Parenting Australia

Information on starting solids

How can I tell when baby is ready for solids?

At the same time that baby needs more nutrients, there will be other obvious signs they are ready to try solids such as:

• Watching others eat, and leaning forwards when food is around
• Opening mouth when food is offered
• Reaching out to grab food and spoons

If baby is not yet ready or interested in solids (or if they are full) when food is offered, they may:

• Push their tongue out
• Close their mouth tightly and turn their head away
• Cry
• Push the spoon away.

If this happens at your first attempts to feed baby, relax and try again in a few days.

What will happen if I try to start my child on solids too early or too late?

Some parents want to try solids early, believing this may help baby grow, sleep or settle better. Giving solids rarely helps these problems and may lead to:

• A greater chance of developing food allergies
• Poor growth if the solid food replaces breast milk or formula
• Loose bowel actions or diarrhoea if baby cannot digest the food

Offer hungry babies more breast milk or formula feeds until they are ready for solids.

It is also important that starting solids is not left too late as this may lead to:

• Poor growth due to low energy intake
• Iron deficiency anaemia
• Feeding problems, particularly if not started before about seven to nine months of age.

Getting Started on Solids (6 months)

There is no need to force food - human milk or formula is still the most important part of the baby’s diet. At this stage solid foods are "tastes" for your baby.

The First Spoonful (Around 6 months)

• Offer food between or after a milk feed. Start by using a firm plastic spoon with small shallow bowl.
• The first solids need to be sloppy, smooth in texture (i.e. no lumps) and mild in taste.
• Baby rice cereal is an excellent first solid food because of its smooth texture and high iron content. Mix it with a little human milk, formula or cool, boiled water.
• Other pureed foods to introduce are: vegetables such as pumpkin, potato, carrot and zucchini; fruit such as cooked apple, pear, melon and banana.
• Start with one to two teaspoons of solids. Increase the quantity to two to three tablespoons, and then build up to three meals a day at your baby’s own pace.
• Try one new food at a time and introduce a new food every 2-4 days adding onto their existing diet.

Getting Started on Solids (7-8 months)

Once your baby is around eight months old and is eating baby-rice cereal and several different fruits and vegetables, try other foods with a higher protein and iron content with a thicker texture such as:

• Well cooked meats and poultry e.g. meat, chicken, fish
• Cooked egg
• Dried peas, lentils, beans eg baked beans, red kidney beans
• Wheat-based cereals (couscous, pasta, bread/toast) rolled oats, baby muesli, rice
• Include at least 2-3 different food choices at each meal. Try to offer these separately, not always mixed together to allow you child to develop food preferences for different tastes.

NOTE: If your family has a strong history of allergies discuss this with your doctor.

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