On Sun, 08 Aug 2004 04:24:52 GMT, "Carol Ann"
wrote:

Were you at all concerned with the pesticides or other chemicals in the
fresh veggies and fruits that are taken out with the jarred processed kind?

At first, my girls ONLY had cooked-and-pureed foods. Washed, peeled,
cooked pretty much killed off any problems. I preferred home-made
foods because that way I could be CERTAIN they were
single-ingrediants, no added sweetening or anything else. Because we
have a STRONG family history of allergies, this was really important
to me. Single-foods initially are a good way of being certain it's
*really* say carrots they were allergic to rather than the potatoes
mashed with it.

So far, we haven't identified any food allergies with them, but they
do have some environmental allergies we have to consider.

I considered making Morgan's foods, but was warned against it.

Who warned you against it? The nurses at the Baby Health Centre I
went to encouraged feeding your baby home cooked foods wholeheartedly,
as did the paediatrician we took Athena to (in Oz, babies are normally
seen by the family doctor but Athena got the Specialist Paedi
treatment because of being a few days short of 2 months premature).
They felt that the VERY slight risk of pesticide exposure was well and
truly outweighed by the benefit of knowing EXACTLY what went into the
foods my girls were eating.

Morgan is 4 1/2 months old. I will try to NOT introduce solids until she is
6 months along. I will begin with Rice Cereal and then move on to veggies
and fruits. She will continue to breastfeed. Meat will be introduced when
she is a year old.

Good for you. I couldn't fully breastfeed although I tried. I just
didn't lactate with either baby, despite all my efforts and planning.
My mother had the same problem, although my sisters were both good
cows.

Athena started out on cereal at 4 months of age (corrected age, 2
months) out of sheer desperation on my part because even with bottles
she was ravenous every 90 minutes or so. My mother suggested that
very runny cereal might 'stick with her' for longer. She didn't have
it in a bottle - off a spoon and she loved every bite! She seemed to
thrive on it and her paedi said it was obviously agreeing with her
since her growth rate improved and her general health was excellent.
She had been having a lot of the early signs of being 'ready' so I
guess she was just an early developer that way.

Ishtar was closer to 8 months before she showed any interest in
solids. This is still within normal ranges so I didn't worry too
much.

Both my girls are tall, strong and healthy, on about the 90th
percentile for height and weight for Athena (9 years old and extremely
active) 90th and 50th for Ishtar (8 years old, a little less active
and eats rather more lightly). Feeding them as I did obviously didn't
have any ill effects.

Of course that may change.......lol!

~Carol Ann

Carol Ann, when Morgan starts in on solid foods she'll soon let you
know what she likes and dislikes. You may find her 'eyeing off' your
dinner (I often did) and giving her a sample of something in an
appropriate texture may well open her horizons some more. You're
doing a great job of raising your beautiful little girl.

Aramanth