I have to say a few words in justification of why I write so rarely (once a week or even less). The thing is that I have a 6-months-old baby who requires attention all day. I hardly even get time to cook and clean in the house, and my computer time is very limited to 1-2 hours after the baby is asleep, and sometimes I just wanna sleep, or need to do some other important things at the computer, like finding the recipes of what to cook next day (without such plan I feel just lost!)
So today I wanna talk about my baby. His name is Bogdan (which translates as given by God). Since he’s already 6-months-old, I need to start giving him real food. But actually, I already started doing that about a month ago when he showed too much interest in our food on the plate!
In Russia there are two ways of introducing first foods to baby.
The first is the one recommended by pediatricians – strict schedules and defined quantities of food, which I feel aims to gradually replace breastfeeding. Start with vegetables, than grains, than meat :( All pureed.
The second is called “pedagogical feeding». It’s when you give your baby tiny pieces of real food from your plate, no purees. Seriously, whatever you’re eating, of course avoiding obvious junk and too much salt/oil/spices. Just the tiny bit, which is the amount that will fit between the thumb and index finger. Then after one month gradually increasing the amount to 1-2 teaspoons, then more, until the baby eats just like you.
There is another way of feeding which I like. I found it in English Internet, it’s called Baby-led Weaning (Feeding is a more correct word, not Weaning). You can read about it here . It seems very interesting and rational.
So what method did I end up choosing?
All the 3 of them!
I give him tiny pieces of my food, but I think he has a very good appetite and it might not be enough for him, so I also give him canned vegetable purees and fortified baby-porridges sometimes (also it’s the best way to satisfy grandparents, you know, and I do it in front of them). Also when I eat an apple or tangerine I give it to him and he sucks it with so much passion, it’s adorable as F! And when I steam vegetables I give him one of them to munch on. He enjoys! And of course continue breastfeeding.
Everything seems cool, but I’m still a little worried because I have some questions unanswered. I would really appreciate your advice and sharing your experience! Also please recommend me some vegan mommies youtubers, instagrammers, bloggers, etc. I want to find someone who explains everything in clear details! Not just vlogging and lalala)))
My questions (mostly about the Baby-Led Weaning method):
Should I restrict my baby on the amount of food he can eat at once? He can really eat a lot, I’m worried how it can fit in his tiny stomach.
Should I offer him food 2 or 3 times a day, or more, or less?
Should I offer him one type of food at once, or mix several types? How important is variety at this age? Is it like giving several options 3 times a day, all different every time, and different every day?
Is it absolutely necessary to be able to sit on his own? He’s just learning to sit.
Is it ok to give the same porridge every day for breakfast if that’s what I eat every day? (oatmeal)
What kind of raw food is ok to be given? Is cooked food more preferable?
I’d be grateful for your comments!
So cute and such a good thing that you are teaching your son to eat healthy right from the start. Never heard of the weaning thing but I'll pass this one to my best friend who is giving birth to her baby boy in about 2 weeks!
thank you! do you mean you never heard of Baby-led weaning? I got the impression that it's pretty popular in the west :)
I don't have kids so that might be the reason why I have never heard of it ;)
Very cute baby...and informative post...I don't have babies yet...but will remember this tips for future :)
thanks! but I'm not an expert on this, I'm doing mostly intuitevely and still have some doubts
I'm sure any mom can relate to not having the time or energy to get on daily and post blogs! I sometimes miss a few days and I'm not a mother. I don't have answers to your questions unfortunately, but sounds like you are doing a fantastic job as a mother! I know @vegan.niinja has a small child, so maybe she has some ideas? @woman-onthe-wing also does a wonderful job with her little one. I know there's probably plenty of other sites with info, but not sure offhand. I hope you find what you need to ease your mind and give your little one a great start to life!
thank you, I'll subscribe to these ladies! :)
Whilst I agree with being vegan or anything else you choose to be you will never be able to give your child the proper nutrients required for healthy growth and brain development. As a full time sole parent I have read just about everything possible on nutrition etc and would be worth doing your research. Should vegan not be a choice that your own child gets to make if they so choose and not forced upon them should they make it that far without what the body requires. Sorry but personal opinion.
Hi!
thank you for your concern :)
I've also done my research and concluded that vegan diet is pretty doable, even for small children. In fact, the American Dietetic Association confirms that well-planned vegan diet is appropriate for all stages of life, including infancy, adolescence, etc. Here's the link - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864 .
I think you did your research on sites which may be biased against vegan diet.
I read vegan dietitians' sites for specific information, they explain everything in detail on how to do it. Maybe you will think you don't wanna trust vegan dietitias as "biased", but I read only the most trustworthy ones, who never sugarcoat anything and don't portray veganism as a super wonder diet, they show only approprite research.
Anyway, I'm not the first one, not the last one with that. There are plenty of vegan kids out there and they do fine, otherwise there would be so much of noise on that topic.
Also, living in Russia, not a particularly vegan friendly country, I don't think he'll be 100% vegan, but vegetarian for sure.
You have a beautiful baby! Excellent idea putting your questions to the community, I hope others give some helpful answers, and here are some from me: Weaning Babies - a Response to Vegan Mama @steemitbaby
thank you, it was so sweet of you to write the whole post in response! :)
Your bby is so cute 😍 I love how he eats that mandarin, as you say, with really passion 😅❤ I think Ellen Fisher's Youtube channel is one of the most complete on vegan parenthood, I absolutely love her, I hope you do too https://www.youtube.com/user/MangoIslandMamma1 🖤
ahaha, thank you, the video of it is even funnier, with these sucking noises))))
I heard about Ellen, subscribed now, thanks :)