So you have probably heard me say a few times now that having your second child is easier on you than your first mainly because you have been there before and you’re a little wiser and less anxious when it comes to doing everything by the books. What I failed to mention is how much I have also forgotten since having Leo and I guess the four year break has something to do with that, but one of those things has been when to introduce solids and how to introduce them.
I couldn’t remember a thing about when we introduced solids with Finn. I am sure if I scrawled through old photos I would see that momentous occasion when he took his first bite but when it came to Leo I just wasn’t sure. Solids is another one of those things where every baby is different and you can’t compare one baby to another. Many of my friends had already started their babies on solids after just 4 months but I knew Leo wasn’t ready because he wasn’t showing an interest or signs by that stage. He would look at us eating but he wasn’t trying to reach for it so I decided to hold off. I was tempted to start though because he was breastfeeding so frequently that I thought introducing solids might lengthen out his feeds but for the same reason he was breastfed, I felt like that was enough to keep him satisfied for now. The Australian Infant Feeding Guidelines and World Health Organisation do say to wait until your baby is 6 months before introducing food to allow their immune systems to mature but nowadays it is very normal for many to start their babies on solids between 4-6 months. It is really a personal choice and what you feel is right for your baby. There’s also advice to wait until your baby is sitting upright without assistance, and Leo did that around 5-6 months.
When I did decide to start Leo, which was just a few days before he turned 6 months, I actually wasn’t sure what to start him with! Of course, I wanted it to be all whole foods and no unnecessary crap so I started with good old mushed avocado. He was not impressed. After trying that, the next day we tried mashed banana and again he didn’t like it. After that we tried mashed sweet potato and although he would have a good old taste test, he wasn’t really taking to any of them. I tried pureeing my own food, I tried mashing, I tried putting soft foods in one of those mesh food catchers but he would only try it for a few seconds before turning up his nose. I was stumped but decided he wasn’t ready and I wasn’t going to push him so we left it for a few days.
I know that with Finn, after initially starting with pureed foods we did baby led weaning which is essentially where baby eats what you eat and it worked quite well for him. I decided to try it out with Leo by giving him things like soft carrot sticks but again he wasn’t interest. So, one day at the supermarket I decided to check out the baby food. I have never been a fan of packet baby foods because they always add something that a baby just doesn’t need whether it be preservatives or artificial colours and flavours. However, I was pleased to see Rafferty’s Garden only contain fruit and vegetables and absolutely nothing else. I brought a few home and tried them out on Leo and he loved them! This kid just wanted pureed food, not mashed, not slightly lumpy and not chunky! He wanted it blended to a fine paste so he could gulp it down and finally he was loving it. After getting him in to the Rafferty’s Garden pouches I decided I would try and immolate some of their food combinations so I could make them from scratch but obviously my proportions of sweet and savoury weren’t up to scratch because he wasn’t interested in mine at all. As a working mum I have also found Rafferty’s Garden to be really convenient for Leo’s lunch when I’m away and will be packing them for his lunch when he starts day care next week. In all honesty, I really should make up some more of my own puree for him but I’ve been slack and Rafferty’s Garden have been a big help.
So, now at just over 7 months we are still going strong with Rafferty’s Garden pouches as well as adding a bit of baby led weaning in to the mix. He loves a good bit of avocado on toast and a recent favourite is watermelon (he loved the cold on his gums!). So I will slowly keep introducing new things to him each week and let him decide what he likes and doesn’t like. I will be listening and watching for his cues rather than thinking I know best.
It’s hard to know just how much they need at this stage but they will usually tell you when they’re done. Leo has his toast when we sit down for breakfast which is usually just a finger and then he’ll have half a pouch of Rafferty’s for lunch and the other half for dinner with a little bit of something from our plates like mashed potato or broccoli. He’s now starting to enjoy food in its normal form rather than if being pureed as he gets older. He also still breastfeeds every 2-3 hours a day.
What I am loving is our food catcher from Mumma’s Little Helpers that we have attached to the high chair. Something I do vividly remember with Finn was the amount of food that he would throw on the floor and how it would drive me nuts (my OCD would run wild!). I try not to let the mess get to me, but it does when it’s smeared over everything and you spend half an hour after dinner cleaning up after them. Why did I not have the food catcher then?!?!
This food catcher is a universal fit for all high chairs and attaches with a few bits of Velcro. Leo has already started throwing his food on the ground when he’s done or dropping it as well and before we had the food catcher up it would be totally wasted. Now we just grab it from the food catcher and give it back to him because there ain’t no wastage happening in this house!
The food catcher is waterproof and easy to clean. You just detach it from the highchair and clear our the food before wiping it down and sticking it back on. It’s also pretty wide out the sides which allows it to catch most food (unless your child throws like a ninja) and it also comes it lots of funky colours and prints to suit your style.
So there you have it. That’s our solid journey so far and most important is that each journey is unique and all babies are different.We are just taking it in our stride and following his cues because soon enough he’ll be a big burly teenager eating me out of house and home.
For more info on the awesome food catcher, head to Mumma’s Little Helpers and try them our for yourself! https://www.mummaslittlehelpers.com.au/
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