Today’s Woman / March 2020
55
MARCH 2020
54
March 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com
A SOLID PLAN:
BABY-LED WEANING AND OTHER BABY FEEDING ANSWERS By Tonilyn Hornung
W
hen it came time to introduce solid foods to my infant, I learned the world had moved beyond simply buying a jar of canned food. There were many alternatives for me to research and different options for my son to taste test. I was ready to find one that worked best for him and his first foodie milestone. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Solid foods should be introduced around 6 months of age.” My son’s sensitive stomach needed to be considered, so I spoke with our pediatrician to design a menu. The first part of our recipe was to skip the single-grain cereal that’s given. We thought it best to move directly to the next step — sweet potatoes. But how should I feed him his first meal? Should I play soft music? Feed him by candlelight? Make the meal from scratch? Cindy Baerny, a mother of 16-month-old twins, decided that her best plan was to make her own baby food. Cindy was inspired by the low cost of making food at home. Then she began to see the extra benefits, like variety, portion size, and great taste. “When you taste sweet potatoes that you’ve made compared to those that come in a jar or pouch, there’s a difference,” Cindy says. PAGE 58>>
56
March 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com
WHEN YOUR BABY IS READY FOR SOLID FOOD — HOW DO YOU START?
<< PAGE 56
Carson Cobb, 10-month-old son of Bradley and Jill Cobb, loves cooked broccoli and sweet potato chunks. Photo by Melissa Donald
The best part for Cindy, though, was the enjoyment it provided for her family. “We had fun! I went through my list and put check marks next to all the foods we tried. I’d never even tried turnips!” Making meals fun keeps a child interested in the tasty foods they’re eating. Another way to do this is through baby-led weaning. Baby-led weaning is yet another option when choosing how to start an infant on solids. A child eats handheld finger foods so that they can control the pace and amount of food they want. In some cases, parents choose to skip the purees in favor of baby-led weaning, because a baby still receives most of their nutrition from breast milk or formula until they reach their first birthday. Jill Cobb, mother to a 10-monthold baby boy, was intrigued by babyled weaning when her pediatrician and a good friend both mentioned it. After further research and taking an online course, she decided this was the ideal plan for her family. “It made sense to me. I’m cooking beans and rice for us, so he can have some beans and rice too. It was a win-win for all of us.” The first foods Jill offered her son were avocado and banana. In the beginning, she mashed them up, but as her son became used to the process, she offered him larger, whole portions. Jill makes her own baby food, and this provides a combination of textures for her son’s developing tastes. “I still food allergies weekly. Jill introduced give purees in certain situations, but I peanut butter to her son when try to get my son to feed himself he was close to 6 months. as much as possible.” The King’s College Leap Both mothers “WE HAD FUN! . . . Study “found that early introduced prospective I’D NEVER EVEN childhood exposure to food allergies early. The peanut decreases the risk American Academy of TRIED TURNIPS! of developing peanut Pediatrics wants parents Cindy Baerny allergy and found that to know that “Eight Mother this tolerance to peanut groups of foods account for remains after one year of not about 90 percent of all food eating peanuts.” If one or both allergies and must be declared parents have a food-related allergy, on U.S. product labels. These include it’s suggested that allergy testing be cow’s milk, eggs, fish, crustacean done for the child. shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, Eventually, my little guy and I and soybeans.” came up with his perfect bill of fare. Cindy introduced eggs to her twins We settled on a combination of babyfirst and spaced out other potential
58
March 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com
led weaning and mom-led buying of limited-ingredient baby food. He was sweet on his pureed sweet potatoes. Then, when I cut bananas into small pieces, he was thrilled to be able to eat them all by himself. Dinner became a time for us to connect over his new foodie appetites. We giggled and chatted, enjoying our time together. It was never rushed, but it was definitely messy. Finding a solid plan for starting a baby on solids can take some trial and error, but once found, a healthy foundation is established. “You fall in love with your kids,” Cindy says, “and you try your best by them, and that’s all that matters.”
Photo by Melissa Donald
FUN HABITS FOR HEALTHY TEETH
Jenna Schulten, DMD, and owner of Dupont Pediatric Dentistry, wants her patients to see brushing as a fun activity.
PROMOTION | By Tiffany White
O
ut of all of the activities your child enjoys, brushing their teeth probably isn’t at the top of the list. The mere sight of a toothbrush can cause some kids to have tantrums, but neglecting oral care to calm your child can lead to cavities.
Fortunately, there are ways you can turn this daily ritual into a happy experience and teach your kids how to properly care for their teeth. Jenna Schulten, DMD and owner of Dupont Pediatric Dentistry, says setting a routine helps your children become accustomed to brushing when they know they will have to do it at a set time every day. If a child is between 18 months and 3 years old, Jenna says it is fine to let them brush their teeth by themselves, but the parent should brush their teeth again. “Kids don’t have the manual dexterity to do it on their own until they are able to tie their shoes,” she says. If your child becomes fussy about brushing their teeth, Jenna suggests combining bath time with toothbrushing. “When my kids were taking a bath, I would usually let them play with the toothbrush in the bathtub so they could see it [toothbrushing] was fun. Then I could clean them off and when I got them out of the tub, I would wrap their towel around them and quickly brush their teeth,” she says. Another idea is to let your child mimic your good oral habits. “Some nights when I am brushing, Evelyn, my 2-year-old daughter, will brush with me. She brushes the whole time I am brushing just because mommy has the toothbrush. At the end, I will give her my toothbrush so that she can try to brush my teeth and then I’ll brush her teeth to get the spots she misses,” she says. 3934 Dutchmans Lane | Louisville, KY 40207 502.897.0625 | dupontpediatricdentistry-louisville.com
Today’s Woman / March 2020
59