Neko-chan
Lovin' The Homestead
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- Thread starter Neko-chan
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so lucky
Almost Self-Reliant
Yeah, it seems like there are two totally opposite schools of thought on liver. I'm pretty sure I couldn't feed any child of mine raw liver, as long as there is a way of cooking it. 
We started feeding "solids" with home cooked and pureed veggies, bananas and other fruits, and yogurt, then moved on to include cheese and meats.
Our kids didn't have solids till around 6 months, and didn't eat much in the way of solids until closer to 8-9 months when they could self-feed.
Breast-fed babies don't need any supplemental foods until well past 6 months, our doctor recommended we start at that age with our first because she wasn't exclusively breast-fed (due to latch problems I never produced enough for her so we also fed her formula--and she wasn't much better latching onto a bottle than the breast so she moved up to a cup quite quickly).
Both of our kids really liked certain things (peas, melon and especially bananas--neither one like carrots as infants but both like them now). Both also really enjoyed chicken/turkey and meatloaf/hamburger patties as they got old enough to eat these meats.
We did occasionally feed rice, barley and oat cereals, but not on any kind of regular basis--mostly because infant cereal was expensive and our doctor (who was very progressive and was trained in New Zealand) didn't place emphasis on cereals.
I have never cooked liver because neither hubs nor I like it (it's actually genetic whether or not you like liver) and our kids didn't have eggs, fish/seafood, strawberries, peanuts/peanut butter or any other typically "allergenic" foods until well after 12 months of age. We introduced grains in the order that our doctor suggested: rice, barley, oats, wheat--and didn't start grains till 7 or 8 months.
I had to look all of this up in their baby books, because they are now aged 14 and 15 and all I could really say for sure from memory was that they liked peas, bananas and meat and didn't start on solids till after 6 months.
I would suggest that it is most important to ensure that your child is growing well, hitting benchmarks within the suggested timeline, and that you avoid potentially allergenic foods as you introduce new things to baby. If you are able to breast feed, baby won't need supplemental nutrition till well after 6 months of age, and then it was always suggested to me that one start with veggies so as to not introduce the "sweetness" of fruits before the more "savoury" tastes of veggies. General guidelines that served us well
neither of my kids has any allergies and neither is very picky about food (other than that the oldest doesn't like peas or for her food groups to "touch" on the plate and doesn't like sauces, and the youngest doesn't like cheese) and both are very open to world cuisines.
Our kids didn't have solids till around 6 months, and didn't eat much in the way of solids until closer to 8-9 months when they could self-feed.
Breast-fed babies don't need any supplemental foods until well past 6 months, our doctor recommended we start at that age with our first because she wasn't exclusively breast-fed (due to latch problems I never produced enough for her so we also fed her formula--and she wasn't much better latching onto a bottle than the breast so she moved up to a cup quite quickly).
Both of our kids really liked certain things (peas, melon and especially bananas--neither one like carrots as infants but both like them now). Both also really enjoyed chicken/turkey and meatloaf/hamburger patties as they got old enough to eat these meats.
We did occasionally feed rice, barley and oat cereals, but not on any kind of regular basis--mostly because infant cereal was expensive and our doctor (who was very progressive and was trained in New Zealand) didn't place emphasis on cereals.
I have never cooked liver because neither hubs nor I like it (it's actually genetic whether or not you like liver) and our kids didn't have eggs, fish/seafood, strawberries, peanuts/peanut butter or any other typically "allergenic" foods until well after 12 months of age. We introduced grains in the order that our doctor suggested: rice, barley, oats, wheat--and didn't start grains till 7 or 8 months.
I had to look all of this up in their baby books, because they are now aged 14 and 15 and all I could really say for sure from memory was that they liked peas, bananas and meat and didn't start on solids till after 6 months.
I would suggest that it is most important to ensure that your child is growing well, hitting benchmarks within the suggested timeline, and that you avoid potentially allergenic foods as you introduce new things to baby. If you are able to breast feed, baby won't need supplemental nutrition till well after 6 months of age, and then it was always suggested to me that one start with veggies so as to not introduce the "sweetness" of fruits before the more "savoury" tastes of veggies. General guidelines that served us well
neither of my kids has any allergies and neither is very picky about food (other than that the oldest doesn't like peas or for her food groups to "touch" on the plate and doesn't like sauces, and the youngest doesn't like cheese) and both are very open to world cuisines.The article lacks citations, so I wouldn't put much stock in it.
Example: the measurement of amylase in the digestive tract of a human is challenging. It's not something you can just check at home. You have to GET the sample. And you have to measure the concentration of a specific enzyme. And I think there are several enzymes that are similar to amylase, secreted in various places. And measurements involving humans are complicated, especially when there's a child involved. Point is, it's complicated and someone must have published a proper peer-reviewed paper---but it's not cited. That smacks of laziness and ideaology.
Example: the measurement of amylase in the digestive tract of a human is challenging. It's not something you can just check at home. You have to GET the sample. And you have to measure the concentration of a specific enzyme. And I think there are several enzymes that are similar to amylase, secreted in various places. And measurements involving humans are complicated, especially when there's a child involved. Point is, it's complicated and someone must have published a proper peer-reviewed paper---but it's not cited. That smacks of laziness and ideaology.
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Neko-chan
Lovin' The Homestead
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Marianne
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Ehhhhh....
Re: the article - well, that's one opinion. Not necessarily mine.
