By Sr Teresa Hayward (RN, RM, Lactation consultant, Infant & Paediatric Nutritionist, Baby Sleep consultant)
Starting solids with your baby is one of the most exciting milestones a parent can experience. You get to watch those first-time reactions as they explore a new realm of colours, flavours, and textures
Before diving right in it’s important to know when, where, and how to begin. Do you start with oatmeal, vegetables, or fruit? Can you add salt and sugar to flavour up bland veggies? Is 6months the right age to start? I have created a short guide of do’s and don’ts of starting solids with baby with everything you need to know to get started safely and efficiently.
When to Make the Transition to Solids
While you may be eager to reach your baby’s first feeding milestone, be sure your little one is at the appropriate age to do so. It is recommended that babies are exclusively breastfed or bottle-fed during the first six months of life so they can receive proper nutrition and health benefits. Feeding your baby solids before this timeframe can also lead to a number of long term health risks, such as obesity, which unfortunately only manifest in adulthood
Once they reach six months old, the solid food fun can begin. If you’re still uncertain whether or not your baby is ready, you can contact well baby sister or look for key physical indicators. Some of the signs include:
Your baby can sit in an upright position and can control their neck or head. They must be able to sit and be able to reach forward to grab something without toppling over
You notice there is a sense of curiosity in your little one anytime you are eating or they are reaching for your meal – but also remember that babies at this age want everything you have, and actually have no idea that what you are eating is food, so this should be the last thing you look at and not the first
Your baby opens their mouth if you place a spoonful in front of them.
When food is offered, your little one swallows it rather than automatically pushing it back out of their mouth—this means a loss of their tongue-thrust reflex, which is good news.
They should be drinking more than 1000mls of milk in 24hrs or increased the number of breastfeeds they are having. If younger than 6months and not drinking the volume of milk, increase milk rather than starting solids
They must have doubled their birth weight or minimum weigh 7kg if under 6months
The Do’s of Starting Your Baby on Solids
1. Stick to a three-day rule
It’s a good rule of thumb to feed your baby the same food for three consecutive days before introducing another solid food option. This helps you keep an eye on adverse reactions to the food—like vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash—and gives your infant’s digestive system time to adjust to processing solid foods.
Remember, it’s okay to take your time with introducing new foods. Start with one-ingredient options and a small amount at a time. Then work your way up as your baby becomes more comfortable with eating solids.
2. Allow for playtime with food
Gone are the days of correcting little ones to stop playing with their food. We advise parents not to stress the mess and instead let their babies smear, smush, and poke their meal. This not only piques their curiosity but also aids their sensory development. It allows them to get used to different textures tactilely as well as orally
The more they can explore their foods, the more easily they can identify the names associated with what they’re eating.
3. Continue to breastfeed or formula-feed
Milk feeds remains priority up until 1yr and it is recommended that parents continue breastfeeding or bottle-feeding until their baby turns one year old, as they are an optimal source for calories and nutrition. After their first birthday, you can begin to cut back on breastmilk or formula and replace it with regular fresh full cream cow’s milk. At this time, their digestive systems can handle processing it.
The volume of milk they are drinking must remain at 1000ml per day until 10months and then can decrease to 800mls. At 1yr, we decrease the milk volume to 450mls per day. We do not decrease before that and solids never replace milk feeds or volume
4. Introduce allergenic foods
Start by feeding your baby one allergenic food at a time, such as eggs, peanuts, seafood, sesame, soy, tree nuts, or wheat, to watch for any potential allergic reactions.
The Don’ts of Solid Food Eating
1. Refrain from adding seasoning
As adults, adding spice and flavour to our meals is what makes eating so enjoyable. Although you may be tempted to do the same for your baby, it’s best to avoid adding any salt, pepper, or sugar into their food.
Also, refrain from adding honey to any meals until the age of one due to the risk of any food-borne illnesses. Babies can potentially contract botulism , a rare but serious condition, from eating Clostridium botulinum spores found in honey. These spores become bacteria that can produce harmful toxins within a baby’s intestines.
2. Skip rice cereal altogether
Grandparents may swear by feeding rice cereal in a bottle as a quick fix to introducing your baby to solid foods. Some may even recommend it as a hack for getting your infant to stay asleep throughout the entire night. Unfortunately, these are not true and it is not safe for your baby. Not only is it a choking hazard, but it won’t provide the results you’re looking for during this milestone—or when they’re going to bed.
Also, rice cereal is not the best or safest option for your baby. It has fewer overall nutrients than other foods you can introduce. With so many other better options like yoghurt, vegetables, fruits, and meats, it’s best to skip rice cereal altogether. I only recommend starting with cereal from 8months of age, as it is the hardest food for a baby to digest and will often cause constipation and cramping. When you do start, start on cereals like weetbix and oats
3. Don’t force your baby to eat
If your baby isn’t showing interest in the food you’re offering or rejects it during their feeding, don’t force it. It’s okay to stop the feeding and try again the next day. And when you do, make sure the solid food you introduce is fresh. This will help you learn if your baby truly doesn’t like the food.
