[blparent] feeding solids

[Jo Elizabeth Pinto]

Hi, Bernadetta.  Feeding solids was a really big frustration in my house. 
I'll pass along a few tips, but the biggest one to remember is that Gabriel 
is still getting the vast majority of his nutritional needs met by either 
breastmilk or formula.  That won't change till he's a year old, so the main 
thing about solids right now is to get him used to different tastes and 
textures.  Keep that in mind when you feel like you're cleaning off more of 
the food from his bib, face, and high chair than he got in his mouth.

For now, I'm guessing you're doing rice cereal and maybe pureed fruits and 
veggies.  What I found that helped immensely once my daughter was used to 
taking solid foods in her mouth and swallowing them was to mix a dab of rice 
cereal into the puree to thicken it up slightly, just till a bite would stay 
on the spoon instead of running off.  After that, it didn't take long till 
she was turning her face toward the spoon because there was always food on 
it, instead of turning away because as often as not, the bite had slid back 
into the bowl.

Remember that babies also might get preferences pretty early on.  My 
daughter only ate rice cereal because it was mixed in with other foods.  She 
wanted nothing to do with it by itself, and after tasting it, I had a pretty 
good idea why.  We tried barley infant cereal, which had a bit more flavor, 
and she tolerated that better.  She would have nothing to do with the pureed 
meats, or any meat for a very long time.  So we gave her a lot of cottage 
cheese or cheese cubes when she started feeding herself, and mixed a dab of 
rice cereal in with her yogurt to thicken it up so it would stay on the 
spoon.

Speaking of spoons, there's one on the market called the Boon Spoon, or 
something close to that.  I didn't know about it till after my daughter was 
too old for it, but many parents swear by it for the early feeding of 
solids.  It has a bulb on one end where you insert the food, and a spoon on 
the other.  When you get the spoon in the baby's mouth, you gently squeeze 
out some food.  Gabriel will soon get too old for the spoon, since he'll be 
eating thicker solids, but keep it in mind if there's a next time.

Also, could you get some of those Gerber puffs so Gabriel can feed himself 
between bites?  Just put four or five of them on the high chair or table in 
front of him.  They melt instantly in the mouth, so they shouldn't interfere 
with your feeding, but they'll give him the chance to participate.  He may 
just be an independent soul who doesn't want to be held and fed with his 
arms secured.  *Smile.*  Good luck, and as frustrating as it is, know that 
very soon, it will be a distant memory and you'll go on with the next 
challenge.

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may 
kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at 
evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Bernadetta
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 10:00 AM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blparent] feeding solids

Hi everyone,
My son has been eating solids for quite some time now. Still, though
it's being accomplished, it's always been a great frustration for all
three of us: Gabriel, his dad and myself. When we first began with
solids we put Gabriel in his boppit chair and attempted to feed him
that way. Well, that didn't work out very well since his hands were
free to roam any and everywhere, especially into his bowl of food.
After we gave up on the boppit chair I devised a way to feed him while
he sits on my lap. That's been working reasonably well because I can
control his hands and I'm able to accurately gauge where his head is so
that I can feed him without missing his mouth. He starts off being very
patient and cooperative and things are well for about the first two
minutes. Then he becomes irritated and squirmy and I suspect it's
because I'm not feeding him at his preferred pace.
Sometimes when others babysit him they're in charge of feeding him,
naturally, and they have no problems--Probably because they're sighted
and can make the transition from bowl to mouth much faster and more 
smoothly.
I know we've all dealt with feeding solids to a baby, so I'd love to
hear any tips you all might have. What unique strategies have you
figured out that worked for you and your baby. I'm still working on
refining my strategies as i said, and any new tips and experiences will
be greatly apreciated.
Thanks very much in advance, guys.

Bernadetta

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