Baby food: I'm so confused!

Thank you, Orme. The cereal I'm referring to is baby flakes, to be added to milk. I used this for my 1st baby, at nighttime. Just put some in her bottle of milk (with her it was formula, I didn't nurse my 1st). It filled the tummy and helped her sleep thru the night. Also, I gave it to her in the am. What do I feed Keira for breakfast? Is the yogurt (?) okay? IS it yogurt?

I tend to stay away from the microwave with the baby foods. Doesn't the microwave kill the vitamins? Or is this paranoia on my part?

I had the baby to the dr on Tuesday, and she said I could discontinue giving the baby her weekly vitamin K, as long as she is eating jarred foods, which have all the necessary vitamins added. Would she be missing out on these vitamins if I gave her blended veggies, etc? I already was trying this, but was worried she'd be missing out on the benefits of the jarred foods, specially prepared for baby's needs.(?)

I looked (again) at Leclerc Tuesday and they only had vegetable cereal (in a box, which is what I'm looking for, unless it's in a different container here?). Am I shopping at the wrong store for my baby's foods? Would Carrefour have a better selection? I've only been there twice, but noticed it's got lots more stuff.

Kim, I know what you mean about the cereals - the feeding here is very different to what we were used to in the States. You should be able to buy a baby yogurt that has cereal in it, but to be honest it's been 4 years since I did it and I can't remember what is available, plus the products change all the time. I can't remember what I did about the cereal issue. i think I had someone bring me some from the UK. I think there are some baby cereal biscuits that you can get which you can soak in milk... I don't think your baby will care if she's having cereal for breakfast or yogurt and fruit. All I can say is unless your baby has any specific health problems, you will be fine to steam your own vegetables and meats and fish at home and puree them for her and give her the jarred foods too, when it's convenient for you. She will be getting everything she needs. She doesn't need to be on only solids all day. Go slowly and work her up to a full solid diet. You know all this anyway - don't be intimidated by what you think you should be doing - follow your instincts, which will not have changed since 14 years ago. The baby foods at the shops (and yes, Carrefour or Geant will have lots of choice) should have the ages or stages marked on them and the Bledina range is usually good.

Thank you, SJ. The biscuits, that's another one! Back in the states we have teething biscuits, which are very hard, allowing the baby to hold them and suck on them. They make quite a mess, but I remember how the babies loved them! I saw something similar here and bought them, but they are very weak, breakable, if you know what I mean. Naturally I watch her very closely whenever she is eating anything, but I won't give her these because they break so easily and I'm afraid she'll choke.

I almost had a heart attack the other night. I was in the kitchen cooking and went into the living room to see Daddy feeding her cheese doodles! She loved it! Was just sucking away as he held the 'doodle'. I know I am paranoid, but I can't help it.

Yes, Motherearth, I agree. I would much prefer to give her things I've prepared myself, for those exact reasons. But I was concerned she wouldn't be getting the necessary nutrients, which I believe are ADDED to the store-bought foods. If I give her only my foods, will it be enough, nutritionally? And would it be a good idea to have her used to the jarred foods for when I am going out and must bring food for her? I mean, if I give her my foods, then will she still eat the other if I need to use it?

I get the stages, just not what all the foods are. Still don't know if the bledina 'yogurt' things I've been feeding her are actually yogurt, or a cheesy product. I don't like yogurt, and it sure tasted like yogurt when I tried it. Is it a dessert or is it okay for her to have 2 or 3 of those each day? She really loves this stuff, but is it good for her?

It should be fine for her to be having one or two a day. I would hesitate at letting her get too "hooked" on them as she needs to have a varied diet for it to be balanced. Yes, you are right to think about her not liking the jarred foods, so give her some of those sometimes too (or all the time if it suits you and is in your budget). Otherwise, you take the frozen food with you in a container and have it warmed up for you where you are going or warm it up yourelf at home and take it along in a small thermos. As for the bisuits that dissolve easily, that's the idea for giving them to babies - they do dissolve easily so there is not a great risk of them choking on them. My son was always able to break off chunks of the hard biscuits and I had to stop giving him those right away! He was a choker for some reason - I was always having to perform the baby heimlich on him, but my daughter was different thank goodness, I couldn't have handled the stress a second time round!

Your baby will be getting everything she needs without the additives found in the store bought baby foods, don't worry.

Thanks so much, all of you! I really feel much better now.

