Around 5 months old, Mikayla started showing a lot of interest in our food and the glasses we drank out of. By this time she was sitting up on her own, she was putting everything in her mouth and grabbing what we would have in our hands, like our drinking glasses, and pull it towards her mouth as if she wanted a sip too. We knew she was interested in food and wanted to give it a try, but I wanted to wait till she was 6 months old before we were feeding her any kind of baby food.
The night before her 6th month “birthday” she had a terrible night. She was up almost every hour and wanted to nurse. That morning we went straight to Superstore and I bought her baby rice cereal, pureed carrots and pureed peas. I couldn’t wait to give it to her! I had read that it was important to introduce veggies first, as babies tend to favour sweet things and if they have fruit first, they may not want to eat their veggies. We practiced with her spoon at first, just so she could get used to the motion. Then later that night we mixed up our first batch of rice cereal. I didn’t know how she would react and had no real expectations. We gave it to her and she HATED IT! She cried and fussed and wouldn’t open her mouth after the first bite. She even gagged a few times. We gave up on that and fell back to breastfeeding.
The next day, we tried carrots. She loved it. I could tell she really liked it because she’d anticipate the next spoonful with an open mouth, her hands would be up and she’d be kicking the air.
I had done more reading into baby food, looking up recipes and the importance of feeding your baby organic foods – this is because some babies have sensitivities towards pesticides – and I found a local company called Baby Munchiez. They make high quality, fresh, organic baby food. Simple flavours so it’s perfect for the brand new eater! We went online and ordered Mikayla some food on Thursday and it was personally delivered on Sunday morning!
We ordered the 10 pack for $25 (which is about $2.50/pack): Carrots, Apples, Beets & Apples, Peas & Apples, Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato & Squash, Butternut Squash, Carrots & Sweet Potato, Pears and Butternut Squash & Pears.
Yum! She loved each one. We even mixed some with a little organic Greek Yogurt, which she loved even more. Each puree had a slightly different texture. Some smoother than others, but all the same consistency. No added water or juices. Just pure, fresh, organic, homemade quality baby food. I liked this better compared to Baby Organics or PC Organics from Superstore because it was thicker and it resembled pureed food I had made for Mikayla before. PLUS PC Organics was going through a recall because some of their baby food was contaminated and babies were at risk of Botulism. (AHH NO!!)
Even though I felt I could make these foods at home, it was WAAAYYYY easier ordering online and not having to go to the store, buy organic food, prep it, steam it and puree it. I loved the convenience of it so I can see how a Mom of multiples, or with more kids would LOVE it even more.
We haven’t found a fruit or veggie that Mikayla doesn’t like. She’s now enjoying rice crackers, spaghetti noodles and little bits of rice. Sad to say we haven’t gone back to the rice cereal… So what should I do with that big bag? Lol.
Mikayla won’t finish a full package of Baby Munchiez in one sitting. So we put it back in the fridge and she can usually finish the pack in a few days. Since the product is organic and fresh, we’ll aim to finish each pack within a few days. If I know I’m going to be mixing a few different things in her meals, then I’ll put some of the Baby Munchiez in a container and then throw the rest back in the freezer.
And even though I’m supplementing with baby formula, she’s still nursing and loves breastmilk. She’s never turned it down and will go for it whenever it’s her nap time. I will give her a boob at nap only if she’s super fussy or if I’m engorged and leaking. But most of the time at naps, she’ll just fall asleep with some rocking. (I’ll talk about her sleep in another post! LOL she loves to be rocked…)
This is what her routine looks like now:
Good morning! Wake up, eat Breakfast – Fruit, Yogurt and Milk. I’m not pumping breastmilk anymore so I give her formula. Brush teeth!
Playtime then Nap. (Sometimes I’ll nurse her… depends if she’s looking for it or if I’m engorged).
Eat Lunch – Veggies or Fruit, Rice Crackers and Milk.
Playtime then Nap
Eat Dinner – Veggies, Fruit, Rice Crackers, Milk and a bit of water. But usually she has milk. If she has something sweet like a mango, I’ll usually give her water in a sippy cup to finish up her meal. Then brush teeth!
Playtime. Bathtime. Nurse. Bed. Goodnight!
Thank you to Baby Munchiez for sponsoring this post!
Amanda is a writer, photographer, videographer and a content creator with a passion for sharing stories. With her family of 5, they share experiences, tips and ideas that empower Moms to make memories with their families right here in British Columbia.
