First Foods for Babies

It is the moment you have been waiting for. Dad is standing by with the video camera to capture the moment while mom is mixing babys cereal for his first meal! As you lift the silver spoon that Aunt Hazel gave you into the babys mouth, what happens?your baby spits it out! You were looking forward to the day when your child would be eating food, but you did not know it would be so difficult!

Mothers are sent mixed messages about when to start feeding solid foods to their babies. Grandma may be telling you, Just give him a little rice cereal, and he will be sleeping through the night in no time. Believe it or not, only a generation or two ago, parents were feeding cereal to one-month-olds!

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the only food your baby needs during the first six months of life is breast milk or formula, so dont rush into feeding solid food too early. The AAP has determined that starting solids too early is unhealthy, causing babies to have upset stomachs and more allergies. If your family has a strong history of allergies, your pediatrician may suggest you wait to introduce solid foods and to nurse exclusively for most of the first year.

If you are considering starting your baby on solid foods, your baby needs to have passed the following milestones:

• Doubled their birth weight
• Able to hold their head up very well
• Seems hungry after 32 ounces of formula or regular breast feedings
• Sits with support and has good head control
• The tongue thrust reflex has disappeared

Once you have decided to start solid foods, it is recommended to start with rice cereal because it is easily digested and is unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction. You should mix the cereal with breast milk or formula, approximately 1 tablespoon of cereal combined with 2 tablespoons of liquid. Be patient, your baby will take a few days or weeks to get the hang of eating from a spoon. Remember that most of your babys calories and nutrients are supplied from breast milk or formula, not from the cereal.

Add only one new food at a time. Once a baby has eaten one food successfully without adverse reactions for 3-5 days, you may start a new food. Allergic reactions may include skin rash, diarrhea, watering of the eyes and nose, or vomiting. Barley or oatmeal cereals are good to try after rice cereal.

Next, it is time to venture into vegetables because they are highly nutritious and not too sweet. Try squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peas. You may find that your baby really likes a few of these veggies but not all of them. After veggies, explore fruits such as bananas, peaches, applesauce, and pears. Meats are usually introduced last, around 7-8 months. You can purchase baby food in single-serving jars, or you can make your own, using a blender or food processor, which is usually less expensive.

Good eating habits are formed early. By 8-12 months, babies may be ready to eat soft table foods such as mashed potatoes or baked squash. As your baby gets more teeth, you may try foods with more substance such as soft whole grain bread or pasta. Remember, babies do not need desserts, soda, chips, or other empty-calorie foods. Since a healthy diet is a good prevention for heart disease and many forms of cancer, the eating habits you institute in the high chair may be life-saving for them as adults.

You are opening up a whole new world to your babyone more small step toward their independence. Enjoy the journey! You may find your little one loves spinach and sweet potatoes after all! Mmm, Mmm, Good!