But IS IT YOGURT?! -lol

Ameri-cannes,

At the supermarket there are Danaon "My first yoghurt" in both plain and fruit and they are in small size containers, sold in 6 or 12 packs. It is real yoghurt. You can also give her Petite suisse, full fat, also sold in 6 pack containers. I give my daughter cereal in her milk every morning. Its by Nestles and it is a multi grain, sold in a metal can and has a slight vanilla flavoring. Zelda is 11 months old and eats 3 real meals a day. she eats what we eat, just broken into little pieces and she only has 2 teeth! I occassionaly give her prepared food, the bledina or nestles is good, but I doctor it up with putting some cheese or creme frais in it and other vegies and spices. Don't be afraid of spice. They like it! Mine loves corriander, basil, dill. Avacados are another great food. You use the spoon to scrape the flesh, or cut it into pices and let her feed herself if she can. Zelda has been eating them since she was 6 months old.

Good luck!

Hi There

I use the cereal flakes ( sans gluten that are supposed to be added to the bottle ) and make them into porridge with a little breast milk or water. I usually add a spoon or two of fruit ( bledina apple and prune or similar ) to give it a taste.

I have steered clear of the pudding types of jars so far as my little man already has a sweet tooth that I don't want to encourage too much. I tend to feed him nestle or bledina jars of plain fruit and veg, he loves pumpkin and spinach.

I also keep a bottle of prune juice handy in case of constipation, 5ml in the morning sorts it out quickly and naturally.

have fun

gills

Oh ja, I forgot, the cereal is ' ma 1ere Bledine' - I got it a schleker. It has added vitamins and no sugar for age 4 months.

The other option is the ready to drink milk called 'bledidej' available sans gluten and sugar suitable for 4 months and avec gluten from 6 months.

Its a bit expensive but handy to have in case of emergency, its comes ready to drink in a carton, just put it in a bottle and warm it a little. There are also flavoured ones ( vanilla, chocolate and biscuit ) but I tend to stick with the plain 2 cereals option.

I have been giving my son normal adult's Danone Veloute plain yoghurt since he was 8 months as I found the baby yoghurt much too sweet. I preferred to mix my own pureed fruit in the plain yoghurt than buy one that was already sweeteend. He's close to a yr now now likes it plain.

A tip is to buy the organic purees from Picard. They come unsalted and no fat, and there's carrots, courgettes,pumpkin and potato. I use a bit each time, mix and match or add to my other cooked stuff. Its a timesaver.

I also like giving tofu, I buy from the chinese supermarket or health shop, no need to cook just warm n mix with other veg. Easypeasy and so healthy.

Wow, what a lot of great advice since this morning! I used to give my son the Petit Filous etc too when he was being weaned. I think it is that brand which has the least sugar. You can get the cereals that you add to milk, but they are in powder form, not flakes. Gerber used to do them, and Nestlé do too. If you can't find them (sometimes in tins) in the supermarket, you might be able to get them in a pharmacy.

You don't say how young your baby is, but my paediatrician told me to start giving hypoallergenic cereal in case of gluten intolerance. Turns out that there was no problem anyway, but then my boy was very young when we started on the cereal additions to his diet (he needed something solid in his stomach from around 3 months). If you want something hard for yours to chew on, a friend used to give her daughter biscottes - messy, but she loved them!

Okay, ladies, all great advice and much appreciated. So guess what? I just got home from Keira's very 1st emergency room visit! Almost exactly 7 months from the day I brought her home from the same hosp! Yes, I'm so worried about what to feed her, right? She has a keen interest in cell phones, but we won't let her play with ours, so I dug out my old flip phone from USA (brand new 2 yrs ago) and charged it up for her. She likes the 'pretty lights'. Naturally, this, as everything else, went directly into her mouth. I took it away from her, undeterred by her screams of protest. A few minutes later I noticed there was a bit of green corrosion on the phone. PANIC TIME!!! Went to Cannes hosp, where they called CAP and checked her over, finally telling me she is fine, not to worry. It was then that I lost my composure and cried, my knees giving out. Squatting down, quietly laughing and crying simultaniously, the Dr & nurses got a big kick outa me! I'm still shaking...

Suddenly fruits, veggies, cereals & yogurts seem so trivial...

I'm a terrible mother!!!!

You have no idea how horrible I feel!!! Not fair, Nora!

I just thank God she's okay. I haven't been that scared in a very, very long time. Thanks for giving me a laugh, Nora!

