*Flashback Friday*

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on June 24, 2019.

 

Nutrition 4 Kids

 

Starting Solids: The Choices, The Anxiety, The Reality

By Jennifer Yoon, RDN/LDN, Breastfeeding Educator, AHN Pediatrics St. Clair

 

 

There is no doubt that feeding our children has become a much more complicated endeavor and is a great source of anxiety for parents. Choosing breastfeeding or formula, or struggling to breastfeed and needing to use formula is the first obstacle in the minefield of feeding. And just when you have that down, the scary world of starting solid foods appears like a dark tower ahead. Will you start with purees or try Baby-Led Weaning? Which foods are best to start with? Are we introducing common allergens early or later? Will you use commercially prepared baby food or make your own? Are pouches or jars better? Hey, there’s an awesome new gourmet baby food home delivery service!

The overwhelming number of feeding choices for our babies seems to have induced anxiety surrounding feeding for many parents. In his famous book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, Barry Schwartz describes how more choices can lead to more anxiety and less satisfaction. We can be paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong feeding choices that negatively impact the child’s acceptance of healthy foods and overall health.

Another common fear that is verbalized is the fear of choking. Please hear this: babies will gag when learning to eat solids. Learning to move food from the front of their mouth to the back and swallow is a new skill. Gagging is a normal part of the process and not a prelude to choking.

Contamination of our food supply is another concern.  Food recalls for dangerous levels of bacteria cause fear and insecurity about food safety. Fish is healthy, but mercury contamination remains a big fear (see two recent posts on seafood safety on The PediaBlog here and here). The safety of  long-time standard first food, infant rice cereal, was called into question due to its level of arsenic from environmental contamination. Other infant cereals such as oat or barley, which contain less arsenic, were recommended instead.

My best advice to parents is to approach the feeding journey with a sense of adventure. It’s going to be messy, there will be some hits and misses, and you will need to change directions more than a few times. Regardless of whether you choose purees or Baby Led Weaning, commercial or homemade baby food, or the fancy meal deliver service, here are my key take-home messages for getting on the right track with feeding:

> The parents’ job is to decide what foods are offered and when. Be consistent with your timing and once you’ve offered a food, there are no substitutions.

> The child is responsible for how much or whether to eat at all. Don’t offer, bribe, or cajole.

> Feed baby in a high chair. Assist with feeding in an age appropriate way, helping them learn as much self-feeding as they can. This is where the mess comes in, and it’s important to allow the mess.

> Keep meals positive. The baby should eat with the rest of the family enjoying a meal. 

> Eating is a developmental skill. Approach it with the same patience you would other skills your child is learning.

> Feed using a bowl and spoon most of the time. Pureed food pouches, whether homemade or store bought, are convenient but babies do not learn a new skill when eating from them. 

> Try to minimize reactions to gagging. Calmly assist a child who is coughing. 

> A child who is truly choking will be unable to make noise, gasping for air, or turning blue. Community classes are available for infant CPR training.

 

There is no one-size-fits-all for feeding. Your baby will have her own taste and texture preferences as well as temperament. Some will accept new foods easily, others will be more hesitant.  And as with most parenting choices, I say, why choose just one? Experiment and see what works best for your family and your child. 

 

*** Jennifer Yoon sees patients at the AHN Pediatrics — Pediatric Alliance St. Clair office. For an appointment, please call (412) 221-2121. Read more from Jennifer’s “Nutrition 4 Kids” column on The PediaBlog here.

 

source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/06/24/flashback-friday-212/