WEBVTT - Starting Solids 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:09.680 Who baby, my baby, I need you, Oh, I need you. 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.960 What to Expect is a production of I Heart Radio. 0:00:15.320 --> 0:00:18.640 I'm your host Heidi Mrko, and I'm a mom on 0:00:18.680 --> 0:00:21.439 a mission, a mission to help you know what to 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:27.720 expect every step of the way. It's one of the 0:00:27.760 --> 0:00:33.560 most momentous and messy milestones of the first year starting solids. 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:37.360 But as you think about baby's first bite, you're probably 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:41.080 wondering what exactly that first bite should be, not to 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:44.559 mention exactly when and how you should be serving it out. 0:00:45.240 --> 0:00:48.479 And today we're dishing up everything you need to know 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:54.960 about introducing solids. Emma's here with me. Hey, Emma, Hey, 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:57.000 this is so exciting for me because this is such 0:00:57.000 --> 0:00:59.560 a great stage, because this is when I can literally 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:03.160 eat off my kid's plate like it begins, it begins. 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:05.720 So all the scraps that are left over, yea, all 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.560 of them. So that's good. But do you remember the 0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:11.280 first time that I gave you solids? Come on, you 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:16.400 must remember, yeah, no, of course not. Back in the day, 0:01:16.440 --> 0:01:19.679 it wasn't really a choice of what you were going 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:21.600 to give baby for first solids, because it was going 0:01:21.640 --> 0:01:25.559 to be right cereal every time, and it was those 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:30.560 white flakes that absolutely have no taste or texture, and 0:01:30.640 --> 0:01:33.640 you dissolve them in breast milk or formula and then 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:37.959 make them into this gross white soupy stuff. And I 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:40.679 put it on a spoon and it went in your 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:43.959 mouth and then most of it came right back out 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:47.160 of your mouth. And we did capture it on video 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:53.840 because Dad Eric had the cam quarter handy. Yes, and 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:57.520 it was super cute. But I think we introduced right 0:01:57.560 --> 0:02:00.880 cereal first with Wyatt too, but I'm not exactly sure. 0:02:01.080 --> 0:02:04.120 I'm trying to remember what you started lennox on. Honestly, 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:06.840 I don't remember anything on that, mom, Like, I didn't 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:09.280 write anything down. Well, I know it wasn't right Cyril, 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:11.880 because we had moved on from that. It was probably 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:15.800 a vegetable perium thing. Was probably like a packet. Yeah, 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:19.920 because he loved he absolutely loved I remember, um was 0:02:20.000 --> 0:02:24.320 it a Plumber organic pet? I loved them too, And 0:02:24.440 --> 0:02:28.200 he loved the purple carrot one. Yeah, he liked the 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:30.600 purple carrot. There was also one that tastes like Thanksgiving. 0:02:30.639 --> 0:02:32.640 I think it was like cinnamon something. I don't know. 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:35.200 It was so good. Yeah, I loved it. Maybe you 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:38.120 liked it. And it wasn't him after all. I just 0:02:38.240 --> 0:02:41.920 remember that he did he initially he loves solids. I 0:02:41.919 --> 0:02:45.799 mean I remember him eating whole milk yogurt. I remember 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:49.360 one time we were at a video shoot. You had 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:52.120 him on your lap in front of the craft services 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:55.520 table and there and there's a there's a bowl of 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:59.240 cream cheese and he just like dove headfirst into it 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:03.560 a lot of dream cheese. It was crazy, Um, how 0:03:03.600 --> 0:03:06.040 did you start with Sebby? So we were on our 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:09.960 way to Lebanon to baptize Sebby and arrived at Heathrow 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:14.160 and it was just one of those like hey, just 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:17.200 try food. So we gave him a banana. He was 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:22.520 not about that life. He's like, what is this? That changed? Yes, 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:25.600 but yeah, I was actually expecting him to be way 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:29.000 more into it and that whole trip, like he participated 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:33.760 in like Lebanese spices and stuff like baby food, and 0:03:33.880 --> 0:03:37.720 he wasn't. He hated it. He hated any sort of 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:43.280 baby food. Lennox loved a good pouch. Sevy was not 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:47.760 on board, which is I, boy, have those roles reverse. 