Hi Ameri-cannes,

Just wanted to add my word in. I started off feeding my now 7 month old son "ma 1ère Blédine" made by Blédina. Its like rice cereal. I'd mix it with my breast milk at first until I got tired of pumping and then started to use powdered formula instead. The only problem is that it constipated him. Now he's graduated to "Céreale Infantile 5 Céreales" by Nestlé. Its got rice, oatmeal, wheat and two other grains that I can't translate and every since no more constipation. I started feeding him cereal thinking that'll it'd help him sleep through the night. Guess what? Didn't work! But he likes it so much that I continue feeding him that mixed with fruit for dinner, and for lunch he has Vegetables and fruits that I steam in large quantities and freeze in ice cube trays and when frozen put in to freezer bags. At lunch time I just pop a couple of vegetable cubes and a couple of potato cubes in the microwave and voilà! I steamed each vegetable separately so I can mix different things together when I want. My sons favourite is Zucchini and potatoes.

As for the meat, I haven't got that far yet since the doctor didn't recommend meat until the 8th or 9th month. I do remember with the other two kids it being a problem to get the meat tender enough. I've never figured out why they don't sell baby food jars with just meat here. One more thing that I've noticed between American baby food and french baby food is the size of the jar. Its bigger here. What do french babies eat more than American babies? So why is it that Americans generally end up fatter than the French? Is it because they were staved as babies? anyway, just a thought ;-)

Anyway, what ever you decide to feed your baby, I'm sure she'll be just fine (as long as there is no plastic or battery corrosive involved :-). Just take it slowly and don't introduce more than one thing over a period of three of four days so that you can detect any allergy better. And if I can give one word of advice that I wish someone would have told me with my other two. Do not stress! If you baby doesn't accept something you offer, give up for a while. Its no big deal. What's most important is the breast milk (or formula) anyway for the first year. Well, gotta go get my kids and new puppy under control! Good luck, you'll get it all figured out soon!

rverduci

Hi Kim....

I remember looking for cereal as well... in the end I gave my soon 1/2 a weetabix all mushed up with his forumla. This is a great 'dinner' for filling them up if that is what you are looking for. To be honest... I don't remember exactly what I age I started this -- but he ate weetabix for months -- now at 2 1/2 it is an occassional breakfast mixed with fruit or yogurt. I also found he liked the My Premier Danone if you can find that at your grocery store. Good luck.... I will be starting solids with my second one in about a month's time -- so reading this thread is helping me prepare also!!

Wow! With all of these great suggestions, I don't see how I can go wrong. Thanks so much to all of you who have been posting here and also to all who sent emails. I am trying to return them all- so many kind people sent them!

I especially like the ice-tray idea, brilliant!

I've just been recommended this website - there are lots of ideas for making your own baby food and I really believe that this is best for the little 'uns

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/Recipes/Recipes.aspx

enjoy

Hi Kim

The ice cube tray is a great trick. Also a babycook is nice to have. It does steaming, warming and whips it all up to puree. We received ours as a gift long after we first introduced solids... but I still use it to steam small quantities of specific veggies that my 2 year old will eat when I know he won't like the family meal.

Ameri_cannes......why are you even considering BUYING bebe food?

Bebe can eat all of the good, healthy, well balanced, nutritious food that you guys are also eating.

Helpful hint......buy some fruit compotes......SANS SUCRE (no sugar) also, Activia Danone Natural Yoghurt, you can mix some compote with the yoghurt. Plain Rice Cakes, BIO, let Bebe have a half of one if very hungry, whilst you are preparing the meal. Or a little crusty bread, not too much, just to bite on whilst waiting.

VERY IMPORTANT......NO EGGS OR TOMATOES BEFORE BEBE IS 12 MONTHS OLD.................

PURCHASED BEBE FOOD SHOULD ONLY....... be eaten by baby when an emergency or as a convenience certainly not regularly, something like nappies!!! Ameri_Cannes, have you tasted purchased prepared Bebe food? You only need to try one spoonful!! YUK.

All you need to do is, as suggested, a small blender, put some of each of the food which you are having, add just a little plain BOTTLED water, to allow a smooth blend. Also, as suggested, if you are making a lot of food for your bebe, use the ice trays and given time as Bebe's appetite grows, move from the ice cube trays INTO the little tuppa wear packs.

Also, for puddings, poach some fresh fruit, i.e. RIPE pears, apples etc. Once poached, they can then be mashed, and use the juice instead of the bottled water. A banana can be mashed as it is, out of its skin. ALWAYS only use ripe fruit.

If you need some help, i.e. with you, in your kitchen......please let me know.

I will happily come along to help you for a full day if you like, zero charge, it would be a pleasure. Email me. I am really wanting to help you to put you and your lovely bebe on the right track.

Take it easy, we old Mothers, have been there too.

Best wishes to you Kim.