Is she ready for solid food?

Question

My baby girl is 5 1/2 months old and she has her bottom two front teeth and the two top ones are coming in now. She drinks 200mls lately and watches with fascination when we eat. I feel bad and want to give her some food, should I get her some baby food now or is she too little?

Answer 1

If she is interested in watching you eat, she is absolutely ready for baby food ( remember baby food is not solid food). I would start with green food (peas or green beans) move to orange (sweet potatoes or carrots) and then start adding in fruits. Yes, you start with the food they might not like after they eat the sweeter food so that you have hope of making them like their veges.

Answer 2

Absolutely she is ready. You can start to give your baby solid food from around 4 months onward (not recommended for under 4 months), depending on whether he or she is interested. Your little girl sounds like she is very interested in trying some food. You could try a little baby cereal, you can mix it a teaspoon at a time, and so you won't get to much waste. Have fun :-)

Answer 3

definately start giving her some solids if you want. She's definately at an appropriate age.

Start with plain mashed potato. Steamed but with no salt or butter added, just a little milk to make it easier to mash. (formula or breast)
Then you can move onto pumpkin, carrot, brocolli and cauliflower, sweet potato and then a mixture of all of them. Freeze portions in an ice cube tray and pop out what you need.
Once she is accepting savoury foods move onto sweet foods like mashed banana, pureed apple, pear etc...
don't start with these or she might not take the more bland food at all. That is why its good to start with vegetables like potato and carrot to get them used to texture and what not.

Don't bother with store bought baby food for now. She will eat so little to begin with and spit it everywhere that its not worth the money. Homemade is so easy to do (just boil/steam some vegies and mash them...? its not rocket science) and much cheaper. Save the bought food for when you have to go out and can't take home made with you. Also home made is nutritionally better to begin with.

Good luck and have fun starting solids! I loved watching my kids have their first tastes of food.

If you want a good laugh, let your daughter suck on some lemon! Its so funny to see their little expressions but they always go back for a second, third, fourth suck!

Answer 4

My daugther started around 4 months with baby cereal. You should obviously consult your pediatrician first, but sounds like she may be ready to try it to me. Start slow, make the cereal very soupy, not thick, and make sure if she is on a rice formula, you give her single grain oatmeal cereal. All of these things can be answered by her doctor though.

Answer 5

yes she start with little bits of solids/ just watch certain things that could upset her tummy or give her alot of gas. keep her on her formula though as that is what gives her all her vitamins and minerals right now!! try on her a little bit of baby fruit and baby veggies such as carrots and squash and baby rice cereal. no sweet potatoes right now. to gassy!! introduce her to little bits at a time!

Answer 6

Try her out with small bits of softer food, Pasta is great, rice is good too, soft beans, mashed potatos, that kind of stuff, small and soft.
Buffet resturants have a good variety of baby friendly foods, and you don't have to pick up after the kid!

Answer 7

YOU CAN GIVE THE BABY FOOD AS LONG AS IT IS SOFT ENOUGH FOR HER TO EAT, MEMBER SHE STILL DOESN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO EAT SOLID FOOD. SHE IS BARELY LEARNING! :)

Answer 8

if she shows interest in you eating and has sum teeth then yeah i see no problem in starting solids

Answer 9

i would say its ok, i think she is about the right age
here are some articles i found hope they help

http://www.babybag.com/articles/babyfood.htm

http://ak.essortment.com/babysolidfoods_rgft.htm