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:51.840 So let's take a quick break and when we come back. 0:03:51.920 --> 0:04:10.240 I'm answering the biggest questions you have about starting solids? Okay, mom, 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:14.000 so let's break down the biggest questions our listeners have 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:18.960 about starting those solids. How do you really know that 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.320 your baby is ready to start solids? I know that 0:04:21.400 --> 0:04:24.599 things are obviously different with every baby, but what's like 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:27.680 the average age range? And when should we have that 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:31.440 conversation with the pediatrician and be like, hey, should we 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.960 do this? Should we do this? So most pediatricians give 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:39.520 the official green light, that's the a P recommendation at 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:43.240 six months, but don't wait, don't wait to have the conversation, 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:45.560 have it at the four months check up, because that 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:47.760 way you can ask all your questions and you can 0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:51.920 be prepared. Some pediutricians will give you the go ahead 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:55.960 just a little bit earlier. Definitely not before four months. 0:04:55.960 --> 0:05:00.560 But if a baby is absolutely chomp at the bit, 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:04.559 if she's showing signs of readiness, and there's a whole 0:05:04.560 --> 0:05:07.520 long list of signs of readiness, but the highlights are 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:10.280 your baby should be able to hold up her head 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:15.440 well and sit at least propped, because it's really not 0:05:15.560 --> 0:05:18.719 safe or easy to feed a baby who slumped over. 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:22.720 The other thing is some babies start taking an interest 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.720 in food when they are starting to feel ready, and 0:05:26.800 --> 0:05:29.400 that might mean that they're eyeing every bite you take 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:33.120 or they're grabbing at your spoon. Would you guys, actually, 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:39.000 did I remember that cuties? Are there problems with starting 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:43.479 too early or waiting too long to get into that 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.440 food train? Yeah, definitely, I mean starting too soon can 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:51.360 sometimes trigger allergies. But it's also a matter of digestive readiness, 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.840 because a baby who's too young doesn't have the enzymes 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:58.479 that are necessary to digest solids. Plus, babies in the 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:03.080 first six months really at everything they need nutrition wise, 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:06.280 from breast milk or formula. Now, on the other hand, 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:10.960 waiting too long the downside isn't necessarily about them needing 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.880 nutrients and not getting them, but it's about them needing 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:17.640 the experience of eating solids and not getting it because 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:20.320 it's way harder, you know, to teach an older baby 0:06:20.360 --> 0:06:22.960 new tricks, and if they're really set in their ways, 0:06:23.240 --> 0:06:26.839 you know, they're stubborn. Yeah, they're used to their liquids 0:06:26.839 --> 0:06:28.919 and then all of a sudden, you're you're putting something 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:32.320 solid into their mouth. You know, well, after six months, 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:35.480 maybe you know, some parents wait till eight months or so, 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:38.520 then they might not be so open, and you know 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:42.800 it's six months, they're ready, but they're still relatively putty 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:45.159 in your hands. I feel like there are so many 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.719 unknowns and variables in the situation. What are the best 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:52.120 foods to start out with? And how do you decide 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:55.480 what is right for your baby? Well, like I said, 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:59.120 not right cereal, that's not recommended anymore. That was always 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:01.719 to go to for food and it doesn't really have 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:04.880 anything going for it besides not having taste or texture. 