Thursday, January 18, 2018

Worried about Introducing Solids to your Baby?

Introducing solids to your baby can be an overwhelming notion for some, especially for exclusively breast-feeding mothers.

Usually all pediatricians recommend waiting for six months at least, before introducing the babies to solid foods. However, for some babies who find it difficult to catch up with the recommended weight milestones, parents may be advised to initiate some solid foods with general precautions.

The very notion of introducing solids to babies is quite exciting and delightful, and should be taken in the same stride. Some mothers often get swayed under the deluge of advice they receive from family and friends around, and hence, look upon this journey as a tedious challenge that needs to be tread carefully. A good way of embracing yourself for the upcoming journey could be thinking of all the delectable foods that you can finally share with your little one and make memories along.

I remember how excited I was when it was finally time to introduce Baby K to solids. I couldn't help thinking of the cute little spoons,bowls and plates that we would use for feeding him. I also rummaged through his wardrobe and clothes-baskets looking for the super cute bibs and trays that had been lying to be used at an opportune time, which was finally approaching after a long wait of almost half a year. Also, the fact that my baby could finally sit and eat was a treat in itself. I could already imagine him relishing fresh and juicy fruits such as grapes, oranges, plums and apples.

I would therefore, recommend all other fellow mothers to go easy while introducing solids to babies. It's a joyride. Just conserve all your energies towards raising an adventurous eater! All you may need to do is to make sure you have a blender, food processor or a baby-food grinder around.


Some of the simple foods that you may begin with include:
  • pureed single ingredient foods without sugar or salt. These may include pureed bananas, papayas, peaches, pears, apples, sweet potatoes among others.
  • small portions of unsweetened yogurt
  • pureed cottage cheese or tofu
  • pureed legumes such as chick-peas, kidney beans, lentils, etc
  • Wheat porridge or dalia
  • Porridge made of sooji or semolina, ragi, sabudana, or oats. (You may add a pinch of powdered cardomam to make it taste better)
  • upma
  • potato rice with some butter
  • cheese slices
  • biscuits or rusks dipped in formula milk
  • puffed rice 
  • tomato soup with some beetroot or carrot
So now, let go off your apprehensions and get set to conquer new eating milestones with the apple of your eyes. Don't forget to share your pictures with me as you go ahead and bask in the glory of wonderful parenting memories ahead. 

This list is by no means exhaustive, but a mere harbinger to help you embark on a wonderful culinary journey ahead with your little one. 

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