When to change new food to 7 months infant with stomach issue

Hi A.
I know we moms worry all the time and forget that those kids are made to survive. I have a 13 month old know, that is basically getting anything now. We had some stomach problems with formula when he was less than six months, but we found an alternative brand that was ok. By then we were not living in the states, so I don't know the brands here well. I have also tried their soya formula here, but it smells horrible. I found most the advice I need on books. If you don't have one, there are tons of books on babys first year and so on, which will have loads of updated advice on how to progress with normal food based on the development of babies tommies and intestines. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to use a bit of common sense. You can try giving the baby a few teaspoonfulls of youghurt and if that does not give any stomach problems it is probably fine. Just introduce things in very small amounts at first and don't introduce too many new things at the same time, so you can't find out what may upset the stomach and avoid that. I think a seven month old can try a bit of everything, but avoid a lot of meat and other things that are hard for the stomach. The babyfoods you can by are good because they have been made for babies, so there are much tougher demands on their quality than on other premade food. Another issue is teeeth and how interested and capable the baby is of managing solid food, but try giving him/her a breadcrum. And finally, what may seem boring to you is probably fine with the baby, who doesn't know he could get something else. We gave a couple of bottles of formula until he was one year, just to ensure he got what he needed, but now he only gets 2 % milk in the bottles. He is still not good with pieces of vegetables, unless it is in a nice sauce, but he loves fresh fruit, so he gets a small handfull of raspberries, kiwi, babana or any other furit everyday. Variation is great, not only for vitamins, but also for getting a kid, that is not having a lot of dislikes. We have just reduced the spices in our own food and now he gets leftovers of what we eat most of the time.

A.
I understand your concerns...I have a 7 month old son as well and also have worked in an early learning center for 7 years. What I can tell you is that you can start the level 2 foods any time now just start them slowly-only 1 new food every 4 to 5 days. I would recommend staying away from the berries and "exotic" friuts like pineapples for another month or two but there are some different fruits and veggies that will give your little one some variety. You can also start the meat ones too. I have just begun slowly introducing some finget foods as well-gerber fruit puffs have worked really well, although my son doesn't quite have his pincher grasper down yet so he needs a little help. Another favorite is zweiback rye toast (in the baby food aisle) I have also cut up a banana. As for yogurt and other dairy I am choosing to wait another month or two, but my pediatrician said a little dairy is fine after 6 months. HOpe this helped!

I have six kids, some who had sensitive tummies, too, and of course check with your pediatrician, but I would say DO NOT add too much to your baby's diet at this age. Rice cereal, then simple fruits and veggies, but one at a time to see if he is sensitive to any of them. Meats don't need to be started until he is 8 months or more since he is getting enough protein from his formula. I would hold off on yogurt and cow's milk until he is at least one, especially if he is on soy formula because of a sensitive tummy.
Food allergies are less likely to occur if you give his digestive system time to mature. Good luck!

I would check out the site www.wholesomebabyfoods.com. They give a lot of info on when to introduce what foods, sample menus for different age groups, what foods are high allergens or should not be introduced until a certain age, etc. If I recall correctly, 2nd foods can be introduced around 8 months. I would worry that with your little ones sensitve tummy that you would want to wait a month or so. But maybe the website has some ideas for other foods that are considered 1st's that you haven't tried yet... I know that there are some veggies and fruits that just aren't available pre-made. We did a mix of buying the staples in the jar and then adding in homemade fruits and veggies that were not available. I hope this helps, don't hesitate to email me.

Hi A.,
If this is it, you're not being ocd! ;O)

I JUST started feeding my 5 month old rice cereal simply because food isn't neccessary, yet, they thrive fine on milk alone (breast or formula, meaning). I make my own baby food in the magic bullet food processor with plain ingredients and water.

When buying babyfood, stay away from desserts - anything labeled dessert, and anything labeled dinner (mac and cheese dinner, ham dinner). These things contain fillers and baby needs more nutrition than filters. I have never used them except with my first baby and I am on my fifth baby plus I do daycare!

If your baby isn't gagging on the food, you're not moving too fast. Wait on step 3 till there's enough teeth to chew it. I think, but I don't have any in the house right now, step three is good when your baby can use his thumb and finger to pinch it up.

For some 'excitement' in his pallet, ham and apple, chicken and apple, etc. Just check the labeling, it should have just ham, apple, and water. They have the babyfood that comes in small plastic packs now that my daycare parents introduced me to and for fruits and veggies, that worked very well.

imo, NEVER give your baby arrowroot biscuits for teething. My first two choked and gagged on those. They have biter biscuits that work better. The ones that dissolve easily.

