As you can imagine introducing solids to your baby's diet is an exciting and very messy experience.
So when can you begin your baby on solids?
As many of you may know you can begin your introducing solids to your baby's diet from 4 months, until then breastmilk or formula is the only thing your baby needs.
It is so important to get the timing right. Some mums believe that larger babies need solids sooner and some mums like to prolong it for as long as they can to exclusively breastfeed.
Our Thomas was born premature and very small and at 17 weeks old I am now introducing solids slowly because he is showing all the right signs which include; holding his head, reaching out for food, watching us when we eat and being able to perform the tongue action of pushing puree to the back of his mouth.
You can also introduce solids too late and then your baby is at risk of lacking vital nutrients. Also your baby is at risk of being a fussy eater or finding it difficult to chew or push food to the back of their mouth. Introducing solids too early and affect your breastmilk supply and your baby can also then be missing out on the nutritional value of breastmilk.
There are four clear signs your baby should of developed which will let you know that your they are ready to begin solids in their diet.
1. Your baby should be able to hold their head up and sit in a high chair.
2. Your baby should be able to open their mouth wide when you offer them food.
3. Your baby should be able to turn their face away when they have had enough.
4. Finally your baby should be able to keep food in their mouth and not push it straight back out.
I always knew i wanted children, and i wanted to be a fun mum who was career driven, worked a usual full time 37 hours a week, came home to a loving manic household but where I held the fort with my passion for all things homemade in an organised sort of OCD manner.
I met my better half back in 2012 and have never looked back, I made the move to his hometown on the Isle of Man from the big city when I graduated in 2013 ready to marry and begin a career. However things soon halted for me when we found out in April of 2013 that we were expecting our little boy.
We were over the moon, we could start a family before I needed to halt a career a few years in to go on maternity leave and take a year or so out. I knew therefore I wanted to look after and enjoy my little family until our baby was out of the 'infant' stage and then go to work, to give our family the best in life.
I had to be induced 37 weeks into my pregnancy as our little man was measuring very small for dates. Thomas was born on the 5th November 2013 at 10:18am weighing a very small 4lb11oz. He spent a short 7 days in NNU to gain his strength and develop a little further before coming home to begin our family. Since then he has come on leaps and bounds, piling on the weight thanks to the goodness of breastmilk and we are now ready to start trying Thomas with some small spoonfuls of tasty homemade food.
This blog will follow that journey as I attempt to put my love of cooking into play, to make my little man some tasty homemade purees, before he moves onto what we shall call his 'big boy' food.
I do hope you enjoy reading our journey!
