Starting your little one on solids is exciting. Using those little spoons and introducing baby food and watching their facial expressions and listening to giggles of delight when tasting banana or yogurt for the first time, is endearing to any parent. However, before rushing into feeding your child baby food for the first time, make sure it is a pleasant experience for both you and them.
Consulting With Your Pediatrician
Many parents start with solids at four months; however, many pediatricians recommend from about six months. Before doing anything, first consult with your pediatrician to give clarification on the following:
- Signs that your little one is ready for solids.
- How much food should you give with every meal.
- How often should you offer meals.
- What is the order in which solid meals must be given.
- Any safety precautions that must be followed.
- It Is Easier With The Appropriate Equipment
You can follow these useful guidelines when feeding baby solids:
A few days before starting solids, first introduce the highchair to him. Let him sit in it and make sure he can sit up without support.
Use a plastic baby spoon and small plastic bowl.
To avoid a spoon tug-of-war, first let him play with his own spoon to play with when feeding him. He will not be able to get much food in his mouth at first when using his own spoon, so you will be doing most of the feeding.
Make sure you use a great bib because things tend to get messy. Check out Yamo Babyfood for a great selection of natural organic baby foods which are healthy for babies.
Allow Him To Play With His Food
Babies must first get used to the idea of solid foods. You need to give them time to first experience what it is. For example, place a small amount of Holle baby cereal on his tray and permit him to play with it. This way, he will get used to the taste, smell, and texture.
Begin The Meal When Baby Is Feeling Happy And A Little Hungry
The best time to feed a baby is when he is alert, happy, and at the perfect hunger level, not too full or not too hungry. You might want to begin with a little bit of breastmilk or infant formula and then move towards his main course.
During the main course, opt for child-friendly designed tableware. Sometimes, a fox-shaped baby suction bowl or a colorful sippy cup can do wonders and add interest and playfulness to your child’s meal experience. They all sport a silicone suction base that sticks like glue to any flat, non-porous surface, lessening the risk of making a mess and ending up with whatever food they’re having on their clothes.
Keep Presenting Rejected Foods
Your baby might have rejected sweet potatoes when offered the first time, however, do not assume that it was a waste of time. Try it at a later stage. The idea of starting solids is to allow your baby to get used to various flavors and textures. Often, certain foods must be presented multiple times before they start getting a taste for it.
Be Cautious About Food Allergies
A rather vital aspect of initial feeds is food allergies. Serious allergic reactions, like hives, swelling, difficult breathing, can only start taking effect after minutes or a few hours after ingesting foods or liquids. Less dangerous reactions can take a couple of days before emerging which might include diarrhea, eczema, or constipation. It’s essential to wait two to four days before introducing more new food, due to delayed allergic reactions. If you’re making your own baby food, be careful of nitrate poisoning.
Check For Feeding Cues
It is important to be on the lookout for subtle ways of how your baby communicates that he has had enough. Babies usually grow fussy, clamp their mouths shut, turn their heads away or start throwing their food. This means they have had enough.