My docs have always said no dairy and no strawberries and no honey before one.

I hope this is a help!
M.

I think the best thing you can do to set your mind at ease is to talk with his pediatrician. He or she should know his history and be able to give you the best advise on what he should be eating and when to introduce others. I always took a list of questions with me to my kids appointments so I never forgot to talk to her about something. It helped me a lot. Hope it helps.

Hi A..

I got all stressed out about food with my little boy, too. Dr. Sears' _The Nutrition Book_ was helpful to me and should be something you can find in any library. What also really worked for me was making the food myself. It's really not hard, and is a lot cheaper than buying baby food, and you can control exactly what your little guy is eating. The big things to watch out for regarding allergies are strawberries, peanuts, milk, wheat, and citrus. Wait until he's a year for most of those, and two years for the peanuts. On dairy, though, you can start yogurt soon - the process of becoming yogurt breaks down some of the milk proteins so they're easier to digest and less allergenic - it's not like drinking milk. I'd probably call your doctor and ask just to be sure, though, since he's had dairy problems in the past.

Some favorites of my guy when he was that age: sweet potatoes, baby oatmeal with mashed banana mixed in, mashed banana, pears.

Please feel free to write to me if you have any other questions.

Hi A.-Relax! :) I am a Registered Dietitian with an 18 month old son.
Have you read or heard of any of the child feeding books by Ellyn Satter? 'Feeding your child with love and good sense' is a book that is very well known for this topic and is probably available at the library or for cheap at Amazon.
Is your son on soy formula because he is sensitive or intolerant to lactose? or is he allergic? It makes a difference. If he is 'only' intolerant (for instance, you thought he was crampy, crabby, spit up more etc when he had dairy), he may be able to tolerate products that have dairy (i.e. lactose) in them. If he is allergic (diagnosed by his healthcare provider) i would avoid any products with dairy in them (milk, milk solids, whey).
You really do need to have some patience at this stage. Remember, even if you seem bored by the single-ingredient, first stage foods, they are VERY NEW to him in his life and probably still very interesting! Especially if he has a sensitive tummy. Also, beside having multiple ingredients, the older stage foods are a different consistency and you run the danger of choking if he can't handle the chunkier things. Less acutely, you run the danger of frustrating him if he can't handle the textures, which can make meal time unpleasant for both of you (and may have longterm consequences for eating behaviors).
You're right when you said that you should avoid some of those higher incidence allergy foods for as long as possible (citrus, strawberries, eggs)-at about 1 year you can start those.

Formula, breastmilk, cereal and 1-2 fruits and vegetables are really all he needs now. Enjoy watching him try the new things, and next week when they feel 'old' or boring, enjoy the feeling of meeting his nutritional needs with simple, good foods and meeting his social needs for a pleasant eating environment.
Let me know if you have more questions, or get different advice from someone else!

Good luck-have fun!

H. S., RD
HealthPartners

Hi A.,
i know it can be confusing but after two kids that had totally different eating habits- my daughter was bored with baby food by the time she was 8 months old and my son would have eaten it forever because he didn't get teeth until he was 13 months old- i found that your baby will let you know when he is ready to move to new things. as far as allergies go- if you or your baby's father have food allergies i would be careful but if neither of you have problems, dont be afraid to try new things. Start slow but let him try new things and new textures and see how it goes. Trust your mothering instict and your baby will let you know if if he is or isn't ready for change. Good luck!

I used a fantastic book by Ruth Yaron called "Super Baby Food". I started my daughter on solids at six months, and followed this book as if it were the Bible. She is just two now and eats everything I give her - including broccoli, beets, kiwis. Every other two year old I know has issues with food. Not her!

My son is 7months so I know where you are coming from it can be really hard to know exactly when they are ready for what. I love my AAP "The Complete and Authoritative Guide Caring for Your Baby and Young Child Birth to age 5" book.

It has suggested meals and the reasons not to try things like eggs and yogert untill aprox 8 months. Anyway I love this book it is a great place to go when I have one of those what should I do about this or that questions.

A. - I have had 'food issues' with my son, too. He is now 18 months, so I have been in your position. I highly recommend a book called 'Super Baby Food', it is a good guide for what to start and when. But, be aware there are criticisms of the book - including their recommendation to start nuts early - an serious allergen. But, it was helpful in letting me know what my baby could handle and when. And, I would check the recommendations with your doctor as well...my pediatrician gave us the okay on the book.

