Getting a Start on Solid Foods
It's every first-time mother's worry as her infant approaches 4 to 6 months of age: When to start solid foods? Experts recommend going slowly and steadily as you help your baby make the transition from breast milk or formula to pureed foods to solids.
A baby's introduction to solids should begin after 4 to 6 months and be gradual. One or two tablespoons of rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, given twice a day, is easiest on the stomach and less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
Many parents move quickly from cereal to pureed fruit, but some pediatricians recommend trying vegetables first. Fruits are sweet, and oftentimes babies will not eat vegetables if they are already used to the sweet taste of fruits.
What if your baby is unwilling to take solids at 4 months?
Some children are late starters and won't eat a bite before 6 months. Around 6 months, your child grows interested in your eating habits and wants to imitate you. If things don't go well, wait a week, then try again.
By 9 months, your baby should be familiar with many common foods in a pureed form and should be eating three meals a day. By 12 to 13 months, your baby is ready to be weaned from the bottle or breast, and by 15 months your baby is ready to eat table food.
Weaning from the breast is a personal decision, and some mothers continue breast-feeding past 13 months. Be patient when weaning. The transition from breast to table food may be trying for some infants.
When is your child ready?
This checklist from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) can help you determine whether your baby is ready to start solids:
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Your child can hold his or her head steady when sitting.
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Your child is between 4 and 6 months of age.
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Your child sometimes opens his or her mouth when food approaches.
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Your child is interested in food when others eat.
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Your child is able to swallow baby food placed on the tongue.
A timetable for foods
This chart from the IFIC offers guidelines on when to introduce certain solid foods.
Age 4 to 6 months:
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Iron-fortified, single-grain baby cereal
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Strained/pureed plain vegetables and fruit
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100 percent fruit juices fortified with vitamin C (limit amount because of the high sugar content)
Age 7 to 9 months:
Age 10 to 12 months:
Age 12 months