Blueberries!!!

Okay, so this was really clear!
Jack LOVES blueberries.
This makes me very happy as I love blueberries more than most things. I imagine I will feel the same if/when he enjoys other things I do. I can't describe the weird sense of pride that gave me.
Anyway...
It took a long time to pick them up and for him to find his mouth.
I tried to help him by putting them in his hand and when I did his mouth would dart forward and he would eat them out of my hand! Yes, I have video.
I was ill prepared however for the diaper the next day.
WOW.

I will not post a photo... even though I really want to. I didn't take any... yet?

Next up... cucumber?

So cute.
So Jack has two teeth in the front bottom of his mouth. He made the cutest little bite marks out of the cucumber. I chose cucumber as the second food, because it was very different from the avocado in flavour, texture and density. I left the peel on so it'd be easier for him to grasp.
I haven't given him cucumber again... yet.
He burped like mad after this... for hours!

He ate quite a bit of it!

Mmmm... Avocado!

He wasn't too sure, but he ate it like a pro-star!
I chose avocado as his first food because it is very nutrient dense. It has really great fats and is really a super food!
It was slippery and I had to help him keep it in his hand... but he went for it!
Evidence was in the diaper the next day!

First he had to join us at the table

Bring it on Mama!
So First we had him sitting with us for a few weeks to get comfortable being at the table.
He was fascinated with watching us eat! And at the same time, he appeared really happy to be just hanging out and sitting with us.
Soon buddy!

When was Jack ready for "baby-led feeding"?

I'm going a little bit backwards in history with this as we are a few weeks into eating but I wanted to share how we got here and then continue this blog in real time.

In order for Jack to have been ready to start on solid foods, he must be able to sit up unsupported in a high chair, grasp objects and bring them to his mouth. It is unsafe to have him sitting back in a bouncy chair, a stroller or a swing.
When he was a little over five months old we started having jack sit at the dining room table with us while we ate our meals. He fit in his high chair and could sit upright. We gave him a toy and he would happily sit and play while we ate, and chatted. We felt he enjoyed being part of our meals and we noticed when he really became interested in our food. The guideline for age is six months, but it is not a hard and fast rule. Just as it is with all developmental milestones, each baby is ready at his or her own time.

Jack would become fascinated by watching us chew and drink. If I held him while I ate, he would often grab at my plate. He was probably ready a couple of weeks before I finally let him have some food. He was born close to four weeks early and I really didn't expect him to be ready as early as he appeared to be. I was concerned that his digestive system wouldn't be caught up with his curiosity.

I made sure I read the guidelines and understood them thoroughly...
"The food is best if it is cut into pieces that can fit into his fist with an inch or two coming out of the top. Essentially the size of a french fry. They need a handle to grasp onto and at first can't seem to work out opening and closing their fist to get at the food.
The food should be steamed if it is a hard vegetable so that it can be easily "chewed" by the gums or teeth if there are any. Very hard vegetables such as carrots and squashes must be steamed longer to ensure they are the right denseness."

After a few weeks or when Jack has mastered the pincer grasp, the food can be cut into smaller pieces. Grapes cut in half, small pieces will have to be quite small so that they don't get stuck in the windpipe.

The idea is that Jack feeds himself.

He is in control of how much food goes in his mouth and when. This will allow him to really experience the flavour, texture and feeding. More importantly, he'll develop confidence in his ability to eat and trust to learn his own instincts. He will know what being full feels like and how much food that takes for him. 
If he puts too much in his mouth, his excellent gag reflex will kick in and he will spit it out. Brilliant! Our bodies are designed for this and all I have to do is watch and trust.

The topic of allergies

The topic of allergies is an important one to think about. In no time in recorded history has there been a society so plagued with allergies as ours is today. There is a growing body of knowledge to support this and there is a growing number of differing opinions as to why this is the case.
20 years ago, a child could bring a peanut butter sandwich to school and it wouldn't be noticed. Now, there are very strict rules as the peanut allergy is so strong that children must be protected from anaphylactic shock.

There is a practise in place that when an adult is suspected to have a genetic food sensitivity or allergy, we do what's called a rotation diet. The same is true for infant feeding. You can start with a four day rotation diet where when you introduce a new food, wait four days, if there is no reaction, it's a "good" food that can be considered safe with no adverse reaction. Make note of it and then you can move onto the next food. This is especially important to do for your infant's first foods when you have a family history of genetic food sensitivity, intolerance, allergy or if the parent suffers from an illness brought on by poor digestion. An illness that is brought on by poor digestion is often the result of an unknown food allergy or sensitivity.