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:07.960 It has iron, but babies can get that important iron 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.400 after six months from either the formula they're drinking or 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:14.240 from if their breastfeed from a vitamin mineral drops. So 0:07:14.320 --> 0:07:17.160 not not to worry about that now. In terms of 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:20.080 first food, there's a lot of things you could choose from. 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:24.160 It's not like the world is literally their oyster at first. 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:27.320 You wouldn't want to start with a plate of oysters, 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:29.960 but there are so many other foods that you can 0:07:29.960 --> 0:07:34.200 start with. Veggies are favorite, like harrots, or sweet potatoes 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:39.080 or squash, those are all sweet veggies. Avocado that is 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:42.480 actually one of the best, very best first baby foods. 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:45.240 Most babies love it and if it's a ripe avocado. 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:50.640 It's the perfect texture fruit like mango or banana or watermelon. 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.080 I mean, the common wisdom is to start first with 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.520 vegetables because you know you don't want baby to get 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.480 a taste for sweet things first. But the tooth is 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:00.920 babies really have a sweet tooth no matter what, so 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:04.239 you know it's not a deal breaker. Um, you can't 0:08:04.240 --> 0:08:08.160 even start with whole milk yogurt. Lennox loved whole milk yogurt. 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:12.080 Sebby loves scrambled egg, which is perfectly fine. First food, 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:15.520 whole grain cereal. If you're gonna do cereal, choose one 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:19.200 that's whole grain, not that refined very cereal. But really, 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:24.080 the best person to ask is not me, it's your pediatrician. 0:08:24.960 --> 0:08:27.400 So that's why you should ask at the four months 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:29.400 check of like, what do you think I should start 0:08:29.440 --> 0:08:32.840 with first? I did that. You know it's gonna get messy. 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:35.679 So my personal best advice is to get that camera ready. 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:39.320 You're not gonna want to miss that moment to look 0:08:39.320 --> 0:08:43.680 back on. That's a Kodak moment. I'm dating myself. But 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:48.040 is there a right way to start introducing solids with 0:08:48.360 --> 0:08:50.320 how you feed it to them. I want my kids 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:53.160 to feel like he's at a Michelin star meal his 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:55.640 first bite. You know, I really want to go in 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:58.439 with a bang. I know, you with a white napkins 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:02.360 and tablecloth. Yeah, yeah, you definitely have that right on 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:05.240 the messy part, because if it's not messy, you're you're 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:10.360 definitely doing something wrong. So skip the white tablecloth unless 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:13.840 you really like washing them. Let's set some basic ground 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:17.319 roles for starting solids. You want to start in a highchair, 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:21.079 not only because it's the safest place to feed baby salids, 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:23.760 but because it's a really good habit to get into, 0:09:24.360 --> 0:09:28.679 not in your lab not n CARSI and ultimately not 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:34.000 when they're crawling around or running around. Emma guilty. And 0:09:34.040 --> 0:09:36.800 of course you you definitely want to dress them for 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:39.720 the mess dress for mess um, which means either a 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:42.560 diaper or a diaper in a bib. And I say 0:09:42.679 --> 0:09:46.760 advantage bib only for the fact that is a good 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.440 habit to get them into. And you want that big, giant, 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:54.360 massive rubber bib with the trench built in love those, 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:58.240 don't you think, yes, yes, yes, And then it definitely 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:00.640 helps to put a splat mat under did you use 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.080 the splat Matt. Yes, I still have it for Stubby. 