Starting Solids

And today we're dishing up everything you need to know about introducing solids. Emma's here with me. Hey, Emma, Hey, this is so exciting for me because this is such a great stage, because this is when I can literally eat off my kid's plate like it begins, it begins. So all the scraps that are left over, yea, all of them. So that's good. But do you remember the first time that I gave you solids? Come on, you

must remember, yeah, no, of course not. Back in the day, it wasn't really a choice of what you were going to give baby for first solids, because it was going to be right cereal every time, and it was those white flakes that absolutely have no taste or texture, and you dissolve them in breast milk or formula and then make them into this gross white soupy stuff. And I put it on a spoon and it went in your mouth and then most of it came right back out of your mouth. And we did capture it on video

because Dad Eric had the cam quarter handy. Yes, and it was super cute. But I think we introduced right cereal first with Wyatt too, but I'm not exactly sure. I'm trying to remember what you started lennox on. Honestly, I don't remember anything on that, mom, Like, I didn't write anything down. Well, I know it wasn't right Cyril, because we had moved on from that. It was probably a vegetable perium thing. Was probably like a packet. Yeah, because he loved he absolutely loved I remember, um was

it a Plumber organic pet? I loved them too, And he loved the purple carrot one. Yeah, he liked the purple carrot. There was also one that tastes like Thanksgiving. I think it was like cinnamon something. I don't know. It was so good. Yeah, I loved it. Maybe you liked it. And it wasn't him after all. I just remember that he did he initially he loves solids. I mean I remember him eating whole milk yogurt. I remember

one time we were at a video shoot. You had him on your lap in front of the craft services table and there and there's a there's a bowl of cream cheese and he just like dove headfirst into it a lot of dream cheese. It was crazy, Um, how did you start with Sebby? So we were on our way to Lebanon to baptize Sebby and arrived at Heathrow and it was just one of those like hey, just try food. So we gave him a banana. He was

not about that life. He's like, what is this? That changed? Yes, but yeah, I was actually expecting him to be way more into it and that whole trip, like he participated in like Lebanese spices and stuff like baby food, and he wasn't. He hated it. He hated any sort of baby food. Lennox loved a good pouch. Sevy was not on board, which is I, boy, have those roles reverse. So let's take a quick break and when we come back.

I'm answering the biggest questions you have about starting solids? Okay, mom, so let's break down the biggest questions our listeners have about starting those solids. How do you really know that your baby is ready to start solids? I know that things are obviously different with every baby, but what's like the average age range? And when should we have that conversation with the pediatrician and be like, hey, should we

do this? Should we do this? So most pediatricians give the official green light, that's the a P recommendation at six months, but don't wait, don't wait to have the conversation, have it at the four months check up, because that way you can ask all your questions and you can be prepared. Some pediutricians will give you the go ahead just a little bit earlier. Definitely not before four months.

But if a baby is absolutely chomp at the bit, if she's showing signs of readiness, and there's a whole long list of signs of readiness, but the highlights are your baby should be able to hold up her head well and sit at least propped, because it's really not safe or easy to feed a baby who slumped over. The other thing is some babies start taking an interest in food when they are starting to feel ready, and that might mean that they're eyeing every bite you take

or they're grabbing at your spoon. Would you guys, actually, did I remember that cuties? Are there problems with starting too early or waiting too long to get into that food train? Yeah, definitely, I mean starting too soon can sometimes trigger allergies. But it's also a matter of digestive readiness, because a baby who's too young doesn't have the enzymes that are necessary to digest solids. Plus, babies in the first six months really at everything they need nutrition wise,

from breast milk or formula. Now, on the other hand, waiting too long the downside isn't necessarily about them needing nutrients and not getting them, but it's about them needing the experience of eating solids and not getting it because it's way harder, you know, to teach an older baby new tricks, and if they're really set in their ways, you know, they're stubborn. Yeah, they're used to their liquids and then all of a sudden, you're you're putting something

solid into their mouth. You know, well, after six months, maybe you know, some parents wait till eight months or so, then they might not be so open, and you know it's six months, they're ready, but they're still relatively putty in your hands. I feel like there are so many unknowns and variables in the situation. What are the best foods to start out with? And how do you decide what is right for your baby? Well, like I said,

not right cereal, that's not recommended anymore. That was always to go to for food and it doesn't really have anything going for it besides not having taste or texture. It has iron, but babies can get that important iron after six months from either the formula they're drinking or from if their breastfeed from a vitamin mineral drops. So not not to worry about that now. In terms of first food, there's a lot of things you could choose from.

