Starting solids for your little one is both exciting as well as terrifying. Till now the baby has known and loved the nutrition that milk (mother’s or formula) provides but as a baby nears that big milestone of 6 months, they are curious about other forms of nutrition.
Tips for introducing solid baby food to babies
When to start baby food People say that you should start feeding baby at 4-6 months but most experts say that you should exclusively breastfeed your child for the first six months. The reason being that their digestive system can not handle anything other than milk.
Check for signs that your baby is ready– Some signs that the baby is ready for solid baby food are head control i.e. he is able to keep his head in steady, upright manner. can sit well with support, has lost the extrusion-reflex i.e. doesn’t use his tongue to push food out of his mouth, growing appetite, curiosity about what others especially adults are eating and tongue movements i.e. he is able to move food to the back of the mouth and swallow it.
Introducing new food– Start feeding baby with pureed food and you can mix it with a little bit of formula or breast milk too. Good first baby foods are banana, apples, sweet potatoes, rice, pears and avocado. Begin with once a day feeding, keep the food at the tip of the spoon and gently offer it your baby. Never force the baby to take food in her mouth. You can change the milk session to before or after the feeding according to your baby’s appetite.
How to introduce new food– Wait for at least three days before introducing a new food so that you can check whether the baby has an allergic reaction to any new food items. As the baby starts to eat solids and transitions to new tastes and texture. The consistency of food should go from pureed to mashed to finger foods. If your baby turns away from a type of food then don’t push him to eat that. Change the menu and try again after two weeks.
How to know whether the baby is full and how many times you should feed him Well if the baby has lost interest in the food, moves his head back to the chair, is playing with the food you can be sure they are quite full. Once the baby has eaten five-six types of food successfully, then it might be a good idea to combine 2-3 food items per meal to give them variety of tastes and textures.
Typically at six months babies eat only once and the sustenance is provided by milk. As they grow older the number of solid feedings increase and milk usually is taken only once to twice a day. Talk to your pediatrician regarding the weight and height of your baby, required nutrition and how you should start weaning the baby off milk.
Some resources you can check out for more details on Starting Solids
BABY FEEDING PRODUCTS FOR STARTING SOLIDS
Here are the ten baby products that you need for starting solid food for your babies
Bibs: Use plastic ones with pockets to catch any spills and drips. These are easy to clean too. Make my day Baby bibs, Price: Rs 409/–
Plates: Use sectional and suction plates which will not fall off due to baby’s push. Chicco Easy meal duckling plate Price: Rs 550/-
Spoons: Use plastic spoons with soft tips which make it easier for kids to take food inside their mouth. Munchkin Soft tip spoons Price: Rs 299/-
Baby Feeders : The squirt spoons are a great way to feed purees to babies without any spills or mess. Boon Squirt Price: Rs 799/-
Sippers : Drinking water is very important once you start feeding solids to your baby. Use BPA-free sippers with soft spouts for giving water to the babies. Munchkin trainer cups Price Rs 375/-
High Chair: It is important to have a sturdy and flat surface to feed babies. The straps in high chair help in keeping small babies at one place. Make sure that the table has adjustable height and has wheels for easy movement. Hauck High Chair (Up and Down) Price: Rs 9690/-
Splat Mats: The truth is that in the initial stages most of the food will hit the floor rather than the baby’s mouth. Protect your floor and save the cleaning trouble by using this splat mat under the high chair. Sugarbooger Jumbo Floor Splat Mat Monsters Price: Rs 3000/-
Food Storage containers: With small babies you might not have time to make baby food everyday so you can use these freezer containers to store baby food that you make and use them for several days. Mothercare freezer pots Price Rs 275/-
Food processor: Making baby food at home becomes easy with the various food processors, blenders, graters etc available. Farlin 7 in 1 baby food maker Price Rs 1250/-
Booster seats: It might not be possible to carry the high chair every where and that is why the booster seats are very handy. These will fix to almost any table and provide a stable surface to feed your baby. Chicco quick adjust table seat Price: Rs 3990/-
I hope these tips and baby products help you to transition your baby to solid food easily.
What are your favorite baby products for weaning?