A Look Back: Starting Solids

Wow, these pictures bring back memories! I was nervous and excited to try solids with Bridget.

We gave her oatmeal cereal when she was about six months old. We then moved to apples and sweet potatoes within a few weeks. We used the small maroon spoons for her first year, and they were perfect.

Bridget did very well with stage one baby foods, cereal and yogurt (she had more trouble with crunchy and chewy textures--which I will cover in a future post--as she was not moving food from the sides of her mouth to "chew" with her gums...she had no teeth until she was 16 months old!).

I also cooked and pureed all kinds of squash, berries and other fruits and veggies as well as a wide variety of soups. We started giving her yogurt when she was about eight months old--Stoneyfield Farm O'Soy because I thought she might have a milk intolerance. (She still drinks soy milk today, although I have switched her over to regular, organic yogurt.)

Bridget has always eaten a wide variety of healthy foods. She has a great appetite and has never been picky about temperature or flavor, although she prefers seasoned or spicy foods. She has always done fine with different textures as well, although she did not like finding chunks of peaches in her yogurt and would growl when she got one :).

We moved from pureed baby foods to soft diced foods like banana and avocado, which she was able to finger-feed herself by the time she was about a year old.

Although we've had to take some extra steps to provide Bridget with a safe and nutritious diet, Bridget is absolutely worth it. I am happy to answer specific questions, so fire away if you have any!