Patience is always key during this process and be sure not to compare your little one to other babies, as each child is different. If you’re concerned that your baby is rejecting all the foods you’re introducing, it’s best to contact an infant feeding specialist.
4. Don’t walk away during feeding time
While you may be confident in your baby’s self feeding capabilities or feel comfortable in allowing them to explore their food, it’s imperative to constantly watch them and never walk away. Your baby should be seated upright, which allows for swallowing foods more easily and a less likely chance of choking.
The Best Solid Foods to Start With
Once your baby is ready to kickstart their solid food journey, begin offering softer foods packed with vitamins, nutrients, and protein. Some great options to start with are avocados, bananas, carrots, butternut, pears, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apples, prunes. Always start with vegetables first and then fruit
Is yogurt safe to give my baby?
I mentioned earlier that baby shouldn’t be given cow’s milk to drink until they are 12 months of age. However, yoghurt can be introduced soon after baby starts eating solids. The reason for this is yogurt is made by fermentation. This process allows its proteins to be easily digested by tiny tummies. Yoghurt should always be plain, full cream yoghurt. Never flavoured at this age. You can add your own fruit to it.
Yoghurt contains essential vitamins and nutrients our babies need. It contains protein (which supports metabolism), calcium (good for healthy teeth and bones), and potassium (good for regulating blood pressure, metabolism, and bone health). Yoghurt also contains probiotics, which are incredibly beneficial for babies.
How Do I Introduce These Foods to My Baby?
Boiling is the safest method to prepare fruits, veggies, and eggs. Then puree or steam and blend them until they’re soft and mushy. This ensures your baby can swallow the food without choking while also allowing them to adjust to trying new flavours. And with yogurt, there is no preparation involved! Just open the container and introduce it to your baby.
Around six to nine months of age, your baby is developing their chewing and motor skills. You can begin offering small chunks of food as well as baby-led weaning methods to allow your little one to practice self feeding.
Avocados
A colourful and tasty first option is an avocado. They are high in potassium, fibre, and healthy fats that are good for your little one’s digestion and brain development.
You can either mash them in a bowl and spoon-feed your baby or cut in long, thick spears for baby to grasp.
Bananas
Bananas are potassium-rich fruit full of carbohydrates that’ll energize your baby’s little body. It also contains vitamins A, B6, and B12, fiber, folate, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, which help infants gain healthy weight.
One way to give bananas to your baby is to mash the bananas in a small bowl and spoon-feed your little one. Another option is to cut the banana in half and offer half of a whole, peeled banana on its own. You can also cut half of the banana in long spears. And my favourite way, so it’s easier for baby to hold on to, is to leave some of the peel at the bottom for your baby to hold. As they eat some of the banana and get closer to the peel, remove the peel.
If your baby is prone to constipation though, avoid bananas.
Carrots
Your parents weren’t lying when they said eating carrots was good for your eyes. Carrots are jam-packed with Vitamin A, which supports a healthy immune system, eyes, and skin. Plus: it has Vitamin K that helps with blood clotting.
To prepare it for your baby, you can steam and blend the carrots to create a puree. Another option is to cook whole peeled carrots. They must be completely soft and can easily be pierced with a fork. Then cut the cooked carrots into long spears for baby to hold and chew on.
Eggs
Whether you boil them and puree the yolk and egg white or scramble them up into small pieces, eggs are a convenient and nutritious source of fat and protein. Eggs also provide nutrients like biotin and iron that are essential for a child’s growth and development.
Pears
Pears are at the top of the list for first solids to introduce to infants. They not only have a high retention of water, making this a refreshing treat that can fight constipation, but they’re also sweet and soft. The fruit is also rich in Vitamin C and E, folate, fiber, and potassium.
Either steam and blend them for a tasty puree or cook them until soft and slice them thinly to be safe for babies.
Sweet Potatoes
An excellent naturally sweet ingredient, sweet potatoes pack in calcium, folate, vitamin E, and high potassium levels. They also contain a high amount of beta-carotene, the red-orange pigment found in colourful fruits and vegetables like carrots, that the human body converts into Vitamin A.
To prepare the sweet potato for your baby, cook it until it is soft and can be pierced with a fork. You can peel it if you’d like and then cut it into spears. You can always lightly mash it or puree it if that makes you more comfortable. Another fun thing you can do is “season” the sweet potato with yogurt to add extra nutrition!
Off the Menu: Foods to Not Introduce
If you’re uncertain of other foods to feed your hungry little monster, remember that soft, liquified food is the name of the game. Avoid giving them hard, chunky, lumpy, or thick foods that they can potentially choke on, such as:
Any form of sweets, especially small, circular ones, chocolate, and especially marshmellows (these swell in the throat)
Chunks of meat, poultry, or cheese, such as hot dogs—slice into appropriate, bite-size pieces
Nuts and seeds
Popcorn and whole kernel corn
Raw fruits and vegetables, like celery
Whole cherry tomatoes and grapes—they must be cut up into quarters
Sticky foods that can get stuck in the back of their mouth, such as peanut butter
With all of these tips, tricks, do’s and don’ts, starting solids with your baby should be more enjoyable and fun for you and your baby!
For more information or questions, please contact Sr Teresa at 0824009501
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