Determining when your baby is ready for solids can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be. Every new mother is faced with questions such as 'When is the right time to start? How do I begin? Is it okay to continue breast-feeding? How do I know if my baby is getting enough to eat while weaning? What do I do if my baby refuses to eat solid foods? There is good news. You are not alone. Parents all over the world face these crucial questions.
The most logical time to begin introducing solid foods is when your baby shows he is ready for them. Somewhere towards the end of six months is a good time to start to wean your baby onto solid foods. Four months is a little too early, and you could leave it quite a bit later than that. Your baby's young digestive system is incapable of processing, digesting and absorbing complex foods. If solids are introduced too early, they'll pass through largely undigested, and this will put an increased strain on your baby's immature kidneys.
There are some reasons to delay the introduction of solids. If you have a family history of food allergies, that may mean your baby is susceptible to them; waiting until his system is more mature can help reduce his odds of suffering from them. If your baby was born prematurely, he may need more time to develop and coordinate the suck-swallow-breathe pattern necessary to handle solid foods.
Is your baby ready?
There is no hard and fast rule. Knowing the stages of your baby's development will help you to decide when he is ready for solids and select foods that are right for each stage. The best way to start is by watching him.
* Does he seem to notice when you're eating?
* Does he open his mouth when food is offered to him?
* Can he steady himself or sit alone in an upright position?
* Can he lean back or turn away when he's had enough?
* Does he reach out, grasp, and then bring his hands up to his mouth?
If you've noticed that he has started doing these things, then other unnoticeable signs of readiness are also happening:
* He can swallow better and his tongue can move food from the front to the back of his mouth.
* His digestive ability is becoming more flexible and less prone to disruption.
You should be aware of the signs that your baby gives you and follow his lead for the introduction of solids. The first tooth, if it appears at or after six months, definitely indicates the need to introduce solid foods.
When your baby is ready to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky. You want him to be a little hungry, but not all-out starving; you might want to let him breast-feed a while, or give him part of his usual bottle. Let him hold something related to eating, such as a soft bread or his own baby spoon. This way he won't spend so much time trying to grab the spoon you're trying to feed him with.
Once your baby is ready and not pushing foods back out, introducing one new food a week is generally safest in trying to prevent food allergies. Up to two items a week can be introduced depending on your family's history of allergies and what you feel most comfortable with.
Don't hurry the process. Watch your baby for signs of readiness and enjoy those first fun moments of food going in different directions with a curious new baby.
It is common for your baby to like something one day and refuse it the next. Do not get discouraged. This is a natural part of the "learning to eat" process. Allowing your baby to play with the food will help them understand food texture and hand to mouth coordination.
One of the mistakes parents often make is to impose adult appetites and eating habits on children. Children's appetites are notoriously fickle; they're easily distracted from their food. However, your child will get all the nutrients she needs if you try to think in terms of providing her with a wide variety of foods over a weekly rather than a 24-hour period. Don't get upset when she rejects a meal. And remember, at this age solid food is still only a supplement. Breast milk and formula will still maintain your baby's basic nutritional needs.
First foods
The usual first food is a little rice cereal mixed with the liquid your baby is most used to: breast milk or formula. The first feeding may be nothing more than a little cereal mixed in a whole lot of liquid. Cereal is primarily used to practice eating since it provides the necessary iron levels when mixed with breast milk or iron rich formula in order to meet nutritional needs for children aged six months and up.
There are no hard and fast rules about the order of adding new foods. The most important thing to know is that you should give one new food at a time.
Since humans naturally prefer sweet tastes over any other, the longer you hold off on fruit, the more likely it is your baby will accept strained carrots and peas or mashed sweet potatoes. Start with a few small spoonfuls, and then work up to approximately an ounce of each food. Don't give any mixed foods until your baby has had each of the ingredients separately. Don't offer anything but pureed foods. If she pulls a face or spits out a food, try it again later. Pulling a face may not mean she doesn't like the food, but may just be a reaction to the new taste. She may need to taste a new food 8 to 10 times before she accepts it.
Sometimes mixing a little of a new food with something you know she already likes will help her learn to appreciate the new taste.
First foods : rice, pureed vegetables like carrot, potato, zucchini, pureed fruits like banana, apple or pear.
Texture : smooth purees with no lumps at all.
Taste : natural and bland with no sugar or salt added.
Drinks: Offer your baby cooled, boiled water in between meals. Juices are not really necessary if your baby is having fresh fruit and water. Juices tend to fill up the stomach quickly and cause damage to teeth if fed from a bottle.
Lastly, here is a brief list of what foods to avoid introducing to your baby until between six to twelve months of age:
· Milk from a cow or dairy products.
· Eggs
· Citrus fruits / juices
· Nuts
· Honey
· Sugar
· Salt and other seasonings.
With the hectic pace of modern family life, most parents opt for commercially prepared baby foods at first. They come in small, convenient containers, and manufacturers must meet strict safety and nutrition guidelines.
If you are using commercially prepared baby foods in jars, spoon some of the food into a bowl to feed your baby. Do not feed her directly from the jar unless you know she'll finish the whole thing, because bacteria from the baby's mouth can contaminate the remaining food. It's also smart to throw away opened jars of baby food within a day or two of opening.
Remember, the main purpose of solids at this tender age is to give baby some experience with tastes and textures and swallowing of solids. Breast milk or formula should still provide most of her nutrition.
Picture courtesy: luath.co.uk
Ms Lovely Ranganath, Dietician, M.Sc (Food Science & Nutrition), Dip. Fitness & Nutrition, Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah and Al Zahra Medical Centre, Dubai will be regularly writing on Diet and Nutrition on womenone.org. She would also be answering readers' queries related to diet and nutrition.
