The First Solid Foods For Your Baby

Your baby, for the first few months of his or her life, will only drink formula from a bottle or breast milk. But, after the first few months, your baby will be ready for some solid foods. Your baby will usually be about four to seven months old when this process begins, and you must remember that it is a slow process, as your baby needs to slowly be introduced to new foods.

Also, it is important that when starting new foods, you only do it one day at a time, and one food at a time. You want to make sure that when you give your baby something new, you can monitor your child for a few days to see if they experience any stomach problems, any rashes, or any kinds of allergic or dangerous reactions. That way, you will know exactly what caused it and know now to give that ever again.

Even as you introduce these new foods, make sure to still keep the breast milk and or formula as a regular part of your baby's diet, as it still is one of the most essential food sources your baby can enjoy through to its sixth month. Knowing when your baby is ready for solids usually depends on your baby. If you notice that your baby's appetite has grown or that he or she wakes up a lot more at night complaining of being hungry or needing more milk, then that might be a sign that your baby is ready for solid foods. Also, your baby will grow at around four to seven months and that might be a time that he or she develops a stronger appetite, as well.

One great option is baby cereal. This usually comes in a box and can be found in all grocery stores in the baby food section. This cereal is usually a powdery substance that is mixed with milk or formula and then heated in the microwave or stovetop. It is easy to swallow and digest and makes for a wonderful way to start off the day for your baby. Sometimes, in addition to the cereal, you might try feeding your baby some fruit for breakfast, as well. A good way to get this is to either cut up real fruit in cubes or to purchase jar food that comes in a great assortment of fruits and vegetables.

You can get a fruit medley, a pear selection, peaches, apples, grapes, almost all the different fruits mashed up and pureed perfectly for your baby to swallow and digest easily. Your baby will begin to show different kinds of preferences, so if he or she rejects the peaches, it might mean that he or she will like a different fruit instead. This part is very much about experimenting with the different flavors and options.

For lunch, you can also give your baby the same kind of thing but maybe mix up the flavors. After the usual dosage of formula and cereal, you can try feeding him or her some vegetables, like peas, or carrots, or squash, or sweet potatoes, or a mix of all of them. Again, your baby will be selective, maybe, but be patient with trying out new things. Now, the same can be given for dinner, as well, and you want to make sure not to introduce too many new things during the day. Starting out very slowly is important, and that means even if your baby responds wonderfully, you still want to give only small amounts so that your baby can get used to it and so that the digestive system will not suffer from being overwhelmed with all the new kinds of food.