Starting Solids

As a parent, starting solids for your baby is an anxious moment. Although some of you may be thinking of starting solids for your little as early as four months, it is advisable that you feed him exclusively with breast milk for the first six months. For some babies who do not show a satisfactory weight gain, doctors may advise mixing formula and breastmilk. When your baby is six months old, breast milk and formula alone do not meet his nutritive requirements and starting solids for the baby becomes essential.

• Is baby ready for starting solids?
• Starting solids - Timeline
• Tips for starting solids
• How much to feed
• How to introduce a new feed
• Number of meals in a day
• Is my baby hungry?
• Is she full?

Is baby ready for starting solids?

Your baby will usually give you hints when he is ready for starting solids. Some key indicators that help you determine when you can try starting solids as part of his diet are:

• He keeps his head steady and can sit with support.
• He begins to stop pushing food out of his mouth and depicts chewing motions.
• He is hungry even after the normal number of breast milk or formula feedings in a day.
• He appears to be curious about the food that he sees in your plate.

Starting Solids - Timeline

When starting solids as part of your baby's diet, you must make the transition gradual and smooth. This is because your baby is just beginning to learn how to swallow solid food. Starting solids has to be done step by step depending on the age of your baby. You must begin feeding your baby with food in strained or pureed form, move on to mashed foods and then finally introduce him to finger foods. Remember to keep every food bland without sugar or salt. You can use a little formula or breast milk to mix the solid food for your little one. A good example of how to introduce new foods progressively for your baby during his first year along with breast milk and/or formula can be as follows:

• Around 4 to 6 months

  - Cereal foods and pureed foods. Examples are Cerelac, tomato puree, pureed green beans, spinach puree etc.

• 6 to 7 months

  - Liquids, pureed foods, ground foods and mashed table foods. Examples are juices without sugar, boiled and mashed vegetables like potatoes and carrots, mashed rice and daal etc.

• 8 to 9 months

  - Liquids, coarsely chopped foods that are easily chewable. Examples are
  juices without sugar, rice mixed with daal, idli soaked in milk and cut into pieces, banana slices, minced mangoes, cooked paneer, bread soaked in milk, egg yolk etc.

• 10 to 18 months

  - Liquids, coarsely chopped foods and finger foods that includes easily chewable meat and many raw vegetables. Examples include all food items applicable for 8 to 9 months, egg white, bread crumbs cut into fairly big pieces, carrots, beans, apples etc cut into about one inch size pieces. Fruits such as grapes must be cut into quarters to avoid choking.

Tips for Starting Solids

• Start feeding your baby solid food when you feel your breast milk supply is the lowest.
• Offer him solid foods when he is hungry.
• Remember that feeding your baby is a time consuming process. So, remember to time other activities accordingly.
• Before getting him started on solid food, help him to prepare himself for it. Get a high chair ready and help him become comfortable with it. You should also get him introduced to the baby spoon. Fasten a bib around him as he eats his food.
• Allow the baby to examine the food before you feed him. Keep the food in his tray before him and allow him to mash it, play with it or even taste it before you take the spoon towards him.
• Start the feeding by placing a very small amount at first between the baby's lips. If your baby enjoys the flavour, he is likely to open his mouth a little more for the next bite. Also if he is interested in solids, there are less chances of him spitting it out.
• Feed your baby as slow or as fast as he wants you to.
• Do not force your baby to continue eating if he has lost interest or shows signs of fullness. If your baby does not show any inclination towards a food he previously enjoyed, it may be because his tastes have changed or he is not hungry. Try again after a few days. You are responsible for what your baby eats and your baby is responsible for how much he eats.

That’s Cute has vacuumed feeding plates with anti-slip grip for safe feeding of solids for your baby. Sunbaby is an online Indian store that provides a whole lot of feeding accessories such as feeding bowls with spoons and lids, moulded plates and bowls to make solid feeding exciting.

How much can I feed when I am just introducing solid food for my baby? Should the food be of any particular texture?

All babies differ in the kinds of food they like and the amount of food they eat. As a general rule, you can try feeding your baby as follows:

• Start with one meal a day. As your baby starts growing and enjoying different foods, the number of meals in a day can be increased.
• Start by feeding him small amounts every day. A good choice would be to start with about one teaspoon or 15 ml. Once he begins enjoying solid food, you will find him taking about five teaspoons or 75 ml of each food.
• Make sure the texture of the food you offer him is according to his age.

How can I introduce new food for my baby?

Introduce only only one new food at a time. Avoid feeding your baby a new food every day. Give a gap of at least four days before you introduce a new food. This helps you identify if your baby is allergic to any particular kind of food. Do not introduce more than two new foods in a week. Do not mix two or more solid foods in a single feed. Offer your little one each solid food separately so that he gets used to the taste of each food. Once he begins to enjoy each taste independently, you can start mixing different kinds of food.

As a general rule, you can get your baby started with cereals followed by vegetables and move on to fruits. There are two reasons for introducing vegetables before fruits. Some vegetables are more easily digestible than fruits. Also since fruits tend to be sweeter than vegetables, your baby may develop a sweet tooth in the early stages and turn against vegetables. Rice is an ideal food to start as the first solid food for your little one.

Here are some solid food choices that are safe for your baby.

How many meals can I give my baby in a day?

The number of meals that you feed your baby in a day depends on his age. A good option for you to consider is as follows:

• 6 to 8 months

  - One to three meals.

• 8 to 12 months

  - Two to three meals and a couple of healthy snacks in between.

• 12 to 18 months

  - Three meals and two to three healthy snacks in between.

How will I know if my baby is hungry?

Your baby will usually show the following signs to indicate that he is hungry:

• He becomes excited when he is put in his high chair.
• He sucks or smacks his lips.
• He opens his mouth wide and leans forward eagerly when he sees food.
• He puts his finger into his mouth and starts crying till you feed him.

How do I know when my little one is full?

Your little one may do one or more of the following if he is full and does not want anymore food:

• He turns his head away from food when he sees the spoon.
• He closes his mouth at the sight of the spoon.
• He covers his mouth with his hands.
• He falls asleep when his stomach is full.