Feeding Wars

Three weeks ago, I spoke to a paediatrician regarding Axl and if introducing solids was a good idea. You see, when you are pregnant - you are told "breast is best" and "ONLY breast until 6 months!" but what happens when your child seems like he is CONSTANTLY hungry? I mean, we were at the stage that he would JUST whine throughout the night, he would feed for sooo long and still... he just wasn't happy.

So basically, there were a few things to consider before making this decision...

  • Had Axl doubled his birth weight? YES! LOOOONG ago (we're nearing triple, now)
  • Can he hold his neck up, on his own? YES! Pretty much sits on his own for short periods of times
After discussing it with D, we decided we would conquer the introduction the coming weekend. I headed to the shops where I stocked up on all that I needed (post to follow) and set my mind to conquering solids, on the Saturday.

Introducing solids is a HUGE milestone, well - it is for me, anyway - and I had pretty much set it out all in my mind, on how it is going to go.




I chose the time very carefully by making sure to feed him after he had just woken up from a nap, so that he wasn't grumpy or miserable, also, I kept the environment calm, he sits in his swing, where he is most comfortable. 
I had decided that I am going to let him make the biggest mess! I don't want him to fear food or hate meal-times, I want him to revel in it, to enjoy it and love experiencing the new textures, tastes and delights. On his first spoon, I gave him time, he tasted it, played with it in his mouth, spat some out. I let him hold the spoon and become familiar with it - he attempted to feed himself - he sucked his fists, pulled his bib and screeched for more.

The result was incredible...

I was warned that I shouldn't be discouraged if he only eats a teaspoon. Despite a lot of the porridge being everywhere but in his mouth (including my hair) whilst preparing for his second feed, I gave him a little lick of the porridge. I didn't think anything of it, until he burst out in tears, out of pure impatience from waiting for me to mix up the rest. 
He has taken to the feeding routine as if it is nothing new. He loves porridge and shows it by kicking his legs, giving huge smiles and enjoying every last bite. (We're on 100ml of breast milk and 5 tablespoons of Purity cereal)

The verdict...
Axl was most definitely ready for solids. I think that by giving him the freedom, in the beginning, he was accepting of it which made it an easy transition. After meal-time, he has a burst of energy, wants to play and is full of belly-laughs. He is sleeping better without the constant need to feed.







P.S. I will do a post featuring all my feeding essentials SOON!

1 comment:

  1. Oh he is so cute! Congrats that is going well! We had the opposite problem and I did not introduce solids until 7 months. It was a real battle for him to eat. Now he is eating a lot more and I just need to get him off the boob!

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