*Disclosure: Please note that I am not a medical professional and am only sharing my personal experiences with baby feeding.
Would you believe me if I told you that Baby B is almost five months old? I know, I can hardly believe it myself. But, here we are, already approaching the baby feeding stage for the third time. Aside from being shocked (again) at how fast time is flying by, I’m pretty relaxed with my approach on baby feeding. I know what to expect and I’m excited to see Baby B hit another milestone. On top of it all, I am so excited that we have the Baby Bullet to finely blend veggies and fruits for nutritious, wholesome purées. I love that I can quickly whip up healthy foods for Baby B’s first introduction to solid food. Here are a few of my tips on baby feeding:
Feeding Tips from a Third Time Mom
- Look For Signs of Readiness: Baby B’s starting to try and sit up on his own and he’s starting to stare us down at meal times. He constantly grabs and reaches for things and does everything possible to shove his hands (and whatever he grabs with it) into his mouth. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s my youngest, but I’m trying to push off noticing these signs of readiness for as long as possible. With my oldest, we just couldn’t fight it off and he started his first foods at 5.5 months old. My middle son didn’t seem interested until after six months. I think this time around will probably be somewhere around the six month mark in another month or so, just in time for the holidays!
- Try Different Foods in Intervals: If one thing I remember from the first time is that trying a new food a week worked out great for us and our kids. This time around I’ll be following the same schedule of introducing new foods. I’m not sure if it’s out of experience or pure laziness, but I’m happy to whip up a batch of sweet potato for the first week or two before we move onto new foods. I think it’s the best bet in weeding out any potential food allergies. As well as making the transition to the new diapers a bit easier on us, too.
- Different Foods for Different Kids: Like with all things parenting, if you have more than one child, it goes without saying that what one may like the other most certainly will not like. Each of our two older boys had different “favorites,” even in their first foods choices. While we will start with sweet potato, our ongoing menu of baby food options will change as we take in B’s like or dislike of them.
- Be Prepared for the Change in Diapers: Boy oh boy, am I not ready for this just yet. I’m definitely not looking forward to the changes diapers. But, I know that it’s inevitable. I’m secretly just lying to myself that it won’t be that bad, but bracing myself for the transition to solid food diapers. If you think breast milk or formula diapers are stinky, be prepared to be surprised.
- Keep It Simple: Between work, parenting, housekeeping and blogging, I just don’t have time to do anything more than keep it simple. It’s reassuring to know that the first couple of months will consist of single food purees with maybe a little bit of baby led weaning, if B seems interested. If there’s anything I’ve learned the last two times is to relax and not be all hyped up on one way or another of feeding my baby. My first son was all about the purees as an infant. My second son was all about baby led weaning. But, it definitely didn’t mean that we stuck to one way or another. We gave them what we had on hand and for the most part, they’re both good eaters.
I can’t believe that I didn’t invest in a baby food maker the last two times. It makes my life so easy to prep and make fresh baby food at home. From the preparation and storage to serving, the Baby Bullet is a complete baby food maker system.
PREPARATION: Sterilize and steam fruits and veggies in the Baby Bullet Steamer. Then place them in the Batchbowl, attach a blade, and blend fresh, homemade baby food in seconds. Use the Blend Blade to create the perfect puree consistency or the Milling Blade to turn whole grains like rice and oats into fresh cereal your baby will love.
STORAGE: Pour your purees into Date-Dial Cups and set the date — this way you’ll never have to second guess the freshness of your homemade baby food. Use the Batch Tray to plan feedings and properly store your purees. Refrigerate or freeze for later consumption.
SERVING: Feed your baby fresh, nutrient-rich foods straight from the storage cup or place in a bowl or Short Cup. The Short Cups come with two handles to make it easy for your little one to hold.
Tomatoes are a super food packed with Vitamin C and lycopene. Doctors typically recommend waiting until the baby is 10-12 months old due to its high acidity content. Both of my older boys love tomatoes still!
Sweet Potatoes were the first baby food for both of my older boys. B will have his first taste in a few weeks too! They are packed full of Vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene).
Carrots are great for beta carotene and fiber in take. The texture and bright colors helped with introducing a new food to my boys. Mixing with breast milk was great for a smoother puree texture.
Bananas are a household favorite here. I love that it’s super easy and quick to puree.
Pears are a great source for Vitamic C and copper. My mom says it’s a natural cough suppressant too. So, we regularly have pear puree on hand during the winter months. Even for our older boys.
Green Beans are hit or miss both at the baby stage and beyond. I think it’s better as a mixture in stage 2 baby feeding rather than just a straight single flavor puree.
Avocados are my favorite. My oldest hated it, my youngest loved it and I’m hoping Baby B will love it too. It’s such a great source of healthy fats and nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
Blueberries are always a plenty in our refrigerator. We actually tried to grow them in our garden one year because we go through cartons of them weekly. The garden was a fail, but the boys love their blueberries! I’m sure it’ll be a fave of B’s too. Blueberries are a great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese.
Asparagus: Same as green beans, I think this is better suited for stage 2 baby feeding as a mixture with a fruit or another veggie. Nonetheless, asparagus is a great source of fiber and vitamin K, folate, copper, selenium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Rainbow Baby Purees & Feeding Tips from A Third Time Mom
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