Weaning Onto Solid Food - It's got to happen

The Australian Government currently recommends slowly introducing solid foods when your baby is about six months old. You and your doctor may, however, think it is good to start as early as 4 months based on your baby's needs. Always check with your doctor before introducing solid food to your baby.

Are You Both Ready?

Can your baby support his or her own head? To eat solid food, an infant needs good head and neck control and should be able to sit up.

Is your baby interested in food? A 6-month-old baby who stares and grabs at your food at dinnertime is clearly ready for some variety in the food department.

So your doctor or health visitor says 'ok' for the go-ahead but your baby seems upset or uninterested as you're introducing solid foods, try waiting a few days or even weeks before trying again. Since solids are only a supplement at this point, breast milk and formula will still fill your baby's basic nutritional needs.

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It can be very stressful for both mother and baby so pick a time and place which suits you both and remember the more relaxed and calm you are the more likely the baby will not find feeding stressful or tearful! You need your baby to be a little hungry, but not all-out starving; you might want to let your baby have a small feed. Support the baby in a suitable and safe chair, so you have your hands free and you are in control.

 

Normally first choice of baby food is a little iron-fortified infant rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. The first food may be little cereal (non-wheat) mixed in a lot of liquid. Put the spoon close to your baby's mouth, and let the baby smell and taste - smile and make it a positive, happy and stress free experience. It is common for the first offering is rejected. Wait a minute and try again. The majority of the food presented in the first days will end up on the baby, mummy, ceiling, floor, chin, bib, or seating. Again, this is just an introduction.

It is not advised to put cereal into the baby's bottle unless your doctor has approved you to do so, as this can cause babies to gain too much weight and doesn't teach the baby how to eat solid foods.

As soon as your baby can eat cereal from a spoon, it is time to introduce a fruit or vegetable. There is no rush, only give one food at a time and wait a few days before introducing a new food.

This method is recommend as it can identify foods that your baby may be intolerant or may have an allergy to.

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It takes time to learn how to eat solids. During this time still provide the usual feeds of breast milk or formula, please don't be concerned if your baby spits out certain foods at first or doesn't seem interested.


Foods to Avoid

It is not recommend to feed babies eggs, cow's milk, citrus fruits, tomatoes and juices, and honey until after a baby's first birthday. Eggs (especially the whites) may cause an allergic reaction, especially if given too early. Citrus is highly acidic and can cause painful rashes for a baby. Honey may cause botulism in babies. Cow's milk does not have the nutrition that infants need.

If there is high allergic risk within the babies family consult a doctor as some fish and seafood, peanuts and peanut butter, and tree nuts are also considered allergenic for infants, and shouldn't be given until after the child is 2 or 3 years old, depending on whether the child is at higher risk for developing food allergies. A child is at higher risk for food allergies if one or more close family members have allergies or allergy-related conditions, like food allergies, eczema, or asthma.

Signs of food allergy or allergic reactions include:

  • rash
  • bloating or an increase in intestinal gas
  • diarrhea
  • fussiness after eating

For more severe allergic reactions, like hives or breathing difficulty, get medical attention right away. If your child has any type of reaction to a food, don't offer that food until you talk with your doctor.

Introducing Solids

Whether you buy the baby food or make it yourself, remember that texture and consistency are important. At first, babies should have pure finely pureed single foods. Just banana or baked applesauce, for example, not apples and pears mixed together. After you've successfully tried individual foods, after a couple of days and there has been no reaction it's OK to offer a pureed mix of two foods. When your child is about 9 months old, coarser, chunkier textures are going to be tolerated as he or she begins transitioning to a diet that includes more table foods.

 

NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN MICROWAVE
ALWAYS CHECK TEMPERATURE OF FOOD BEFORE FEEDING
NEVER LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED WHEN FEEDING

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