Parents do not need to start solids.  A baby will salivate and reach
for food themselves when ready to experiment.  Since everything tends
to go into their mouths, food should make it there too.

My first daughter reached for banana first at 7 months.  The
undigested banana gave her a terrible rash on her bottom upon exit.
She never had any diaper rash before.  At 9 months her digestive
system was ready.  Her sister started at 6 months, but on comparing
their baby books, their weight was the same.

Frozen cooked/defrosted mixed vegetables were our childrens'
first solids along with mashed potatoes or rice.  Later, with animal
proteins, Happy Baby Grinder was taken to all restaurants with us.
Not one jar of commercial was ever bought.

Losing *teachable moments* may mean trying sloppy cereals and baby
foods with a spoon and getting compliance.  It may be an important
viewpoint from the day care or substitute caretaker's viewpoint.
Resistance may be to spoon feeding.  I've not seen its introduction
as being too pleasing from the looks on baby's faces.  They all look
pretty skeptical.

See Funny below on self feeding:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/lighter_side/lighter_side_stories_vignettes10.html

                  One day we were on the back porch enjoying the warm
                  weather and a snack of homemade chocolate chip
                  cookies. My youngest, Tarah, was 13 months at the
                  time and still happily nursing. She came over to where
                  I was sitting and told me in her 13 month old way that
                  she was ready to nurse, so I pulled her up in my lap
                  and she proceeded to nurse.

                  Well, all of the sudden she pulls off and takes a bite
                  from a cookie she was holding in her hand (which I did
                  not notice was there!) and then latched back on and
                  continued to nurse. She did this several times until
the
                  cookie was all gone and each time she would just
                  laugh and smile.

                  I couldn't help but laugh! Tarah was enjoying the BEST
                  milk with her cookies!

                  Felicia

Judy Ritchie

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