Ruth's Blog
Moms Want to Know About: Tips For Second Beginner Feeder in Your Family
When you start a baby on solid food for the very time, it is not always smooth sailing. Here’s a question from a mom about starting her second baby on solid food and Ruth’s answer. Maybe YOUR feeding solid question will be answered too!
Love Super Baby Food! My first child is a terrific eater and I know it is from using your book. However baby number two is presenting a bit of a challenge. She’s 6 months and becoming really gassy after rice cereal. I don’t get it. I am still nursing and am very careful about what I ingest. We haven’t been able to really start other solids like avocado and banana because it is such a battle. Could it be the rice cereal? We were about the start the super porridge, but now I’m not so sure. Thoughts?
Ruth says:
NO BATTLES! Wait a week and then gently offer again. Try banana well mushed and liquidy-tastes like breastmilk. Ages 6 and 7 months are for LEARNING TO EAT. Not until 8 months will you baby actually need calories from solid foods to supplement breastmilk. Wait a few days, try again, and let me know how things worked out. Never force or push! 
(Rice cereal and gas – I’m not surprised. I’d be willing to bet that the cereal as first food will be changed to banana some day.) Make sure your baby is getting an iron supplement and a vitamin D supplement-ask your pediatrician.
If you have any feeding solid food questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment here. Ruth would love to hear from you and to help.
Tips For the Exclusively Breastfed Baby: Getting Ready!
Moms are talking about:
How to get the exclusively breastfed baby ready for solid foods:
Ruth Says:
Thanks for using my book. It’s great that you are breastfeeding! One thing you can do right now to make your little sweetie more accepting to new flavors is to eat a variety of flavors yourself. The flavors will be in your breastmilk, so eat foods like cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, whole grains and beans, and all the super foods that are loaded with nutrition.
There are a few chapters of Super Baby Food that you should read in their entirety before you start feeding solid foods. The chapters about food safety and setting up the feeding area, as it says on page v in the front of the book. You may want to ask your pediatrician for a vitamin supplement for her – one with vitamin D and iron and perhaps zinc. These are important nutrients that your baby will start needing at around 6 months.
Enjoy!
Ruth
To read more about starting solids, try the new Super Baby Food ebook available on Super Baby Food.com.
Your Baby’s Signs of Readiness For Solid Foods, Part II
In the last blog post, we listed some signs of readiness for solid foods that you and your pediatrician will look for to determine whether your baby is ready for solid foods. Remember to discuss these signs with your pediatrician to make the determination whether you baby is ready for solid foods.
Here are more signs of readiness:
- Baby is at least four months old.
- Baby is drinking at least 32-40 ounces of formula per 24 hours and still wants more.
- Baby is breast feeding at least 8-10 times per 24 hours, empties both breasts at each feeding, and still wants more.
- The time between feedings becomes shorter and shorter over a period of several days.
- Baby can bring an object in her hand directly to her mouth.
- Baby shows interest in others eating around her.
- Baby becomes fussy in the middle of the night, whereas before she slept through with no problem.
For these and other great tips for feeding baby check out the book, Super Baby Food. For immediate information, try the Super Baby Food app, free for a limited time.
Your Baby’s Signs of Readiness For Solid Foods, Part I
In a previous blog post we talked about some reasons why starting baby food is not such a good idea. In this blog post and the next, we’ll go in the other direction and list some signs of readiness for solid foods. If you would like to introduce solid foods to your baby, discuss it with your pediatrician and do whatever you and your pediatrician agree is best for your baby.
Here are some signs of readiness of solid foods:
- Baby is at least four months old.
- Baby weighs twice as much as her birth weight
- Baby weighs at least 13-15 pounds
- Baby can sit with support, allowing her to lean forward when she wants another spoonful and backward to refuse.
- Baby has control over her head and neck muscles and can turn her head to refuse food.
- Baby has stopped exhibiting the extrusion reflex when you put a spoon in her mouth. If after several tries, food comes right back out of her mouth when you spoon feed her, she is not yet ready for solid foods.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog post for more sign of readiness for solid baby food. For more information on feeding baby consult the Super Baby Food book or the Super Baby Food App (free for a limited time)!
