Most babies this age are introduced to solid foods. Experts recommend gradually
starting solid foods when a baby is about 6 months
old, depending on the baby's readiness and nutritional needs.
Be sure to check with your doctor before giving any
solid foods.
Is My Baby Ready to Eat Solids?
How can you tell if your baby is ready for solids? Here are a few hints:
- Is your baby's tongue-thrust reflex gone or diminished? This reflex, which prevents
infants from choking, also causes them to push food out of their mouths.
- Can your baby support his or her own head? To eat solid food, an infant needs
good head and neck control and should be able to sit up.
- Is your baby interested in food? A 6-month-old baby who stares and grabs at your
food at dinnertime is clearly ready for some variety in the food department.
If your doctor gives the go-ahead but your baby seems frustrated or uninterested
as you're introducing solid foods, try waiting a few days or even weeks before trying
again. Solids are only a supplement at this point — breast milk and formula
will still meet your baby's basic nutritional needs.
How to Start Feeding Solids
When your baby is ready and the doctor has given you the OK to try solid foods,
pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky. You want your baby to be
a little hungry, but not so hungry that he or she is upset. So you might want to let
your baby breastfeed a while, or provide part of the usual bottle.
Have your baby sit supported in your lap or in an upright infant seat. Infants
who sit well, usually around 6 months, can be placed in a high chair with a safety
strap.
Most babies' first food is a little iron-fortified infant single-grain cereal
mixed with breast milk or formula. Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let
the baby smell and taste. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful is rejected. Wait
a minute and try again. Most food offered to your baby at this age will end up on
the baby's chin, bib, or high-chair tray. Again, this is just an introduction.
Do not add cereal to your baby's bottle unless your doctor instructs you to do
so, as this can cause babies to become overweight and doesn't help the baby learn
how to eat solid foods.
Once your little one gets the hang of eating cereal off a spoon, it may be
time to introduce single-ingredient puréed vegetables, fruit, or meat. The
order in which foods are introduced doesn't matter, but go slow. Introduce one food
at a time and wait several days before trying something else new. This will let you
identify any foods that your baby may be allergic
to.
Your baby might take a little while to "learn" how to eat solids. During these
months, you'll still be providing the usual feedings of breast milk or formula, so
don't be concerned if your baby refuses certain foods at first or doesn't seem interested.
It can just take some time.