The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Baby

On average, your baby will be ready for solid foods anywhere from 4 to 6 months of age. You can go the entire 6 months simply breastfeeding or bottle feeding your baby, and you’ll be providing all the needed nutrients, or you can opt to introduce new foods a little earlier. Your decision should be based on a few factors.

Firstly, why does your baby need to start eating solid foods?

1. She is growing quickly, and so is her appetite. Breast milk alone no longer satisfies her hunger, nor is it enough for optimal growth.
2. Your baby’s natural iron supplies are running out and she needs other sources.
3. Joining in on family meals will be a fun experience, bring the family closer, and bring your baby a step closer to independence.

As mentioned earlier, the general time to start introducing solid foods to your baby is anywhere from 4 to 6 months of age. However, there are other factors to consider, especially if we keep in mind that every child is different and some may progress faster than others.

• Can your baby hold her head up?
• Is she interested in solid foods?
• Is she imitating your chewing motions?
• Does she seem more hungry than usual?
• Can she deal with a larger amount of food in her stomach?
• Is she capable of moving food to the back of her mouth and swallowing easily?
• Has she lost her tongue-thrust reflex? (your baby naturally pushes things out of her mouth with her tongue since birth, but loses the reflex a few months later)

If you have a history of allergies in your family, you may want to breastfeed your baby for the full 6 months before offering solid foods. The older she is, the more mature her digestive system has become and the less likely it is for food proteins to leak into the bloodstream and cause an allergic reaction.

More on Baby Allergies

However, putting off the introduction of solid foods much beyond the 6-month-mark may pose a few problems later on. Your child may not be getting the needed amount of nutrients throughout that time and it may be difficult to teach her how to chew at that point. If you’re still unsure about when to start feeding your baby solid foods, don’t hesitate to consult your pediatrician for advice.

Question: What if my baby was born prematurely? Does the 4 to 6 month rule still apply?

Answer: If your infant was born early, you should be extra careful when deciding whether or not she is ready for solid foods. You may want to avoid offering her anything but milk until 4 to 6 months after her actual due date, rather than her birth date.