First Feedings and Food
About the age of four to six months, your doctor will advise you that you can start feeding your baby solids. The baby will need to sit up with support and can turn his/her head. Other signs your baby may be ready is the baby shows an interest in what others are eating, leans forward to the spoon, and opening mouth, and others you can find here.
This is a whole new world for your baby. Offer the foods at a time when your baby is alert, content, and hungry. Make the cereal thin (about cream consistency) mixing it with formula or breast milk. If you use water, make sure it is sterile. Offer your baby cereal on the tip of a spoon.
At first, the baby may not feed off the spoon. You will need to wait a few days before you attempt feeding again. If the baby has trouble swallowing the food, the baby is not ready for solids.
Your baby’s first food usually is cereals beginning with rice. Feed your baby the same food for a week before introducing another new food. Look for signs that your baby may be allergic to the food, such as rash or diarrhea.
You can heat the baby food to room temperature or slightly warmer. Refrigerated or frozen foods must be heated to 165 degrees and then allowed to cool to room temperature or slightly warmer.
Use an electric baby food dish or place heat resistant dish in a saucepan with about an inch of water. Heat the pan to simmer-not boiling. Microwaves create hot spots in the food and may burn the baby.
If you choose to use the microwave, cover the food, heat only for about 15 seconds, remove, stir and allow to rest for a few minutes. This causes the temperature of food to even out in the dish. Don’t microwave meat. With all methods, stir the food, wait 30 seconds and use your own spoon-not the baby’s- to test the temperature of the food.
Food Safety When Feeding Your Baby
Spoon into a baby dish the food you are going to use. Never double dip by feeding out of a jar and then re-using the same jar again. If you feed out of a jar, you must throw away any food remaining in the jar. The baby spoon is for the baby, do not place it in your mouth.
Once the baby food jar is opened, it must be used up within three days or within twenty-four hours for meat. Store leftover food in the refrigerator. Toss out any food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours.
For more information on food safety, see Safely Feeding Your Baby.
Other Precautions When Feeding Your Baby Solids
NEVER feed a baby younger than a year honey or corn syrup. Nor offer them herbal tea blends of any kind. Do not salt, add sugar, seasonings, or fat to the baby food. A baby’s taste is different than an adult’s. Keep the baby food plain.
American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that juice not be given to a baby until the baby can sip it from a cup held by the parent. They discourage placing juice in Sippy cups or bottles or giving babies juice boxes.
Give the baby only unsweetened pasteurized juice. If you are using adult juice, dilute the unsweetened, pasteurized juice by half before offering it to the baby.
Do not feed your baby foods associated with allergies, such as egg whites, peanut butter, cow’s milk, citrus fruits, and shellfish, before talking to your doctor.
Don’t force-feed your baby. When the baby indicates they are no longer interested in eating, stop.
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FAQ
Can I feed my baby peanut butter?
Some pediatricians believe that peanut butter can be safely introduced to a baby’s diet after six months of age. However, it is always important to speak with your pediatrician before introducing new food to your baby’s diet. Also, remember peanut butter is sticky. Always serve it to babies and toddlers thinly smeared on another food to prevent choking.
How many times a day to feed solids?
It is typically recommended to start feeding baby solids around six months of age. At this point, you can start by feeding them once a day. As they get older and become more used to eating solid foods, you can gradually increase the number of times you feed them each day. Most babies will be ready to start eating solids three times a day by the time they are nine months old.
Why is the baby spitting out food?
If your baby is spitting out food, there could be a few reasons why. Babies may spit out food if they are not hungry, if the food is too hot or cold, if it is not soft enough, or if they do not like the taste. If your baby is spitting out food, you can try feeding them smaller amounts more often, warming up the food before giving it to them, or mixing different flavors together. If your baby continues to spit out food, you may want to speak with your pediatrician to see if there is a problem with their diet.
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