Starting Baby on Solids

I see a lot of moms suggested wholesomebabyfood.com but if you haven't navigated the site yet, click on this- http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/foodsbytypeandage.htm

I personally liked this site and followed it pretty closely- starting at 6 months, but breastfed until 18 months.

Good luck!

Hi D.,

My doctor, too gave the ok to give cereal early and had started solids by 4 months. I read to start with vegtables first so that they like veg. instead of sweets. That said, after eating peas as part of her meal for 3 days, she became constipated. So I did have to switch to fruits, which were easier on her digestive track.

My girlfriend, who also was giving her daughter solids by 4 months, started with avacados. After I heard that, I found out a lot of moms start with that because it's high in protein, easy to mush, and babies like it.

Good luck and have fun! It's soo exciting to feed solids and see their reactions.

N.

4 months is pretty young to be on cereal let alone start food. I would maybe reconsider and wait a couple more months before starting anything but breast milk or if you are doing formula.
There is a greater risk of allergies the sooner kids get real food, also they don't need it that young.

My baby girl just turned 4 months on Sunday too!! Leap day baby for you too?? We went for our 4 month appt on Saturday and her pediatrician said we could now start cereal. She said once she's taking in at least 50% of the cereal we can start her on fruits and veggies (1st foods). I've only been giving her cereal for a couple days and already she's ripping the spoon out of my hand trying to feed herself!! Good luck!!

i would wait to start baby food. my baby is breastfeed and at 5 or 6 months i started ceral. and it wasn't untill 8 or 9 months she was ready for baby food. she was full from the breast milk. your baby isn't starving if you give her just formula or breast milk.

Hi D.,
My daughter was 4 months old when we started her on solids too. Our pediatrician had us start with vegetables first then fruit. He said the reason is that fruit is sweet and they will get used to having the sweet stuff and the chance that they won't like the less sweet veggies will be higher. Made sense to me. He had us start with yellow and orange veggies and then on the the others then the fruit. We did introduced a new veggie every three days (to check for allergic reactions) then moved on to the next until she had tried them all. Then it was on to the fruit the same way. We mixed them with her cereal. This was a fun time for me. I loved to see her expressions with each new food. Just relax and enjoy it too!

Well I didn't start either of my girls on cereal or baby food until 6 months. Our doctor said they don't absorb the nutrients until then so it is more of a filler if they are younger. When I did start baby food I used veggies first because I have heard that sometimes if they get fruit first then they never want the veggies. I started with Green veggies (peas, green beans) then went to the orange veggies (squash, sweet potatoes, carrots) after that then I started with fruit. I always did only one type of food for 3-4 days of each until I got through them all to make sure they didn't have any reactions to each food. Then I started giving a fruit and veggie for a meal. Hope that helps and good luck.

Hello D.-

My doctor told me to start my son on veggies first. They are obviously less sweet than fruits. He said it is better for them to start liking the more bitter tastes first, because they will more than likely like the fruits better. If you start with fruits, they may not eat veggies well. I think I started with squash or carrots. He liked all foods! Good Luck!

I concur with Super Baby Foods; it is a great book. I made most of my sons beginner foods and it is easier than you think (I work full time). If you are steaming some veggies cook a few extra for the baby.

I had to jump past rice ceral, it just made my son consitipated. I purchased barley from the bulk section at whole foods and ground it myself. It took all of 2 minutes to cook on the stove. My son loved it.

Just one question - why so soon on food? I was told 6 months due to possiblities of allergies.

Hi D. ~
I totally agree with Renee H. Babies are not supposed to be eating solid food too early - it can lead to alot of problems. They are supposed to be getting most of their calories from breast milk or formula. Talk to your pediatrician before you feed her anything. They are up-to-date with all of the newest studies, friends are not. Just because some people feed their babies early doesn't mean that you should and it doesn't make it the right thing to do. Don't be in such a hurry. She'll eat soon enough.
good luck
D.

There are so many thoughts on this. Babies don't need any food other than breastmilk or formula for a year. I breastfed 2 of my 3 exclusively for a year...no cereal, no baby food. I learned this from other breastfeeding mothers and the book "Feed Your Kids Right" Feeding food too early can invite food allergies. Check with your pediatrician, read up on it and make your own decision from what you learn. From my own experience I can say none of my girls have any food allergies, I can count on ONE hand how many times they have had antibiotics, we didn't have the ear infections that so many get (I believe from milk). They are now very healthy 29, 26 and 24 year old women. What's the rush?

