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Pregnancy & Baby Introducing Solid Foods Is Baby ready? Pediatricians recommend starting solid food sometime between ages 4 and 6 months. Before this age, breastmilk or infant formula provides all the nutrition your baby requires. But by 6 months breastfed babies need additional iron and all babies (breastfed and formula-fed) benefit from exposure to more flavors, textures and eating skills. BABY IS PHYSICALLY READY TO TAKE SOLID FOODS WHEN:
OTHER SIGNS OF READINESS:
For First-Timers—How to Start The most common first food for Baby is a single grain iron-enriched infant cereal. Rice cereal is a good one to start with because it carries a very low risk of allergic reaction. Oatmeal and barley cereals are also good choices. It’s best to avoid wheat or mixed grain cereals until Baby is a bit older, since wheat is more likely to cause an allergic reaction. GETTING READY Prepare the cereal by mixing one or two teaspoonfuls with expressed breast milk or infant formula. This will give it a familiar flavor. The first feeding should be almost a liquid—it should pour right off the spoon. As Baby gets used to swallowing, you can prepare it thicker by adding less fluid. Use a spoon made especially for babies or a tiny sugar or coffee-stirring spoon that fits easily in Baby’s tiny mouth. Don’t feed Baby’s cereal from a bottle unless instructed by her doctor. HOW MUCH WILL BABY TAKE? For the first few days, give Baby cereal once a day. She will probably take less than 1 tablespoon at first, but soon she will be easily accepting cereal and will take up to 1–2 tablespoons per feeding. After a few days, add another meal and work up to approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup cereal each day, divided into two meals of 2 to 4 tablespoons each. TIMING AND TECHNIQUE For the first feedings, choose a time of day when Baby is alert, happy, and not too hungry. If she is too hungry she may get frustrated and have no patience for this new experiment. It may work best to take the edge off of her hunger by giving half a bottle or breastfeeding for a few minutes before trying to feed her solids. Then, after the solids, Baby can finish her feeding of formula or breastmilk. During the feeding, offer her the spoon with a tiny amount of cereal on the tip. Let her open her mouth to accept the food instead of forcing it between her lips. Be enthusiastic with plenty of “Mmmm!” and “Yummy!” expressions. Watch for Baby’s cues to help make feeding times a nice experience for both of you. “Yeah! Feed me!” signs include waving arms and legs excitedly when food is offered, smiling during the feeding, cooing, opening her mouth, and moving toward the spoon. “No more, please” signs include falling asleep, getting fussy, spitting out the food, pushing away the spoon, closing her mouth or turning her head when the spoon approaches. Some babies enthusiastically take to solids, but others need more time. If Baby simply refuses to take any food the first time, don’t force the issue. Give her another week and then try again.  Article provided by HAPPYBABY Food. Learn more at www.happybabyfood.com |
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