Get the camera ready! The time has finally come for your baby to start solid foods.  Although this is such an exciting time, it’s also very important to do research to determine which foods are best for your growing baby. Weather you breastfeed or formula feed this is a huge milestone and you want to ensure you’ve considered all your choices.

 

These 7 tips for feeding success will simplify the process of beginning solids and will also encourage moms (new or experienced) to research and provide the best nutrients for your baby while giving you the peace of mind.

 

1. When to start baby on solids

 

Here are some quick questions to ask yourself:

• Is your baby holding his/her head unsupported?
• Does your baby put everything in his/her mouth?
• Does your baby watch you as you eat your food?

 

These are some simple signs that baby may be ready to eat. However, most pediatricians recommend that you begin solids at the age of 6 months. In most instances, you can begin solids anywhere between 4-6 months of age.  It’s always best to start them on a baby cereal before fruits and veggies.

 

2. Types of Foods

 

There are so many foods to choose from, weather you decide on all organic products, making your own baby food, or store bought foods.  Naturally we want to give our babies the best out there, but there are many factors to consider before making this decision.  Time being the most important.  Making your own food takes time, and as a busy mom of four I have found this to be difficult for my schedule.

 

3. Organic Foods

 

As I begin the search for the best products I found The Organic Baby Food Shop. They offer the best cereals made from simple ingredients by the leading organic formula brand in the world

which are 100% organic and produced on biodynamic farms.

 

• Why Organic?

 

 

According to Mayo Clinic

 

“Organic foods are grown or processed without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Feeding your baby organic baby food might limit his or her exposure to these substances. Conventional growers use pesticides to protect their crops from molds, insects and diseases”.

 

Organic foods will prevent your child from ingesting these harmful ingredients at a young age which can be harmful to their digestive system.

 

This Organic Baby Food shop offers a wide array of cereals and formulas to start your baby on an organic nutritious diet.  Lebenswert, Holle & Hipp include ingredients such as;organic whole grain rice, and vitamin B1.

 

 

• Cereal Products

I recommend the Holle organic combo.  This combo includes a total of 6 boxes (2 Rice, 2 oatmeal, and 2 banana). If you would like to find out more information you can find it here on their site The Organic Baby Food Shop.  Their blog provides great tips and topics for parents.

 

 

4. Homemade Baby Foods

 

Whether you use store bought fruits and veggies or from your own garden, this can be a very effective and healthy way to feed your baby.  First thing you need to ensure that you’re using the appropriate tools to puree the foods.  These tools can range from a blender, baby bullet, or food processor.

 

For my first baby, I did these things using a food processor.  I felt it was expected of me to do this method since I was a new stay at home mom.  It was very time consuming and with each of my children I researched alternative methods. At that time, I purchased my fruits and veggies from the store, I recommend a large freezer for this process.

 

5. Store bought food and cereals

 

This is the most common way to feed your baby, not as time consuming but can be a bit more expensive depending on the types of food you buy.  They do have organic baby foods in store, along with coupons to save money.

 

6. Try one food per week

 

It’s always best to try one solid food per week to avoid any possible food allergies.  Every baby is so different and you just never know what to expect with their digestive system.  I would try bananas first and then work my way up.

 

7. Constipation and Solids

This is very common to happen when your baby starts on solids.  Their little digestive systems are still learning to process everything. Here are some simple things to help avoid constipation:

 

• Use fiber based products
• Continue to use formula or breastmilk when making cereal
• Give baby a few ounces of water or diluted juices (such as apple juice or prune juice)

 

Be sure to discuss all bowel movements with your pediatrician, if the constipation becomes severe they may recommend alternative methods such as suppositories.

 

 

Ultimately, we are all doing our absolute best to provide a healthy lifestyle for our babies.  Try not to feel guilty or bad about your decisions. I have learned that some things don’t always work, you can try a little bit of everything and decide what is best for you and your family.  Talk to your pediatrician about starting solids or for any questions you may have.

 

I hope some of these tips helped ease your worries about starting your baby on solids.

 

Thanks for stopping by and remember to keep striving for mommy success.