I did it finally. I introduced Justin to food. So it was only oatmeal, but it still was a big step. I have been putting it off because it's easier just to nurse him, and his low muscle tone also leads to potential constipation issues. It was one of things that I did not enjoy with Travis. It took a while before he really liked food, partly I think because he did not like the rice cereal that all the books say you should use to start. I distinctly remember Randy coming home one evening and I told him that feeding Travis was the worst part of my day. We did recover and Travis is a marvelous eater. So I skipped to oatmeal with Justin, and that seems to be a big hit! I mixed it with prune juice, like we did for Travis, partly for the potential constipation, and partly because it's easy. By the end of the "meal" he was actually reaching his head forward to get the spoon in!
One of the issues with Justin is that I cannot just wait for him to learn things, or assume he will catch on, I have to be proactive and teach him the right way to do things, so he is using the correct muscles. This affects the way we teach him to eat. When I spoon food into his mouth, I am tempted to scrape the food off on his upper gums, just to get it in his mouth. Instead, I am supposed to encourage him to close his mouth around it and exercise the lip muscles to pull the food off. I am just trying to keep his hands out of his mouth right now! I am grateful for the HUGE bibs that cover everything that my cousin sent me. He needs as much coverage as possible. I washed 2 of my shirts, a bib, Justin's outfit, and his crib sheet today from all the messes. Ok, one of my shirts was my fault, but the rest was Justin!
One of the issues with Justin is that I cannot just wait for him to learn things, or assume he will catch on, I have to be proactive and teach him the right way to do things, so he is using the correct muscles. This affects the way we teach him to eat. When I spoon food into his mouth, I am tempted to scrape the food off on his upper gums, just to get it in his mouth. Instead, I am supposed to encourage him to close his mouth around it and exercise the lip muscles to pull the food off. I am just trying to keep his hands out of his mouth right now! I am grateful for the HUGE bibs that cover everything that my cousin sent me. He needs as much coverage as possible. I washed 2 of my shirts, a bib, Justin's outfit, and his crib sheet today from all the messes. Ok, one of my shirts was my fault, but the rest was Justin!
3 comments:
I put off feeding Carter "solids" too...Nursing is sooo much easier. (And the diapers - don't get me started.) I had to give in about 5 months when he started grabbing food off my plate. I worried about constipation too, which is why I started with butternut squash. That always "worked" for the girls (wink, wink)
I hope to see Justin in my Bible class on Sundays soon!! (Mommies are welcome to attend.)
That is great! Rylen had to have pears from the start because I had to quit nursing him and formula was the worst at constipation. I even had to skip the rice and go straight to oatmeal for that very reason. The pears were awesome! They always kept him from getting constipated. Prunes worked too, but they were so very messy. I also found that real pears vs. the store bought jars of pears were even BETTER. So, I typically (even to this day) puree pears and freeze them in ice cubes to use for his oatmeal. He loves it. They are probably the easiest fruit to do too! Peel, apple slice, blend, and freeze! Just make sure they are good and ripe. 7 pears made enough for a full month of morning oatmeal.
I will probably be fixing that for Rylen until he leaves the house. He jumps up and down everytime he sees the bowl! HA!
oh, side note... Rylen didn't have ANY constipation until after I completely quit nursing. Even with just one bottle a day, that kept him regular. So, the nursing will probably still help Justin stay on track even if you don't nurse constantly. Isn't B-milk a wonderous thing!
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