Baby Led Solids

Kamrynn is 6 months old today!  It seems lik forever since I've blogged! 

Kamrynn has been learning to eat.  Instead of learning to swallow solid foods, she has been learning to Chew before swallowing by feeding herself!  She has been eating a variety of Fruits, Veggies and Grains:  Avocado, Peas, Apples, Asparagus, Sweet Pepper, Mexican Squash, Carrots, Banana, Cream of Wheat and Oatmeal are what I can remember right now.  She LOVES Apples and will eat nearly 1/4 of one - minus the peel of course!

We steam the slice until it is tender, leaving the peel on for "grip."

She also chowed right down on asparagus, eating almost 2 whole stalks, and choosing it over the Mexican Squash!

She isn't a fan of Cream of Wheat...

[Picture of awful cream of wheat face to be added when Blogger is working better]



I made up some guidelines for BLS especially for Kamrynn.  These decisions are based on research and keeping her safe, both now and in the future....

• Kamrynn must be seated and properly restrained while eating. Either in a high chair or at the table being held. Do not leave her unsupervised.


• Offer “French Fry” size and shaped foods by placing them in her hand or in front of her. Do not “help” her by placing them in her mouth. Any item smaller than “french fry” that is round, such as grapes, must be “smooshed” or placed in the teether.

• She can better hold many foods if the peel is left on. Thoroughly wash all foods prior to cutting.

• All foods other than Avocado & Banana must be cooked to tender by baking or steaming (never microwaved) until Kamrynn has teeth.

• If a food not on the Approved list is offered, offer only one and let Kristin know. Kamrynn must eat it for 3-5 days to rule out allergy.

• Do not offer foods that have been in contact with plastics that are not BPA-Free or have ever been in the dishwasher or microwave (including BPA Free plastics - there are other chemicals that leach out into the foods).

• The following foods must be organic due to high pesticide content even after thorough washing: Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Pears, Imported Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Potatoes, and commercially frozen fruits.

Foods that Kamrynn may not have at this time include:

Banned (until further notice)


Tap Water, Juice, Pop, Kool Aid, etc

Dairy Products

Honey

Citrus or Citrus Products

Tomato or Tomato Products

Nut Products

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Egg, Soy

Green Beans (possible allergy)

Commercially Canned Products

Products containing Dye, Sweeteners (including added sugar), BHT or other preservatives, MSG, added Sodium, microwaved foods

Strawberries

Beans

Broccoli

White Breads & Pastas


Sounds like Kamrynn is awake and then I'm off to bed!  NIGHT!

YUM!

The pediatrician recommended starting some solids at the 4 month appointment.  We were to start with Avocado, then Green Beans, and Banana, for 5 days each prior to introducing the next food.  Instead of doing commercially processed baby food, we're doing Baby Led Solids.  Baby Led Solids means we go at Kamrynn's pace, and she eats the same foods that we are eating, but Kamrynn sized portions.  We do not feed her, she feeds herself.  Anything she cant put in her mouth on her own, she isn't ready to eat.  We make it easier for her by offering food that is "french fry" size and shape.  However, we do not eat very infant friendly foods, so I wanted to be gentle on her system, and give her the "easier" foods for her tummy at first.

Here are some pictures:

That is her pig.  We played in the highchair to become friends with it for about a week before we started.  Even though she has become friends with her carseat and no longer cries as soon as we put her in it, she wasn't friends with her high chair.

Happy after smearing avocado everywhere.  All over the high chair, her belly button and even up her nose!  She seems to love Avocado!

The green beans didn't go well, we had a rash later that night, so we're skipping them and moved on to banana.  She's not sure what to think of banana.  Avocado is still the favorite.  After banana, we tried a bag of frozen peas to help the painful teething process:

Bag of Peas Teether from Auntie Nanners!