Solids of Mass Destruction

When is that baby going to start eating REAL food?......is the question I get asked all of the time, as my 7.5 month old is still nursing. It's a funny question, so I often answer, this IS real food.....as I nurse away. As most kids start to eat these so called solids, I constantly wondered when it would be time for Hayden. One doc says this, the other says another, and we never know the real answer. Is it 4 months? 5? 10? What time was right?

The right time is science experiment time.

As Hayden's sixth month rolled around, our pediatrician recommended  to start on some rice cereal. Of course, that was not liked by the wee little one, so I moved onto oatmeal for about a month. It went ok. At month 7, I introduced a big whammy, AVOCADO! It sounded so yummy, and I loved making it from scratch. She loved it so much she squealed and squealed for more, we were on a roll!

I think one of the biggest reasons why I was so excited to feed Hayden solids was because I made everything from scratch using the blog Wholesome Baby Food, and have had fun doing it. Hayden's next food in line was butternut squash, and boy she loved it so much I gave it to her twice that day! (which as some of you may know, that is quite the no-no when introducing a new food, but who can say no to that face?!)

And that is when solids of mass destruction started. That squash created 3 days of monster madness up all nights. I could take a picture of the dark circles under my eyes, but really, who needs to see that? Poor Hayden's lil tummy couldn't take what that butternut squash had to offer! I then tried applesauce ( by the way, tastes amazing, you should try it yourself!)  in which I thought would possibly curb the crazy effects of the squash- but to no avail, it was yet another 3 night monster mash madness. I felt AWFUL. How is it that the world is telling us we need to start solids at 4-6 months but my 7.5 month old can't even handle it?! That was really telling for me. I even tried giving her avocado again or oatmeal and she  refused that knowing her body wasn't feeling quite so normal. Smart cookie. Good thing babies can survive on breastmilk for at least 12-24 months!

The conclusion to this science experiment? Just because your pediatrician tells you it is time for your baby to take solids does not mean your baby can handle it. And also, if it tastes good, that doesn't mean our bodies will enjoy it (sheesh, I should probably remember that one when I eat a gallon of ice cream and do not feel good afterwards....) The only way to know is experiment.....Alas, back to nursing it is!