Solid Food with a Spoon?

I've always been indecisive.  I just like to make informed decisions. I will spend hours on end researching child development, sleep habits, etc.  When I was pregnant, I bet I had 5 books I looked at every night before going to bed.  My night stand is full of books and my downfall is google.  I google EVERYTHING.  When my son was born, I think my googling went into overload.  (How many times can I type google, hmmm.)

My latest googling craze has been: "feeding baby solids" "solids baby 7 1/2 month" "baby food recipe" "homemade baby food," and the list goes on and on and on.

We waited until 6 months to really introduce solids.  I "decided" to not start with fortified rice cereal (after reading a La Leche League book on solids).  I felt it was important that my baby receive actual food for his first "meals."  His first solids were banana, sweet potato, and avocado.  These were easy to prepare.  I simply smashed the banana and added some breast milk.

As I googled "baby solids," I happened upon a practice entitled "Baby Led Weaning."  This idea was created by Gil Rapley.  It does not refer to "weaning" from the breast, but adding complementary foods.  It involves the idea of giving your baby real solid foods.  Foods that they can pick up and eat.  From this perspective, if you have waited until 6 months to give your baby solids, they are ready for finger foods.

This may sound crazy.  Think about it though.  Did we always have little pureed jars of baby food on supermarket shelves?  When did solids become thought of as "Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 2 1/2?"  It seems silly.  If you are feeding your baby solids at 4 months (which is not recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics), then yes, you may have to spoon feed purees.  A 4 month old is no way near as developmentally prepared for solids as a 6 month old.

I personally like the idea of baby led solids.  I like that he will be able to experiment with foods.  The speech therapist in me appreciates the sensory aspect and allowing him to develop his chewing skills.  His fine motor has really developed from picking up small pieces.  He has a pincer grasp at 7 1/2 months! 

But, I don't know.  I go back and forth.  He recently had a choking episode with a banana.  No, it wasn't "just gagging."  It was real deal, no air coming in or out, no noise, choking.  And I was scared to death.  Yes, yes, I know I'm trained in CPR and am a feeding therapist for goodness sake.  But when it's your own child, it's scary. 

So, we've resorted to my eeeny, meeny, miney, moe lifestyle.  This morning I gave him a banana to hold and experiment with, while I spoon fed him some organic Earth's Best apples and bananas (Stage 2).  I've also given him apple slices in a mesh feeder, which he LOVES. 

He loves his baby yogurt!

I have to wonder if I will spend the rest of his life riding the fence.  Maybe it won't be such a bad thing for him to experience the best of both worlds.



~Trina