 Remembering SolidsI remember when my firstborn was ready to start solids. It was such a big deal, for her and for me. We had spent six months together learning how to breastfeed, and then it was time to begin introducing real food (if you can call it that). I remember feeling overwhelmed, even intimidated through the whole process of starting solids. And every time I would start to feel relaxed about it, my daughter was ready to move on to something new.
Other mums seemed to “know” what they were doing. I didn’t even know if the rice cereal I was purchasing was the right thing to buy. Then I had to work out what to actually do with the rice cereal. I was completely hopeless at expressing, so mixing it with breastmilk was out of the question. My daughter took to it mixed with water, thankfully. I remember the day. I remember the spoon she used. I remember the bib she was wearing. Once she got the hang of that we tried some pureed pumpkin. I remember the mess! I remember pureeing lots of different vegetables and fruits, always wondering if I was doing it right. Should I cook them first? Steam or boil? Microwave or stove? Mash or blend? I remember freezing them into ice cube trays (one of the best tips ever) and defrosting a few each day. Just like with breastfeeding, we really were learning together as we went. If I was a step ahead of her, it was only a teeny tiny step at best. I remember spying on other mums. I did a lot of that. Other mums would whip out their cute containers of home made baby food and I would suddenly realise that I wasn’t supposed to be mixing two veg yet. Or they’d produce jars from their nappy bags and it would suddenly occur to me that it was perfectly ok to buy store bought baby food for outings. Or they’d do some trick like squirt a little fruit from a store bought pouch into a container of dry rice cereal and I’d make a mental note to try it out later. And a note to work out where on earth those pouches were kept in the supermarket. Fridge section? Baby food aisle? Some other secret place that all the other mums-in-the-know knew about? *sigh* I was such a first-timer. I remember freaking out about things other people wanted to give my daughter to eat that I wasn’t ready for her to try yet. (Yes, Dad – if you’re reading this I’m talking about you. Stirrer...!) I remember religiously checking my list from the midwife to see which foods I should introduce by which month. I remember trying so hard, but at the same time trying to look like I wasn’t trying at all. And then, one day, I looked at my girl sitting up at the table eating what we were having for dinner and thought to myself, “I did it.” When my son was born I was no longer a first-timer. At six months he was ready to start solids, and so we did. I worried less. I relied on my instinct more. I still kept the chart from the midwife on the fridge, but I used it in conjunction with a healthy dose of common sense. Oh, and I was MUCH better at expressing. Sometimes I would notice other mums looking at me. First-timers. Spying. Trying so hard but at the same time trying to look like they weren’t trying at all. And I remembered. 5 CommentsFeedAdd Comment |
Search Site Sign up to our Free Newsletter |
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Lisa that must have been tough. You can't spy on anyone else if no one else is in the same position as you! I completely agree that there is no one "right" way to do things. Every mother is unique, every child is unique, every situation is unique.
Thursday, 15 April 2010