The emotions
As I bid farewell to the last days of winter and welcomed wholeheartedly the fresh fragrances of spring, an unexplained emotion coursed through my veins. An emotion so deep that only a breastfeeding mum can feel.
On the 29th of September 2018 a great developmental mile stone was reached. My baby boy, only 5 months and 3 days old had his first bite of food to eat. My husband and I unanimously decided that sweet-potato mash will definitely be a good first meal. Important photographs were taken, it was an exciting day indeed. My baby did not display the tongue thrust reflex which we were told to expect, he chewed his food like a good little boy instead.
I was such a proud mum that day but hours later I found myself crying in the shower. For 14 months I was the sole provider. Providing my baby with all the nutrients that he ever needed, first via the umbilical cord then through my breast milk. It pained me that I was crying over my baby eating solids as this was an important mile stone that we had experienced together.
The next painful blow came on the 20th of October when I did not have enough time to express breast milk to carry with us on a day out and I had to give my baby formula. Again I found myself crying in the shower. However, I was still a very proud mum that day.
Being a mum is an emotional roller coaster. With unexplained emotions that only a mum can feel. It’s the realization that my baby from a tiny zygote is growing up.
Great first foods to try
I do not believe in store bought baby food, I will not give my baby to eat anything that I will not eat myself. My maternal and child health nurse also recommended healthy home made foods as pre-made store bought baby foods are not the healthiest or the freshest.
- My little boy loves eating boiled sweet potato mash.
- I did try boiled mashed carrot but he absolutely hated it, he refused to eat it and just spat it out.
- Mashed Banana is a good meal for the early days, it is also very easy to carry for an outing.
- Full fat Greek yogurt with some mashed banana is a great breakfast
- I tried boiled beetroot, My baby’s face cringed with every spoonful but he still wanted to eat more
- boiled mashed potato with a little bit of breast milk is also really enjoyable
When my baby turned 6 months old almost a week ago I started adding meat to his meals,
- I started him of with roasted butternut mash and small tiny pieces of shredded roast chicken
- The next day he tried boiled mashed potato’s with well cooked lamb mince
- He also enjoyed having tiny shredded pieces of baked salmon with roasted butternut mash
Allergic reactions
My maternal child and health nurse has made it very clear at my sons appointment today that we test for any allergic reaction to certain foods and to give him a wide variety of food to avoid allergic reactions in future. I have already been giving him dairy in the form of yogurt for the past 2 weeks. This week I have started him off with small pieces of fried egg. Next week I will be introducing peanut butter on toast. Each food must be given for three consecutive days in order to test for allergic reactions.
The Facts
According to raisingchildren.net.au:
- “Introducing solids is also important for helping your baby learn to eat, giving her experience of new tastes and textures from a range of foods, developing her teeth and jaws, and building other skills that she’ll need later for language development.”
- “When your baby is ready for solids, her first foods might be smooth, mashed or in soft pieces, depending on what she likes. She can quickly go on to minced foods and then chopped foods.”
- “Your baby needs a variety of food textures. This helps him learn how to chew, and chewing helps with your baby’s speech development. It also helps to encourage self-feeding and prevent feeding difficulties as your baby develops.”
Please visit https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding-solids/solids-drinks/introducing-solids as it is packed with a lot of useful information including but not limited to :
- When to introduce solid
- What foods to avoid
- Meal preparation
- How to introduce solids
In conclusion
Despite the unexplained emotions, this is an enjoyable time for my baby and I. I love eating breakfast with him. We both enjoy lunchtime playing with our food. When my husband gets home, we sit down to have dinner – all three of us together as a family.
My Angel, My Sweetpea, My Little Baby, This is the journey between you and me. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
Such an informative post Filay. Jake is a lucky little boy. He is getting nutritious meals with such a great variety. U should be so proud of urself and u know we r. U r a great young mummy. Best wishes always