The second half of your baby's first year is exciting and full of changes as your newborn infant becomes a child. She will learn to sit by herself, crawl and then walk. Each of these developmental milestones marks a new stage in which she will be ready to try new types of solid foods. When your baby can sit well with support and bring toys or objects to her mouth with her hands, she is probably ready to try complementary foods. She will most likely be between four and six months of age.
Getting Started with Solid Foods
When you think she is ready, try giving your baby some iron-fortified infant rice cereal mixed very thin with breastmilk or formula or some pureed fruits or vegetables. Many caregivers choose to spoon feed these first foods to their babies, but in some circles spoon-feeding is considered force-feeding. An alternative to spoon feeding is to give the food to your baby and let her try to bring it to her mouth with her hands or a spoon. An infant's evolution matches her ability, so if she can get it to her mouth, she is probably ready to chew and swallow at least some of it without choking or spitting it back out.
Eating solids at this stage is more about learning and having fun than about providing nourishment. Breast milk or iron-fortified infant formula should still be the main source of nutrients for your baby. Introduce one food at a time, allowing at least five days in between so you can watch for signs of food allergy such as vomiting or bloody stools. If a food allergy is suspected, remove the food from your baby's diet and try it again after a few months. Babies often outgrow food sensitivities.
Order of Introduction of Solid Foods
Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, the order of introduction of solid foods is not important. You may feed your baby a combination of infant cereal, fruits, vegetables and pureed meats. Just make sure that all her food is pureed to a thin texture when first introducing foods to prevent choking. As your baby grows accustomed to chewing and swallowing food, she will be able to handle thicker textures with bigger chunks.
Expect and prepare for a mess while your baby is learning to eat. Try to restrain yourself from jumping in to clean it up right away. Your baby learns by cause and effect, and has a great time doing it. Enjoy this special time with your baby as she learns to eat, and try to focus on her cues and development to tell you when she is ready to try something new.
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