Ready or not?

[mymay1]

Hi
DS is almost 6mo and we started yesterday with solids.
I know it takes time but I just wanted to be sure I'm not ignoring his signs.

We had 2 meals (sweet potato) and DS shuddered and looked unhappy.

Is this normal? Does he just need to get used to this new way of eating and new flavours or is he not ready yet?

I don't know if this is relevant but I usually breastfeed him and when needed he takes bottle without a problem (both pumped milk and formula).
He likes to eat

I would like to hear what you think.
Thanks!
May.

[anna*]

Sweet potato is quite a strong flavour to start with, how about starting with something like baby porridge/oatmeal?

[lchuynh]

Hi there, my DS grimaced for a while when we first started solids. He often shuddered and looked perplexed (you could construe the look as being unhappy ). It's just something new and very different to the liquid diet they have been used to.

Have you tried baby rice cereal? It is very bland and easy to make up with milk so it tastes sort of similar/the same as what he is used to. We started out with rice cereal once a day and then transitioned to pumpkin. At this stage I considered solids as being "just for fun" so I gave it to him mid morning or early afternoon when he was at his happiest (after his naps) an hour after his milk feed. He only ate a few mouthfuls; and by eating I mean being able to get it into his mouth and him swallowing *something* without it all being spat out again. Fun times LOL.

DS loves his rice cereal and we still give it to him - it is a guaranteed eat .

[clairebear79]

Hi May

I agree with lchuynh on the baby rice suggestion.  I have recently started DS on solids & he had baby rice for the first few days, before he progressed on to sweet potato, carrot, swede, butternut squash & parsnip.  I have mixed each of these with a little of his formula milk to try & make it taste a little more familiar & he LOVES it!!

He wasn't so keen on apple puree initially & screwed his face up, but today I tried mixing it with a little baby rice & milk & he liked it much better that way.

Keep at it & you'll get there!!!

[mymay1]

Thanks for the advice.
A short update:
I gave him an apple and though he still shuddered a bit, he ate 2 teaspons.
The second day was even better!

I think tomorrow I'll move the apple to lunch and try banana during breakfast

Thanks for the tips!

[Daylene]

Hi!  My daughter started solids at 5 months, and the "shudder" is perfectly normal.  Remember, your LO has never tasted anything but breastmilk before, right?  The whole world of different tastes is very, very new.  For awhile, expect every new flavor to get its own shudder.

I want to offer a counter-view of the ones already mentioned.  Since your LO is just starting out on solids, why not give vegetables before he really gets hooked on sweet fruits?  Baby rice cereal is, of course, the standard starting food, and there's nothing wrong with that.  In our house we introduced foods in this order:  baby rice -- carrots -- peas -- other baby cereals -- green beans -- squash -- sweet potatoes.  Only after 3 months or so of solids did we introduce fruit.  This is so that the "vegetable taste" would be truly ingrained first, so that a "sweet tooth" doesn't reign and cause her to reject veggies.  Now, at 11 months, she eats pretty much everything, but still prefers vegetables more than anything else!

[Daylene]

Oh, and I want to second the idea of mixing new foods with baby rice and/or formula!  That worked wonders for us.  In fact, we still sometimes do it when introducing a new flavor!

[mymay1]

I also waned to start with vegetables from the same reason!
I'm not sure if it was the sweetness or the texture that made the difference between the sweet potato and apple.

As for new flavours - he has been getting medications to help is colic (in the past) and reflux (present) which are sweet so it's not the first exposure to other things than breastmilk...

I'll try to combine vegs and friuts...
Thanks!