Hacks for a 6 month's mom on introducing solids

I am rushing to puree the apple that I had boiled, as my 6months old baby has already started crying. In a hurry, my thumb got caught in the door and got smashed while closing the cupboard. The day could not get better than this! But thats not just today, its the everyday story when I am rushing from one chore to another, in between attending to my little one, who is nothing less than a Diva! I must be preparing 6 things for her to eat and I consider my day successful if I manage to make her eat even 2 of those. And not to forget the mess during the feeding sessions. She is learning new ways, god knows how, to dodge the spoonful coming towards her or to launch whatever is in her mouth back at me and the things surrounding her. After every session, everything within almost 2meters of diameter from her has been a victim to her spewing. Lets not forget the ways you try to make them to open their mouth to eat, I have tried, poems, songs, parodies, funny dances and gestures, even in my worst mood. By the end of the day what you get is little satisfaction that you tried your best to make them eat and a lot of headache. I am scared to hell, to think of the future where she would be mobile. My hacks for a mother of an infant who has started taking semisolids, esp. if you are staying in a nuclear setup with no help-‌

1.Plan beforehand! Plan what all you will be feeding her the entire day, in the morning itself and always keep plan B for everything. Lot of times babies might reject your Plan A meal so be ready with Plan B.

‌2. Prepare and keep things ready when they are asleep. This way you get to spend some quality time with them when they are playing. Chop those vegetables you need to puree and store in clean airtight containers. FRUITS i would suggest you chop or mash fresh before feeding Keep those bowls and spoons sterilized and ready. Babies do not like to wait and they will not!

‌3. For cereals I follow : Soak-> Dry->Roast->Grind. I had prepared powders of Rice, Daal, Oats, Ragi and Sooji/Rava. For Ragi powder you need to sprout the Ragi and then dry it. Sooji/Rava, you do not need to soak or grind, you can simply roast. Store all the powders in clean air tight containers. Prepare the quantity that will be sufficient for about 2weeks. These powders make your life so easy, it hardly takes 2-3mins for these to cook(depending on the quantity). Also there is no additional effort to grind anything later to smoothen the texture for the baby. 

‌4. Understand the food preferences.6months is the time when baby has just started eating so he would resist anything that is not smooth in texture, so I suggest you puree or mash the things as smoothly as possible. 

‌Keep the consistency of the food slightly runny so that it is easier for babies to swallow and easier on their stomach as well. If you find any of the fruit puree is thick then you can add expressed breastmilk or formula milk to make it runny. Always add breastmilk or formula milk, when the puree is cooked and cool. You do not add it while cooking. In case you wish to make the consistency of any of the vegetable puree runny you can even add freshly prepared curd(homemade). Curd is probiotic hence good for baby's stomach. You would find that the babies are more likely to eat things which are slightly sweeter in taste or bland as the breastmilk or formula that they had been consuming was sweeter. At this stage you do not need to add sugar or salt to the baby. Try offering things which are sweeter in taste like ragi kheer, sooji kheer(kheer does not mean you add sugar just cook ragi or sooji in water once cool, add breastmilk or formula), fruit puree and slowly move on to things like daal, khichdi etc.

‌5. Invest in a plastic high chair, these are easier to clean. If the chair has lot of cushions or if you are feeding the baby on your bed or couch, it will be difficult to clean it later. So to feed the baby, choose a place which is easier to clean later, reduce lot of your effort.

‌6. Understand the pattern. Some babies eat little bit every hour and some babies eat only after a gap of 2-3hours, once they are properly hungry. Both are absolutely fine, as long as the weight gain is proper. So understand the behaviour and accordingly feed the baby.

‌7. Once in a while, allow them to take the matters in their hand! It will make them more confident and more comfortable with the food. Spread an old bed sheet on the floor or a mat that can be easily cleaned or a high chair whatever works for you, keep the food in front of them n let them touch it. Lot of people also give big chunks of raw fruits(cleaned and peeled) to play with, to the babies.

‌8. Babies learn by observing and imitating. So always schedule your meal when the baby is around or even better if you can all sit on the same dinning table and put her/his high chair next to you. But do not think that this will happen overnight. Remember! they are babies just starting out, it takes time to learn something new.

‌9. Be creative and be patient! You need to find creative ways to make the baby eat. Babies are new to food, they have been on milk till now hence will show some resistance but you need to be patient and creative to make them enjoy. Make it a positive process for them. Keep trying, not all days will be same.

‌In the end, every kid is different so never consider anything as a benchmark. Some things might work for you some things might not, the key is to keep experimenting and keep trying. Happy feeding:)