5 Signs Your Baby is Ready for Solid Food

Generally, your baby will get most of her nutrition from breast milk or a formula until the age of about 4 to 6 months. This chapter will help you learn what types of foods to introduce into your baby’s diet at a certain key stage of her development. The information here should only be a guideline. Your doctor may provide you with other advise and your baby may have ideas of her own.

The Signs That Your Baby is Ready for Solids

It is important to know that not all babies will be ready for solids at the same time. So what are the signs that she is ready? There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow that will give you the information that you need to start your baby on solid food. You should check with your doctor as well for his/her professional advice. Here are the signs for clues as to whether your baby is ready for solids or not:

• Birth weight has doubled.
• Your baby shows more interest in solids (she may even try and grab your own solid foods).
• Baby consumes 32 oz or more each day of breast milk or formula.
• Baby often puts things into her mouth.
• Baby is able to sit up with some support and can turn her head when she is full.

If your baby can do all of the above she is probably ready to be introduced to solid foods. Another indicating factor is that your baby always seems to be hungry. You do not want to introduce solids too early into your baby’s diet because this can increase the risk that she will develop a food allergy. Another reason for waiting four to six months before introducing solids is that it is important that she is fully able to swallow and chew safely without the threat of choking.

The First Six Months

During the first six months of your baby’s life breast milk or formula will be all that she needs for nourishment. If you are breastfeeding you will be using cues from your baby as to when she is full or hungry. If you are using formula you will likely have been following the guidelines for how much formula to feed your baby, as well as taking cues from your baby as to when she is full and when she is hungry. The following chart is a very general guideline for formula feeding – remember you should consult your doctor before introducing your baby to solids:

By the age of 6 to 8 months most babies develop teeth and are ready to be introduced to strained/mashed or finely chopped fruit and vegetables.

By the time your baby is six months old you will want to think about giving up night feedings. Start by giving your baby less and less breast milk or formula during night feedings so that she eventually she will stop waking as her body adjusts to not eating during the night. If you are bottle-feeding you can substitute water in your baby’s bottle in place of milk or formula. Your baby is almost ready to start eating solids and once she does she shouldn’t be as hungry at night.

Four to six months: Introduction to solid food. You should try to wait until your baby is at least four months old before introducing her to anything other than breast milk or formula. You should start by offering your baby tiny amounts of baby cereal thinned with breast milk or formula. You can introduce your baby to fruit juices that are thinned with water. You may want to hold off introducing orange juice for another month or two since orange juice may be too acidic.

Six to Seven Months: Add Fruits and Vegetables

Once your baby has been introduced to cereal you will want to add mashed/strained fruits and vegetables. Start with small amounts (one teaspoonful), increasing gradually as your baby gets used to the new food. You should only introduce one new food at a time and wait 2 to 4 days before introducing something new. This is so that if your baby has an allergic reaction you will be able to pinpoint which food is the culprit.

Make mealtime a happy time with your baby. Make sure that you only put milk or water into baby bottles and juice into a cup or glass. Putting juice into your baby’s bottle can lead to dental problems later down the road due to the sugar content of juices.

Seven to Eight Months: Add Protein

From seven to eight months you will want to think about adding protein foods to your baby’s diet. Protein foods include strained meats, cottage cheese, egg yolk, yoghurt, and dried beans. As with the fruits and vegetables, you will want to introduce one new food at a time and wait 2 to 4 days before introducing a new food, starting with a small helping (one teaspoonful) and gradually increasing.

Eight to Twelve Months: Add Other Foods

By now your baby will be ready to start eating what the rest of the family is eating. Start by adding soft table foods to your baby’s diet such as mashed potatoes, squash, soft meats, and soups. As your baby gets more teeth she will be able to add more foods to her diet.

There are some things that you should consider as your baby starts to be introduced to different food types:

• The baby’s food does not need sugar, salt, desserts, pop, or sweets in them.
• Consult your doctor about introducing cow’s milk into her diet.
• Avoid nuts, seeds, popcorn, raw carrots, and other hard foods in her diet.
• Be sure to feed your baby a variety of good, healthy food so that you are promoting healthy eating habits from the start. Dietary habits are learned and by starting her on a healthy dietary lifestyle you are laying the foundations for a healthy life in adulthood too.
• Let your baby try and feed herself. It may be a mess to see but it helps to develop her motor skills and her sense of independence.

The below table demonstrates a guideline for the type of solid foods that may be introduced and when – because every baby is different it’s best to consult your doctor.

As you begin to introduce your baby to food during the first year you should keep in mind that because babies are different, each one may have a different adjustment and reaction to the process of starting solids. You will find that your baby soon has her favourite foods that she looks forward to eating as well as food that she will refuse to eat. Try to listen to what your baby is telling you while remaining within the guidelines outlined here.