I gave my kids some of the stuff the author is screaming 'evil', and they were fine. But as soon as they were ready, I used a little baby food grinder to mush up veggies, etc that I had cooked. Mostly because we were broke, though, and baby food in jars was expensive.
And I really agree with Moolie on this:
I would suggest that it is most important to ensure that your child is growing well, hitting benchmarks within the suggested timeline, and that you avoid potentially allergenic foods as you introduce new things to baby. If you are able to breast feed, baby won't need supplemental nutrition till well after 6 months of age, and then it was always suggested to me that one start with veggies so as to not introduce the "sweetness" of fruits before the more "savoury" tastes of veggies. General guidelines that served us well neither of my kids has any allergies and neither is very picky about food (other than that the oldest doesn't like peas or for her food groups to "touch" on the plate and doesn't like sauces, and the youngest doesn't like cheese) and both are very open to world cuisines.
Re: the article - well, that's one opinion. Not necessarily mine.
I gave my kids some of the stuff the author is screaming 'evil', and they were fine. But as soon as they were ready, I used a little baby food grinder to mush up veggies, etc that I had cooked. Mostly because we were broke, though, and baby food in jars was expensive.
And I really agree with Moolie on this:
I would suggest that it is most important to ensure that your child is growing well, hitting benchmarks within the suggested timeline, and that you avoid potentially allergenic foods as you introduce new things to baby. If you are able to breast feed, baby won't need supplemental nutrition till well after 6 months of age, and then it was always suggested to me that one start with veggies so as to not introduce the "sweetness" of fruits before the more "savoury" tastes of veggies. General guidelines that served us well neither of my kids has any allergies and neither is very picky about food (other than that the oldest doesn't like peas or for her food groups to "touch" on the plate and doesn't like sauces, and the youngest doesn't like cheese) and both are very open to world cuisines.
Neko-chan, you will find that everyone has general as well as strongly-held opinions about how to have a healthy pregnancy, birth, and child.
As soon as you begin to show, your body somehow magically becomes public property and people will touch your belly without compunction (or asking). They will give advice and judge your behaviours as you try to navigate your 40 weeks as you just try to have a normal life. They will give advice and judge the choices you make regarding the birth of your child, and they will continue to give advice and judge the choices you make as you raise that child to adulthood. And probably beyond I'm sure, my kids are only 14 and 15 so I've got a ways to go.
Arm yourself with as much information as you can and don't worry too much about getting everything right (good sources of info for me personally included a publication put out by my local health department that I passed on to a friend after my kids were born (I believe it was called From Here to Maternity) and two books: What to Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect the First Year--I see from googling links for those that the author also has written What to Expect Before You're Expecting, which might be of some help at the point you are at).
If you and your partner are both healthy and of a healthy weight, that is the most important first step. Any dietary deficiencies should be addressed and your doctor will give you good advice on this topic. On my doctor's advice, I took a folic acid supplement before becoming pregnant and ate foods high in folic acid before and during my pregnancy, and took a "maternal supplement" vitamin throughout pregnancy. I don't take vitamins as a rule, but played along on that one for baby's sake. I'm also lactose-intolerant but found that I could tolerate a serving of dairy products and actually drink milk while I was pregnant, so I took in all my system could take for the calcium hit.
But that's just my experience and you may have different maternal needs--check with your doctor.
Whatever you do, don't rely on only one source of info, and trust your heart and common sense
As soon as you begin to show, your body somehow magically becomes public property and people will touch your belly without compunction (or asking). They will give advice and judge your behaviours as you try to navigate your 40 weeks as you just try to have a normal life. They will give advice and judge the choices you make regarding the birth of your child, and they will continue to give advice and judge the choices you make as you raise that child to adulthood. And probably beyond I'm sure, my kids are only 14 and 15 so I've got a ways to go.
Arm yourself with as much information as you can and don't worry too much about getting everything right (good sources of info for me personally included a publication put out by my local health department that I passed on to a friend after my kids were born (I believe it was called From Here to Maternity) and two books: What to Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect the First Year--I see from googling links for those that the author also has written What to Expect Before You're Expecting, which might be of some help at the point you are at).
If you and your partner are both healthy and of a healthy weight, that is the most important first step. Any dietary deficiencies should be addressed and your doctor will give you good advice on this topic. On my doctor's advice, I took a folic acid supplement before becoming pregnant and ate foods high in folic acid before and during my pregnancy, and took a "maternal supplement" vitamin throughout pregnancy. I don't take vitamins as a rule, but played along on that one for baby's sake. I'm also lactose-intolerant but found that I could tolerate a serving of dairy products and actually drink milk while I was pregnant, so I took in all my system could take for the calcium hit.
But that's just my experience and you may have different maternal needs--check with your doctor.
Whatever you do, don't rely on only one source of info, and trust your heart and common sense
Mooli and Marianne are talking sense. I breastfed my infants and I didn't see any need to supplement that with other food. However, I left my 3 month old son with my sister one day and when I came home, she was giving him drips of chocolate milk shake out of a straw, and he was gaping like a baby bird because he liked it so much. Don't worry, he survived that.
After about 6 months, both my kids were slowly introduced to the same food we were eating. I didn't buy a whole lot of commercial baby food. They survivied that too. Neither one is allergic to anything (although my son has a major sweet tooth.)
After about 6 months, both my kids were slowly introduced to the same food we were eating. I didn't buy a whole lot of commercial baby food. They survivied that too. Neither one is allergic to anything (although my son has a major sweet tooth.)