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:08.240 He can't eat without spilling, and he's well either swat 0:10:08.320 --> 0:10:11.120 Matt or a dog. Yeah, well I never had a dog, 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.240 but I had splot mats for both kids. Nobody's happier 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:16.920 than the family dog. When a baby starts solids and 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:20.240 then slow and slower wins the race, Um, you should 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:23.640 leave yourself lots and lots of time because it's going 0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:26.120 to take lots and lots of time because baby food 0:10:26.160 --> 0:10:29.720 is never a fast food. And really, I can't emphasize 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:33.360 this enough. No pushing, no prodding. How much or how 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:37.679 little your baby eats should always be his business. And 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:41.960 also no projecting, like if you hate avocado, that doesn't 0:10:41.960 --> 0:10:44.880 mean your baby is gonna hate avocado. And just because 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:48.200 you have a sweet tooth doesn't mean your baby will 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:51.280 want everything sweet either. And as for the Michelin star, 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:54.920 I say baby steps. The potential is there to raise 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:56.800 a foodie. I mean there might even be hope for 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:01.120 Lennox who knows. So to me that sounds really time consuming. 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:04.040 Maybe that's because I have two kids, So is it 0:11:04.400 --> 0:11:07.600 really better to make your own baby food? Lint? I 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:12.400 would never call myself lazy, but I never ever once 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:16.240 made baby food. I I opened a jar. By all means, 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.160 if you want to go for it, if you're feeling motivated, 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:22.880 and it can be as easy as pureing an avocado, 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:25.439 or it can be something way more ambitious. You might 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:28.280 be looking for recipes online, and that's fine. You can 0:11:28.440 --> 0:11:31.000 make big batches, you can freeze them in ice cube 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:34.960 trays so that you have individual servings, but don't feel 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:38.120 any pressure to do it. You have enough to do, 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.280 and it's not necessarily more nutritious to make your own 0:11:41.360 --> 0:11:44.840 anymore than buying fresh produce and steaming it and cutting 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:48.560 it up yourself is more nutritious than buying frozen um 0:11:48.600 --> 0:11:51.640 and in fact, most baby foods are super nutritious. When 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:55.920 there are so many healthy options. You can buy pouches 0:11:55.960 --> 0:11:58.560 and jars and even frozen ones, and so many of 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:03.560 them are organic. To just make sure that, whether you're 0:12:03.880 --> 0:12:07.000 doing it yourself, for your buying, that you pass on 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:10.560 the salt and the sugar and the added fat because 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:14.000 your baby doesn't need that. You can also sabotage their 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:16.520 taste for straight up foods now. On the other hand, 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:20.719 you mentioned cinnamon earlier and spices are fine. I mean, 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.360 Sebby loves garlic right now, it's ironic. No, you don't 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:29.520 love garlic, but spices, whether it's cinnamon, garlic, curry, some 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:31.840 babies absolutely love that and there's no reason not to 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:35.360 give it to them. Sebby loves garlic because his dad 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:38.160 is Lebanese, so it's probably genetic. Because I hate garlic. 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:40.640 I'm like a vampire, you know. And sometimes, you know, 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:44.480 the flavor learning does begin in utero, but clearly it 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:48.240 was not going on in your utero, definitely not. So. 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:50.840 I know you're supposed to keep trying when a baby 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:54.600 doesn't like a food, but realistically, how many times this 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.120 feels like really stressful. I get really upset when my 0:12:57.160 --> 0:13:02.040 baby is uncomfortable or upset. It is realistic, yeah, I 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:06.080 mean it could take actually ten or fifteen tries of 0:13:06.160 --> 0:13:09.679 the same food before your baby decides to accept and 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:12.600 lap up something that you're offering a new food. So 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.160 if first you don't succeed, just try to try again, 0:13:15.320 --> 0:13:17.760 you know, wait a few days, wait until next month, 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:22.360 and then try again before your baby gets stuck into 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:26.200 a preschool run of only liking one or two foods 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:32.040 like both My children right now. Yeah, maybe what foods 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:35.080 are no knows anything that a baby can choke on. 0:13:35.480 --> 0:13:39.160 Um No, gagging is completely different. We'll get into that later. 