Table food question for moms

[Tracir]

Hey! Need your advice.

Madison is almost 8 months old. We've been doing baby food for almost 2 months now and she is on 100% formula now. We usually only do 1 meal a day of solids- she gets up so late that breakfast is out (DR told me this was okay at her 6 mos check up) and I know she still needs to be getting the majority of her nutrients from the formula. She generally eats 2 1/2 to 3 jars of food a day. Maybe every other day she gets diluted juice to work on her sippy cup skills.

Am I doing okay here? I have started the last 2 weeks introducing table food- mashed up potato, sweet potato, brocolli, zwieback toast (1st time today) and banana. Mostly to work on her picking foods up- she wants to hold the spoon and feed herself! We go round and round. She's a smarty pants- I give her another spoon but she still goes after the one I am feeding her with.

I've had family freaking out that I am giving her "people" food. I am super careful about how much she puts in her mouth and watch her very carefully. I've had comments made like "She won't want the baby food if you keep this up," or "My SIL isn't giving nephew any other food than baby food and he's a month older." (Hmmm didn't know she wrote a children's book and is considered the expert here. ) My SIL is also against juice- I've heard about that too.

As Maddy gets older, aren't we SUPPOSED to be gradually graduating to table food? She loves feeding herself- I think what I am giving her is healthy and a tad better than the baby food. I am also a strong believer that I need to introduce her to as many different foods as I can so she will not be a picky eater.

She loves everything we give her and eats it up! She also goes, "YMMMM" after things she really likes.

If I am off base- let me know. Thanks for your input!
Traci

[freesurfer]

How does she react to the new things? If she can handle it well then why not keep introducing her to new foods. Food never killed anyone!! LOL j/k

As far as juice, I did juices early but never in the late evening or at night. Also I took my kids off formula when they were 6 months old. Never had any problems with them adjusting to it.

[Tracir]

Thanks guys!

Freesurfer- did you go to milk at 6 months? My Dr said not until she is a year old but I have switched to an "older" baby formula that she is doing well on.

Cujo- thanks! Yeah- we are already washing her teeth and gums with a washcloth- spoke with my dentist once she got 4 teeth.

The juice I am using has only natural sugar and I dilute it. One day in September- my mom and I took her to the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park and it was so hot. I gave her juice instead of formula to keep her cooled down and hydrated. I figured we wouldn't drink milk and let it sit in our stomachs when we were hot and walking around so juice made more sense.

She really loves Coke- she's just had a taste and went nuts! I give her some of my tea with a straw but it's unsweet and decaf.

[t_kuczy]

LOL! Maybe I'm not the best person to answer. My 7 month old had his first taste of french fries yesterday.

Seriously, if she is able to mash soft items with her gums, then she is ready to advance to table foods. I always fed both of my boys from the table as well as the jarred foods. I often give my youngest Cheerios to occupy him and practice his pincher skills while the rest of the family is eating. At this age she should be able to eat just about any soft food that can be chopped into pea sized bites. Try bananas, carrrots, peas, canned fruits, etc. You can also invest in a grinder for around $10 that you can use to grind up meats and such. I use one for soups and stews and just mix them to the consistency of baby food. There's no reason to waste money on jarred food except for dinners out then. My oldest was feeding himself for the most part by nine months. It's good to start them early if you don't mind the mess.

The juice is fine, too. Just make sure that it is 100% juice for the maximum vitamins and all. I always thought that the V8 Splash juice was 100% juice until I read the label closely. They should get no more than 6 oz. of straight juice a day and I always dilute it, too to make it go further.

As for milk, I started to wean my oldest from the breast to milk at around 9 months because I was pregnant and I had the doctor's okay to start early. He was fully weaned to whole milk by around 10 1/2 months. My youngest is still breastfed and will be until he is at least a year old.

I would probably try to add another solid feeding to her day, too. I just read that to get the recommended daily serving of 5 fruits and veggies, they should be eating about 2 1/2 jars of food per day. I usually feed my little one a jar of fruit mixed with cereal sometime in the morning and a jar of like a simple recipe meal mixed with cereal and a jar of a fruit or veggie for dinner. He's a big eater though.

[freesurfer]

Yep went to 2 % milk at 6 months, but my kids were half grown toddlers when born!! lol 9 lbs 9 oz and 9 lbs 11 oz so they weren't lacking much!! lol

[Shainie]

I agree with the others . .. do what you think is best. If she's taking the table food just fine, then go for it. I just read in a parenting magazine that they should be totally off baby food at 1 year.

One thing about parenting, everyone has an opinion.

[tlspiegel -Closed]

She's doing fine... this is good news. Only thing I'd be concerned about is introducing too many at a time - if a reaction raised it's ugly head then you want to have a good idea what food is the cause. IIRC I gave one new food every week. My son's favorite food... Beets! lol

[buckeyemomma]

well Tracir, I am the wrong one to answer any of this.

