Cheerios First Foods Giveaway!

Giveaway open to Canada.

Can you remember the first foods you gave your bundle of joy? Perhaps you aren't even at that phase yet, and still need to decide how to proceed when milk is no longer enough. Where can you go for information? Your doctor, obviously, but most of us don't stop there. We want to know what the experts recommend, but we also want to know what everyone else is actually doing.

Introducing the new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca. If you're reading this blog, it's safe to say you have a little one, and are therefore familiar with Babycenter. With both of my pregnancies I signed up for the weekly developmental updates, which were fun to share with my husband and my students. The site is also a great reference for almost any baby concern that may arise.

Baby food is always a popular topic. With Frannie, my first, I started her on bland pablum at precisely six months of age, and progressed through baby food vegetables, fruit, and finally meat before starting on chunkier finger foods (and yes, Cheerios were the first!) She sat in a special high chair and I used all sorts of ergonomically-designed spoons to enhance the mealtime experience.

Then I had a second child. The high chair was gone, and we actually put her in a Bumbo seat right on the kitchen table with us as soon as she could squish into it. Baby food? Forget it. I was so excited the first time around to shop for those cute little jars, but since I was already feeding a toddler at the same table this time, I just minced or pureed what everyone else was having, and she was set. Could this be connected to the fact that she is a much better eater than her older sister? No, probably she just takes after Daddy and Frannie unfortunately takes after her picky Mom.

The new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca has great information, such as which foods to introduce when. I particularly love that the content acknowledges cultural and family preferences, yet makes the Canadian Paediatric Society recommendations clear.

There's a section where experts answer common questions, like "Is it safe to give my baby honey?" and "Are organic foods better for my baby?", as well as printable tools like a weekly caregiver food diary. (I would use that if a child had nutritional issues, or to monitor the introduction of new foods. I wouldn't expect caregivers to fill this out for every healthy child.)

You can also find some interesting polls, just to see how weird -I mean normal - you and your baby really are!

To celebrate First Foods, I have a Cheerios Prize Pack to give away, worth $50! It includes a Cheerios On-the-go Tot Container, Cheerios playbook, box of Cheerios, bowl and utensil set, and a $30 VISA cash card! (Put it towards some wonderful first foods for your little angel. Or shoes for yourself. Whatever.)

All you have to do to enter is check out the new Cheerios First Foods section on Babycenter.ca, and leave  a comment with your feedback. (Be sure to also leave your email address. If I can't contact you, you can't win!)

For extra entries (once the mandatory entry is completed), leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend Connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (be sure subscription is activated)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter

Contest is open to Canadians and will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, February 6th, after which time a winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck, and happy munching!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Cheerios First Foods program by Mom Central on behalf of General Mills. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation.  Opinions are, as always, my own.