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Lessons of motherhood, No. 6:
When to start solid foods
By Errin Stevenson
February 131, 2008 | When to start solids is a choice
that is up to the mother. Some babies grow faster and
need more then the basic baby milk while others are
fine with it until they reach seven months. According
to gerber.com, "Let him tell you. The right time
isn't based solely on your baby's age. It's based on
the following physical and developmental signs of readiness."
Some of the signs of readiness they include are:
-- Sits with support and has good head control.
-- Has doubled birth weight and weighs at least 13
pounds.
-- Continues to be hungry after 8 to 10 breast feedings
or drinks 32 ounces of formula a day.
The first solid food to introduce your baby to is
the sticky, gooey, and delicious cereals. Your baby
will probably cringe on the first taste because of the
thick texture that they are not used to, but go slow
and allow your baby to enjoy it. Never force your baby
to eat the cereal if your baby is not ready. You can
choose which cereal to feed him or her. In my case,
my baby had a problem with constipation and I felt that
the rice cereal clogged him up worse. I added pear juice
instead of formula to the rice cereal and later switched
to a mix of mixed grains and oatmeal to help him relieve
himself. The switch worked for us! According to Dr.
O'very, a well-known pediatric doctor in Logan, he suggests
to start rice cereal between 4 and 6 months of age.
He says to start feeding your baby 1 to 2 tablespoons
of rice cereal one time a day until your baby is taking
it well, then increase to two times a day with 2 to
3 tablespoons. Mix rice cereal with formula or juice
if your baby has constipation problems.
Once your baby is doing well with rice cereal, you
can start introducing new foods. Dr. O'very suggests
starting with orange foods, then yellows and then greens.
He also says to only introduce one food every four days.
You can also start to introduce juice too! "The
American Academy of Pediatrics says that juice can be
a part of a baby's healthy, well-balanced diet any time
after the age of 6 months." Juice is a great drink
for your baby. Just make sure it is 100 percent.
Once your baby has gotten the hang of eating all the
new wonderful foods, they are ready to start eating
a little bit off your plate. My little boy enjoys eating
a little cooked carrot or some noodles from plate. Puffs,
by Gerber, a "light and airy texture, dissolves quickly
in baby's mouth" are a great food to introduce to your
baby too. They are a great finger food and will help
your baby learn to chew and pick up food.
Introducing foods is a fun thing for moms and something
to look forward too! It shows signs of development and
that your little one is getting big!
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