You just got the whole nursing and bottle-feeding thing down, right? Now it's time to introduce solids.  We're sharing how to introduce solids, what did and what didn't work for us!

Thank you to Kroger for sponsoring this post.

Now that Lydia is a little older, I'm able to reflect on what we did for those important transitions during her first year of life … and share both what worked and what didn't.  Today, we're talking about how to introduce solids.
I felt like as soon as we had nursing, pumping at work, bottle feeding and cleaning all the tools down … we were starting to talk about the introduction of solid foods.  Luckily, our pediatrician was great about presenting different options to us and then helping us make informed decisions.
When: Traditionally, solids are introduced anywhere between four and six months.  Most pediatricians suggest watching for signs of readiness (interest in food, ability to hold head up, sitting well while supported, doubling birth weight, signs of hunger).  We chose to wait until six months for a variety of reasons.  Lydia was (and still is) VERY small for her age.  She didn't demonstrate much interest in food until right before the six-month mark and we had some issues nursing early on.  Since she seemed satisfied with breast milk, we waited. 
What: We tried a number of different tools, foods, etc…….and there are a few that I would ABSOLUTELY use again.

Snapbibs: These are seriously the BEST.  They're handmade, durable and super easy to clean.  We kept them in our kitchen and in our diaper bag for at least a year. (They also make placemats)

Replay Recycled:  If you've followed me on Instagram for awhile, you know that I'm obsessed with these plates.  They're lightweight, easy to clean, and made from recycled materials.  From day one, we used their spoons and bowls.

Simple Truth Organic Baby Food Pouches: One of my biggest concerns when we started solids was, how would we GO anywhere? Breastfeeding is, well easily portable.  At home, I did steam veggies at times … but even there as a full time working mom … I didn't always have that option.  We researched the brands we fed Lydia carefully.  Simple Truth Organic Food Pouches? Some of our favs.  In fact, Lydia still eats some of the Level 2 pouches or we add them to smoothies! Keep a few pouches on hand, you'll thank yourself later.
How: We started with sweet potato, and every 3-5 days introduced a new solid.  We always nursed (or Lydia had a bottle of breast milk) first and then tried solids.  Our goal? Was to not PUSH her.  I will say, she is STILL a picky eater.  We did introduce more sweet fruits before veggies, and there is some debate that veggies should be introduced first.  At around 9 months, we started with soft finger foods.  Lydia seemed to love food a whole lot more once she could feed herself. 

My biggest piece of advice? Keep your cool.  It's easy to be concerned that a baby NEVER eat.  And remember, portions for a six month old? Just a few tablespoons.  This (like everything else during that first year) is SO significant and then just becomes the norm.
So mamas, any tips? What helped you? Tell us your experience with how to introduce solids!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kroger. The opinions and text are all mine.

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