Dear Olive,
Clancy turned 6 months on the weekend just gone (I know! We can scarcely believe it, either). And aside from it indicating that we've all been loving him for half a year, it means he can start on food. It has always seemed sensible to me, to wait as long as I could before I introduced my babies onto solids - to allow their digestive system maximum time to mature. A friend told me recently that a baby is born with holes throughout it's gastrointestinal tract - an exquisite design so that antibodies in the breast milk can absorb directly into the babies blood stream. Isn't that amazing?
There's a wealth of online resources about the growing nutritional needs of a baby, and how to go about meeting them through food - this article provides a great, easy to understand summary. And I found 'The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care' by Sally Fallon to be an invaluable resource for feeding - and everything to do natural, nutritional health.
So far, off my finger, Clancy's tried gently cooked egg yolk, and mashed carrots cooked in broth (he flat out refused to open up at all for avocado). I wouldn't say he was mad for either, and over four "meals" so far, I'd estimate he's eaten about one eighth of a teaspoon. In total. *sigh* It's a slow process. (Not to mention a terrible waste of good food.) I remember a midwife telling me when you were young that food was just for fun before one, and I think I'll be reminding myself of that in the months to come.
Clancy turned 6 months on the weekend just gone (I know! We can scarcely believe it, either). And aside from it indicating that we've all been loving him for half a year, it means he can start on food. It has always seemed sensible to me, to wait as long as I could before I introduced my babies onto solids - to allow their digestive system maximum time to mature. A friend told me recently that a baby is born with holes throughout it's gastrointestinal tract - an exquisite design so that antibodies in the breast milk can absorb directly into the babies blood stream. Isn't that amazing?
There's a wealth of online resources about the growing nutritional needs of a baby, and how to go about meeting them through food - this article provides a great, easy to understand summary. And I found 'The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care' by Sally Fallon to be an invaluable resource for feeding - and everything to do natural, nutritional health.
So far, off my finger, Clancy's tried gently cooked egg yolk, and mashed carrots cooked in broth (he flat out refused to open up at all for avocado). I wouldn't say he was mad for either, and over four "meals" so far, I'd estimate he's eaten about one eighth of a teaspoon. In total. *sigh* It's a slow process. (Not to mention a terrible waste of good food.) I remember a midwife telling me when you were young that food was just for fun before one, and I think I'll be reminding myself of that in the months to come.
4 comments:
I think the food before one is just for fun phrase kept me going over the first year of introducing food for my babe. We tried and stuck with BLW and I'm so glad we did, even though he didn't really eat a proper meal for the first year! Good luck on your journey!
He'll definitely eat when he's ready / needs it. Eve was on the solids early as she is a ravenous eater. Her high energy levels need a lot of nourishment to keep her going!
Gosh, that time just flew by!!! Anaru was never interested in food until he was about 9 months old... he just liked tastes of this and that... now, at 2.5 he'll pick fennel, parsley and gotu kola herbs from the garden as a 'morning tea snack, Mummy!'... I think kids naturally know good stuff, and they know when they're ready to get into it :) and who wants to swap nice, easy to digest boob milk for that weird tasting food, anyway?! hehe :) xx
Six months has flown! And, you know it, he'll eat the food if he's genuinely ready. No point angsting over it (as is the case with most things baby!). x
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