Food issues....

Things are progressing very very slowly in terms of introducing solids to Rose. At this age Paige had tried and liked most baby foods...cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Rose has tried quite a few things, and likes very few. She has only recently started to accept cereal once or twice a day...Oat, wheat, or rice cereals, and has had carrots a couple of times. Any other fruits or vegetables haven't been received very well. There are no problems with accepting the spoon, swallowing the food, or with the textures, she just seems really slow to adapt to the new tastes. I have read quite a bit on this issue--baby food books, LaLeche league website, etc. and they all say the same thing....that food isn't necessary until 12 months. Although some babies seem to be eager to eat solids, some just aren't, and that 's ok. The purpose of food at this point is to get the baby used to tastes and textures, and how to eat solids...but the food is not for nutrition. Breast milk provides 100% of nutrition until the age of 1. I'm not worried about her health at all, just eager to get to the "food as a distraction" stage. It would be nice for her to be able to pick away at foods to keep her occupied at mealtimes! Today she ate a lot of cereal, so if she keeps up with this for a few days, we'll try a vegetable. The new order of food introduction according to the doctors (new since Paige was a baby) is cereal, followed by meat, then vegetables, then fruits. Meat wasn't the second food up until recently. Since Rose has been so reticent to try food, I refuse to offer her the nasty meat until she likes some vegetables that I can hide the meat in! At any rate, she is a nice chubby baby, and she is clearly getting enough milk to keep her happy!