Baby Led Weaning Keto Style

With myself living a meat based keto lifestyle my goal was to continue this with my son.  He was about 4.5 months old when I started.  He was sitting up on his own and showing an intense interest in the food being eaten around him.

I wanted to minimize the risk of choking on food, but I also didn't want him eating purees.  I started with steamed veggies such as broccoli and carrots.  I gave him large strips of cooked steak and let him gum on it and suck on it.  He loved this the most.  He absolutely loved cheese sticks as well.  He would suck on them and gum them forever.  As he got better at moving food around in his mouth I moved on to berries.  Mushed blueberries and raspberries.  Eventually I gave him blackberries.  He wanted to try everything he saw me eating.  I let him taste almost everything.  He usually just wanted to lick it and taste it.

Now that he is 3 he eats or at least tries almost everything.  He has no qualms to going up to anyone eating and asking for a bite.  He prefers food with flavor.  He will stick his nose up at bland food.  

A short list of foods he started out with:

    1.  Steamed veggies

    2.  Cheese Sticks

    3.  Large pieces of cooked meat

    4.  Avocado slices

    5.  Keto Ratio yogurt

As he was more and more able to move food around and mash it in his mouth I added in:

    1.  Mushed berries

    2.  Steamed and seasoned squash cubes

    3.  Scrambled eggs

    4.  Sausage sticks

   

Once he mastered chewing and swallowing his food I added in:

    1.  Small bite size pieces of tender meat

    2.  Small pieces of cheese

    3.  Keto Ratio yogurt with berries and granola

    4.  Shredded chicken

    5.  Pulled Pork

As he continued to master chewing, swallowing, and using utensils I started to offer him everything I was eating.  He has developed his own taste preferences.  To this day he seems to prefer his food either cold or room temperature.

With drinking in mind I started him on a small shot glass size cup with a tiny amount of water in it.  It took him a lot of practice to actually get it to his mouth and drink it.  He preferred to dump it, stick his hands in it, and splash in the spilled water.  It was well worth the mess.  At 3 years old now, he uses a regular cup easily.  Uses the water dispenser on the refrigerator to fill it.

I had a huge fear of him choking when I started out.  I quickly learned that he was capable of knowing his limits.  He had a few times of gagging on food, but coughed it out all on his own.  He seemed to learn from these incidents.  Food was played with more than eaten for a long time.  That is ok.  He was learning from this through feeling and manipulating the food.  He was engaging all his senses and thoroughly enjoying himself.

Frugally Preparing for Baby

 When I found out I was pregnant my brain immediately started calculating the cost of preparing for this baby.  They need a lot of stuff, and I'm not talking extras... I'm talking basic essentials.  My youngest was going to be turning 18 shortly after this little one was born.  I had nothing other than a few special things I kept back from my other kids.  I had to start over.  I also knew that I wouldn't be having anymore after this either.  The challenge to do this as frugally as possible began.

I decided to start figuring out what I would absolutely need once the baby was here.  I made lists of essentials and wants.  From this I decided I would need a plan.  I decided I would start as soon as possible, even though I was high risk for a variety of reasons.  

My search slowly began. I knew this would give me time to gradually spread the cost over a longer time.  I also knew that it was unlikely that I would have a baby shower.  I decided to figure out a way or ways to collect everything I needed without having to rely on gifts from others. This was a multi-step process that required patience and work.

First of all I started stopping at local thrift stores.  Babies outgrow things really fast.  Buying inexpensive used clothing was my goal for almost all of the clothing I needed.  In my area there are only a couple of thrift stores with baby stuff that is inexpensive.  I checked in these stores repeatedly, only buying what I found was a good price for the item and its condition.  Also, calculating about the sizes the baby would need based on the seasons.

Another good resource was creating online gift registries.  Even though I had not planned to have a baby shower, I discovered that some retailers give you a free gift box or bag once you complete your registry.  Some places charge for delivery.  Those I avoided.  I ended up doing Amazon, Walmart, and Target.  The gifts had samples, full size bottles, onesies, a blanket, etc in them.  

I signed up for rewards programs for different baby companies.  I received free formula from similac and enfamil in the mail along with large value coupons.  Granted, I planned on breastfeeding until I went back to work, but I knew I would need to wean to a formula after a month or two.  This came in handy recently with a baby that was having breastfeeding issues.  I was able to try formula out without purchasing a full size container.  

Watching weekly sales at local stores saved me a lot of money.  I purchased a pack and play when a store ran a 30% off as well as a promotional credit off your next store purchase if you spent a certain amount.  I signed up for a rewards program for a store that has in store coupons every week.  There are regularly coupons for baby products in this program.  

For new stuff I checked the clearance racks of Kohl's, Meijer, Target and Walmart.  For Kohl's I was able to stack offers.  I have their credit card, receiving percentages off my purchases.  Sometimes they will send you additional coupons.  These can all be used on the clearanced items.  I was able to get some really nice new clothes at really really cheap prices.  Meijer, Target and Walmart were hit and miss.  I just regularly checked their baby departments clearance areas.  I was able to purchase quite a few items steeply reduced.

As for Amazon, I managed to save a bunch of money.  Purchasing items through the baby registry eventually earned me an additional discount.  You are able to add things to your registry and then move it to your cart from there.  This counts as a registry purchase.  I waited until I unlocked my extra discount and found a crib and mattress that I wanted for about the same price as found locally.  With the extra discount it was a lot cheaper and free shipping.  No figuring out how to haul it through a store and home.  Win win in my book.  Especially being pregnant. 

Finding a New Normal

 It's been a while.  I've been trying to find a new normal for my life.  I have had some major life changes since I was on here last.

I gave birth to a wonderful baby boy on August 1st.  He has been a blessing and a life changer.  Throughout my pregnancy I struggled to find a new normal.  Between my already challenging day to day life, life's demands, Covid, and being pregnant it was difficult.  Before I knew it he was here.  

Rafael's arrival has brought about more challenges than I anticipated.  I'm still learning how to balance taking care of a newborn following a c-section, taking care of my disabled adult son, getting my daughter back and forth to work, as well as keeping up a household.

For being only a month old, this little guy is challenging me in ways I don't remember with my other kids.  I started out exclusively breast feeding, and he was doing wonderfully.  This past week I have been supplementing with formula.  We have had several weeks of his constant hunger, and wanting to eat around the clock with short naps.  When I supplement he sleeps better and is a happy little guy.  I was really hoping to breast feed him as long as possible.  I am trying to come to terms with the fact that my milk is just not enough for him.  I want him to be as happy and healthy as possible, even if that means he ends up on just formula.  

Life has been so busy, even during my pregnancy, that I have come to rely on food prep.  I plan on sharing my version of food prep for my family that seems to work for us.

I struggled throughout my entire pregnancy about gaining weight.  It was hard on my mental health after having finally reached a weight I was content with.  I am still struggling with this as I still need to lose 20 pounds to get back to where I was before this pregnancy.  

The plan is to share here not just my frugality, but also my struggle to find a new normal.  I will share my journey as a new parent with 2 adult children, the good, the bad and the frugal.  The challenges are there, but that doesn't mean frugality has to take a hit.  Frugal living will remain a focus of our journey.