Starting Solids/Homemade Baby Food #5

[Mad Scientist]

Hi mantaray,

Hahaha. Most of the mums I speak to have started their bubs on solids at 4 months! I didn't even contemplate that, mainly because the bottle was so easy and I knew that solids were a hell of a lot more work! thanks so much for your advice. It's so nice to have someone that's real about stuff and not putting any pressure on me. It's so easy to feel like a failure when it comes to kids because you just have no control over a lot of what is going on!! Amy's really good with a rusk so maybe I should give finger foods a go. She's got her second tooth coming through.......hmmmmm 'food' for thought! hahaha

[MantaRay]

It is easy to feel like a failure hun, but please try not to. You are doing a great job. And it does get easier.

You could try finger foods too. Check out this thread for information on starting with finger foods.

[mako]

Hi I was just wondering when to start giving DS weetbix for brekkie?
He is 8 moths old and has been gradually starting to eat solids for the past 2 months.He doesn't like rice cereal(who'd blame him) but he eats many different vegies and fruit.He's not to fussed on meat atm but I'm guessing that'll come with time.He also likes to taste food off our plates which I'm ok with.He eats 1 main solid meal a day(either veg or fruit) and he has a 1/4 piece of toast for brekkie(off my plate) and tries bits and pieces of our food at other times and he's bf.
Thanks

[sportychick]

mako, I would give weetbix now then! My DS was eating weetbix with a mashed up banana and some full cream cows milk at 6months - If your DS is BF I'd put cows milk on his cereal - you don't want to get formula just for the bit on the cereal. I have had plenty of advice that says cows milk is fine to put in food, but not for bottles at this stage. You could also try some raisins mixed in with the weetbix - and I heat up the milk and give it to him warm. Anothr handy thing to try is those ready made sachets of instant porridge.

[mako]

Thanks Sportychick for your reply.Is cows milk REALLY ok to give an 8 month old??? I thought 12 months was the time it was safe?

I'm being very cautious with what I introduce as he has very bad eczema and will more than likely end up with asthma(this is what happened to me) as my DR and Paed have told me.

[MantaRay]

Mako, some dairy is usually ok under 12 months, but not cows' milk as the main drink. However in your case I would avoid it as it could cause a reaction. You can use warm water with weet bix at that age (I know it sounds yuk but kids don't seem to mind - still tastes better than rice cereal LOL) or EBM would be fine too.

I think weet bix is usually recommended after 12 months too due to the wheat, but if you are already giving wheat with no problems than you should be ok. If you prefer, another thing you could give instead is oats. Oats might even be preferable due to the sugar and salt content of the weetbix - although the kids weetbix is lower in both and while I am pretty fussy with what I give my boys, they both have kids weetbix - Jack from about 12 months and Tom from earlier than that, probably 8 or 9 months. HTH.

[mako]

Thanks MR. I know I was on a dairy free diet when I was a kid. Back then it was tough though cause it was mostly soy milk etc that I had and it was awful.

I might try the oats 1st and see how that goes.