Is my baby ready for solids?

Somewhere around 6 to 8 months of age, babies can start getting a taste of solid foods. There are cases when babies are started as early as 4 months, but research shows starting them on food later gives better protection from allergies.

If you are breast feeding, giving solids after 6 months is ideal. It’s best to give your baby as much of your breast milk as possible, as it is the perfect food for him at this stage. Again, this has been shown to greatly decrease chances of developing allergies. Take heed, especially if you have a family history of allergies and asthma. Some pediatricians even advice that babies delay food up to one year if they have this family history. This would be something to discuss with your own trusted pediatrician.

There really is no exact calendar time for when to get solids into your child’s diet. As each baby is different, you will have to consider your own child’s readiness.

Here are some signs your child is ready:

• Your baby can sit up on his own.
• Baby no longer pushes solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
• Baby has developed his pincer grasp and picks up food using his thumb and forefinger.
• Baby tends to open his mouth when watching you eat, and may even try to grab your food.

Now a note about the last sign: If your baby starts wanting to take part in meal time with mom and dad before 6 months, it may just be a sign of growing curiosity  and not necessarily a biological need to eat solid fare.

In this case, give him a cup of his milk during family meal times. You can even have it in solid form by making some milk popsicles. Call it a momsicle if it’s your breast milk! Do make sure it is a baby safe size, not too small that he can choke on it.

There are other ways he won’t feel left out at the dinner table. Offering baby bowls, cups and utensils will also keep the little one busy while everyone is eating. It may also be an opportunity for baby to start learning how to use a straw or sippy cup.

When you feel the time has come for your baby to eat solids, pediatricians often recommend starting with iron-fortified cereal. Choose single-grain options so that you can easily determine an allergic reaction. Rice cereal is a good first food.

To help get solid-eating started, here are some guidelines:

• Experiment on when your baby is most open to taking in his first spoons of food. You can try before or after feeding him milk. Take baby’s lead on this (no force feeding!) to make eating a positive experience.
• Begin with just a baby spoon. When starting solids, don’t expect your baby to finish a full serving of food on a bowl. Slowly increase food servings by the spoon as your baby gets the hang of eating.
• To make sure you pick up on possible food allergies, only give one new single ingredient at a time. Wait 3 to 4 days before introducing another food ingredient.

After first trying rice cereal, your baby can move on to oatmeal then barley. After the cereals, you can move on to vegetables then fruits and lastly meats. It is a good idea to make the iron-fortified cereals a regular part of their daily diet, on top of the vegetable, fruit or meat of the day.

In an upcoming post, we’ll give you advice on easy ways  to make your own baby food.

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