One of the things I have done differently is how I introduced solid foods. With Benjamin, when he turned 6 months old I started with Gerber cereal and 1st foods, went on to 2nd foods, 3rd foods, and Gerber Graduates. Benjamin was well over a year before he started eating adult food, and even then it was introduced very slowly.
With Luna I felt inspired to try Baby Led Weaning. For those who don't know, Baby Led Weaning is where you let your baby feed themselves with their hands, instead of pureed food (or as the author of the linked article calls it, "mush"). The thought behind this is that our babies will still get the needed nutrients from breast milk or formula; so while they are playing with their food they are learning how to chew and eventually they will swallow the food we put on their plate.
Most BLW advocates don't recommend mixing finger foods with "mush", but after talking with our family doctor I decided that was something I wanted to consider for Luna. So when Luna first turned 6 months she got Gerber baby cereal in the morning, pureed fruits or vegetables in the afternoon, and whatever we were having for dinner in the evening, and breast feeding in between times. As Luna got older the amount of finger foods increased and the amount of spoon-fed foods decreased. Shortly after she turned 1, she was done with any food that had to be spoon-fed to her. She wants to feed herself.
Luna will now eat anything. If it's an an adult's plate, she wants it! Maybe whenever I have my third kid I'll do BLW 100%. ;)
