Adventures in Eating

Audra hit the 6-month mark the day that we left NJ for our trip to NY and PA.  So we delayed her official 1st Day of Solid Food until we returned home.  (Personally, I've found breastfeeding to be one of the easiest parts of having a baby, especially when I will be traveling with said baby.  No matter where we are, Audra's got some milk, warmed to the perfect temperature, ready whenever she needs it... and I don't have to plan for a thing!  No bottles to bring and keep clean; no measuring spoons and formula.  The people who claim that bottle-feeding is super convenient baffle me.  Sorry if this is offensive, but what could be more convenient than simply holding your baby to your chest?)

 

Ahhem... I seem to have branched off into a rant... I apologize.

 

Audra tried rice cereal for the first time on Tuesday, August 7th.  Her reaction that day, and the following few days, looked something like this...



Also, I had tried very hard to find the best cereal for her, so I had bought Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal.  Unfortunately, it was iron fortified, and it really upset her little stomach!!  She had some rough nights, which means we had some rough nights, while it was clear that she was uncomfortable and in pain due to the change in her diet.  Ugh.  I don't care what the pediatrician says... I can't keep doing this to my little baby!

So... I began to make my own baby food and introduce real foods to Audra, nothing factory made.  She tried puréed bananas and seemed to really enjoy it!  (However, sometimes it's difficult to tell if she enjoys the food or if she just is having fun by smearing it on her face/hands/tray/bib... etc.)

This past week Audra tried some oatmeal cereal.  I'm not really sure why I thought that would be a good idea.  I'm pretty sure it has the same amount of iron in it as the rice cereal, but I guess I wasn't thinking clearly when I bought that at the grocery store.  She ate a small amount of cereal for breakfast every day this week, but I'm still trying to figure out if cereal, the most "recommended first food", is actually important.

Also, I'm realizing that my patience will be tested every day that I spoon feed Audra.  She still doesn't exactly know what she's supposed to do with a spoon, so she routinely grabs the spoon, pushes it out of her mouth with her tongue and tries to chew the spoon.  I am a neat freak and watching as a mess is created in front of my face... sadly, even when the guilty party is only 6-months-old... is like nails on a chalkboard to someone else.

 

Has anyone tried Baby Led Weaning?  I'm starting to wonder if that would be a better route for Audra's food journey.  (Baby Led Weaning, for those who don't know, is skipping thin and runny purées and not feeding your baby with a spoon.)  I will admit, the idea intrigues me.