Here is a good guide: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids2.htm

I used it loosely as a guide to which foods to start when. I just printed out a copy for me, grandma & daycare and marked off which foods I had tried already so they knew which ones they could give her. Give 2-3 days between new foods in case there is a reaction so you won't have such a hard time trying to figure out which food is causing it.

PS - I never knew how good for you sweet potatoes are until I found this website and read about them - check it out. I've been eating them like crazy since then and so has my daughter!

I started with bananas....the easiest one out there on their little tummies. moved then to pears, then tried whatever...make sure when you are introducing a new food, to use only that one for a few days, so that if there is a reaction you know what did it.
it was easiest at first to swirl the fruit into the cereal, then after a while have them seperate.
after a few months of the fruits, i introduced veggies, start with yellow or orange ones, like carrots and sweet potatoes. Then the green ones last.
Then come the meats (ewwww)haha.
I think I did fruits between 4-6 months, veggies from 7-9 months, then the meats from 10 months on. i started soft finger foods after there were a few teeth, at about a year.
like mandarin oranges, scrambled eggs, penne pasta cut tiny, watermelon, pancakes, thin deli meats like ham and turkey cut small

good luck and have fun!!! throw in the occasional lick of a pickle or lemon!(family tradition) haha

Here is a great explanation of why you should wait until baby is 6 months or older before starting solids.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

This will address many of your questions and concerns about the issue.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html

I'm sure you want to prevent food allergies and other problems associated with introducing solids too soon, if your little girl seems really interested in eating, there are some ideas on that first webpage for how to include your daughter in mealtime without actually feeding her any solids.

J.

Really, she's eating already at 4 months? My doctor advised to to start feeding until they are 6 months. That's when I started feeding her cereal. I would consult with you doctor about starting her on solid baby food. Also, since I puree my baby's food I went to this website and they give you a schedule on what foods to start and when. But again I stress TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.
www.wholesomebabyfood.com

great book called super baby food - library has it as does websites.
food is a personal choice but truly look for signs! my 4 month old was ripping the spoon out of my hand when I was eating - thats one huge sign they are ready :)

when you do decide - single ingredient with a few days between is how you introduce...
good first foods - banana - rice - green beans
basically go to the grocery store and look at all the number one baby food jars - its a good indication!

your child is too young for solid foods..

for the first year ALL of the nutrition comes from breast milk/formula

the cereal and baby food just fills up those tiny tummies and is not as nutritious as the milk.

baby food is just practice for eating real food later. the baby should be on milk only- if you want to feed her cereal - it should only be one small serving a day.

wait until she is 6 months old for other food.

Our doctor recommended vegetables first. We've always used Gerber (got to support the Michigan economy.) What we did was start with peas, and he would have 1/2 the container (1 oz.) for lunch; then when he got use to that, he would have 1/2 peas at lunch, and then add on a new vegetable at dinner. We did peas, then carrots, then green beans, sweet potatoes and squash. Really watch their spit-up because when we stopped sweet potatoes and squash, the spit-up really decreased, so now he doesn't get those. Once he was 5 months we've thrown in some strained peaches and "adult" applesauce (MOTT's.) He gets those in his oatmeal or rice cereal. At 6 months we tried some lamb and he hated it, but likes the Earth's Best Vegetable Turkey Dinner and Gerber Corn & Chicken. One thing our doctor emphasized, and still does, is only introduce one new food at a time and do that for a few days. That way you can check for allergies and even if the child likes it. If your daughter is like our son, she may just eat & eat & eat. We would let him do that a few times and then realized there were carrots all over our house. Stick with a little bit and then gradually add more. Have fun!

Hi D.,
When I started solids with my son, I had read to start with the veggies after cereal, doing one new one each week and only one at a time to catch any allergies that a new food they might cause..I believe that the suggestion was yellow and orange ones (generally sweeter) then the green ones (generally stronger tasting), then finally introduce fruits last. Keep in mind that it might take 10 tries of something for your child to eat a particular food. And she might love something one meal and not want to eat it the next time. Good Luck with this fun new time!

I started both of my children on solids once they could sit up on their own. One wa 5 months and one was 6 months. And I only started with fruits and vegetables. I found this to be a great website... http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids.htm

I started the cereal than veggies, than fruit. I would give my little one veggies (we started with green beans, than peas, carrots,squash, sweet potato) mixed with his cereal at dinner time. Than once I went through all the veggies, I started fruit (banana, applesauce, peaches, than pears) that I mixed into cereal at breakfast time. My little on now gets cereal and fruit for breakfast, cereal and veggies for lunch and the fruit and veggie leftover in the container from breakfast/lunch for dinner. He eats about a half a container at each breakfast and lunch and than the rest of the container at dinner. I hope that makes sense. Just make sure you only do introduce one at a time for 3-4 days. Good luck.

