Eating again
Eating solid food has been somewhat of a problem for us lately. The first excitement, when Adelaide seemed to like having a chance to grab some pieces of food and put them in mouth, was long gone.. It seemed she played more with it and almost nothing was ending up in her mouth anymore. A couple times I tried offering her also some pureed food, and that she liked even less - making it pretty impossible to even put into her mouth, and then simply spitting it out.
Then our paediatrician upset me by her rules of 3 meals a day and that Adelaide wouldn't eat, because "we started too late", followed by a weird crying morning, which (who knows) might have been from an upset tummy..
It all got me so upset, it had gotten so hard and stressful, and as Adelaide was showing no wish to eat whatsoever, I decided to just take a break and a deep breath. So I didn't give her any food at all for.. almost 2 weeks, I guess. Life was simple and happy once again.
In a lot more relaxed mood I gave her two pieces of boiled carrot a couple of days ago. She liked it quite much, and even did something that resembled chewing for quite a while with a piece of carrot in her mouth.
(Later we found the carrot in her diaper.. Which is nothing new, but just another sign that she's not really ready to digest food yet.)
Yesterday I bought some organic corn-carrot sticks for babies, and she just loved those! She ate (really ate.. but ok, they are mostly air) whole 4 of them! :)
During dinner, we were having a sorrel soup, and I gave her a sip of the liquid from the soup (just for fun), and - to our surprise - she really liked it! Pretty much for the first time I saw that she actually swallowed it and stuck her tongue out for some more! She didn't eat any much (a little bit more the next day), but still - there definitely is some progress with her wish to eat! So maybe we are in a beginning of some new chapter.
If that was our practical experience for the moment, then some theory now..
The theory of when and how babies should start eating is really messed up and really unclear! There are grandmothers and older generation saying one thing, newer sources and WHO saying something totally different, and Baby Led Weaning supporters saying something even more different..
Who is to know, where is the truth?
Being a bit worried about this subject, I came across a phrase: Food before 1 is just for fun. It comes mostly from BLW supporters and prolonged breastfeeding fanatics.. as well as from parents, who's babies don't seem to really want to eat any much before age of 1 year or even after.
Then again, there are people who strongly condemn such belief, and are saying frightening facts, that only breastmilk is not enough after 6 months, not even talking about 1 year, mostly because it's scientifically proven, that there is not sufficient amounts of iron and zinc in the breastmilk, which are necessary for babies.
I usually believe in what is scientifically proven, but same time.. I also believe in nature and naturally determined things. Like - sure, of course there comes age, when only breastmilk is not enough and child needs some extra food. But it's not like these 6 months arrive and that's that. Have to jump from only-breastmilk diet to 3-decent-meals-a-day diet. It's impossible.. I believe that, yes, there has to be a transition, but a very gradual and mild one, lasting for months. Possibly, for all of these 6 months. Again, I have heard of so many children, who finally get interested in actual eating around 9 or even 10 months, or even later!.. And they are perfectly fine.
Importantly - it's not possible to make someone eat, if they don't want to. (And also don't want to push food into her mouth, while distracting her or cheating her, I want her to be self-regulating of what and how much she wants to eat.) So.. Once again, must stay calm and follow the child, waiting, when SHE will be ready to eat.
Of course, I think that parents should offer food - different kind of food and different ways (in pieces as well as with a spoon), so she would know there is such an option. At least daily. That's what I'm trying to do. I don't believe a child would starve with food in front of her.
Then our paediatrician upset me by her rules of 3 meals a day and that Adelaide wouldn't eat, because "we started too late", followed by a weird crying morning, which (who knows) might have been from an upset tummy..
It all got me so upset, it had gotten so hard and stressful, and as Adelaide was showing no wish to eat whatsoever, I decided to just take a break and a deep breath. So I didn't give her any food at all for.. almost 2 weeks, I guess. Life was simple and happy once again.
In a lot more relaxed mood I gave her two pieces of boiled carrot a couple of days ago. She liked it quite much, and even did something that resembled chewing for quite a while with a piece of carrot in her mouth.
(Later we found the carrot in her diaper.. Which is nothing new, but just another sign that she's not really ready to digest food yet.)
Yesterday I bought some organic corn-carrot sticks for babies, and she just loved those! She ate (really ate.. but ok, they are mostly air) whole 4 of them! :)
 |
| No pictures, please! :) |
During dinner, we were having a sorrel soup, and I gave her a sip of the liquid from the soup (just for fun), and - to our surprise - she really liked it! Pretty much for the first time I saw that she actually swallowed it and stuck her tongue out for some more! She didn't eat any much (a little bit more the next day), but still - there definitely is some progress with her wish to eat! So maybe we are in a beginning of some new chapter.
 |
| Yes, there is "soup" on her table as well! :D We allowed her to take it with hands, and she was even successful. |
If that was our practical experience for the moment, then some theory now..
The theory of when and how babies should start eating is really messed up and really unclear! There are grandmothers and older generation saying one thing, newer sources and WHO saying something totally different, and Baby Led Weaning supporters saying something even more different..
Who is to know, where is the truth?
Being a bit worried about this subject, I came across a phrase: Food before 1 is just for fun. It comes mostly from BLW supporters and prolonged breastfeeding fanatics.. as well as from parents, who's babies don't seem to really want to eat any much before age of 1 year or even after.
Then again, there are people who strongly condemn such belief, and are saying frightening facts, that only breastmilk is not enough after 6 months, not even talking about 1 year, mostly because it's scientifically proven, that there is not sufficient amounts of iron and zinc in the breastmilk, which are necessary for babies.
I usually believe in what is scientifically proven, but same time.. I also believe in nature and naturally determined things. Like - sure, of course there comes age, when only breastmilk is not enough and child needs some extra food. But it's not like these 6 months arrive and that's that. Have to jump from only-breastmilk diet to 3-decent-meals-a-day diet. It's impossible.. I believe that, yes, there has to be a transition, but a very gradual and mild one, lasting for months. Possibly, for all of these 6 months. Again, I have heard of so many children, who finally get interested in actual eating around 9 or even 10 months, or even later!.. And they are perfectly fine.
Importantly - it's not possible to make someone eat, if they don't want to. (And also don't want to push food into her mouth, while distracting her or cheating her, I want her to be self-regulating of what and how much she wants to eat.) So.. Once again, must stay calm and follow the child, waiting, when SHE will be ready to eat.
Of course, I think that parents should offer food - different kind of food and different ways (in pieces as well as with a spoon), so she would know there is such an option. At least daily. That's what I'm trying to do. I don't believe a child would starve with food in front of her.
Comments
Post a Comment