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Baby Feeding Stages
Up until now your baby's main source of nutrition has come from breast milk or baby formula
It is best to nurse or bottle feed first, and then offer your baby solids. The ideal time to offer solids to your baby is in the morning or early afternoon as new food can cause your baby to become unsettled. It is also a good idea to introduce 1 vegetable or 1 fruit a week apart. This will give you an indication of whether your little one has any allergies and make it easier to determine which food may be the cause.
When Should You Start Baby On Solids
Babies used to be given their first solid foods around the age of 4 months, now days it is preferred by paediatricians to start babies on solids later around 6months of age. This ensures optimal nutritional exposure and may help keep food allergies at bay. Some studies have shown that an infant's gastrointestinal tract may not have matured enough to properly digest or utilise solid foods until around 6-8 months old. However If your baby is waking more often at night or eating more often than "usual", you may want to think about trying your little one with an age appropriate food solid. Between 3-4 months of age your baby is highly likely to be going through a growth spurt this can also cause wakefulness and they maybe extra hungry. Check with your paediatrician before starting your baby on solids.
The best way to find out if your child is ready for solids is to mix a quarter of a teaspoon of cereal and mix it with breast milk or formula. Make sure the consistency is just slightly thicker than their normal milk so your baby won’t gag or reach on it. Always make sure your baby is sitting upright so they don’t choke on the food. Use a small plastic spoon or offer the food on your clean washed finger. Just remember this is all new to them and they may or may not eat the food, they may even spit it out. If they managed to eat half a teaspoon of food for their first go they are most likely ready for food but do not give them any more than a tablespoon as their digestive system needs to learn how to digest the food, so in this case less is best. You can build up the amount slowly over time.
Feeding Stages
These days supermarket baby foods generally have age appropriate foods labelled for each food stage to make life a little easier for mums and dads. Boiling, cooking and pureeing at home can be just as healthy and beneficial. Babies will still need breast milk or formula through all these stages. Gradually your baby will cut down their milk intake
Age 4-6 months: Baby Cereals made especially for this age group or a single pureed fruit or vegetable may be offered at this age as babies first foods. These foods help your baby get used to different textures. Start off with a runny consistency then with each meal make it slightly thicker than the last.
Age 6-9 months: At this age you can add finely chopped and pureed meats, proteins, pasta and dairy foods such as cheese and yoghurt. Their food still needs to be mashed and soft as they will still be developing teeth. Again introduce these foods one at a time. You can also make a medley of fruit or vegetable dishes. Try adding mild spice for a bit of flavour. If your baby isn’t too keen on meat yet, give your baby a cooked finger sized portion to suck on or boil the meat and add the juice to a plate of mashed vegetables to get them used to the taste. Cooled boiled water may also be given.
Age 9-12months: Buy now your baby is most likely having regular meals. Your baby may be ready for finger foods and pretty much everything goes. A healthy variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins, meats and other healthy foods that they can feed themselves with, as well as an introduction to baby table utensils such as spoons and forks will have your baby well on the way to making healthy food choices for life.
DISCLAIMER: Information provided on this site is for informational purposes ONLY and is not designed to substitute your own medical physician or health professionals advice. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any health problems or diseases.
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