Homemade Baby Food-First Stages

Well I've already gone through this stage with Gavin, but to all those new mommies who are just to this stage let me tell you that introducing Baby Food to your little one will be funny, hysterical, messy, frustrating, and everything in between! Hear me out, if they don't like something, keep on trying. The pediatrician's will tell you to try it at least 30-40 times before you give up. I know what you're thinking, "I don't have the time to try it that many times!" Well you do!

At 4 months your pediatrician will tell you to introduce rice cereal in an applesauce consistency and Gavin made the funniest face, but he was super excited after that first taste. However, not all babies are excited the first go around, the best thing to do is to make a very small amount for the first time and yes mommies....they don't have any measurements on the boxes for rice cereal. If you're a breastfeeding mother, go ahead and pump some milk, maybe 2 oz. to start out with; formula fed babies, make 2 oz. of milk so not to have to eyeball half a scoop for an ounce. Then go ahead and add rice cereal little by little to the bowl and make it to the consistency of cheap applesauce and go for it! Oh and grab the camera and video cameras because you will want to remember this first taste of food!

Now not all children are ready for baby food at 4 months, most children start baby food at 6 months. Gavin was very excited about food.....he kept grabbing at everything I had and he would be very vocal when we were eating so we tried it at 4 months and what do you know, he's been eating it since!

Here's a great list of first time foods to try. Now remember for each food you need to feed it to them for 2-3 days to make sure there are no allergies. Don't switch it up a ton because then you may not know what has caused the allergic reaction if you're unlucky enough for that to happen.

1. Sweet Peas
2. Butternut squash/Pumpkin (the cooking pumpkins)
3. Zucchini or Yellow Squash
4. Sweet Potatoes
5. Avocado
6. Pear Puree
7. Apple Puree
8. Prunes (this is great if they are having problems going to the bathroom, be warned that a little goes
    a long way though)
9. Carrots
10. Green Beans
11. Bananas
12. Peaches (Gavin was so not a fan of these and still aren't! You can't even hide it in rice cereal, he's a
      smart one!)

Look for instructions on how to make some of these easy foods on the next blog....happy reading and cooking!

Cheers,
LGMM