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:43.000 So nothing they can choke on. Honey, No honey for 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:46.040 your little honey in the first year. Skip juice for 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:48.600 the first year at least. I mean, there's no compelling 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:52.840 reason to give your child juice anyway. Otherwise, most pedutricians 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:56.040 are gonna, okay, most foods in a baby friendly form 0:13:56.280 --> 0:14:01.200 for most babies. And what about allergies and starting foods 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:05.479 that allergetic You know, they're dreaded, but not that uncommon. 0:14:05.679 --> 0:14:09.200 You know, this has actually changed a lot. Doctors used 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.240 to think it was important to hold off on allergenic foods, 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:16.880 so nuts, peanuts, egg whites until after the first birthday. 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:19.080 That's definitely what I did with you and Wyatt. But 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:23.520 now research shows that introducing allergenic foods earlier, say it's 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:28.040 six months, can reduce the baby's risk of developing allergies. 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:31.920 So first thing you do, always check with a pediatrician 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:35.000 for the go ahead. But most are going to suggest 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:38.840 offering peanuts for instance, not obviously not peanuts in baby 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:43.200 friendly form. There are mixing powders or pouches designed to 0:14:43.240 --> 0:14:45.960 introduce allergenic foods like peanuts to babies. I did that, 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:48.080 was Seby. I did that was Seby. So at least 0:14:48.080 --> 0:14:49.920 we know he's not allergic to peanuts. I don't think. 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:52.600 I don't think Lennox has ever tried a peanut or 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:56.360 a peanut butter. He's never had a nut but and 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:59.960 of course scrambled eggs. Sebi loves and loves eggs. Yeah, 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:03.640 go figure. Do you need to introduce one food at 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:08.520 a time. I assume that's probably great for allergy detecting. Again, 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.200 check with the pediatrition. Most are going to suggest waiting 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:16.640 a few days between new foods. Um introduce one, then 0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:18.560 wait a few days to see if there's any kind 0:15:18.560 --> 0:15:21.720 of allergic reaction, which there usually isn't, and then go 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:25.680 on to another food. How should you feed solids in 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:28.600 the beginning? Do you start with breakfast, lunch, and dinner? 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.120 How do you know how much exactly to give them? 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.760 You know, the important thing to remember is that press 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:38.960 milk formula. Those are the mainstays of the baby side 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:43.320 until the first birthday. Solids aren't really about the nutrition, 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:47.120 They're about the experience. They're not about serving sizes. They're 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.600 not about you know, how much you give and how 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:54.360 often you give it. For now, just consider nutritional gravy. Right, 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.040 it's not supposed to take the place of rest milk 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.440 or formula. And there really aren't any rules about how 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:02.400 many meals to clearly start with one meal. See how 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:05.680 that goes. What you want is your baby to be 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:09.080 in a really good mood, not the cranky hour. That's 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:11.280 not the best time to give it. Um Also not 0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:16.520 when they're overtired, when they're starving, because if they're in 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:19.840 the market for breasts or a bottle and are really hungry, 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:22.800 they're just not going to take that food. So it 0:16:22.880 --> 0:16:25.080 is a better idea to give them that solid meal 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.960 between their their breasts or bottle feeding so that they're 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:31.880 not starving or stuff to the gills. And then once 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:34.000 your baby gets used to one meal, then you can 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:36.320 move to two and then eventually three as you get 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:38.920 closer to the first birthday. And at that point you 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:41.040 can also add a you know, a little snack here 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:57.600 and there. Okay, so now onto a big one baby 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:01.160 lead meaning I didn't do it with one, but I 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:03.120 did do it with Sebby and I'm really glad I 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:06.280 did because Seby eats way more than Lennox. I know 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:08.200 a lot of parents are doing it. It's kind of 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:10.919 like the hip cool thing to do, but I also 0:17:11.040 --> 0:17:13.880 know parents who are terrified that their baby will choke. 