Introducing Solids

When should you introduce solids to your baby?

After many readings I decided to simplify this answer in few words to give you all the information you need without you having to read pages and pages to get to your desired answer.

Most of the pediatricians advise the start of solids when the baby is 5 ½ or 6 months:

1. His digestive system isn’t ready until he reaches 6 months
2. By six months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it's particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic.
3. The tongue and the swallowing mechanisms may not yet be ready to work together. Prior to four months of age, a baby's swallowing mechanism is designed to work with sucking, but not with chewing.

How to start:

1. Only introduce solids at lunchtime to avoid bedtime disturbance, and start between feedings that way your child won’t be starving and will accept new food easily.
2. You should give your baby one new food at a time and wait 4 days before you introduce a new one. Meanwhile watch for any allergic reactions like diarrhea, rash or vomiting. If any of these occurs contact your pediatrician.
3. Remember that your baby may only want a teaspoon at first
4. Don’t force it, if your baby doesn’t want it, try again another day.

*Don’t make mealtimes a performance, with you turning every spoonful into a fast running train or driving airplane. Your baby probably won’t eat anymore and in fact may refuse food just to enjoy the show. When he doesn’t want anymore, just call an end to the meal. ~Sarah, health visitor~ 

(Scattergood, Emma. The first-time parent’s survival guide, ward lock book, UK, 1998)

Please download the UNICEF booklet a start4life. It will help you have a good start of solid introduction (http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Resources-for-parents/Weaning---starting-solid-food/)

Good Foods to start with 

(all the following information were taken from the UNICEF booklet a start 4 life)

From 6 months

First foods: mashed or soft cooked sticks of fruit and vegetables like parsnip,

potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear, all cooled before eating.

Or try soft peach or melon, or grabbable bits of soft ripe banana or avocado.

Or baby rice mixed with your baby’s usual milk.

*My pediatrician never advise the use of rice cereal or any other processed food.

Next foods: soft cooked meat such as chicken, mashed fish (check very

carefully for any bones), pasta, noodles, toast, pieces of chapati, lentils, rice

and mashed hard boiled eggs. Also, full fat dairy products such as yoghurt,

fromage frais or custard (choose products with no added sugar or less sugar).

Cow’s milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from 6 months.

Cups: introduce a cup from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals.

Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn

to sip and is better for your baby’s teeth.

From 8-9 months

Gradually, in this time, your baby will move towards eating 3 meals a day.

It will be a mixture of finger foods, mashed and chopped foods.

From 12 months

Your baby will now be eating 3 meals a day, chopped if required, plus mum’s

milk or cow’s milk and healthier snacks like fruit, vegetable sticks or toast and

rice cakes. They can now drink whole cow’s milk and have full fat dairy products.

Choose full fat because children under 2 need the extra fat and vitamins in full

fat dairy products. From 2 years old if they are a good eater and growing well

they can have semi-skimmed milk. From 5 years old, 1% or skimmed milk is ok.

References:

Murkoff, Eisenberg and Hathaway. “What to expect the first year”, Workman Publishing, New York.

Scattergood, Sarah. “The first-time parent’s survival guide”, Ward Lock, UK, 1998

UNICEF, “start4life”booklet, (http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Resources/Resources-for-parents/Weaning---starting-solid-food/)