Tips to Feed Your Baby Solid Food

You can start feeding your baby solid foods when she is about six months old. This can be really challenging and both the parents usuallyeagerly look forward to their little one eating her first mouthful of solid foods. However, even though you begin feeding baby solids at this age, it is ideal that you do not completely break off breast milk or formula till she is a year old. It is recommended that you get your little one started on rice cereals as a start towards solid food. Rice cereal contains the least possibility of allergy.

It is best to first feed your baby a little breast milk or bottle feed. After this, you can mix a teaspoon or two of dry cereal with breast milk or formula and feed him. Start with just one teaspoon cereal once a day. Do not feed her forcefully. Some babies need time to learn how to swallow the food. As the baby gets used to the new taste, she can be given a few additional teaspoons of cereal. When your little one is around eight months, you can start feeding your baby solids thrice a day. Always feed solids in a supported sitting position so that she realizes solid food should be eaten in a sitting position.

When you start feeding her different kinds of solid food, it is better to leave a gap of about four days between each type of solid food. This helps you to study if your baby is allergic to any specific food. You can use the following pattern to go about feeding your baby solid food:

• Semi-liquid cereals such as rice cereal and oat meal
• Strained or mashed fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, bananas, and carrots.
• Finely chopped meat and other protein sources

An ideal diet when your baby starts on solid food includes:

• Breast milk or iron-fortified formula
• Iron-fortified cereal
• Yellow and green vegetables
• Fruit
• Small amounts of protein such as poultry, cottage cheese, tofu, and meat

However, do remember that getting your baby started on solid food does not mean that you can give her any kind of solid food. Food like honey and peanuts should be avoided at this stage till she is about a year old.

If your baby refuses to take a particular kind of solid once, do not force feed her. Try again another day. Taste preferences may vary from day to day. The colour of his stools may vary and start smelling slightly. There is nothing to panic as this is quite normal.

Your baby might be full and you can stop feeding her when she:

• Turns her head away from you and leans back.
• Does not show any interest in food.
• Closes her mouth firmly.

I am afraid that feeding my baby when she is lying down may choke her. How can I position my baby for solid feeds?

When you feed your baby solids, place your baby on a high chair, drape a bib around her neck and use only a rubber tipped spoon. Avoid metal spoons. Give him a sip or two of liquid after every few minutes using a cup or sippy cup. And yes, keep a towel handy to wipe your baby when she gets really messy.

Will my baby help me in determining when I can start her on solid food?

Your baby is ready for her first mouth of solid food when she:

• Is able to keep her head steady and upright
• Does not push out food with her tongue
• Exhibits chewing movements
• Weighs about double her birth weight
• Is interested in adult food
• Displays a strong appetite