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Let's talk baby food. Starting at around 5 months, most people asked when we would start feeding Bug solids. I was hesitant to start, because it was uncharted territory. We had nursing down, why should I ruin it with solids? At least that's what I thought.
Her 6 month birthday was fast approaching, and it was clear that I would have to start solids soon. That meant research on my end. I asked a few other mommy friends of mine who have babies a few months older than mine their advice. They each went about starting solids in different ways, but they all had the same advice: "Go with what your gut tells you." I loved that advice! It was such a stressful time for me and I was making things more complicated than they needed to be.
So enter the time to start feeding my daughter solids. I knew I wanted to make her baby food. It just seemed a waste of money (my personal opinion) to buy baby food when I could just make my own. One decision made. I felt a little more confident. Then I needed to figure out what I wanted to start feeding her. I could always start with the traditional cereals, but for some reason I held off on those. First on the list were: bananas, avocados, apples, and carrots. She loved 3 out of the 4. We added veggies soon after we started: peas and green beans, mainly. She loved those. And then we started adding eggs and meat to her diet.
She seemed to love all the things we were giving her, but it seemed that it was a waste to cook two separate meals. One for us and one for Bug. That is when I made the decision that she should eat what we eat. That means whatever I fix for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I just blend it together and give it to her as well. I don't cook anything differently (except I make sure her steak is well done, while we like ours rare). I use all the same seasonings, and I cook the same way I always did. The only difference between what we eat and what she eats: hers is all mashed together.
Bug loves it. She's a big fan of eating. I don't think she has an "off" button for eating food. I have to cut her off when she's had enough, otherwise she would go on eating as long as we kept feeding her.
Do you have any tips for feeding your babies solids for the first time? Were you just as nervous as I was? Do you make or buy baby food? Are there any foods you look forward to your little one trying? For me, it's spaghetti!
