I am still not fully an expert on this, as my baby is yet to teach me all I need to know about his diet, nutrition, and food preferences. However, I will love to share all that I’ve learned from the books I read during my formation as a Holistic Nutritionist and as a mom.

What babies should eat from day one

Most of the doubts many first time moms have is if their babies are getting enough nutrients. Babies look so fragile when they are born, and they are so dependable. Even they are finally out in the world, they still are developing and need as much care, protection and food as if they were still in the womb. So how to keep up with their nutritional needs?

The good news is that it is easier than it seems (at least for most of us). That is because the majority of women are capable of producing enough milk to feed their babies only with breastmilk. This is the most convenient, cheaper, and healthiest solution any mom will find. I am not a lactation consultant, but any research out there will support the fact that breastmilk is the best food you can offer your child when they are born, all the way to around six months of age.

Benefits of breastmilk

Perfect nutrition - your milk is unique to you and your baby. It is particularly made to meet the individual needs of your baby. No women produce breastmilk the same way, even if you get pregnant twice, the quality of the milk you produce during each pregnancy is different. That is because your milk is produced to meet the needs of that particular baby. It has all the nutrients your child needs to grow and develop.
Protection - breastmilk will help the baby fight off sickness and disease. In the very first days after delivery, the woman produces a serum called colostrum. This serum will coat the baby’s digestive system so harmful bacteria can’t grow. This will prevent diarrhea, sudden infant death (SIDs) and reduce the chances of the kid becoming overweight or obese when they are older.
Offer benefits for the mother too - moms who breastfeed find it is easier to go back to their pre-pregnancy weight. Not only that, breastfeeding offers protection against breast and ovarian cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.
It builds a special bond with the baby. Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin which helps the mom relax and bond with their baby, building the foundation for a loving relationship between mom and baby.
It is the only food or drinks your baby needs for the first 6 months - As the baby grows the milk will change to meet the baby’s new needs. From about 6 months of age, your baby will need a variety of healthy foods as well as breast milk. But breast milk continues to be an important source of nutrition and protection for your baby. Breastfeeding is recommended for up to two years or more, or for as long as you and your baby want to. Any amount of breast milk that you can give your baby is good!

What happens after birth?

As mention before, babies don’t need anything else other them breastmilk for the first 6 months. And believe me, I had my doubts about it. In the first week, I swear Samuel was losing so much weight and that my breast was not producing enough milk to keep up with his constant feeding. I was desperate, and that is someone who went to breastfeeding classes, read a lot about it, and studied it as part of my professional formation. And there I was, crying by myself on the bathroom floor because I believed my baby wasn’t gaining weight.

To explain, the breastmilk does not show until day 3 of 4 after delivery. From day 1 to day 3 all you have is colostrum. Colostrum is a yellowish serum, that is basically fat. It will help your baby build her immune system and will protect her body against harmful bacteria. However rich, it is not enough as the baby grows. As a mom, you need to keep breastfeeding to encourage your body to produce the actual milk. During this period of transition from womb to colostrum, and colostrum to milk, it is normal for the baby to lose some weight - which he will gain from the second week.

After you start to produce milk and considering that your breastfeeding experience is fairly smooth, the feeding becomes very straightforward. For the first couple of months, your baby will ask for food at 2-3 hour intervals (day and night). These intervals get longer as she grows. By 6 months he should be able to get more food from each feeding, and the number of times you need to nurse your baby will decrease. She also should be able to sleep longer hours at night, as the need for breastmilk during the night is also smaller. That is when you should start introducing solid foods. CDC and WHO recommend introducing solids by the age 6 months. I think this phase is so much fun!

Every single taste and texture is new to your baby, and seeing his reaction to the foods you introduce to him is priceless. She may like more some foods because that is what you ate more often during pregnancy and breastfeeding. And dislike others or simply be more unfamiliar because you did not eat that food so often. This is because many of the flavors appear in the amniotic fluid and breastmilk (wow!). It is so interesting to watch her learning the flavors and how she starts to develop taste for different foods on her own.

What type of foods you should introduce first?

Parents usually start with cereals. The first thing Sam tasted was oats porridge. I like oats because they are rich in vitamins, and important minerals. They are also rich in fiber, which will help prevent constipation. Many parents tend to start with white rice or bread, which do exactly the opposite. Lack of fiber in those foods can cause your baby to feel constipated.
Start with one food at a time in small quantities and wait a few days (2-3 days) before introducing different food items. This is to see if your baby will have any reactions to the food you just introduced. Once you are confident he is accepting that food move to a different one. Babies tend to like fruits better because they are sweet and more palatable to their taste buds, but do not fear offering vegetables to your baby at this age. When they are young and exploring everything around them, they are more prone to accept different flavors. Vegetables are the best way to make sure your baby is getting the nutritional value he needs to grow and develop. Dark green leaf veggies are rich in calcium, fiber, and iron. Sam loves beans and broccoli - both foods are great sources of calcium, fiber, iron, and healthful fats and carbohydrates!

Don’t overcook the veggies to avoid wash out the nutrients. Instead, lightly steam the veggies to the point you are able to mash them. Once your baby starts to grow teeth, feel free to give him bigger chunks of food so he can start biting and chewing. He will love to learn all different textures of the new foods he tries.

Always give foods that are the right size and consistency for her developmental age to avoid chocking hazards. To help prevent choking, prepare foods that can be easily dissolved with saliva and do not require chewing. Feed small portions and encourage your baby to eat slowly. Always watch your child while he or she is eating.

Below are some tips for preparing foods

Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.
Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.
Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
Cook food until it is soft enough to easily mash with a fork.
If feeding meat, remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices
Cut cylindrical foods and string cheese into short thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway.
Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.
Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice, and other grains.

The CDC website has more documentation on the potential choking hazards and how to prevent your child from choking I recommend checking out.

What about allergens?

Not too long ago doctors believed the common allergens such as dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and eggs should be avoided during infancy. This was to prevent allergic reactions in babies. However, as research showed, by avoiding exposure to these allergens we were actually causing our kids to become highly allergic to those food items. What healthy care providers and researchers found out later is that is better to introduce these foods at small amounts when starting with solids, so the little ones bodies can develop enzimes and bacterias to digest common allergens, therefore minimizing the risk of developing any allergies in the future.

When introducing foods from these groups, be extra vigilant. Start with very small amounts and one item at a time. Observe if your baby reacts in any way and then move on to another item. And always follow the advice of your physician or pediatriatian, specially when dealing with these common allergens.

What are Sam’s favorites so far?

At first he loved oat porridge with breastmilk (or formula) mixed with mashed bananas. I would make this for him mid afternoon or early evening snack. He loved the sweet taste and texture. Now that his is older I moved on to introduce some other vegetables like steamed broccoli, cooked yam, avocados and zucchini. It is fun to watch him trying to eat the broccoli florets.

He did not like kale, at least not the way I’ve prepared last time, but I will try it again soon. It is important to not give up on a food, as their tastes change very rapidly. They may start to like something that they disliked at first, just keep offering.

Excited to start with solids yet? Let’s chat and I will love to guide you through this challenge, but fun journey. Just visit the consultation page to get your first meeting booked!