Feeding Your Little One ( The First Year)

Ever wondered what and when to feed your infant during the first year? Here is a look at my first year feeding my little guy including the highs and lows and everything in between!

I can not believe it’s been almost a year since our little man entered our lives! Where has the time gone??! So much has changed over the past year, especially when it comes to feeding our son. I have enjoyed every moment and have found a new love for food. There is nothing like watching your little one experience new foods for the first time!  It has also given me another reason to cook and experiment with foods.   So, I’ve decided to add on to my current blog by sharing tips, tricks and recipes all focused on feeding your child. Don’t worry I will still be sharing my easy and healthy recipes you all know and love, but may be adding in ways to make them kid friendly!

To start I wanted to give you a glimpse into my first year. One thing I have learned is no mom or child is the same. So this post is by no means the way “it should be” but how things worked and went for me!

Here it goes..

0-4 Months:  They say breast is best…and I 100% agree. But after a difficult first month I totally get why some women decide to stop or supplement. Breastfeeding is tough but also the most rewarding thing I have ever done. What kept me going in the beginning was seeing a  lactation consultant and attending a breastfeeding support each week. I could go and do weighed feedings to see how much he was actually taking and get the support of other moms who were going through the same thing. It was also a great excuse to get out of the house!!

4-5 Months: My pediatrician recommended starting solids. I was not ready! First off by this point breastfeeding was easier and I was on some sort of a “schedule”. And if you are a mom you totally get how important a schedule can be for your sanity! So I decided to hold off for a bit.

5-6 Months: I finally decided to start solids. I started with one food a day around lunchtime then introduced a new food every 3-4 days. Some of his first foods were avocado, banana, oat cereal, sweet potato, and lentils.

6-8 Months: I increased to two “meals” per day around lunch and dinnertime. When I say meals he really wasn’t eating much so I continued to breast feed about 5 times a day. I also started introducing combination foods ( i.e avocado and zucchini or sweet potato and apples) and adding in more flavors like cinnamon and other herbs and spices. Around 7 months I also started whole milk yogurt. He’s a huge fan of siggis 4% whole milk yogurts, just like his mom 😉

8-10 Months:  I increased to three meals a day and cut back to nursing 4 times a day. I started giving him finger foods like rice puffs, small pieces of banana and avocado. Basically any food that he could pick up and easily mash in his mouth. Over the next month or two I started adding in more foods like well cooked vegetables, other fruits, pieces of bread, soft meats like ground meat and fish and eggs.

10-12 Months: At this point he was getting really good at eating just about anything and I started experimenting with new foods and giving him foods were eating at meals.

Let’s just say it’s been messy but a fun journey so far! I look forward to sharing more of our feeding adventures and recipes with you soon ?