# Baby food recipe calling for heavy cream... for a 6 month old



## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

Would you use this recipe? Why or why not? (It is a meat recipe that mixes it with veggies. I'm interested in introducing meats, but she doesn't seem to like them plain.) My baby is very interested in solids, and I am following her cues on this. DD1 didn't do solids until 10 months old.


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## mommabear207 (Nov 19, 2007)

if you are fine with dairy i don't see why not. you could replace it with an equal amount of light cream, half and half or milk or even just water but it will be less creamy. babies can use the fat which is why they say to give whole milk and not skim or lowfat till older. i'd use the recipe but depending on how much is called for i might cut it some a meat has fat too.


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## butterfly_mommy (Oct 22, 2007)

I would probably use BM instead of cream, this is what I do when I make mashed potatoes for DS.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

I wouldn't feed meat or dairy to a 6 mos old, myself. Mine was born early May and has just had a bit of fruit and some avocado so far...


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## KristyDi (Jun 5, 2007)

I'd personally avoid the dairy. I'd sub breastmilk or maybe a bit of coconut or olive oil if it seemed to need the fat.


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## trancechylde (Apr 14, 2008)

I don't think I'd use heavy cream.

We are fine with yogurt and cheese from 6-7 months, because they are more easily digested than milk, but I would think cream might be a bit too much on such a young tummy?

I think the suggestion of coconut milk/cream is a great one, and I WOULD use this recipe for a slightly older baby, say 10 or 11 months.


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## flapjack (Mar 15, 2005)

I'd give it a month or so of sweet potato/apple/avocado etc and then move up to the exotic blends, personally. I don't think that even in the days when I was told to start DS1 on solids at 4 months, I introduced meat at 6.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Sure, cream is delicious!


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## lerlerler (Mar 31, 2004)

See, I don't see mashing meat and hiding it is "following their lead"

Just continue to chop up some softened meat and put it in front of her. she'll eat when ready.


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lerlerler* 
See, I don't see mashing meat and hiding it is "following their lead"

Just continue to chop up some softened meat and put it in front of her. she'll eat when ready.









:

I wouldn't use heavy cream that early.


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## Solose (May 10, 2008)

I think it sounds fine. Remeber, back in teh old days babies received nothing but plain milk from 6 mo. on. In Amish communities, if for any reason the mother can't breastfeed or is having low supply, they actually give dairy cream from birth since they don't use formula. I am not in any way trying to suggest that giving cow's milk or cream in a bottle is a good idea because that can lead to an iron deficiency, but I'm just trying to point out that a 6 mo. body is developed enough to handle most foods by this point. As long as it is just a little bit of cream and you are nursing before solids, I don't see a problem with it. I think it's important to let babies taste a variety of food (once they are ready for it).

I often put a little smear of butter on my ds' toast and he's 8 mo, he has never had a problem with it. I would urge you not to replace the cream with anything lower in fat, as fat is important for babies' growing bodies.


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## Solose (May 10, 2008)

Just wanted to clarify that I meant babies received cow's milk from 6 mo. if they weren't nursing.


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## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

I do see it as following her cues as she wants to eat it. She grabs it from our plates, puts it into her mouth, but may choke on it because she doesn't have teeth enough to get it small. She has been eating solids since 5 months old when she first started grabbing our food and wanting to be involved in mealtimes. I eat dairy in my diet, so I'm fairly certain she doesn't have an allergy to it (She also nurses every 2-3 hours). She enjoys her food. Also, I'm not trying to hide the meat, it's just a different recipe I was thinking about trying. But, thanks for sharing with me why you wouldn't use it though. That is what I'm looking for... differing opinions to help me along.

My first DD didn't eat solid foods until 10 months and I used the same approach with her... give it to her when she is interested. Her first food was cucumber. So, I am trying to tread lightly with this one too.


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## SandraS (Jan 18, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eastkygal* 
I do see it as following her cues as she wants to eat it. She grabs it from our plates, puts it into her mouth, but may choke on it because she doesn't have teeth enough to get it small.

The first teeth (front ones) aren't for chewing anyways - try eating a meal with just the front four teeth... lol! Some babies won't get molars to chew until quite a while. Don't base readiness of solids on teeth.

Babies can easily gum just about anything short of tough steak. We just go right to table foods at 6 months, baby can have anything the rest of us are having, and it makes life a lot easier - no making "special" foods. There's lots of links here about it, I'd highly recommend it!


