You’ve been breast or bottle feeding for about 4 months and you’re wondering when your munchkin will need more than just “milk.” Maybe you’ve seen some signs that you think could be your baby asking for solid food or your pediatrician has encouraged you to start offering spoonfuls of baby food or it could be your mother is chomping at the bit to feed your baby something besides a bottle. We all see family members who try to give “tastes” of anything, just to see a baby’s reaction- usually it’s ice cream or icing. As mom it’s very stressful to fight off the eager grandparents especially when they say, “It’s just a little bit-It won’t hurt- you turned out fine.” Either way, knowing how to attempt a different feeding pattern can leave you feeling perplexed and a little concerned that you’ll do something “wrong.” Relax and enjoy your baby. There really is no way to fail at feeding solid food. It’s not “all or nothing”, there are many variations to discovering a new way of feeding your little one.
So, let’s get a few facts out of the way first:
- Food before one is for fun… not a necessity.
- Human milk is appropriate nutrition for the first year
- No two babies are ready for solids at the same age
- Watch the baby for signs of readiness, not the clock or calendar
- Commercial baby food is not necessary
TELLTALE SIGNS YOUR BABY IS READY FOR SOLIDS
Ask yourself these questions to determine your baby’s readiness for solid food:
- Does your baby have a tooth or is one close to the surface? Without the tooth, enzymes to break down solid food may not be available to reduce discomfort in digestion. After all her body doesn’t know she needs to chew anything since “milk” is only liquid.
- Does your baby practically jump off your lap to grab your spoon, cup etc? Not like grabbing a toy to play with. This is an obvious task. She literally will track and try to eat everything you bring to your mouth when she’s getting ready for the next milestone.
- Can baby use her tongue correctly to push food to the back of her throat? Has she always had tongue thrusting issues? Or problems keeping a seal on breast or bottle? Lip or tongue tie? If you’ve presented baby with a taste of something did, she push that food out or swallow? If you are spoon feeding and she keeps pushing it out- she’s not ready.
- Is she at least 6 months old? Some pediatricians will advise to start offering cereal at 4 months but the AAP (American academy of Pediatrics) and World Health Organization recommends waiting until 6 months. Besides most babies don’t have a tooth yet anyway.
- Can she sit relatively well by herself? If she’s unable to hold herself up to sit than her body is not biologically ready to chew and swallow. It’s difficult to do that laying down, continue a liquid diet for now.
- Is she a normal healthy baby that was born “on time” and didn’t have any feeding problems? A preemie will be behind in most cases anyway but feeding problems from the beginning is also a sign to take a step back and reconsider waiting. There is no reason to rush.
Since 90% of nutrition in the first year of life needs to be “milk” and the other 10% is tasting new flavors, than what’s the hurry? She’s got a lifetime to learn to like or dislike foods. It may seem like a fun new adventure to begin teaching your baby something unique but keeping a quality digestive system is of utmost importance. Starting solids too soon can change the future health of the gut microbiome. Watch for the telltale signs of readiness to ensure a healthy start. I promise, you will know when it’s the right time. Hang in there.
Happy Parenting!
