SOLID FOOD FEEDING STAGES:

We have outlined a short example of Feeding Stages a baby may go through. Please keep in mind that the ages shown are age ranges. It is impossible to accurately reflect specific foods and feeding patterns for all infants; infants begin solid foods at differing ages and thus their progression into solid foods may differ greatly! Always remember that solids do not replace the necessary nutrients or breast milk and/or formula in the first 12 months of life!

(4)6-8 Months - Baby Let's Begin to Eat

"Baby" cereal and soft cooked thinly pureed fruits and veggies should be baby's first solid food experiences. Single ingredients only and at a space of 4 days apart with introducing each new food. You may skip the cereal and begin with a fruit like avocado or begin with a veggie like butternut squash or sweet potato

8-10 Months - We're Moving On!

Bring on some spices and the softly mashed, or chopped into fine pieces of fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta and dairy such as yogurt and cheeses. Pasta, veggies, and fruit should all be soft cooked and possibly mashed with a fork or masher. (Bananas need only be mashed.) Raw fruits are often introduced at this stage. Meats and proteins such as egg yolk, should be cooked and pureed or chopped into small soft bits. If offering Tofu, you need not cook it first. Ensure dairy offered is easily manageable!

Remember, baby will not have molars until sometime around the 12 month age range. Foods should be easily mashed between the gums!

11-12 Months - We're almost Toddlers now and we want to eat grown-up foods!

By this stage, your baby should be just on the brink of or is already eating "table foods". She may already love self-feeding and may enjoy a variety of spices in her cuisine. Encourage a healthy exploration of foods, tastes and textures as well as eating utensils.

Always keep in mind that certain foods may still pose an allergy or other type of reaction risk.

SOLID FOOD FEEDING STAGES:

We have outlined a short example of Feeding Stages a baby may go through. Please keep in mind that the ages shown are age ranges. It is impossible to accurately reflect specific foods and feeding patterns for all infants; infants begin solid foods at differing ages and thus their progression into solid foods may differ greatly! Always remember that solids do not replace the necessary nutrients or breast milk and/or formula in the first 12 months of life!

(4)6-8 Months - Baby Let's Begin to Eat

"Baby" cereal and soft cooked thinly pureed fruits and veggies should be baby's first solid food experiences. Single ingredients only and at a space of 4 days apart with introducing each new food. You may skip the cereal and begin with a fruit like avocado or begin with a veggie like butternut squash or sweet potato

8-10 Months - We're Moving On!

Bring on some spices and the softly mashed, or chopped into fine pieces of fruits, vegetables, meats, pasta and dairy such as yogurt and cheeses. Pasta, veggies, and fruit should all be soft cooked and possibly mashed with a fork or masher. (Bananas need only be mashed.) Raw fruits are often introduced at this stage. Meats and proteins such as egg yolk, should be cooked and pureed or chopped into small soft bits. If offering Tofu, you need not cook it first. Ensure dairy offered is easily manageable!

Remember, baby will not have molars until sometime around the 12 month age range. Foods should be easily mashed between the gums!

11-12 Months - We're almost Toddlers now and we want to eat grown-up foods!

By this stage, your baby should be just on the brink of or is already eating "table foods". She may already love self-feeding and may enjoy a variety of spices in her cuisine. Encourage a healthy exploration of foods, tastes and textures as well as eating utensils.

Always keep in mind that certain foods may still pose an allergy or other type of reaction risk.

Feeding Your Baby Those First Solid Foods

emember, breast milk and/or formula are the main sources of nutrition for your baby! Do not replace a bottle feeding or a nursing session unless you have discussed this with your baby's pediatrician! **

Feeding Your Baby Those First Solid Foods or Jump to Solid Food Feeding Stages

Most Important: Offer your baby only those foods that are appropriate for the age of your baby!

You're baby will be more interested in solids when he/she is a little hungry - offer breast milk and/or formula first and then offer solids. If you are trying to feed a baby solids when she is very hungry, she may be more likely to resist.

Solid foods are a new experience and sometimes, baby may just be too hungry to want to sit for the new experience! She may not want to accept the spoon, the new tastes and the new textures!

Remember, solid foods are not meant to provide for baby nutritionally in the first few months, breast milk and/or formula fill this role!

ALWAYS ensure that your baby is sitting upright! If your baby cannot sit upright unassisted and does not have proper head control, it may not be the right time to begin solid foods! When baby is in a highchair or other infant-specific chair then baby is less likely to choke.

Introduce New Foods During the Morning or Early Afternoon

Introduce new foods during the morning or early afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions when your pediatrician is in office. Should an adverse reaction occur during the morning/early afternoon, it will cause the least amount of disruption in baby's fragile routine.