The difference between a sensitivity and a true allergy is the body's response. A true allergy will give off particular markers (IgE) that can be traced through blood analysis, a food sensitivity will not. A true allergic reaction will trigger a response from the body to fight and this is where the problem lies. The body essentially is fighting itself. The similarities between a sensitivity and an allergy are inflammation in the body. Both cause the body to have a reaction, both are uncomfortable from the standpoint of the sufferer. There is no clear evidence to trace a sensitivity aside from the elimination of the offending food and the resulting cease of the inflammation.

There are certain foods that commonly cause allergic reactions and are foods that when a suspected allergy is present in an adult, I recommend taking all of these away for a six week period. These are foods that are best left out of the diet of an infant until the baby is over a year old. These are: cow's milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, corn, beef, tomatoes, yeast, shellfish and mushrooms.

What are the signs of a reaction in the body?
Fatigue, irritability, nasal congestion, itching, and skin rashes. Fatigue and irritability are difficult to track in an infant, but possible.

If there is inflammation on the outside of the body, you can correctly assume there is also inflammation on the inside of the body, specifically in the gastro-intestinal tract. This is particularly detrimental to the developing digestive system. Inflammation, over time causes significant problems long term. Setting our babies up with a good digestive foundation from the onset is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.



References: 
Bischoff,S.C.,J.H. Mayer, and M.P. Manns. 2000, "Allergy and the Gut" International Archives of allergy and Applied Immunology (Basel)121:270-83
Pipes, P.L., and C.M. Trahms.1993. Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood. Fifth edition. St. Louis: Mosby

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Nov;93(5 Suppl 3):S12-8. 

Scurlock A.M., Burks AW.Peanut allergenicity.Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.

Why "baby led-feeding"

Feeding our babies has become so complex and is such a topic for debate. How we are told is the best way to feed our infants has changed so much over time and every parenting book will tell you something different.

As a Holistic Nutritionist, I want to apply my knowledge to how I feed my son. I want him to grow up with healthy ideas about food and also ensure his digestive system is developing properly.
The concept of baby-led-feeding is a new one, but it is also a very old one.

Today we are recommended to breastfeed our babies exclusively until they are six months old. Breast milk, if you are able to breastfeed your baby, is the very best thing. It is composed of the exact complement of nutrients that your baby needs at the exact time he/she needs them. It really is magic!

If you are not able to breastfeed your baby, there are options. I recommend that you make your own formula as I do not believe that any store-bought formula is nutritious for your baby. They are full of chemicals and additives. Soy protein is a particular concern as it is very harmful to the developing endocrine system. Most formulas either contain soy isolates or cows milk. Cows milk is perfect for baby cows, but it is not for human babies. A babies digestive system cannot properly break down the milk proteins and feeding this to an infant can lead to some significant issues both early on and as the infant grows into an adult. The foundation we lay in our childrens digestive system can set them up to have a well functioning immune system that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. If you are interested in making your own baby formula, the recipes found in the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon are a really fantastic option.

The first solid foods we are told to feed our children are not solid at all but are puree's. This recommendation comes from a previous belief that you should feed your baby solid food starting from 3 months of age. They also recommended that by age 6 months you can begin to offer finger foods and that the baby can begin to feed them self. Now doctors are telling us to breastfeed until 6 months and then give puree's until 9-10 months and then give finger foods.

In baby-led-feeding, you skip the puree's and go straight to the finger food. 
The reason for this is that a baby has a very strong gag reflex that is quite for forward in their mouth. This reflex begins to recede from 6 months and by a year it's in the same place in the mouth as an adult. If you begin finger foods too late, the baby has a better chance to choke because they are less likely to gag and spit out a piece of food that is too big. Babies who are 6 months old are able to grasp and bring objects to their mouth. They are able to chew, even if they don't yet have teeth. Their gums are very strong! Any nursing mother who has been bitten by those powerful gums will tell you this is true!

I began to be intrigued by this idea of feeding your baby a few months ago and read everything I could get my hands on. There isn't much. I bought and read the book "baby led weaning", read blogs from mothers who are pioneering this way of feeding and something within me resonated with the truth of this.
It feels right both intuitively and scientifically. From a Holistic Nutritionist and as a mother.
So... here we go!