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## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

I definitely don't base food readiness on teeth as I mentioned with DD1 not eating solids until 10 months, but on their interest. I'd be just fine EBF for the whole first year, if that was all DD2 wanted. I've just been to nervous to let her gnaw on anything. I put some stuff in mesh feeders, but without one I'm just too afraid of her choking. Curious on how that works out for you.


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## trancechylde (Apr 14, 2008)

Quote:

I do see it as following her cues as she wants to eat it. She grabs it from our plates, puts it into her mouth, but may choke on it
I hear you on this.
We do a mix of purees (which my son LOVES) and chunks. For example he loves avocado, can eat practically a whole one in a sitting, but if I gave him chunks of it, it would end up mostly on the floor, smooshed between his fingers etc, so we mash it and spoon-feed it.

We also do meat/veggie combos pureed, we haven't used cream yet but we add lots of butter, olive oil or coconut milk.

Quote:

but without one I'm just too afraid of her choking. Curious on how that works out for you.
We find with choking hazards like meat, bread etc, the trick is to cut them up really small, think pea-size, and only put one or two pieces on the tray at a time








Fruits and veggies can be in much bigger chunks because they just mush up in the mouth and are easily swallowed.

HTH


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## lerlerler (Mar 31, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eastkygal* 
I definitely don't base food readiness on teeth as I mentioned with DD1 not eating solids until 10 months, but on their interest. I'd be just fine EBF for the whole first year, if that was all DD2 wanted. I've just been to nervous to let her gnaw on anything. I put some stuff in mesh feeders, but without one I'm just too afraid of her choking. Curious on how that works out for you.

I Don't know, it just worked. It's not like I threw a steak in front of them and left the room, but they seem to get it.

My LOs never ate pureed/strained/mashed food.
I don't think I ever spoon fed either one. ANd I never prepped another meal. (Although I sometime pulled out their meat and cooked it longer or spiced it later)

Even yogurt. I used to freeze it and let them gnaw.


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
*I wouldn't feed meat or dairy to a 6 mos old, myself.* Mine was born early May and has just had a bit of fruit and some avocado so far...









:

way beyond my comfort level. i don't do any dairy until at least a year. but i have food allergies in my family so i'm super careful. if you wanted to introduce some kind of dairy i would say it would be smarter to start with yogurt since it's much easier to digest than milk or cream and see how she does with that before you do anything else. but even yogurt i think is generally not recommended until 9 months. and if you have to do milk or cream, i would only do raw dairy (i only do raw dairy anyway, because it's much easier to digest than pasteurized/homogenized dairy. i personally couldn't do milk at all until i started doing raw).

there is such a variety of vegetables out there to introduce, i don't see the need to introduce meat so early. i hear what you're saying about following the baby's lead, if she's into solids then give her solids, but i don't see any particular reason for meat which is much harder for babies to digest.


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

We introduced yogurt around 9 months and ds is now almost 15 months and has never had milk or meat (we're veg).

And just because a baby is putting food in their mouth doesn't *mean* they want to _eat_ it (ds puts rocks in his mouth doesn't mean I try to find a way for him to eat them) So if she is having trouble eating the meat, she doesn't have to have it, she just wants it because you have it, and you might have coffee or espresso chocolate cake and she won't get that either. I guess I'm just saying if you are worried about choking on meat, you could offer something else instead that you are less worried about and don't feel like you are "denying" her anything because she doesn't really *get it* yet anyway yk?


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## pixiepunk (Mar 11, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Solose* 
I think it sounds fine. Remeber, back in teh old days babies received nothing but plain milk from 6 mo. on. In Amish communities, if for any reason the mother can't breastfeed or is having low supply, they actually give dairy cream from birth since they don't use formula. I am not in any way trying to suggest that giving cow's milk or cream in a bottle is a good idea because that can lead to an iron deficiency, but I'm just trying to point out that a 6 mo. body is developed enough to handle most foods by this point. As long as it is just a little bit of cream and you are nursing before solids, I don't see a problem with it. I think it's important to let babies taste a variety of food (once they are ready for it).

I often put a little smear of butter on my ds' toast and he's 8 mo, he has never had a problem with it. I would urge you not to replace the cream with anything lower in fat, as fat is important for babies' growing bodies.

back in the old days they didn't pasteurize and homogenize milk. amish communities don't generally either (and if they pasteurize it's low-heat pasteurization and they don't homogenize). and said milk/cream would've been (or in the case of the amish, still is) coming from pasteured cows. that's extremely different IMO than giving a baby pasteurized/homogenized commercial factory farmed dairy.