It's not like the world is literally their oyster at first. You wouldn't want to start with a plate of oysters, but there are so many other foods that you can start with. Veggies are favorite, like harrots, or sweet potatoes or squash, those are all sweet veggies. Avocado that is actually one of the best, very best first baby foods. Most babies love it and if it's a ripe avocado. It's the perfect texture fruit like mango or banana or watermelon.

I mean, the common wisdom is to start first with vegetables because you know you don't want baby to get a taste for sweet things first. But the tooth is babies really have a sweet tooth no matter what, so you know it's not a deal breaker. Um, you can't even start with whole milk yogurt. Lennox loved whole milk yogurt. Sebby loves scrambled egg, which is perfectly fine. First food, whole grain cereal. If you're gonna do cereal, choose one

that's whole grain, not that refined very cereal. But really, the best person to ask is not me, it's your pediatrician. So that's why you should ask at the four months check of like, what do you think I should start with first? I did that. You know it's gonna get messy. So my personal best advice is to get that camera ready. You're not gonna want to miss that moment to look back on. That's a Kodak moment. I'm dating myself. But is there a right way to start introducing solids with

how you feed it to them. I want my kids to feel like he's at a Michelin star meal his first bite. You know, I really want to go in with a bang. I know, you with a white napkins and tablecloth. Yeah, yeah, you definitely have that right on the messy part, because if it's not messy, you're you're definitely doing something wrong. So skip the white tablecloth unless you really like washing them. Let's set some basic ground

roles for starting solids. You want to start in a highchair, not only because it's the safest place to feed baby salids, but because it's a really good habit to get into, not in your lab not n CARSI and ultimately not when they're crawling around or running around. Emma guilty. And of course you you definitely want to dress them for the mess dress for mess um, which means either a diaper or a diaper in a bib. And I say advantage bib only for the fact that is a good

habit to get them into. And you want that big, giant, massive rubber bib with the trench built in love those, don't you think, yes, yes, yes, And then it definitely helps to put a splat mat under did you use the splat Matt. Yes, I still have it for Stubby. He can't eat without spilling, and he's well either swat Matt or a dog. Yeah, well I never had a dog, but I had splot mats for both kids. Nobody's happier

than the family dog. When a baby starts solids and then slow and slower wins the race, Um, you should leave yourself lots and lots of time because it's going to take lots and lots of time because baby food is never a fast food. And really, I can't emphasize this enough. No pushing, no prodding. How much or how little your baby eats should always be his business. And also no projecting, like if you hate avocado, that doesn't

mean your baby is gonna hate avocado. And just because you have a sweet tooth doesn't mean your baby will want everything sweet either. And as for the Michelin star, I say baby steps. The potential is there to raise a foodie. I mean there might even be hope for Lennox who knows. So to me that sounds really time consuming. Maybe that's because I have two kids, So is it really better to make your own baby food? Lint? I would never call myself lazy, but I never ever once

made baby food. I I opened a jar. By all means, if you want to go for it, if you're feeling motivated, and it can be as easy as pureing an avocado, or it can be something way more ambitious. You might be looking for recipes online, and that's fine. You can make big batches, you can freeze them in ice cube trays so that you have individual servings, but don't feel

any pressure to do it. You have enough to do, and it's not necessarily more nutritious to make your own anymore than buying fresh produce and steaming it and cutting it up yourself is more nutritious than buying frozen um and in fact, most baby foods are super nutritious. When there are so many healthy options. You can buy pouches and jars and even frozen ones, and so many of

them are organic. To just make sure that, whether you're doing it yourself, for your buying, that you pass on the salt and the sugar and the added fat because your baby doesn't need that. You can also sabotage their taste for straight up foods now. On the other hand, you mentioned cinnamon earlier and spices are fine. I mean,