I very seldom used baby food, except for the fruit when they were small I fed mine mostly what we had, but I used a mini food processor with Brandon, I had a small hand grinder when my kids were little. I took it everywhere..of course a lot can be mashed with a fork. but I did not add salt or any kind of spices when they were young. when they were very small, I fed them cream of wheat, or cream of rice, maypo...a lot of things like that. and when Brandon (adopted ds) was born, when he was only about 6 months old and the Dr. had me write down all he ate every day for a week. and he put him on 2% milk. but he was using sippy cup except for before nap and before bedtime. He said he was getting a balanced diet. but, maybe I pushed him. He walked at almost 9 months...was potty trained at 9 months and also bottle broke by 9 months

in my opinion, I see no reason she can't eat a lot of what you eat. I think you are a great mom, you are worrying too much. she is your baby and you do what you feel is right. I never listened to the Drs. my kids woulda been skinny as a rail! lol

a lot of people make their own baby food now days. I'll see if I can find a link for
you.


edited to say, I agrr with Toby Lee about introducing new foods.

lol, I was posting before t_kuczy and had something come up..by the time I got back and finished my post and hit reply...wow...about 4 new posts!

[buckeyemomma]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] ...this is a board for moms

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now] this has a lot of different pages for different things about baby

[Tracir]

Thanks for all the input... I promise I am not as worried as I sound- I know I am doing right. I am just sick and tired of all the opinions! And what I LOVE about DOD is I know I can ask questions like this one and everyone will shoot me straight.

I think Maddy is fine- I am careful- tlspiegel- made an excellent point about figuring out allergies- I am only giving her table foods that she has already "passed" the allergy test with the baby food. Tonight I gave her some hotdog and she loved it- I will stick to the others the next day to see if there is a reaction.

Buckeyemomma- Mike wants to know how you potty trained at 9 months! He is itching for Maddy to get out of diapers. She takes it off if she doesn't have a cover or pants on. Whatever you did- he said you should "bottle" it and sell on QVC!

Mike and I eat very healthy for the most part but Mike loves fries- and Maddy does too! Our parents have commented on the fact that both of us are "first borns" and fit that personality but so laid back with Maddy. I have given her taste of candy- no chocolate but I think the child has to exposed to everything we can. She will be fine and I know that but this idea that my SIL is all knowing is getting old.

SIL actually sent 1 bottle of Gerber Yogurt juice to me through my MIL this Saturday with a note that she would never give my DN this but knew I would give it to Maddy. DN is 23 days older. SIL actually plans to BF through age 2.

I appreciate that you all let me vent and figure out if I am on track. Poor Maddy (and me) has too many cooks in the kitchen- everyone has an opinion. Venting also helps me with this baby funk- my SIL works and you would think she hung the moon- I stay at home like MIL did but I am not an expert at anything. My FIL actually sent me and SIL an email about "Hard 'Working" Moms" and what they do. I asked him this weekend- was that "Hard Working" moms? or Hard "Working" Moms?because what the email described was accurate either way.

Thanks again!

[ghostie79]

Hey Traci
To me, it sounds like you're doing just fine with the food.
The only thing I really want to bring up is about the hot dogs. I'm sure you probably already know that they are choking hazards and are taking the skin off and cutting them into little pieces, but I just wanted to bring it up to be on the safe side.

[t_kuczy]

I just wanted to add something else. I'm pretty laid back with my kids, too and I think it is a positive thing. Granted they aren't very old, but I credit their easy-going personalities to the fact that DH and I aren't the type to fly off the handle with every bump and bruise. My doctor has often commented that the way a parent interacts with their kids has a huge impact on how they act in turn.

I'd also have to say that your SIL probably has good intentions, but she may be setting your nephew up for major issues in the future. Being too restrictive in a child's diet often backfires because when they finally get a taste of the forbidden foods at a friends house or school, they often go overboard and don't have any self-control. It's better to set limits on these foods at home that are within reason and then they will know what is acceptable away from home. I know everyone has an opinion, but I think juice is a necessary part of a growing child's diet. It offers a lot of nutrients, provided you pick the right kinds. Obviously you don't want them drinking it all day long, but a little here and there is not an issue.

[sblme28]

I'm not a mom, but I practically helped raise my brother.

I think what you are doing is fine. Ignore what your inlaws say. They are just trying to be know it alls. Do what you think is right...you have motherly instinct.

[Mouse7088]

With each of my three boys I had them on 2% milk MUCH sooner than ANY pediatrician would agree with...hee hee! I tried the whole milk, Nuh-uh..made them constipated. Went to 2% and gave them a childrens vitamin (liquid). Personally rthe only thing I would watch is how much broccoli and such you gave her...just because of the gas it will give her. I gave the boys juice very early on also (diluted more so when they were younger) and I also brushed their gums. Codey being the baby of the three he was on so much table food (used food processor) by the time he was 6 months it was unreal....I think the only baby food I used more often than anything was the fruits.
Now altho our pediatrician INSISTED formula (or breast milk) until they were a year old, the Columbus Children's Hospital was a different story. Logan had kidney surgery when he was just a baby. I was so nervous when they asked what kind of formula he was taking (w/ or w/o iron)...I said "Well, neither...he's on 2% milk." The nurse said "Well now that's just fine...you know your child better than anyone, if that's what the little guy drinks then that's what he'll get." I was still telling the pediatrician he was on formula because I got sick of hearing lectures...L-O-L!

[Shainie]

Originally Posted by buckeyemomma

was potty trained at 9 months

Okay, that either has to be a typo or an exaggeration, or that should be in the book of world records! An average 9 month old can't even say the word potty . . . not to mention have physically developed bladder control, or even understand when they're going potty.

Then again, the older my mom gets, the younger I was when I started doing things. I'm sure she'd tell you I did long division by the time I was 18 months.