood "snow day" breakfast of Cream of Wheat, and I thought it would be fun to share the experience with Buttercup. I cooked it the way I always do, then set some aside to cool and set. When it was semi-solid I cut it into chunks. The first time we had this Buttercup wasn't such a fan. She liked it a lot more the second time around, though. It's always best to keep trying a new food -sometimes babies just aren't in the mood to try new things, but they later learn to love the new food. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I would definitely consider Cream of Wheat to be a special treat breakfast since it is a "white" food, but as part of a balanced diet it is a-okay. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: another breakfast option, loaded with iron</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: white food, use sparingly</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-90032818635787404612011-02-04T12:18:00.000-06:002011-02-04T12:18:36.870-06:00Great Baby-Led Solids Article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUxC3Q68zEI/AAAAAAAAASc/viQoIJ2mQgQ/s1600/baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUxC3Q68zEI/AAAAAAAAASc/viQoIJ2mQgQ/s320/baby.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't usually do this, but I stumbled upon a really top notch </span><a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/115704/your_baby_doesnt_need_purees?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=natural_fanpage"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">article</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> yesterday on thestir.com. It is written by a mom who is doing baby-led solids with her third child. To sum up: baby-led solids is a natural, commonsense approach to introducing your baby to solid foods. There is also a nice bit of history of purees and formulas in there. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This article would be a great thing for you newbies to email to skeptical family members (along with sending them to my blog, of course!). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can read more by this writer at her blog: <a href="http://dailymomtra.com/">dailymomtra.com<target= _blank"=""></target=></a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-31727920205328991242011-02-02T13:08:00.000-06:002011-02-02T13:08:40.968-06:00Omelette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TSIldN3rGuI/AAAAAAAAARw/Vgu4mRwh9IU/s1600/PC240051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TSIldN3rGuI/AAAAAAAAARw/Vgu4mRwh9IU/s320/PC240051.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Recently I made breakfast for dinner: omelettes with egg, mushrooms, spinach, green onions and cheese, leaving Buttercup's portion salt-free. I cut the omelette into little squares for easier pick-up-ability. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buttercup liked it. It wasn't her favorite meal of all time, but she ate it happily enough.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We used to limit Buttercup's intake of egg whites, due to family history of egg allergies and also eczema that was worsened by egg consumption (both via breastmilk and eaten directly). I am happy to report that Buttercup's eczema has drastically improved. I know most babies outgrow this annoying skin condition eventually, but it makes me happy not to have to factor a skin reaction into my meal decisions.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: protein + veggies = healthy combo</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: Buttercup prefers other dishes</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-20252912412011850352011-02-01T13:24:00.000-06:002011-02-01T13:24:34.575-06:00Birthday Cake!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcUDNYBmKI/AAAAAAAAASQ/bUM7yCIZHUo/s1600/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Dp7pZqWErno/TUcUDNYBmKI/AAAAAAAAASQ/bUM7yCIZHUo/s320/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" width="320" /><alt= baby="" cake"="" eating=""></alt=></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy birthday, Buttercup! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(and happy 6-month anniversary, Adventures in Solid Foods!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Yes, I gave Buttercup cake for her birthday. Now don't start judging me. I went back and forth on this decision for weeks. Eventually I came to the conclusion that she should have some cake. Here was my rationale: Buttercup never eats sugar. Her overall diet is very healthy and balanced. But, I do want her to grow up having a healthy relationship with treat foods. I want her to know that it's for special occasions and that it's ok. I want her to learn moderation. Over-thought for a one-year-old? Perhaps, but welcome to my world.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I decided to make my cupcakes from scratch so that I could make a half-batch and not have tons of leftovers. Also, I like controlling my ingredients (ie: no high fructose corn syrup). However, there were no holds barred on the naughtiness of these cupcakes. They had butter, sugar, vanilla, white flour, powdered sugar, the works! I said don't judge me!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway,Buttercup was unsure about the whole affair (why are people staring at me and taking so many pictures?!), and did not enjoy getting frosting between her fingers. But, once she started getting the stuff in her mouth she was very interested. She consumed about half a cupcake. I do have to admit that watching a BLS baby eat her first cake is rather anti-climatic. Buttercup is already so used to eating anything and everything that is offered to her that it didn't seem that "special" to watch her eat some cake. Just another day in the life of a BLS family. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">PROS: yummy special treat</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CONS: not a regular food item</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8990715597456244392.post-18910176348196491162011-01-28T21:37:00.001-06:002011-01-28T21:45:42.886-06:00New Solids Advice is Hogwash<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was shocked to see the recent British "<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110114/hl_afp/healthchildrenresearchbritain_20110114124255">study<target="_blank"></target="_blank"></a>" stating that babies who did not start solid foods at 4 months old were more likely to suffer from malnutrition and future health problems. Needless to say, this did not sit right with me. After all of the research proving that breastmilk is the ideal food for babies, even past the age of one, I could not feel comfortable switching gears because of one little headline. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, guess what? It turns out this alleged study was based on faulty "research." And guess what else? It was funded by baby food/formula companies. Yeah...UNICEF was pretty ticked about it, apparently. Here is a fantastic <a href="http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/115278/medical_community_slams_new_solids?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=natural_fanpage">article<target></target></a> where the medical community discredits the bogus study. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, <i>please please please</i> do not give your baby solid foods until they are at least six months <i>and </i>showing developmental signs that they are ready to eat on their own (for more info, see my <a href="http://baby-led-solids.blogspot.com/p/faqs-about-bls-baby-led-solids.html">FAQs page</a>). The baby-led solids method ensures that your baby is getting solid food when all of her tiny systems are ready for it, because babies don't eat until they can do it themselves. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">*charisma gets off soapbox*</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">All content is copyright protected by "Adventures in Solid Food 2010"
http://www.baby-led-solids.blogspot.com</div>charismahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00718984799968101864noreply@blogger.com0