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Starting Solids

No matter how you choose to introduce solids (baby led weaning and purees both work), I have information available to help you feel confident that you are safely doing it right! Know what signs to look for to make sure your child is ready and which nutrients are important.

FPIES Tips

Food allergy written on chalkboard

If your child has recently been diagnosed with FPIES, you may find yourself overwhelmed and confused. Most parents have never heard of FPIES before they are given the diagnosis. You are probably wondering what you should do now. Here is some information to get you started.

Baby Friendly Banana Oat Muffin

baby friendly banana oat muffin with bananas on the side served on a cutting board

Many recipes that I found online had tons of added sugar, which isn’t recommended for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no added sugar until age 2. I love baking and love getting my kids involved in the kitchen, but was looking for a recipe that my little ones could enjoy. I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I modified a few different recipes I found and made some fruit substitutions in place of the sugar. This recipe is pretty forgiving and can be fun to make with your kids.

Can I Give My Baby Chocolate?

Child covered in chocolate looking into a pot of melted chocolate

You may find yourself surrounded by desserts this holiday season and may be wondering if it’s ok to give your baby a taste of some of them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no added sugar until age 2. This can be really hard to achieve, especially if you have older kids. Is it bad to give your baby a taste of chocolate? Probably not, as long as it’s not a regular occurrence.

Fruit Sweetened Cranberry Sauce

cranberry sauce with cranberries on the table in the backgrounds

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no added sugars for children under 2, but kids love to be a part of holiday meals. Here’s an easy recipe that is perfect for babies. It’s sweetened with fruit, so it will not be as sweet as you may be used to, but babies do not need their foods to be as sweet. This has been a hit at our house every Thanksgiving since I started making it. It requires only 3 ingredients and you have the option of using all frozen or packaged foods, making it extremely convenient. Alternatively, you can opt for fresh options as well.

How to Introduce Allergens to Your Baby

Food allergens with the word food allergy in blocks

Many parents have expressed fear in regards to introducing allergens to their baby. This makes sense. The idea that your child could have an allergic reaction to a food is scary. The recommendations for allergen introduction have changed recently, so you may have done something completely different with an older child. Know that these recommendations are to help reduce the risk of allergies, but there is nothing you can do that is guaranteed to prevent allergies. If your child ends up with a food allergy, it is not your fault.

Poop Problems When Starting Solids

baby standing in diaper

One of the things new parents find most surprising is how focused they are on their child’s poop. Whether your child struggles with constipation or diarrhea, poop problems can add another layer of stress to starting solids. First off, know that there will be changes to your child’s poop. We expect that. Their digestive system has a lot to learn. There are ways to help them through the transition and make it more comfortable for everyone.

How to Introduce Solids to Babies

parent introduce solids to baby with green puree on face

While there are many people with strong opinions on baby led weaning versus purees, that’s not what this post is about. This post will be going over some of the key points we look at when introducing solids to babies. First we need to determine if they are developmentally ready to start solids. Then there are a few key nutrients that we should focus on. Lastly, there are a couple of things that we should avoid.

Division of Responsibility: What You Should Know

baby self feeding broccoli using the division of responsibility where baby is in charge of what and how much they eat

While baby led weaning is a feeding strategy for introducing solids to your baby, baby led feeding focuses on setting up the foundation of responsive feeding. Responsive feeding is the idea that your child is in charge of certain aspects of eating. It is not up to the caregiver to determine what or how much a child eats. You trust that your child will honor their hunger and satiety cues. This sets them up for balanced eating in the future.

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