Further, you should always introduce new foods after a nursing or bottle feeding. Your baby still receives his main source of nutrition from either breast milk or formula up to the one year old mark - do not let solids interfere with liquid intake!

Never leave a baby unattended when eating.

Why not feed baby with the whole family instead of all by himself in his highchair? Place the highchair or feeding seat at the family table. Allow baby to sit at the family table even if baby is not going to be eating! This will help baby become accustomed to mealtime routines. Your baby will enjoy being part of the "action" at the table.

Use a Comfy Utensil When Feeding Your Baby!

Ensure you are using a soft comfy spoon! Remember baby's gums may be tender from teething and a hard metal spoon may aggravate baby's gums. If baby refuses the spoon or if the spoon seems to make baby uncomfortable, use your finger!

Many parents begin offering their babies solid foods by using their (clean and washed) finger as a spoon!

Don't Make a Fuss Over the Feeding Session!

Do not make a fuss over the food - talk about the food you are offering and make some "yum yum" sounds however, ensure that you are not overwhelming your baby with your words and sounds. This may detract baby's attention from the food and over-stimulate baby.

Follow your baby's cues and allow him or her to explore the dish, utensils and the food itself! We always gave our babies their own spoon and a little bowl of food as we fed them.

Don't Force Your Baby to Eat!

Don't force foods on your baby! If your baby does not open his or her mouth for the food immediately, wait for baby to open his mouth when food is offered. Always let your baby eat at his or her own pace and on his or her own terms! When baby turns his head away or stops opening his mouth, this probably means he had had enough! You don't want to continue to offer baby solid food and run the risk of overriding his own appetite control system!

It's ok if baby does not finish a "meal"! When baby signals she is done, then trust your baby's instincts!

Read our article How Much Food Should My Baby Eat? for more information!

Offer a Variety of Foods and Colors!

Offer your baby different foods once you have begun to introduce several foods! Use different ways of preparing those baby foods and be willing to have a huge store of patience!

Don’t give up on a new food because baby won’t eat it the first time; continue offering the food or wait another day or week.

HAVE FUN and Don't Sweat the Mess!

Is Your Baby Ready for Solid Foods?

How Will You Know When Your Baby is Ready to Eat Solid Foods?

How do you know if your baby is ready for solid foods? Your baby may be 3 months old or 4 months old when you start to feel she may need "something more" than formula or breastmilk. Maybe she is beginning to awaken more often at night or eat more often than "usual" and you wonder if introducing solid foods may be what she needs.

A Growth Spurt May be Confused with a Readiness for Solid Foods

Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age. Your baby may begin to wake more frequently at night for a feeding and/or may begin to eat non-stop (cluster feed) as she once did as a newborn. This growth spurt often accounts for the increased hunger in your baby and it should not be taken as a sign that your baby needs solid foods added to her diet!

Try offering your baby more frequent nursing sessions and/or bottle feedings instead of solids; you will find that within a week or two, your baby is oftentimes over the growth spurt and back to feeding "as usual".

Here are a few "signs" that may indicate your baby is ready for Solid Foods:

Loss of tongue-thrust reflex - This allows baby to drink and swallow liquids with ease; with the tongue-thrust reflex still present, baby may simply drink in liquidy purees or push the food back out. According to Dr. JimSears, in the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, giving the glob of cereal a fighting chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy

Ability to let you know she is full from a "meal" with signs such as turning away from the bottle or breast. This is important so that baby is able to self-regulate the amount of food being eaten. This helps stop baby from accidentally overeating as parents may continue to feed baby thinking that she is still hungry.

Ability to sit up and hold head up unassisted

Interest in your food (we tend to disagree with this one as when a baby reaches the age of 4-6 months, he is interested in putting everything in his mouth!)

Doubling of birth weight

Frequently waking in the middle of the night when a solid sleeping pattern had been established. This may not be the best indicator that your baby is ready for solids! Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age, 6-7 months of age and also 9-10 months of age. Baby may also be waking due to an illness or teething.

I know Many Baby's Who Started Solids "Early" - Why Shouldn't My Baby?

Many parents say that their own pediatricians or their friends' pediatricians have said that it's fine to start solids (typically cereal) at 4 months of age. It is still common for pediatricians to just say "start solid foods when your baby is 4 months old" because this has been the norm for many years. You will find that the vast majority of pediatricians are not experts in pediatric nutrition and many are not aware of their own governing body's guidelines!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) acknowledges that there are no "strict" age guidelines on introducing solid foods to your baby. However, the AAP, along with the CDC and the WHO do recommend that you offer nothing but breast milk and/or formula until you baby is at least 6 months old.

