Your newborn is 4-6 months old and your pediatrician has given you the green light on starting solid foods.  What an exciting time!

You probably have many questions…

• How do I start?
• What should I feed her?
• How much should she eat?

Once you get going, the questions continue…  

• How many meals should she be eating?  
• What age appropriate meals can I feed her?
• How will I know if she has an allergic reaction?  

It can all be very overwhelming, but rest easy.  I’m here to guide you so that you and your baby can enjoy this milestone together!

When to Get Started

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends starting solids at 4-6 months, depending on the baby.  Defer to your pediatrician because they know your baby’s unique needs – physical growth, whether she is breastfed or formula fed, and her emerging fine motor development.  

A strictly breastfed baby who is growing well along her growth curve should typically wait until 6 months.  A baby who can’t seem to get enough of her bottle and has recently started waking (again) overnight for more feedings could be ready at 4 months.

How to Get Started

You can start with any pureed fruit, vegetable or baby cereal. I typically recommend baby cereal, because to make the cereal you add breastmilk or formula, which is a taste they’re already used to.  Simply warm the milk to be added, to the temperature at which baby drinks it.

If your baby tends to get constipated, avoid the rice cereal and start with oatmeal, fruits or vegetables. I suggest a starting consistency “just thicker than milk” – whether you start with fruits, veggies or baby cereal.

In terms of frequency, start with a once daily solid feeding anytime that fits into your schedule.

Remember to always feed your baby with a baby spoon – no cereal in the bottle or feeding from a pouch. At first your baby may not take it so easily off the spoon, but a little gentle practice is usually all it takes.  Never, ever force feed your child!

Moving On

Once your little one is able to eat a 2-3 tablespoon serving of cereal or 2 oz jar of baby food with more of it going into his mouth than on his bib, you can increase the variety of foods offered.  Introduce a new fruit, vegetable or grain every 3-4 days. This is so we can identify which (if any) foods might not “agree” with our little one.

For example, if your baby develops a rash around her mouth or diarrhea after the introduction of peaches, you know which food to avoid.  In contrast, if you introduced 3 new foods in one day, you would have no idea which was the cause of her rash or upset stomach.

Once your baby is taking a good meal once daily, you can increase the number of feedings per day.  Your goal is to feed your baby 3 solid meals daily, typically around the breakfast, lunch and dinner times.
With the increase in the amount of solid foods your baby eats, she may drink slightly less formula/breastmilk.

After you’ve introduced a variety of pureed fruits, vegetables and grains (rice, oatmeal, barley cereals) you can include dairy products like whole milk yogurt, ricotta or cottage cheese.  Remember, if your baby has a milk allergy, ask your pediatrician before starting dairy products.

A typical first solid food menu would look something like this…

• Breakfast:  oatmeal or rice cereal with fruit
• Lunch: yogurt and fruit or vegetable
• Dinner:  meat/protein and vegetable

Give your baby a fruit or vegetable at every meal to start healthy eating habits early! (click here to read my recent post on healthy eating habits).

Finger Foods

Go slowly from finely pureed to chunky pureed to finger foods.  Usually at around 8 or 9 months, your baby will likely be able to tolerate a thicker or chunkier consistency of pureed food. Then you can offer pea-sized chunks of soft, mashable foods like a ripe banana, avocado, pear (no skin) and scrambled eggs.  You can also offer baby puffs or plain cheerios. These are great for fine motor practice involving her pincer grasp (first finger and thumb) and they often buy mom a couple of extra minutes in the high chair.

Congratulations!  You’ve officially started finger foods!  As baby gets more and more comfortable mashing soft foods, you can add foods like pasta, rice, soup and soft meats (meatballs and meatloaf are a great start).  Your baby doesn’t need teeth to chew. His/her gums are strong enough to mash foods. Only give your baby pea-sized pieces at first, to prevent choking. If in doubt, cut it smaller.  

This is also a great time to offer your baby a sippy/straw cup of water.  Start with water, as opposed to juice, so they get used to the taste.  If you do give juice, wait until they’re a toddler and then limit it to no more than 4 oz per day.

Finger foods menu ideas…

• Breakfast:  scrambled eggs or oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: yogurt or pastina and avocado or fruit
• Dinner: meatball and pasta or soup and rice and vegetable

Allergies

An allergy can take many forms ranging from rash or redness around the mouth, to full body rash, to diarrhea, vomiting, and/or wheezing.  If your baby gets more than just a mild rash, seek medical attention right away.

Let’s Eat!

All babies develop at different paces and therefore may be ready for different textures at different ages.  This is fine! If you’re stressed about feeding your baby, they’re likely to pick up on your anxiety and feel the stress as well.  This may send the wrong message at mealtime, leading to poor eating habits or difficulty with feeding. Mealtimes should be a time to come together as a family and enjoy each other’s company.  Mangia!