The yogurt can start now for your son - my son still loves it and it is full of protien. He wasn't a big fan of the 'chunky stuff' for awhile...as they say, every kid is different!

I have a fabulous book called "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. She has great suggestions for foods for babies, and she gives you a list of new foods to start each month. She focuses on homemade baby foods, and cereals. I haven't made any of the cereals for my son, but have used many of her suggestions for first foods.

Her list of baby foods for 7 months olds includes:

Tofu
Cottage Cheese
Hard Boiled Egg YOLK
Asparagus
Carrots
Green Beans
Peas
Summer Squash
White Potatoes
Peaches
Mild Fruit Juices

Of course you should only introduce only one food at a time, and always wait a few days (she suggests 4) between starting new foods. I found a small food grinder online:

http://www.happybabyproducts.com/kidcofoodmill.html

and ground most of the items she suggested to start. Steaming vegi's until they are super soft makes them easy for baby to gum.

Hope this helps! Check your local library for other books on first foods. I felt like the jarred baby foods were limiting, and not as healthy as just cooking foods for my son myself. He is now 11 months, and pretty much eats whatever I eat.

Good Luck!

J., Mom to Charlie (nearly 1 year old!)

Hi A.,

I have a 2 year old and remember how hard it was. I would definitely hold off on the 2nd foods for quite a while. Babies that young don't mind bland food and are allergic or sensitive to a lot of things like milk and berries and meat is harder to digest. Yogurt is different than milk because it has different enzymes in it and is easier to digest. I would start with plain yogurt and if he doesn't like it try yobaby or something low sugar(no aspartame!), not low fat from the health food isle.

Hope this is helpful, I am very interested in nutrition as I am a chiropractor so I have done a lot of reading!

L.

Hi A..
Ihave 2 kids -- a 3 yr. old & a 13 mo. old. I found the whole food thing a bit difficult too, even with my 2nd one, I couldn't remember what to feed her when etc.

Anyway, pick up the book "Super Baby Food". I found it really helpful. It tells you when to feed baby what, and it also gives you recipes for baby food (if you're so inclined to make your own).

If I remember correctly, the rule of thumb is to hold off on allergy-prone foods until 1 yr. old. Typical allergy creating foods are strawberries, tomatoes, shellfish, nuts, egg whites (egg yolks ok), and milk. BUT yogurt is okay before 1yr. and in fact, really a good food for babes. Buy the plain full fat -- not the flavored stuff. The "baby" yogurts that are flavored almost all have added sugar, which babies just don't need.

If you have a history of food allergy in your family, you should introduce new foods slowly and watch for a reaction (upset tummy, rash around the mouth or bottom). Neither I nor my hubby have food allergy issues and I think we even gave my 2nd daughter some of those foods before 1 yr. and all was fine. Just watch for any reaction carefully and enjoy!!

Hope this helps.

My son is also 7 mths and he was on soy formula also. My pediatrician wanted me to keep trying to switch him to milk based formula. And we have successfully switched. At his 6 mth check up the doctor said we could switch to the 2nd foods. We switched but it hurt his tummy. He acted like he had colic. So we have switched back to the 1st foods. I don't think they get bored. It's their first foods. We get bored, not them. Also, I think you have to wait to try anything with meat. I did not feed him anything but veggies, fruits and cereals. You need to ask your pediatrician for guidance or the nurse at the practice. I will try 2nd foods again when he is 8 mths, but 9 mths may be the magic number. Good luck!

A. - I went through the exact same thing!! Don't worry it's okay! I would definitely start him on 2nds. In fact it was around 7 months that we also started my daughter practicing with Cheerios. My daughter hated 1st foods because they were so runny. She loved 2nds and 3rds. If you don't mind I've got this chart from my peds office that explains and HELPED a ton with my questions. If you reply with your email address I can scan a copy and send it to you. Also remember that the more you let them experiment with foods the quicker they'll get the hang of it. And you can always go back if he doesn't like it. My daughter was also on Soy formula until 1 yr.

You poor thing. It is soooo confusing. I have to tell you, the best resources I have ever ever gotten on nutrition and food behavior strategies for kids come from two places: one, a book called "Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health" by Susan Roberts and Robert Heyman (sp?). I got mine in ppbk on half.com for cheap. Best child book I ever read. Second, believe it or not, "The Discipline Book" by Dr. William Sears. Addresses many topics, but the foundations are sooo important for dealing with the food thing as they get older, that it's important to not start with old/bad habits when they're little.

And I totally stayed away from those mixed things, too. And the meat things. Lord love a duck.