The Crib: A Blog for New Parents
When Is The Right Time To Start Baby On Solid Food?
There will come a time when you feel like all baby wants to do is eat. Baby will not be full after feeding, and want more, or baby will want to eat again soon after the last feeding. Increased fussiness and crankiness are other signs that baby isn’t satisfied with breast or bottle-feeding alone any longer. Waking more often during the night or having more difficulty falling asleep is another indication that baby isn’t full.
Medical researchers have discovered the possibility that introducing solids to a baby before 3 to 4 months may increase the risk of food allergies. In addition, before the age of 3 months baby may not be ready or able to digest baby food. This can cause all of the symptoms listed above, plus tummy troubles such as diarrhea and tummy aches.
From years of experience, this is the method that I recommend for introducing solid foods to babies. Check with your pediatrician before you try it if your baby has any special needs or conditions.
At around 3 months of age, start with just a little bit of rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula to a very thin paste. Give this to baby with the first feeding of the day, and again before bedtime. If baby has no reaction to the cereal, and seems to handle it well, slowly increase the amount of cereal used, and include some cereal during the day.
After a week or 2, you can try mixing the cereal with a mild fruit infant food such as applesauce. This will make it a little thicker too. Gradually you can try different types of cereal and fruits, but stick with each one for a week or 2 just to make sure that baby will not have an allergic reaction to it.
Between 4 and 5 months, vegetables can be included in the selection. If it seems that baby does not like a certain food, keep trying to get him or her to try it. Eventually, baby will eat it. If you don’t encourage baby to try new foods while they are still young, they will always be picky eaters.
By the time baby is 7 to 8 months old, you should be able to give him or her tiny tastes of your own food.
Then watch out, because baby will want yours instead of theirs all the time. Lol.