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## MaterPrimaePuellae (Oct 30, 2007)

First, I have absolutely no problem giving babies pureed or mashed foods. I eat pureed and mashed foods all the time (bisque, pate, smashed potatoes, bean spreads, etc), and I like experiencing the difference in texture. Feeding babies 100% out of jars? um, no. yuck. But giving them soups, mashed potatoes, creamed meats? Sounds good to me. Generally, if I can imagine eating and enjoying it, I give it to DD (health concerns aside).

Second, are you objecting to the cream or to the cow dairy? Fat is not bad. We have that so emphasized in our culture these days, but the babies need it (well, we all need it in moderation). I have a friend who told me she planned to start her toddler on skim milk when he started dairy because she though less fat = healthier, always. I might use whole or evap milk as a substitute only because it seems to have more d/calcium than cream.

But also-- you could use yogurt (maybe even the Greek or strained kind?) or ricotta cheese.


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## Jackies Ladybug (Jun 19, 2008)

i always thought the amish used goats milk not cows milk if the baby couldnt nurse.

i think i read somewhere that cows milk can cause kidney failure if used solely for a diet in infants because of the high protein levels. i'm not saying that cows milk is bad in moderation but that i dont think that the amish use as a bm substitute. goats milk is much better than cows for babies.

anyway, sorry to get OT, i wouldnt have a huge problem with heavy cream and a 6 month old in moderation.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Solose* 
In Amish communities, if for any reason the mother can't breastfeed or is having low supply, they actually give dairy cream from birth since they don't use formula.

OT, but really? We have a lot of Amish here, and if they can't breastfeed and there's no one close by who can breastfeed, they absolutely use formula.


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## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

Dairy is not recommended until 12 months, it is one of the MOST common allergens in children and adult onset allergens. Yes, dairly is delicious but I wouldn't do it. Course, I have a dairy allergy.









I wouldn't use cream at all, I would use breastmilk.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

I woudln't use a "babyfood recipe" at all- when my babies were tiny I'd either nurse exclusively, feed them table food, or mash a single food (or jar of babyfood) for spoon feeding occasionally.

At 6mo, I'd focus on nursing (or formula, if BF wasn't possible) and a few solids for fun. If my baby wasn't interested in eating soft foods from the table, or plain mashed single foods, I'd let the baby simply eat fewer solids. I don't see a problem with cream for an infant (and cream is probably less allergenic than whole milk, as there are fewer milk proteins) but I don't think it's necessary.


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## eastkygal (Feb 19, 2006)

After talking it over with DH and reading the thread, I decided to go ahead and try it. DD2 loved it. It doesn't seem to have bothered her at all at this point. I don't want to give the impression that I'm all about feeding a baby food ASAP. I EBF my DD1 until 10 months and I practice CLW. DD1 weaned just 4 months ago. Her first food was cucumber. But, DD2 is a different little gal altogether. I definitely know she wants to try the foods and she seems to enjoy them thoroughly. Babies use their mouths to explore their surroundings. That said I completely believe that a baby knows the difference between food and a rock. I do think they have desires and part of AP parenting is to hone in on those desires. If she didn't seem to like food, I wouldn't explore it with her. I'm not even used to feeding baby food at all. The discussion this has sparked has been really interesting. I think I'm going to research the history of baby food to further my opinion of the whole thing.
Thanks mamas.


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## butterfly_mommy (Oct 22, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eastkygal* 
After talking it over with DH and reading the thread, I decided to go ahead and try it. DD2 loved it. It doesn't seem to have bothered her at all at this point. I don't want to give the impression that I'm all about feeding a baby food ASAP. I EBF my DD1 until 10 months and I practice CLW. DD1 weaned just 4 months ago. Her first food was cucumber. But, DD2 is a different little gal altogether. I definitely know she wants to try the foods and she seems to enjoy them thoroughly. Babies use their mouths to explore their surroundings. That said I completely believe that a baby knows the difference between food and a rock. I do think they have desires and part of AP parenting is to hone in on those desires. If she didn't seem to like food, I wouldn't explore it with her. I'm not even used to feeding baby food at all. The discussion this has sparked has been really interesting. I think I'm going to research the history of baby food to further my opinion of the whole thing.
Thanks mamas.

I am glad your DD liked it. I would love to hear about what you found in your research.


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