When to Feed Baby the First Foods

Guest Writer:

Karen Ranzi, Author, Lecturer, Raw Food Consultant, Raw Vegan Chef, Speech Pathologistwww.superhealthychildren.com www.youtube.com/superhealthychildren  http://www.Facebook.com/CreatingHealthyChildren.com

When to Feed Baby the First Foods

The type of food given to baby is dependent on the age of weaning. All babies require mother’s milk for at least the first year of life to create the strong immunity and bonding necessary for baby’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development. The fat and protein in mother’s milk is sufficient for baby’s growth well into the second year. I encourage you to nurse as long as possible. Humans are the latest to mature of all mammals therefore our young require the longest nursing periods. I recommend a minimum of two years. If a mother is unable to nurse for at least the first year of baby’s life, then alternatives could be a wet nurse or milk bank. A last alternative could be raw (unpasteurized) goat milk. The combination of half raw goat milk and half celery/carrot juice has been done successfully for those who were unable to nurse and unable to obtain milk from a human mother. We must remember that human mother’s milk will always be best for the human baby.

Toward the end of the first year, and no sooner, if baby is equipped with teeth to chew, then bite-sized pieces of fresh, ripe, organic fruits can be given one at a time. Fruit is best as the first food because it digests easily in a young digestive system, moving quickly from the stomach into the intestines. It’s important to observe any reaction, as some babies are not ready to eat until well into their second year of life.

As soon as baby is accustomed to digesting a variety of fresh fruits given individually for chewing, begin to introduce green leafy vegetables in delicious green smoothies to provide additional minerals. It is best to start with the milder greens such as Romaine lettuce or spinach.

The first foods should not be blended. They should be bite-size pieces of whole ripe fruit. From the very beginning, mother should sit and chew slowly along with baby, as digestion begins in the mouth. We will be showing our children it’s just as important how we eat as what we eat.

Remember that for each child the progression will be a little different depending on dentition and real desire and readiness to eat. Some children are simply curious about foods but not yet ready to eat. The mother must be observant of her baby to predict the right timing for introduction of foods. Into the second year, baby can have diluted nut and seed milks and avocado for their fat and protein contents, but solid soaked nuts and seeds should not be given until later to avoid the development of a nut allergy as nuts require a greater digestive capacity.

All of this is described in much detail in my book Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods which is available at www.superhealthychildren.com