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Doctors will decide that a baby is ready to start eating solid food when they observe signs of readiness, usually around 5 months. There are numerous signs that display this readiness such as identifiable weight gain, head support, mouth and tongue development, sitting upright when supported and increasing curiosity about trying new foods. If your baby has double their birth weight or weighs at least 13 pounds, this can be classified as a weight gain and they may be able to start eating solids. Head control means they are able to keep their head in the upright position.
There are different types of food that each doctor will recommend to a specific child. Typically, babies start with pureed single-ingredient food that does not contain salt or sugar. The APP suggests breastfed children to eat meat as the first food because of the iron content which helps to replace her iron stores. Other food recommendations are squash, peaches, pears and pureed sweet potatoes. Veggies, meats and fruits do not generally cause allergic reactions. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology states that introducing allergenic foods such as wheat, fish, and peanut butter around 5 months can help prevent their development. Be cautious of allergies if the baby has a sibling with a peanut allergy, they tested positive on a blood test for an allergy or they have extreme eczema. Food allergies can be detected by vomiting, diarrhea or hives.
To start introducing solid food, begin with 1 or 3 teaspoons of pureed solid food or infant cereal after nursing or bottle-feeding. Using a soft-tipped plastic spoon will help to avoid injuring gums and place a small amount on the tip of the spoon. To help babies become familiar with the food, let them smell it before eating. If you use jars or pouches of food, avoid putting spoons from the baby’s mouth back into the jar as the bacteria will be transferred from his mouth.
Each baby will take time to get used to eating solid foods. Some will need help and practice to adjust to keeping food in their mouth and swallowing it. Start when your baby is not too tired or hungry. Another method of feeding is baby-led weaning, where large pieces of soft food are in front of the baby and they are allowed to grasp it for themselves.
Continue to feed breast milk or formula as they will provide most of the calories and nutrition for a baby until they are around one year old. An infant will typically eat solid food once a day. After 8 months, they will generally start having solid food two times a day. At 8 months, an example diet could include vegetables, fruit, and protein like cheese or yogurt, cereal. There are foods to avoid feeding your baby such as honey and soy milk (which should be tried after their first birthday).