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.439 I mean, I'm still scary of my kids choking. I 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.160 wanted them as seven, and I'll probably be nervous when 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:22.000 he's twenty. But there have been a couple of near 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.640 misses seven there. Yeah, there has for both of them. 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:27.560 But it was something they found on the floor, not 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:29.920 something you put in front of them. So there's that. 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.439 I mean, like a lego. Yeah. So I am a 0:17:33.480 --> 0:17:37.240 fan of baby lead weaning. What it is, um, it's 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:41.560 literally letting baby lead the way on solids, and I 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:43.679 hear it over and over again from parents who have 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:47.640 tried it. Babies love it and they end up being 0:17:47.720 --> 0:17:51.000 more adventurous eaters. So it's true what you said. Let's 0:17:51.000 --> 0:17:55.680 break it down. First things first, check with a pediatrician. UM. Now, 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:59.320 the AP doesn't come out for or against baby lead weaning, 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.800 but it's always a good idea to get your pediatricians. Take. 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.080 What you do with this is you put the food 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:08.959 on a high chair tray and you let baby go 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:12.159 to town. Simple as that you let them touch it, 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:15.320 smear it. Ultimately, the hope is that they put it 0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:18.040 in their mouth. At some point, I had a mom 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:21.440 post a video on my Facebook page which was hysterical. 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:26.119 She gave her baby spaghetti with tomato sauce, and the 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:29.040 baby couldn't get her hands on spaghetti because it was 0:18:29.040 --> 0:18:32.280 so slippery. So she literally she just put her head 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:35.399 down on the high chair tray and she licked the 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:38.200 sauce off the spaghetti, and she was happy as a clam. 0:18:38.400 --> 0:18:40.840 She was happy as a clamp. I mean, it should 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.000 look like a crime scene when you're done with Oh 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.080 my gosh, remember when Sevy had that red packet and 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.840 it was all over him at your house. Actually it 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:54.640 looks like he was, like, you know, wanted by the FBI. Yeah, 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:56.879 that's that comes with the territory. I mean, the rules 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:58.880 are as long as the food that you're giving your 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:02.840 baby is small pieces, and as long as those small 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:06.880 pieces can be mushed together by their gums, then then 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:09.320 it's ago. So I mean it could be pieces of 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:13.679 soft banana or soft sweet potato, or soft cooked carrot, 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:16.520 or it could be mango. It could be scrambled eggs. 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:19.200 It could be little pieces of French toes. It could 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:23.520 be soft cooked pasta pieces. It could be flakes of fish. 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:26.440 It could be cottage cheese or yogurt. I mean literally, 0:19:26.480 --> 0:19:30.240 anything that you give your baby could end up being 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.159 a finger food. And that goes for yogurt. They just 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:35.160 put their fingers in it and they look it off. 0:19:35.560 --> 0:19:38.880 So the ideas get your baby used to eating whatever 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:42.840 you know you're eating in modified form, assuming that what 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:47.280 you're eating is baby appropriate. So clearly not a t bone, 0:19:47.960 --> 0:19:51.960 but maybe minced up hamburger is fine. This was the 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:53.960 one time I did make baby food. I would make 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:57.520 Sevy those little tiny muffins