Baby Solid Foods: When do babies start eating solids?

When can babies eat solid food?

Giving your baby solids is a major milestone as a parent. It sets out an ample amount of experiences that you and your baby will experience together. Starting off your toddler with solids isn’t that exciting, as you’re not sure what to expect, and some baby’s don’t respond well when you give them solids for the first time. So when should you start solid foods for baby? Well, you have to maintain a liquid diet for them in the first six months that consists only of milk. After the sixth month, you can begin with solid food.

However, this varies, as every baby is different. Some babies might start accepting solid food around the fourth month as they tend to become more curious, so you must consult your pediatrician first.

I started off my baby with solid foods in her 6^th month, and she absolutely loved it. Thankfully, I didn’t have a tough time starting solids for her. I exclusively breastfed my baby girl Sofia until she was 4 months old, but she was growing curious about what we were eating. Then, I started introducing apples and pears as a snack while breastfeeding her. At five and half months, I gave her milk powder, and at six months, I started with solids. But after a lot of messy eating sessions, we got through it. And so will you. Mentioned below are the basics on how and when to start baby food.

Starting Your Baby with Solid Foods

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), you can start your toddler with solid foods between the 4^th and 6^th months. But this time frame may vary, as every baby develops differently. If you want to make out on your own when your baby is ready for solids, then there are a few things you can look out for:

• If your baby is able to sit upright while holding their head firmly, it is one of the biggest indicators.
• If your toddler starts getting hungry even after feeding them with milk in the required amounts, it’s a sign that they want to eat more and are ready for solids.
• Other signs include when they glare at you as you eat something in front of them, and they lose their tongue-thrust reflex.

Solid Food Your Baby Should Start With

Below are a few suggestions that will help you when you start solids for your baby. These were a few things I started my baby with:

• 4^th to 6^th Month

The first solids your baby can start with are single-grain cereals, and pureed fruits.  This gives a lot of iron to your baby, which they lose gradually after being born. You can mix one teaspoon of single-grain cereal in any mild formula and give it to them. Or, you can start with pear and apple as a snack once or twice a day. Opt for organic produce as they absorb everything, or grate them until they are pureed.

• 6^th to 8^th Month

In this stage, you can start your little angel with fruits, veggies, and meat, but they must all be pureed.

• 8^th to 12^th Month

Now that you’ve begun with puree, you can move on to finger foods such as carrot sticks, apple slices, and fruits. Make sure to mash them a bit before giving. After a 8th month or so, you can give your baby foods in Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. You can add pieces of fruit cookies inside the food feeder and allow them to suck on it, especially when you give your baby ginger food. The best part is that these feeders are super safe.

Things to Keep In Mind When Start Baby with Solids

To avoid any complications or late-night worries, there are a few things you must ensure when starting your baby with solids. Mentioned below are a few tips that I learned from my experience of a solid feeding baby girl:

• Jot down a feeding routine
• Study the side-effects of each solid for baby’s
• Learn to adjust to messes created by your baby
• Keep a lookout for possible allergies
• Avoid foods that contain honey and nuts.
• Introduce first simple food such as carrots, potatoes zucchini.

Takeaway

With the help of this article, you can hopefully now start solid food for your baby. However, make sure to consult a health professional before giving your baby solids to avoid any further complications.