Dear S.,
I breastfed my children until they were (or "are" as my son is still breastfeeding) 18 months.
I started my daughter on cereal at 4 months and my son 3.5 months (he wants to do what his sister does). I then started them on homemade foods a month later. Both ate three meals a day. The meals at first consisted of a "cube" (I froze the homemade fruits, vegetables, and proteins in ice cube trays.)of food for each meal for the first month. The second month, I offered them two cubes at each meal. The third month I offered them a protein and vegetable with a fruit for desert. By seven months, they were definitely eating (or being offered) three cubes at each meal and probably a snack in between.
Of course, by seven months I was no longer using cubes (just as a supplement). I had a food mill and they were eating whatever I made for meals (I used leftovers for lunches). The food was cooked and seasoned normally (I love to cook and we eat a variety of foods from numerous nationalities.) I toned down the heavy spices (I can't eat them anymore myself) but they had been getting the flavors through my breastmilk anyway.
Around nine to ten months, I started cutting up the food very small instead of milling it. At ten months I had to travel to Vegas with my daughter and she ate right off of the buffets without s problem. My son was a bit slower to eat cut up food. (Of course you must choose soft foods - well cooked meats, potatoes, veggies that are easily mashed with a fork, etc.)
Neither of my children were picky until much older. (My 3 yo old daughter is on a yogurt, ham, eggs, and peas diet right now. That is all she will eat though she will try other foods. It is a thing she can control and a normal part of development.) My children now eat all foods. They love vegetables (including asparagus! How many one year olds do you know who eat asparagus!)They eat what we eat - mexican, italian, thai, american, french, etc.
By one year, my children were eating a lot of food. My son can eat two plates of spaghetti. He is 18 mo and actually in the 50th percentile for weight. The best advice is give them enough food, they will usually stop when they are done. A seven mo will simply spit it out or stop eating. Oh, my kids were playing with spoons and forks by 7 months. They started to feed themselves with their fingers by around 9-10 months (messy!). At 18 months, my son uses fingers and a fork. I bought them small cocktail forks and spoons from Bed, Bath and Beyond. They are stainless steel miniature versions of real utensils. My 3 yo daughter has been using grown-up forks for a year.
Both of my children were drinking breastmilk from a sippy at four months. Neither ever had a drop of formula or a bottle. They mastered the sippy within a month. They were both on straw cups by a year. I started them on water at five months or so. They rarely have juice (once a month maybe). They started on milk at 1 year. I used plain tap water for cereal and plain tap water for drinking. I pumped a lot for my daughter and had the milk stored so I could use it (but I didn't. I ended up throwing most of it out). I pumped maybe twice for my son and both times it was so he could have milk for a meal that I was going to miss.
They are both healthy, happy eaters with great palates. They really eat much better than most kids their ages and I believe it is because they ate regular food from the start. By the way, with my daughter it was all organic, free range etc. for the first year. With my son it was whatever we were eating and I have not noticed a difference in the two at all.
I hope this helps.
A.
I am a work from home writer and Coordinator for an Au Pair Service - mother to my 3 yo daughter and 1.5 yo son. I am a pretty laid back mother. I think it is because I am older (40).
