When to Introduce {Baby Food}

         

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         My latest quandary has been, when can I start giving "solids" to my baby girl? {I feel the word "solids" is not totally accurate since it's far from solid, but that's the term everyone uses.} As usual, I have researched and read almost every article about when the right time to introduce solids to an infant. I have even talked it over with her pediatrician. Since I'm always trying to think of ways to help out the fellow mom, here is the answer I have compiled from all the various researching I've been doing.

***{Note: I am not a doctor. If you have ANY questions or concerns about feeding your child, please contact your pediatrician.1}***

     1st of all, I have always been told to start with rice cereal in the baby's bottle as the first step to introducing them to solids. After discussing this with my baby's pediatrician, she informed me that rice cereal as a first step is really unnecessary. It is totally fine to start with rice cereal, but she usually only will suggest rice in a bottle when the baby is having acid reflux issues. {Apparently, the rice cereal can ease the acid in their bellies.} I have even read that it could be more of a chocking hazard in the bottle, than a good beginner option. *So, if you do want to begin with rice cereal, that is TOTALLY fine. Just remember, it's best to actually feed it to the baby than to put it in a bottle.*

 So, how do you know when your baby is ready for baby food?

• Their digestion system is not really ready for solids until, at the minimum, 4 months old. {There always could be the chance your doctor may suggest rice cereal in the bottle prior to 4 months of age if they are having serious acid reflux issues, and that is totally fine.}
• They should be between 4-6 months old before you start solid food.

• They should have great head control. {You can't eat well when your head is bobbing back and forth.}

• They should be able to sit up well when supported.

• When they have been fed a bottle, and they still seem hungry. The breast milk or formula may not be quite enough to satisfy their hunger.

• When they start to show more recognition of food. {Like when they are staring, longingly, at your plate of food. Making you feel like poo that you can't share with them just yet.}

• When they start using their tongue to push food to the back of their throat, and can make chewing motions.

• They have doubled their birth weight.

If your baby is showing these signs {trust me you will know}, they are ready for solid foods. My pediatrician suggested to start with yellow and orange vegetables. BabyCenter suggests the best foods to start with are sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, bananas, peaches, and pears. Feed only one food item {like sweet potatoes} for at least 3 days straight. {This way, if they have an allergic reaction, you will know more than likely what caused it.}

I suggest starting with only one feeding a day, then after about a week or two you can increase to two feedings a day. Around approximately 8 months, they should be eating baby food three times a day.

{Update on my Fitness Journey} : I open up about my day-to-day struggles

        

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       I have been fairly honest with how much pain I experienced during my pregnancy with my daughter. We all hoped  the pain issues were only due to being pregnant. Unfortunately, the issues have only gotten worse during the past 4 postpartum months. It has really caused a major hit to my postpartum fitness plans. I had truly hoped I would be much further along on my fitness journey by now. It's very disheartening to essentially "live and die" by your calendar of all the various doctor's appointments I have on a regular basis. I always thought this lifestyle would only happen to me once I was much much older {if at all}. On any given week, I will probably see at least 2 different doctor's {if not more}. 

        So far, we have found that I already have arthritis in my spine. The most recent discovery, my neurologist found was that I have neuropathy in my arms and legs. The Mayo Clinic defines Neuropathy as: disease or dysfunction of one or more peripheral nerves, typically causing numbness or weakness. This discovery explained why I am definitely having many of my problems. I constantly feel a burning sensation, like as if your are or leg fell asleep and is just starting to wake up {that burning needle sensation}.  It causes much pain and weakness. This is a constant thing, not just an 'every-so-often' feeling. {Yeah, It sucks.} I tell family and close friends how much I hate being only 26 years old with a body that acts like I am 70 years old. My neurologist has already ran many tests to try to find out what is cause the neuropathy. I have not been told any results yet. Next week, I have to go get a skin biopsy done to see if my neuropathy is due to thick veins. If that is the cause, he said it should be a relatively easy fix by taking a particular medication that helps with this issue. Honestly, I really hope they can find what is causing the issue, so I can get back to "normal."
        All this being said, I have been in physical therapy for the past 3 months working on various strengthening exercises. My physical therapist thinks it could help relieve some of the pain. Every day, I see all these wonderful workout plans to get you into better shape. I only wish I could do some of these "get fit quick" workouts. Since I can barely write or type most days, these workouts would be practically impossible for me to complete. So, with the help for my wonderful husband, we are working on compiling some exercises and a fitness program for people with health issues like me {mainly the ones my physical therapist has deemed safe enough for me to do}. 

        I truly, truly hope that one day I can look back on all this, and be so proud to see just how successful this new workout regime has been. I will be working on compiling more and more information and examples of these exercises for all of you. I just felt that this is a great way to not only inform all of you about what's going on with me, but also let you know what I have in the works. I am so thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful support system around me. I couldn't deal with all this without all of you! I look forward to sharing and working on furthering my fitness journey.  I don't want this to become a pity party, I want to let you all know that I am hopeful that I can fulfill my wish to help others from my personal struggles.

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