First Food!

And the firsts continue! The girls tried butternut squash this morning and it was a success! Teagan was a little unsure at first, as you can see from the picture. She seemed somewhat indifferent, which isn't surprising, given how much she loves nursing. Quinn, on the other hand, LOVED it! She picked it up quickly and was leaning into the spoon before we knew it.

Why did I pick butternut squash? It is very nutrient-rich, low on the allergen scale, slightly sweet and easy to digest. Contrary to popular belief, starting your baby on a slightly sweet veggie or fruit will not cause them to develop a sweet tooth. Breastmilk and formula are very sweet themselves and so the sweeter item can help a baby adjust to real foods more easily. We opted to skip rice cereal entirely. In my opinion, rice cereal isn't necessary. It is a processed food and I would prefer to give the girls whole, real foods from the beginning. But, my pediatrician says that my baby needs rice cereal for the iron? Yes, a baby's iron stores are almost depleted by their 6-month birthday, but there are plenty of other ways for them to get iron. I am still breastfeeding and do not have an iron deficiency. Therefore, the girls will be getting iron through my milk, which is highly absorbable. If you're formula feeding, most formulas are fortified with iron. There are also plenty of iron-rich foods out there.

I'm not going to write too much about foods right now, but fear not, there will be plenty of food-related posts in the near future!

Here are a few pictures of this morning's meal:

Teagan's first bites of real food

Quinn's first bites of real food!

She loved her butternut squash!

Teagan was a little bit unsure

Mom gives feeding a whirl