I would slow down a bit Mama. Most ped's don't reccomend solids until at least 6 months of age. Check with your doc.

Hi D.. I started my son on solids at 4mos too. We were told to do veggies first then fruits. Do orange veggies first like carrots, squash and sweet potatoes then do greens like peas, green beans etc. I was told by my ped. and experienced friends that the green can be more consitpating. I fed my baby about 1/2 stage of a one container once a day to start. I was also advised to wait 3 or more days between trying new foods. I usually waited 1wk. No rush. Then once you've gotten them used to veggies, you can start fruits. This is just what worked for me. Do what you think is best. Good luck to you and your baby girl!

I would slow down. Most peds don't recommmend starting rice cereal until 4 mos and then veggies one at a time at 6 mos. Her stomach probably isn't developed enough to digest everything.

Once you decide on starting solids, whenever that may be, I wouldn't worry about veggies first or fruits. The "fruits are sweeter" is silly -- breastmilk is incredibly sweet, and formula is full of sugar. She's not eating for nutrition anyway, she's just learning tastes and exploring textures. Anything soft and mushy is good for learning -- those mesh feeders are great for them hang on to it with. I know a lot of mamas who start with avocado, it's full of good fats, lots of vitamins and all-around yummy. Bananas are great too for first tries. If she's not able to hang on to the food herself, I'd wait, personally. My lo is 7 months, she still isn't spoonfed b/c her tongue thrust reflex is still pretty strong. I let her gum things at the table if she's interested, but she's still exclusively breastfed. She's the first baby I've done that with, my other 3 were cereal at 4mo like the pedi said, but she's my most healthy and fattest!

Even the American Pediatric Assn would say this is too early for solids, though I know the old way was to do it. Why the hurry?

You should talk to your doctor. Babies don't need food so early. What's the rush? It can cause tummy problems and allergies. You said "I am now ready to try foods". Who is trying the foods? Do what is best for your baby and wait.

D.

If your baby is taking the cereal great, then she must be ready...don't sweat all the urgent (sometimes critical) warnings to only give breast milk. While it is true that breast milk/formula alone could sustain a baby for the first year, every baby IS different and you have to listen to your baby (so to speak).
That being said, I tried my baby on rice cereal (1/2 T)around four months hoping she would have a fuller tummy to sleep better during the night...actually, my husband insisted we try. The tiny bit of cereal actually made her tummy uncomfortable, so I stopped after that first day and waited until she was salivating over/trying to grab everything we were all putting in our mouths. That was around 6 months and she took it without one bit being spit back out and slept from 8pm until 8am. She was ready and her tummy was too. It's funny, because my son was ready at 4 months and my other daughter too. But again, every baby is different.
At this point---7 months old---she is still just on baby food pears and rice cereal. The apples gassed her up and carrots were just a mess if she spit up. Since she does not need the baby food for nutrition, I am not worrying about the variety this time around (it can be such a hassle dragging babyfood jars with you everywhere you go)...and I really only give her the pears to help move the rice cereal through her. I give her some of the food we eat if it is a whole (unprocessed) food like watermelon, plums, potatoes, green beans, etc. If she tries to grab our food, I mash them up and she loves them. She only has her cereal/pears at her lunch, dinner and bedtime feedings...and it is only about 1T of cereal mixed with formula from her bottle and 1T pears.

I DO stay away from wheat, dairy (ie yogurt)and other high-allergenic foods and will for as long as possible. And I obviously won't give her milk or eggs until she is a year (and no nuts until after 2 years). I have no food allergies with my other two and am really hoping she is the same way.

Hope this info helps.Just remember to take her cues with everything...even the fun potty-training in her future :)

Good luck and enjoy!

Whoa! Most pediatricians will recommend waiting until at least 6 months to start solid foods. Not only that, there are studies that suggest starting solids earlier can lead to digestive problems later in life... like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Also, breastmilk or formula should be the PRIMARY source of calories for the first year of life. The milk has essential fats and nutrients NOT FOUND IN ABUNDANCE in solid foods. These fats and nutrients are ESSENTIAL for brain growth and development. Solid foods earlier then 1 year are really just practice for later. Also, the longer you wait the better chance you have of introducing foods in their natural form (table foods soft cooked). This gives baby the REAL taste and texture of the food and makes the transition from milk to solids that much easier. (after 1 year)

Don't be in a hurry to get your little one on solid foods. She's got a very tiny tummy (about the size of her fist) ... and her digestive system is still developing!