Experts

When my first daughter was a small baby I heard from everywhere that you can start giving babies solid food from four months age. But the paediatrician said we could wait until six months. The dietician was concerned when Christina at six months was almost uninterested in food still. At seven months, she liked picking up grains of rice from the low table and eating them.

I have since read the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for six months. So I thought, this time I will be good and wait until Esther is six months to give her solid food. I kept saying when the subject came up, "The first thing she will eat is what she grabs out of my hand that I am eating and puts in her own mouth." And yes, it happened, about a week ago, she grabbed my bread with margarine on it and put it in her mouth. She kept getting angry when I was eating without giving her a taste of it. So I changed my mind. I decided it was time to consider giving her some food too (even though she isn't quite five months yet).

There are so many things that experts say about what to give as first foods for your child. In the USA, people say "definitely rice cereal". In Sweden, people say "mashed potatoes." There is so much caution to exercise on one or the other aspect of solid foods. However, I have also read about some families relaxing about the whole enterprise, giving the child a little of whatever the family is eating. Today I had to relent. Esther was simply demanding she try some of my pasta and sauce. But it is spicy! I defended my former position. She can't have that! But she would not accept anything except letting her have a taste. So I gave her a grain of my sauce and she was content.

My conclusion is that the only expert I need is Esther for knowing what she needs. She has a strong will already, a temperament that will not let me ignore her needs. I seriously doubt that any other expert can tell me what is best for her.