Starting Solids
This is a guest post from Erin Haneham, Certified Kids Yoga Instructor and Drama Teach Artist based in Durham, NC.
I love food. I love meal planning. I love (pre-pandemic) grocery shopping. I love cookbooks. I love pouring a glass of wine, turning on music, creating a meal, and then sharing it with others.
In fact, one of my most visceral memories from the early postpartum phase is sipping a glass of rose, listening to a jazz playlist, and chopping veggies for a stew. Crusty bread was in the oven. The baby was sleeping. And I could feel her - a whisper of the “old me” meeting the “new me” - and I felt very happy.
So the idea of starting solids with my first child was exciting. I was eager to include him in the joyful rituals we had around food in our home and in our family. I inhaled everything I could about feeding babies - YouTube videos, blog posts, books. A dear friend gave me a cookbook all about feeding babies and toddlers, and I would pour over the pages while not sleeping while the baby was sleeping, drooling over the photos of purees and supremed mandarin oranges. I was READY!
Until I wasn’t.
I have anxiety. Both the kind that you live with every day and the very special kind that comes from being a parent. So when my son, who up until that point received his nourishment exclusively from a nipple (mine and that of a bottle) put a piece of avocado in his mouth and started to chew (I use that term loosely), I was terrified. How was I supposed to teach him to do something that contained so much potential danger? How was I supposed to allow him to explore and enjoy this new thing when everything inside of me was saying, “NO, NO - KEEP HIM SAFE!”
Not only did I feel terrified, I felt incredibly disappointed and discouraged. I’m the mom who loves food! I’m the mom who centers joy in the kitchen and at the dinner table! And now all I wanted to do was pretend that my son could stay on a liquid diet until he turned 18.
Sound familiar? If so, keep reading - I’m going to share a few things that helped me. I can’t tell you exactly how to introduce solids to your baby, but I can assist you in moving through the big feelings that come with it.
Regulate Yourself So That You Can Parent Bravely - Calm Parents = Calm Babies - we know this from all we’ve already learned from Little Dipper. But trying new things is hard for both baby and parent, especially when concerns surrounding safety are involved. I felt empowered by watching videos of other babies eating food and learning basic infant CPR. I also found it incredibly helpful to name the feelings of worry and anxiety when they came up. When I noticed them, I could ground my feet by placing them on the floor and take a few deep breaths. And repeat as necessary.
Articulate Your Family’s Food Values - Feeling worried or anxious around starting solids is normal. Having a sense of why a healthy food culture is important to you, and what that food culture looks like for your family makes it easier to keep things in perspective. For example, in my home we want food to be joyful and communal. I knew that starting solids with my son as soon as possible was one way that we could bring him into that part of our life. Take a moment to name what is important about food to you and your family.
Eat with Your Child - Practice preparing food that everyone will eat in your home - Family Meals. This cuts down on your meal prep, but also takes a little pressure off of “teaching” your child to eat solid foods. When you eat with your child, you are modeling how to eat food. Also, try starting solids at just one meal a day, when you are at your most resourced. For me that was lunch, which my partner and I were able to eat together with our son because he works from home, and I wasn’t as exhausted as I am typically at dinnertime.
Involve Your Child in the Kitchen - Lay a blanket on the floor for tummy time while you cook. Put the baby in a bouncer while you prep. Have your toddler explore food and ingredients during playtime. Give toddlers simple responsibility in the kitchen. The more you and your child can interact around food when they are not eating, the more comfortable you both will begin to feel!
If you are leading with love, in both parenting and meal prep, you are doing it right.
Wishing you well!
Love,
Erin
p.s. I am not a medical professional or nutritionist. The insights and advice in this blog post are my own personal opinion based on my lived experience. Take what works for you, leave the rest. Find a team of professionals (including your pediatrician) to support you in further research and questions regarding your child’s nutrition. I’ve included a few of my favorite resources below.
My Favorite Resources:
The Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook: The Very Best Purees, Finger Foods, and Toddler Meals for Happy Families from America’s Test Kitchen - Have I made every recipe in this cookbook? No. But do I always find inspiration when I crack it open? Yes. And the approach here is very in line with how I feel about creating a positive food culture in your home. The (brief) summary of baby led weaning is also very helpful.
Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater: A Parent's Handbook: A Stage-By-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating - Nimali Fernando (Author), Melanie Potock (Author), Roshini Raj (Foreword by) - There are 1 million books you can read about feeding your child. I found this one helpful because it offers the perspective of a pediatrician and a speech therapist. I learned so much about the developmental changes and motor skill advancements happening around my son’s eating, and that was empowering information to have.
Milestones Pediatric & Maternal Nutrition - Local (Triangle Area, NC) nutrition services for families.
The Nurtured Nest - Local (Triangle Area, NC) perinatal education, including online on-demand classes for starting solids!
Solid Starts - I reference this database of foods regularly and have this app on my phone homescreen. I found their videos of babies eating foods very helpful for my anxiety.
Kids Eat in Color - Body-positive, healthy eating at its best. A wonderful Instagram follow plus classes and meal plans available for purchase. I particularly love the focus on affordable food.
Feeding Littles - Another wonderful Instagram follow with classes available for purchase. I find their tips on feeding toddlers very helpful.
About Erin
Erin Hanehan is a Certified Kids Yoga Instructor and Drama Teaching Artist based in Durham, NC. She has a BA in Dramatic Arts from UNC Chapel Hill and completed her kids yoga and mindfulness certification with Growga. Erin has taught all kinds of things—from cooking classes to improv—to students of all ages, but she is most passionate about working with preK and early elementary students. Driven by a mission to help all children stand tall, find their own voice and feel confident in their bodies, Erin currently teaches at Our PlayHouse Preschool, online with Whole Mama Yoga and in-person with Raleigh Little Theater and Jewish for Good. She also works part-time as the PR Manager for Little Dipper Sleep.
Erin shares her life with her son, Nathan, her partner, Matt, her dog, Olive, and her chickens, Chip & Jo.