This post is sponsored by Similac as part of the Sisterhood of Motherhood campaign.
Hello, hello!
Someone turned 9 months old yesterday! I can’t believe how quickly this little guy is growing, and I swear each month gets more fun and exciting. And Quinn is developing quite the personality! He’s a happy little dude for sure!
I’ve wanted to write this post for awhile now since I get a lot of questions about how we feed Quinn. And, of course, there is no one right way to feed a baby, so I thought sharing what we do might give you some ideas. (And please share what you do too!) Obviously, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know you or your child or your family’s history of food allergies, so please talk to your child’s pediatrician before you start introducing new foods. Also, please keep in mind that what is right for my family might not be right for yours and vice versa. The Sisterhood of Motherhood is all about embracing mothers and nourishing each other the same way we nourish our children””with zero judgment. Ok, now onto how we feed our little peanut. In summary: He likes to EAT.
A brief history about introducing solids to Quinn”¦
At Quinn’s 6-month check-up, his pediatrician asked us if he was starting to reach for our food””and he was, big time””so his doctor encouraged us to start him on solids (stage 1 purees – apples, bananas, etc.). That same week, we gave Quinn his first solid food: apples! And he loved them. We did the whole same-food-for-three-days thing to make sure he didn’t have any sort of allergy and all went well. From there, we tried every stage 1 puree out there. We’d give Quinn his bottle (formula) and then feed him from a store-bought or homemade jar of pureed fruits or veggies until he was full. (I use the BEABA Babycook Baby Food Maker to make his food. It’s awesome and super easy to use.)
Quick note about Quinn’s formula since I get this question a lot too: Around 6-months, Quinn was drinking anywhere from 32-40 ounces of formula a day. Mal and I thought this was kind of a lot, so we called his pediatrician’s office and received two different answers from two different nurses: 1) it was too much formula and we should try to decrease the amount and 2) don’t worry about it, he’ll eventually want less formula and more food. Ok, then. Mal and I kept trucking along with the same amount of formula and, soon enough, Quinn started to become a lot more interested in food and drinking less formula on his own.
At 9 months, Quinn drinks about 30 ounces of formula per day. We asked his doctor if it was too much at his last appointment, and he said it was totally fine, so we’re just feeling Quinn out and letting him eat and drink what he wants. And, truthfully, things still vary quite a bit from day-to-day. Some days, he loves his bottle and hardly eats any food and, other days, he chows down and then doesn’t finish his bottle. We’re not worried about his eating habits at all. He’s gaining weight and growing””he’s super tall for his age”” and he really loves food. We joke that he has a hollow leg because we don’t know where he puts it all!
Ok, back to feeding Quinn solids”¦
When Quinn was 7-8 months, we started to slowly introduce more table food””a bite of this or bite of that. Basically, anything he reached for on our plates or in our hands, we’d give him to try””within reason, of course. It’s not like we’d feed him a hard, crunchy tortilla chip, but if he wanted a taste of a soft, squishy muffin, we’d let him taste it. Around this time, we also introduced “puffs,” little veggie, fruit, and grain pieces. We started by putting a few on his highchair tray at the start of his meal. His pincher grip wasn’t great back then, so he’d struggle to get them in his mouth, but he was determined to feed himself. After that, we’d feed him his bottle and then some fruit/veggie puree. (Around this time, we started on the stage 2 purees””fruit & veggie blends, fruit & grains, dinners, etc. as well as some puree pouches and yogurt.)
As the weeks and months passed, we gave Quinn more and more food to feed himself””in tiny pieces, of course. Some favorites: Sliced banana, blueberries, steamed broccoli and asparagus tops, baked potato and sweet potato chunks, avocado, pancakes, elbow pasta, Cheerios, beans, bread with peanut butter (our pediatrician encouraged us to give Quinn peanut butter sooner than later to avoid him developing an allergy), and pita bread with pasta sauce. We still give Quinn a bottle (usually 6 ounces) and then have him finish his meal with purees and/or oatmeal. Currently, he eats this way 5 times per day. (I’m telling ya, this kid can eat!) Like I mentioned above, some days Quinn is super into his food and, other days, he’s super into his bottle and, some days, it’s a mix of both. We just go with it from day-to-day.
So, that’s our current feeding routine at 9 months. We’ll probably move onto the stage 3 foods once we talk to our pediatrician at Quinn’s 9-month check-up later this month. If I missed anything, just ask in the comment section below!
Questions of the Day
Moms: When did you start your little ones on solids? What were their favorite foods?