This ensures optimal nutritional exposure and may stave off food allergies amongst other issues. Further studies have shown that an infant's gastrointestinal tract has not or may not have matured enough to properly digest/utilize solid foods until around 6-8 months old! (See page end for reference links)

Studies show that babies are highly individual in developing a readiness for solid foods. One baby might seem to be ready for solids at 4 months, while another shows no signs of readiness until around 6 or 7 months. Just because your friend's baby may have began eating solid foods at 4 months of age does not mean that your baby should. Don't be pushed into starting solids and don't feel like you are a "bad Mommy" if you feel your baby is ready prior to 6 months of age!

**Please keep in mind that "outward" signs of being ready for solids do not mean that your baby's inner digestive system is mature and ready! You should thoroughly discuss starting your baby on solid foods with your baby's pediatrician.

If your pediatrician insists that you start your 4 month old infant on solids, ask him or her to explain the benefits of starting solids early. You might be surprised to hear the answer is not based on nutritional science!

And remember, you never HAVE to begin introducing complementary foods simply because your pediatrician has suggested that you do so! Only when you have thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of introducing solid foods with your pediatrician will you be able to have a better grasp of just when you should begin offering baby solid foods.

Solid start

Imagine drinking only milk the whole daythe first six months of your life. Then suddenly, you are served foods of vibrant colours, interesting textures, unfamiliar smells and different tastes! Now, this is what your baby sees when he is weaned. Whether it is an exciting adventure or a frustrating phase, weaning or the introduction of solids to babies, is indeed an important milestone for various reasons.

Nutritionally, weaning fills a baby’s diet with more energy and nutrients to meet his increased needs, now that milk alone is insufficient.

Physically, a baby develops eating skills, which includes biting, chewing, swallowing, drinking from a cup and eating with a spoon.

As various types of foods are introduced to a baby during weaning, his diet gains variety, which forms the basis of good dietary habits for the future. Variety also balances your baby’s diet.

Weaning is not always smooth. Babies may refuse the solids, resent the way they are fed or might even react adversely to the foods. For successful weaning, we share a few important tips here with you.

When to start weaning

Weaning too early exposes your baby to the risk of food allergy as his digestive and immune systems are still immature. On the other hand, weaning too late deprives your baby of additional nutrients needed, thus hampering his growth and development.

Generally, babies are ready for solids when they are six months old. Look out for cues from your baby. If he frets and gnaws hungrily at his fist after a full feeding, if he eyes your food intently when you eat or if he is able to sit upright and can hold food on his tongue without thrusting it out, then you may start weaning.

What to serve baby

Weaning is a “high-risk” period as your baby is exposed to a wide variety of foods. And any food has the potential to cause an allergy, with discomfort like hives, sneezing, coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea or even life-threatening reactions. Furthermore, a food allergy may lead to a series of other allergic diseases in later life. So, a baby’s food must be nutritious and “safe”. The trick is to stay away from allergenic foods that cause problems until the child is over a year old. These include egg white, peanuts, tree nuts (for example, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) and shellfish.

You may give your baby rice cereals as his first solid food because rice rarely causes an allergy and is easy to digest. Commercial ones have the added advantage of being fortified with iron. By this age, the iron reserve that your baby was born with would have been depleted.

Other “safe” foods suitable for weaning are apples, pears, prunes, carrots, potatoes, spinach, chicken, oats and wheat. From here, slowly expand your baby’s menu.

But whatever you serve, do not season with salt, soy sauce or sugar. It is never too early to establish healthy eating habits.

How to go about weaning

Start by giving your baby one type of solid food, say rice cereal, for three to five days. Then add another new food and test it out for another three to five days. This way, you will be able to isolate any allergy-inducing foods and eliminate them from your baby’s diet. Babies may not show love at first sight for most foods. Thus mothers must show patience and gentle persistence. Do not force the food on your baby but serve it again after several days and let him get accustomed to it.

Always sit a baby upright when giving solids. Offer about a quarter of a small teaspoon at a time. Foods must be finely mashed. Initially, your baby will spit out much of the food as he is learning to swallow. Again, patience pays off. Always keep an eye on the baby during mealtimes to avoid untoward incidents like choking.

More solid advice

Did you know that diarrhoeal diseases peak during the weaning stage of six to 12 months? This is attributed to the increased risk of contamination from a baby’s foods due to unhygienic preparation, handling or storing, eating utensils, the environment (around this time, baby learns to crawl and explores objects with his mouth!) and also due to a drop in the beneficial bacteria in his gut. Diarrhoea saps a child’s energy, depletes his nutrients and may even be fatal.

Boost your baby’s resistance to intestinal infections by introducing probiotic or beneficial bacteria such as Bifido bacteria into his diet. These probiotic bacteria, which are added to some baby cereals, milk and yoghurt, help to build a healthy digestive system. In addition, Bifido bacteria trains and matures your baby’s intestinal immune system for better response against allergy.

To conclude, weaning not only sees to your baby’s growth for now but also influences his health in later years. – Article courtesy of Nestlé