Sebby loves garlic right now, it's ironic. No, you don't love garlic, but spices, whether it's cinnamon, garlic, curry, some babies absolutely love that and there's no reason not to give it to them. Sebby loves garlic because his dad is Lebanese, so it's probably genetic. Because I hate garlic. I'm like a vampire, you know. And sometimes, you know, the flavor learning does begin in utero, but clearly it

was not going on in your utero, definitely not. So. I know you're supposed to keep trying when a baby doesn't like a food, but realistically, how many times this feels like really stressful. I get really upset when my baby is uncomfortable or upset. It is realistic, yeah, I mean it could take actually ten or fifteen tries of the same food before your baby decides to accept and

lap up something that you're offering a new food. So if first you don't succeed, just try to try again, you know, wait a few days, wait until next month, and then try again before your baby gets stuck into a preschool run of only liking one or two foods like both My children right now. Yeah, maybe what foods are no knows anything that a baby can choke on. Um No, gagging is completely different. We'll get into that later. So nothing they can choke on. Honey, No honey for

your little honey in the first year. Skip juice for the first year at least. I mean, there's no compelling reason to give your child juice anyway. Otherwise, most pedutricians are gonna, okay, most foods in a baby friendly form for most babies. And what about allergies and starting foods that allergetic You know, they're dreaded, but not that uncommon.

You know, this has actually changed a lot. Doctors used to think it was important to hold off on allergenic foods, so nuts, peanuts, egg whites until after the first birthday. That's definitely what I did with you and Wyatt. But now research shows that introducing allergenic foods earlier, say it's six months, can reduce the baby's risk of developing allergies. So first thing you do, always check with a pediatrician

for the go ahead. But most are going to suggest offering peanuts for instance, not obviously not peanuts in baby friendly form. There are mixing powders or pouches designed to introduce allergenic foods like peanuts to babies. I did that, was Seby. I did that was Seby. So at least we know he's not allergic to peanuts. I don't think. I don't think Lennox has ever tried a peanut or a peanut butter. He's never had a nut but and of course scrambled eggs. Sebi loves and loves eggs. Yeah,

go figure. Do you need to introduce one food at a time. I assume that's probably great for allergy detecting. Again, check with the pediatrition. Most are going to suggest waiting a few days between new foods. Um introduce one, then wait a few days to see if there's any kind of allergic reaction, which there usually isn't, and then go on to another food. How should you feed solids in the beginning? Do you start with breakfast, lunch, and dinner? How do you know how much exactly to give them?

You know, the important thing to remember is that press milk formula. Those are the mainstays of the baby side until the first birthday. Solids aren't really about the nutrition, They're about the experience. They're not about serving sizes. They're not about you know, how much you give and how often you give it. For now, just consider nutritional gravy. Right, it's not supposed to take the place of rest milk or formula. And there really aren't any rules about how

many meals to clearly start with one meal. See how that goes. What you want is your baby to be in a really good mood, not the cranky hour. That's not the best time to give it. Um Also not when they're overtired, when they're starving, because if they're in the market for breasts or a bottle and are really hungry, they're just not going to take that food. So it is a better idea to give them that solid meal between their their breasts or bottle feeding so that they're

not starving or stuff to the gills. And then once your baby gets used to one meal, then you can move to two and then eventually three as you get closer to the first birthday. And at that point you can also add a you know, a little snack here and there. Okay, so now onto a big one baby lead meaning I didn't do it with one, but I did do it with Sebby and I'm really glad I did because Seby eats way more than Lennox. I know

a lot of parents are doing it. It's kind of like the hip cool thing to do, but I also know parents who are terrified that their baby will choke. I mean, I'm still scary of my kids choking. I wanted them as seven, and I'll probably be nervous when he's twenty. But there have been a couple of near misses seven there. Yeah, there has for both of them. But it was something they found on the floor, not something you put in front of them. So there's that. I mean, like a lego. Yeah. So I am a

fan of baby lead weaning. What it is, um, it's literally letting baby lead the way on solids, and I hear it over and over again from parents who have tried it. Babies love it and they end up being more adventurous eaters. So it's true what you said. Let's break it down. First things first, check with a pediatrician. UM. Now, the AP doesn't come out for or against baby lead weaning, but it's always a good idea to get your pediatricians. Take.

What you do with this is you put the food on a high chair tray and you let baby go to town. Simple as that you let them touch it, smear it. Ultimately, the hope is that they put it in their mouth. At some point, I had a mom post a video on my Facebook page which was hysterical. She gave her baby spaghetti with tomato sauce, and the baby couldn't get her hands on spaghetti because it was

so slippery. So she literally she just put her head down on the high chair tray and she licked the sauce off the spaghetti, and she was happy as a clam. She was happy as a clamp. I mean, it should look like a crime scene when you're done with Oh my gosh, remember when Sevy had that red packet and it was all over him at your house. Actually it looks like he was, like, you know, wanted by the FBI. Yeah,

that's that comes with the territory. I mean, the rules are as long as the food that you're giving your baby is small pieces, and as long as those small pieces can be mushed together by their gums, then then it's ago. So I mean it could be pieces of soft banana or soft sweet potato, or soft cooked carrot, or it could be mango. It could be scrambled eggs. It could be little pieces of French toes. It could be soft cooked pasta pieces. It could be flakes of fish.

