When to Introduce Baby's First Foods

When Does Baby Need Solid Food?

Signs Your Baby is Ready for Solid Food

Guide to Introducing New Foods to Baby

Guide to Introducing Solid Foods to Baby

Tips for Feeding Your Baby 6 Months to the First Year

When Does Baby Need Solid Food?

Breast milk will supply all the nutrients needed until your baby is six months of age. At this time, most babies are physically ready for solids. Muscles in the baby's tongue have developed enough to transfer food to the back of the mouth.

Introduction of solid food (including cereal) is not encouraged before six months of age for the following reasons:

·        Solids are filling and decrease milk intake. For a young baby, breast milk is more nutritious than solids

·        Food allergies could develop if solids are introduced before the digestive system is ready to handle them

·        Prior to about four months of age a baby's ability to swallow solids is not fully developed

·        There is no proof that early feeding of cereal helps baby sleep through the night

Solids are not added to replace milk, but to complement it when milk can no longer provide all the needed nutrients. Infant cereal will not help your baby sleep through the night or be satisfied longer between feedings. No solid food is as valuable as breast milk in the early months.

Many nursing mothers prefer to wait until six months before offering solids so their milk supply is not affected.

A Taste For More

Babies often experience increases in appetite between two to three weeks, six weeks and three months of age because of temporary growth spurts. Handle this situation by feeding additional breast milk or formula and you will probably find your baby's usual feeding pattern will return within a few days. A short-lived change in appetite at this age is not a signal that solids are needed.

Signs Your Baby is Ready for Solid Foods

Your baby is ready to start eating baby cereal from a spoon when he can:

·        Hold his head up and turn his face away if the food is not wanted

·        Sit with support

·        Open his mouth wide when you offer food on a spoon

·        Keep food in his mouth and swallow instead of pushing it out

    Guide for Introducing New Foods to Baby

Your baby is an individual so let your baby's reactions be your guide.

When	What	Why
0-9 months	Breast milk is best.  Iron fortified formula is second best.	Breast milk and second best commercial infant formula meet all baby's nutritive needs until age six months. Add solids at this age.
9-12 months	Breast or formula feeding should be continued into the second half of the first year.
	Whole cow's milk may be used once your baby is eating a mixed diet.	Sometimes between the ages of 9 & 12 months when the baby is receiving a mixed diet (including sources of essential fats, such as meat and egg yolk) whole cow's milk can be introduced.
	Skim, one percent and two percent milk should not be used before two years of age Soy or rice beverages should not be used before 2 years of age.	These give the baby too little energy and essential fats.

Vitamin D supplementation is recommended for all breastfed babies. Consult your public health nurse or doctor.

Guide to Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

When	What	Why
6 months	Iron enriched infant cereal (introduce a single grain cereal first)	Provides dietary source iron to avoid depletion of baby’s iron stores.
7-9 months	pureed vegetables pureed fruit fruit juices (diluted)	Provides dietary source of vitamins, minerals and energy introduces new food flavours and starts setting basis for good eating habits.
	Pureed meat Fish Poultry Yogurt Cottage cheese Egg yolk, Pureed, well cooked legumes (beans, peas & lentils)	Provides protein, vitamins and iron for rapid growth.
	Dried bread products (rusks, toast)	Encourages chewing when teeth erupt and eye-hand co-ordination.
9-12 months	Mashed "family" foods without sugar, butter margarine, salt or other seasonings	Introduces texture of foods other than pureed.
	Finger goods, such as peeled fruit pieces, cooked vegetable pieces, dry toast, or mild cheese	Encourages chewing, co-ordination and independence.
	Egg white (delay until 12 months)	Earlier introduction might precipitate an allergy.

Note: Do not feed honey or corn syrup to an infant under one year of age as it may contain spores capable of causing infant botulism. In addition, these foods contain few nutrients and are not needed by the baby.

Once he is ready for solids, your baby's ability to handle foods changes very quickly. Some babies go from semi-liquid purees to finger and table foods in just a few months.

Tips for Feeding Your Baby 6 Months to the First Year

At Six Months:

● Solid food is first offered in semi-liquid form because it is much easier to swallow. 

   Infant cereal is mixed with breast milk, formula or water, then served as a thin mixture 

   from a spoon, not in a bottle.

● Commercial or homemade purees are easy to swallow. When introduced after 6 

   months, pureed foods need not stay on the menu more than a few weeks.

● Introduce new foods one at a time, three to five days apart.

● Start a new food when baby is happy and hungry.  Mornings or at lunchtime seem to

   be the best times.

● Expect a mess, children use all of their senses when eating. Allowing children to

   explore the food is important to their development.

● Your baby should eat willingly and mealtimes should be pleasant.

Around Seven to Eight Months

● Food may simply be fork mashed and gradually offered with more texture.

● Your baby is now ready to chew, whether she has a few teeth or none. This is a

   critical time for baby to get used to different textures. If foods with more texture are not   

   offered at this time, some babies will develop a resistance to solids and will accept

   only purees until many months later.

● Finger foods such as dry toast, cooked vegetables, unsalted crackers, pieces of soft

   ripe fruit, such as banana and cheese cubes can be offered during this period. They

   are preferable to commercial teething biscuits, which have added sugar.

● Meat is more difficult to chew and should first be served pureed and then by about 10-

   11 months cut up very finely.

About Nine Months

● In addition to mashed foods, finely cut up table foods should gradually be introduced

   in the last quarter of the first year, according to the baby's eating skills and appetite.

● Commercial junior foods may not provide the chewing challenge babies need in the

   last part of their first year.

Caution!

● Do not give your baby foods which may cause choking such as nuts ( alone or in 

   foods) wieners, seeds, pieces of raw fruit or vegetable, small candies, popcorn,

   grapes or dry cereal.

● Popcorn, nuts, seeds and small candies should not be given until four years old.