From Formula to Food
Ahh... the introduction of solid food to a baby's diet. Another chapter in one's life begins! Meliah is seeking your insight:
Aurelia (my five month old daughter) and I are nearing the time for transitioning to formula and foods. I have a few specific questions involving the process. I am considering using organic formula but am wondering if formula is one of the foods that there is a marked difference in the organic and non-organic versions. Does anyone have any knowledge, information or experience to share about this? Also, what is the difference, if there is one, between single grain rice cereal and whole grain rice cereal? Any feedback would be much appreciated!
I would recommend the book "Super Baby Food". It is very comprehensive and pretty much tells you everything you need to know about how/when to introduce your baby to solids. I used it for both of my girls and still make some of the toddler recipes in the back for healthy snacks!
Posted by: Rosanne | December 06, 2006 at 09:47 PM
i'm not an expert.... but i feel that anything organic generally has less chemicals from environmental toxins in it, and it's usually a good call for the babes. good luck with the transition!!
Posted by: Sadie Rose | December 07, 2006 at 12:12 AM
When I stopped breastfeeding my son I was searching for an orginic formula that has the DHA & Lipids equivalent to Enfamil, Similac, etc, (this was several months ago) and the only product I could find was Parents Choice Organic - the catch was it is only sold at Walmart! (A place I never shop) but at the time this was the only Certified Organic Formula with Lipids. So I went. Since that time Similac has introduced an Organic version & I also discovered that Ultra Beginings ( a new Orgainc formula they sell at Freddies) is made by the same co. as Parents Choice. The big catch is Parents choice is $16.00 for a large can - and Similac is $28.00.
http://www.parentschoiceformula.com/?deptid=274
Posted by: Marie | December 07, 2006 at 12:59 AM
check out the info on lipids, formulas and what everyone should know - follow the links at the bottom of this link as well:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/DHA-formula-comments.html
Posted by: Lyla | December 07, 2006 at 07:47 AM
You know that you don't have to transition a baby to formula at 5 months, right? That she'll get all the nutrition she needs from breastmilk for that first year? Not trying to be snarky at all; just that some first-time mamas have misconceptions about this, and there are plenty of pediatricians who know very little about nursing, either.
Anyway, for the "starting a 6mo on solids" part of your question, I have to second Rosanne's recommendation of "Super Baby Food." It's a wonderful resource, packed with handy charts detailing what a baby can eat at what age (with surprising suggestions). I had those charts taped to my fridge for months. The author can be a tad obsessive about her "super-baby porridge (which I didn't make), but overall, it's a really helpful book.
Posted by: Zinemama | December 07, 2006 at 08:59 AM
well if you HAVE to stop breastfeeding, animal products are definitely high on the list of most important to buy organic. This eliminates all the growth hormones and chemicals that are fed to cows. But I say give that baby breastmilk as long as possible, more and more studies are coming out about the long-term benefits. Good luck!
Posted by: maggie | December 07, 2006 at 09:55 AM
Now there are quite a few organic formulas on the market, we ended up buying cases at New Seasons market (get a 10% discount if you buy a case). we feel there is a difference in the formula based on how our children each required different brands. We went through lots of vomitting in the process of finding one that works. My son did better with Nestle's good start, Maggie had to have organic soy formula and Sasha had to have organic milk formula. If you contact the different companies, you may be able to get samples, that's what we did. they will also send you coupons. Whole foods was really great at finding a way to get us samples of the 2 organic brands of formula they had at that time.
I never really used baby food for our kids. I found they did very well with everything I made. I have heard wonderful things about the book "Super Baby Food", never personally used it. The kids grew up on Japanese style baby food. I did that so it would be easier for my mom when she was watching them (she's Japanese). We found that Target sells a mini food processor for about $10 and its the same as the one in the baby catalogs that calls theirs a "baby food maker" and sells for $25. We found also having a strainer helps. (same goes for puppy gates and baby gates)
I know every child is different, but my kids did "ok" with formula. They were less gassy and slept better when they were breastfed.
Posted by: Murphy | December 07, 2006 at 02:36 PM
We've been using Baby's Only, which is $9 for one of the smaller sized cans - sold at New Seasons. I don't know about any "proven" benefits, but since it's a dairy product, I feel better knowing it is free of growth-hormone. Peace of mind is worth a lot, science or no!
Posted by: Amy | December 07, 2006 at 03:03 PM
We adopted our second son and I just couldn't establish a full milk supply on my own. We used Baby's Only organic soy as he was (is!) terribly allergic to dairy. He did very well on it and I found that ordering it from the company directly is very cheap. I loved that it had no corn syrup. Very important to us, and he never had a single ear infection which I attribute to the brown rice syrup. The company was also great to work with and they are very pro-breastfeeding.
I second the other comments that breastfeeding as long as possible is the best (and easiest, and cheapest and, and, ;)
Posted by: Sarah | December 09, 2006 at 06:51 AM
For the food side of your question, I recommend HAPPYBABY baby meals (www.happybabyfood.com). They are as close to homemade as I have ever found. They are 100% natural and organic--which means no preservatives, pesticides, genetic modification, etc. Also, they are fresh frozen, which maintains the peak nutritional value and taste of the food. In addition, I like that I'm supporting a woman-owned operation:)
Posted by: Nina | December 14, 2006 at 07:13 PM
"100 Best Baby Purees" is a good book as well. I second the comment about switching to formula at 5 months....why? I have never heard of this before. The American Pediatric Association recommends breastfeeding for 2 years. Just food for thought!
Posted by: Deb | January 23, 2007 at 09:41 PM