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Starting Solids
Requires Patience and Preparation

Starting solids is a major transition for you and your baby. If he or she is between 4 and 6 months and meeting developmental milestones, you may have received literature from your doctor or suggestions from friends and family members about getting started.

Starting solids

Depending on your feeding experiences up to this point, you may be a little overwhelmed about how to begin. Or you might be jumping for joy because others can become involved in your baby's feedings. Either way, this is one milestone you want to have realistic expectations about.

Get Organized Before Starting Solids

Many moms, especially breastfeeding moms, imagine life will be easier when they establish an introduction to solids. However, solid feedings require you to be more organized and have more systems in place. The more meals your baby eats a day, the more this is needed.

Whether you buy baby food from the grocery store or decide to make it yourself, you will need baby feeding supplies. It will also be helpful to establish a storage system and a cleaning system in advance. Your baby is extra sensitive to bacteria that can grow on utensils and food, so you'll want to wash thoroughly and often.

Take your Time Starting Solids

The transition to solids can be slow and require a lot of patience on your part. It can take between 15 to 20 tries of single dish before knowing if your baby likes it.

On Monday she might open wide for her bananas. On Tuesday she might turn up her nose and act disinterested in the bananas. When this happens it is best to stop the meal time, rather than force the issue.

Therefore, you'll want to serve very small amounts at a time in order to avoid waste. Once you dip a spoon with saliva into a bowl of food, it needs to be disposed of after that feeding because of the growth of bacteria that can occur.

Every baby's attitude toward starting solids is different. This isn't an area to make comparisons with other babies who may be eating from their parent's plates at 6 months.

Throughout the first year your baby is getting a lot of her nutrients from breast milk and/or formula. As he needs more nutrients and textures he will begin eating more and more. You are helping your baby develop healthy eating habits literally one bite at a time.

In general, feedings go better when your baby is wide awake and moderately hungry. If your baby is fussy and too hungry, you may have to feed him breast milk or formula first to calm him. Then introduce the solid. Then go back to the breast milk.

Mixing the first solids with the familiar taste of breast milk or formula can also work. As a breastfeeding mother, I also found it helpful to have my baby's father or grandmother to help introduce a new food.

Prevent Allergies and Choking

Experts recommend starting solids one vegetable or fruit at a time for four days at time. This way, if your baby has an allergic reaction, you'll know what caused it.

Also it is a good idea to introduce new foods early in the day so that if there is an allergic reaction, everyone, including your pediatrician's office, will be alert and accessible.

You'll also want to avoid mixed ingredient foods, until your baby has had each of the ingredients individually. For example don't serve him rice cereal with bananas, until he has had bananas alone and rice cereal alone with no allergic reaction.

In order to prevent or minimize food allergies, Dr. Greene, M.D., author of Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care, suggests eating organic foods for the first three years. He goes on to suggest that families with a strong history of food allergies avoid wheat, milk, and soy in the first year, eggs for two years, and peanuts, tree nuts and fish for three years. You will want to rule out anything else either of the parents are allergic too.

Talk to your pediatrician about when to introduce other potentially allergenic foods such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes and chocolate.

Dr. William Sears has a list of choking hazard foods to avoid until your baby is 2 or older. These include nuts, seeds, pretzels, popcorn, raisins, whole grapes, hard candy, marshmallows, jelly candies, hot dogs, sausage links, and snack chips.

Honey is also a no-no the first year, because it can cause botulism.

What to Eat

Now that you know what not to feed your baby, you're probably wondering what you can feed him.

You will probably be advised to start with a single grain cereal such as rice, oatmeal or barley. Remember, wheat can be an allergen and is best avoided.

The first cereal servings will be soupy in consistency and you will gradually decrease how much liquid you add based upon the success of your baby's feedings. Your instinct for what he's ready for, will play a big role in starting solids.

A few days later, you can begin introducing pureed fruits and vegetables. You may have heard the myth that it's better to start with vegetables than fruits so your baby wont favor sweets.

The experts say there is no research to back this claim up. It is more a matter of your personal preference.

To make your life easier, you may want to download Month-By-Month Guide To New Foods provided courtesy of Happy Baby, the organic frozen baby food company. It is a handy chart that helps you decide what to serve through each stage in your baby's first year, from purees to finger foods.

A second chart, "What is Baby Eating Now?" is provided for those of you who like schedules. Again, don't be disappointed if things don't progress exactly as the chart indicates. It is simply a guideline to help you along the way.

Finally, I highly recommend the e-book Tempting Tiny Taste Buds. It will guide you through your first couple of years of feeding and it is loaded with easy baby food recipes. The book also has extensive information about dealing with allergies, traveling with baby, teeth brushing and more.

What to Drink

Breast milk or formula is still the preferred beverage when starting solids. Two to four ounces of water a day can be introduced to prevent constipation.

You don't have to get any special water for your baby, although this may be a good time to investigate a water filtration system if you don't already have one. This is also a good time to introduce a cup.

Juice is not an essential source of nutrients, so use your own judgment here. 100% fruit juice diluted with water is best. Or if you have a juicer, you can make your own.

You may want to introduce juice as a snack or special treat, so it doesn't interfere with the baby's appetite. When your child gets older, the extra calories and sugar from juice can contribute to obesity, so think moderation when it comes to juice.

Now that you know what to expect, starting solids should be less of a challenge. As always enjoy the journey, rather than focusing on the end goal.