It could be cottage cheese or yogurt. I mean literally, anything that you give your baby could end up being a finger food. And that goes for yogurt. They just put their fingers in it and they look it off. So the ideas get your baby used to eating whatever you know you're eating in modified form, assuming that what you're eating is baby appropriate. So clearly not a t bone, but maybe minced up hamburger is fine. This was the

one time I did make baby food. I would make Sevy those little tiny muffins that were like whole grain, whole wheats with blueberries in them, and they were super soft, and he loved they were made. They were made with love. That's that's when I say a lenox every night, here's your dinner made with love. And sometimes he'll ask me, He's like, is it made with love? I say, yes, it is. So a baby doesn't need teeth to actually do baby lead weaning, right. This is something parents asked

all the time. And to clarify, you know, some babies get their first teeth way before they're ready to start solids. Like you had your first teeth at four months, Um, that wasn't going to help you out at all. Some babies get their teeth super early before they're even ready to eat solids, and some babies don't get any teeth at all until they were like fourteen months. So you you don't need to wait for teeth either way. And what you need to keep in mind is that the

first teeth are not for chewing. They can't chew with those teeth. They can only bite with those teeth. And the reality is until they have a full set of molars, the teeth really aren't going to be reliable or effective for chewing anyway. So it's all about the gums. If you're wondering whether a food you're giving your baby for baby lid weaning is safe, put it in your mouth and try to chew it without teeth, using just your gums, and if it wishes right up, then you're good to go.

So I know a lot of parents are doing this, but I also know a lot of people and parents who are terrified their babies will choke. Um, I feel like that never goes away, Like I said, but talk to me. I totally get it. I mean, but we got to clear up the difference between gagging and choking. Babies can gag on pure as, they can gag on pretty much anything. They can gag on their own tool. When they're teething and they're drooling up a storm, they're

they're always gagging. It's just their way of clearing their throats, so it doesn't mean they're choking. Choking is completely different because it's silent. It's want a baby can breathe or

make any sounds. And that said, of course, you should only serve your baby food when they're sitting down in their high chair, and only if your baby has good head control, and you should only offer foods that a baby can come And on top of all that, whether you're starting with baby lid waning or whether you're starting with purees, take your baby CPR class so that you know what to do in case your baby ever chokes.

And it doesn't have to be on food ps. It can be on that lego, it can be on something they find on the floor that maybe you dropped, So that's important regardless, so you know what to do in case of a choking incident. But don't give your baby any hard foods that actually need to be chewed with teeth or that could be easily inhaled. So that goes for the whole nuts. No popcorn, no hot dogs unless you slice them and slice them and slice them again.

No whole grapes, no harder sticky candy, no raw carrot sticks. Even Lenox knows this, Like, if Sevy wants popcorn, Lenox is like, he cannot have popcorn unless you break it up. You have to smash it up. He really took it to heart. He's a concerned brother. Way to protect your baby, brother, Lennox. Yeah, okay, so now we've talked it out, what advice would you give your mom friends out there who are still nervous about that first flight of solids? Okay, so I got you.

I messed up being neurotic with my first one. Um with Sevy, he was a great eater. Now he's got like toddler issues. But you know what happens. He grows out of that um and he's much more of an adventurous eater than Lennox. You know, help try anything, Let them live their lives safely. That's beautiful. But let them live, let them learn, live, and let eat baby love A baby Love. I need you, Oh hell, I need you.

Thanks for listening. Remember I'm always here for you. What to Expect is always here for you who are all in this together. For more on what you heard on today's episode, visit what to Expect dot com slash podcast. You can also check out What to Expect when You're Expecting, What to Expect the First Year, and the What to Expect app. And we want to hear from you. Connect with us on our community message board or on our

social media. You can find me at Heidi Murkoff and Emma at Emma Being w t E and of course at What to Expect Baby Love is performed by Riley Bader. What to Expect is a production of I Heart Radio. From more shows from I Heart Radio, check out the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows in my Arms, What on s Stain Nija Nija Baby Baby Stakes, Time Stand Stays the sas