Hey Mamas! Today I want to share with you our journey from liquid to solid foods. I have a friend whose baby is about to transition into eating solids, so I thought why not share this with everyone?

There are options out there. Some people lean towards baby led weaning, and others start with purées. I’m sharing with you what worked best for my family based on our diet preference and what we felt comfortable with.

Let’s go with the who, what, when, where, why, how format.

Who: Who is ready to eat? A baby around 6 months of age. Some doctors and people encourage introducing solids as early as 4 months. Based on my research and my mama instinct, we waited until both our children were 6 months of age. I thought why not let that digestive system develop a bit longer? Your baby will show signs of readiness such as licking their lips, or watching you eat.

What: What foods should you start with? We started with homemade veggies puréed or mashed. Avocados, peas, steamed broccoli, carrots, and mashed sweet potatoes. We avoided fruit for awhile because we wanted to teach their palates not to expect something sweet.

When: When should you feed your child their first meal? Avoid feeding them when they are tangry, hangry, or thangry. I gave my child half the amount of breastmilk they would normally drink (one side), and had their food prepped and ready to go.

Where: Where should you feed them? A sturdy high chair or bumbo seat is a must. We introduced food to our children at our family meal time.

Why: Why should you give them the same food? A good rule of thumb is to introduce only one new food at a time, for 3-4 days in a row, to watch for possible allergies.

How: How much should you feed them? At first it’s just a taste, like a teaspoon once a day. You don’t want to overload their digestive system as they will have their first solid poop. As their bellies and appetites grow, so will the amount of food they eat. 7 months I increased to two meals a day, 8 months 3 meals a day, and weaned them off the purées.

There are different schools of thought on how soon to introduce nuts, eggs, and meat. I waited until about 9/10 months for nut butters and offered them very minuscule amounts.

I offered mahi fish to my daughter around 10/11 months and she was smacking her lips! Eventually I just had her eating off my plate! The sooner we had her eating our stuff the better. I found both my children preferred food with flavor! Sometimes I would even chew up a little of what we were eating and then offer it to them, like a mama bird.

Tools that I used: Small jars/containers for storing home made food, the baby bullet, baby spoons, a high chair, and bibs. My daughter used to rip her bib off, so we would just strip her down to her diaper for feedings and still do to this day.

What was your baby’s first food, Mama? Do you have any feeding tips to share?