When is the proper time to feed your baby solid food?

Question

My husband says that babies can start at 4 months but I heard that you should start at no less then 6 months.

Answer 1

Anywhere between 4-6 months is very safe, start with rice cereal then gradually introduce veggies and fruits :)

Answer 2

My doctor said 4 months is fine; definitely by 6 months. Start with the single grain rice cereal by spoon, not in the bottle. I started rice cereal at 5 months, then babyfood at 6 months and introduced a new flavor each week.

Also, if your baby can sit up assisted and hold the head up unassisted, has lost the tongue thrust reflex (otherwise how's he going to swallow the stuff?), turns away when full, and has an interest, then I'd see about solids if he's 4-6 months old.

Answer 3

Your doctor is the best person to guide you on this based on your baby's rate of development. The general rule of thumb is around 4 to 4 1/2 months for single grain cereals starting with rice . Then around 5 months, introducing veggies (orange and yellow then green) , then around 6 months moving on to fruits. You also need to wait 3 to 5 days before introducing a new food in case it doesn't agree with baby.

Answer 4

The longer you can wait the better. If the baby is breastfed, you don't need to introduce solid food for 6 months or more as the milk contains everything the baby needs. There are many, many benefits to keep nursing as long as possible http://www.lalecheleague.org/

Now once the baby is interested in food, you can feed him mashed up food with no seasonings or baby food but they don't need it. It's just something to do.

Answer 5

Closer to 6 months is better. The AAP suggests nothing but breastmilk or formula until 6 mos of age. If you start much earlier, they really don't have the enzymes present in their tummy yet to digest it properly. Plus, starting soids too early increases the chances of allegies, diabetes and obesity.

The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):
- World Health Organization
- UNICEF
- US Department of Health & Human Services
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Dietetic Association
- Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Health Canada

Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age. For some babies, delaying solids longer than six months can be a good thing; for example, some doctors may recommend delaying solids for 12 months if there is a family history of allergies.

You really can't watch the calendar alone.....you also have to watch the baby. Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

- Baby can sit up well without support.
- Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
- Baby is ready and willing to chew.
- Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
- Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

Keep in mind that during the first year, breastmilk of formula should continue to make up the majority of baby's diet. Solids foods are really mostly for fun and practice for the entire first year. Bananas, avocados and sweet potatoes are excellent first foods. (La Leche League recommends them over baby cereals!)

Answer 6

You will know that he is really ready to start solids when:

he is about six months old
he can sit up without any support
he continues to be hungry despite more frequent nursing which is unrelated to illness or teething
he has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push solids out of his mouth
he can pick up things with his finger and thumb (pincer grasp)

Babies who are ready for solids can usually feed themselves. Mothers often report that they knew their babies were ready when they picked up food from a plate, chewed it, swallowed it, and wanted more.

Listen to your baby! Babies with a tendency to allergies may refuse solids until later in their first year. As long as they are growing well and are happy and healthy, there is no need for concern.

Babies don't have digestive enzymes to digest soilds until 6 months or later. Let your baby decide when he's ready to eat!

Answer 7

a million. as quickly as an afternoon is a lot to commence with. 2. No, certainly no longer. even whilst commencing at 6 months solids are no longer meant to replace milk feeds for some extra months. 3. finished bottle first, seem at solids as wasteland. this way you may ensure your toddler won't overfeed on solids to the factor of dropping her urge for nutrition for her nonetheless maximum obligatory source of nutrition: formula. i'm stunned her pediatrician did no longer inform you any of this. Did he basically say "do solids" and leave it at that? Your questions are very worry-unfastened and that i could anticipate a reliable pediatrician to handle them the 2d he shows introducing solids, whether you do no longer think of to invite at that factor. Edit: oops, ignored that one: confident, cereal is a reliable nutrition too. just to substantiate to properly known this: solids do no longer pass in a bottle. that's a choking possibility. Cereal could desire to be spoon-fed. of direction a bowl of cereal additionally counts as a milk feed when you consider which you practice the cereal with formula.

Answer 8

Four months is a good time to start your child on cereal and then i would wait a month and then start on the fruits and veggies

Answer 9

Drs usually say start with rice cereal at 4 months, and work up to start jarred fruits and veggies at 6.

Answer 10

depends on the baby and on how much formula he/ she is eating. I started a foster child on cereal and beginner food at 2 months old ...doctors orders becaus ehe was drinking wayyy too much formula.