that were like whole grain, 0:19:57.720 --> 0:20:01.800 whole wheats with blueberries in them, and they were super soft, 0:20:01.920 --> 0:20:04.560 and he loved they were made. They were made with love. 0:20:04.600 --> 0:20:07.720 That's that's when I say a lenox every night, here's 0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:10.199 your dinner made with love. And sometimes he'll ask me, 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:12.400 He's like, is it made with love? I say, yes, 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:17.280 it is. So a baby doesn't need teeth to actually 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:20.280 do baby lead weaning, right. This is something parents asked 0:20:20.440 --> 0:20:24.159 all the time. And to clarify, you know, some babies 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:27.480 get their first teeth way before they're ready to start solids. 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:30.359 Like you had your first teeth at four months, Um, 0:20:30.400 --> 0:20:33.080 that wasn't going to help you out at all. Some 0:20:33.119 --> 0:20:36.760 babies get their teeth super early before they're even ready 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:39.680 to eat solids, and some babies don't get any teeth 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:43.080 at all until they were like fourteen months. So you 0:20:43.080 --> 0:20:46.600 you don't need to wait for teeth either way. And 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:49.600 what you need to keep in mind is that the 0:20:49.680 --> 0:20:52.600 first teeth are not for chewing. They can't chew with 0:20:52.640 --> 0:20:55.120 those teeth. They can only bite with those teeth. And 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:57.680 the reality is until they have a full set of molars, 0:20:57.920 --> 0:21:00.440 the teeth really aren't going to be reliable or effective 0:21:00.480 --> 0:21:03.200 for chewing anyway. So it's all about the gums. If 0:21:03.240 --> 0:21:06.159 you're wondering whether a food you're giving your baby for 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:10.359 baby lid weaning is safe, put it in your mouth 0:21:10.560 --> 0:21:14.280 and try to chew it without teeth, using just your gums, 0:21:14.480 --> 0:21:17.080 and if it wishes right up, then you're good to go. 0:21:17.600 --> 0:21:19.280 So I know a lot of parents are doing this, 0:21:19.400 --> 0:21:21.639 but I also know a lot of people and parents 0:21:21.760 --> 0:21:25.320 who are terrified their babies will choke. Um, I feel 0:21:25.320 --> 0:21:28.240 like that never goes away, Like I said, but talk 0:21:28.320 --> 0:21:30.879 to me. I totally get it. I mean, but we 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:34.200 got to clear up the difference between gagging and choking. 0:21:34.960 --> 0:21:38.680 Babies can gag on pure as, they can gag on 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:41.119 pretty much anything. They can gag on their own tool. 0:21:41.160 --> 0:21:43.640 When they're teething and they're drooling up a storm, they're 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:47.600 they're always gagging. It's just their way of clearing their throats, 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.679 so it doesn't mean they're choking. Choking is completely different 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:53.840 because it's silent. It's want a baby can breathe or 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:57.840 make any sounds. And that said, of course, you should 0:21:57.880 --> 0:22:01.520 only serve your baby food when they're sitting down in 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:04.000 their high chair, and only if your baby has good 0:22:04.040 --> 0:22:07.159 head control, and you should only offer foods that a 0:22:07.200 --> 0:22:10.880 baby can come And on top of all that, whether 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:13.800 you're starting with baby lid waning or whether you're starting 0:22:13.800 --> 0:22:18.399 with purees, take your baby CPR class so that you 0:22:18.440 --> 0:22:20.800 know what to do in case your baby ever chokes. 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:23.280 And it doesn't have to be on food ps. It 0:22:23.359 --> 0:22:25.760 can be on that lego, it can be on something 0:22:25.800 --> 0:22:29.120 they find on the floor that maybe you dropped, So 0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:31.639 that's important regardless, so you know what to do in 0:22:31.640 --> 0:22:34.200 case of a choking incident. But don't give your baby 0:22:34.280 --> 0:22:37.200 any hard foods that actually need to be chewed with 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:40.440 teeth or that could be easily inhaled. So that goes 0:22:40.520 --> 0:22:45.160 for the whole nuts. No popcorn, no hot dogs unless 0:22:45.200 --> 0:22:48.000 you slice them and slice them and slice them again. 0:22:48.400 --> 0:22:53.480 No whole grapes, no harder sticky candy, no raw carrot sticks. 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:57.280 Even Lenox knows this, Like, if Sevy wants popcorn, Lenox 0:22:57.359 --> 0:23:00.239 is like, he cannot have popcorn unless you break it up. 0:23:00.280 --> 0:23:02.439 You have to smash it up. He really took it 0:23:02.520 --> 0:23:08.359 to heart. He's a concerned brother. Way to protect your baby, brother, Lennox. Yeah, okay, 0:23:08.359 --> 0:23:10.879 so now we've talked it out, what advice would you 0:23:10.960 --> 0:23:14.359 give your mom friends out there who are still nervous 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:18.120 about that first flight of solids? Okay, so I got you. 0:23:18.600 --> 0:23:23.360 I messed up being neurotic with my first one. Um 0:23:23.359 --> 0:23:26.280 with Sevy, he was a great eater. Now he's got 0:23:26.320 --> 0:23:29.280