How to Introduce Solids
Introducing solids to your child can be a challenge. Luckily, there is a technique you can use to make things go a little smoother.
Start by giving your baby water. You can give your baby a bit of water apart from breast milk or formula milk, and see how they react. You can also try giving them the water in a cup, and not a baby bottle. Some mothers also introduce fruit juice along with the water. Others choose to wait till they are a few months (around ten to twelve months) older before introducing fruit juice, as children may choose the fruit juice over water. Plus the sugar content in some fruit juices may not be recommended for your baby as it can lead to cavities in the future.
Next, feed your child rice cereal. Rice cereal is less likely to be an allergenic for your baby. It’s also gluten free, which is good for your child. Start a solid feeding session at a time that your baby is relaxed and happy, usually sometime in the middle of the day. Try not to feed them very early in the morning or late in the evening when they may be fussy or tired.
Mix the rice cereal with breast milk or formula milk till it’s a little runny. About two teaspoons of cereal mix and enough milk till you achieve a runny consistency is a good mix for a first feeding. Mixing it with milk, a flavor your child is used to, will better accustom them to eating the solid food. Make sure your baby is sitting up when you give them the food, this way they will know that this particular food has to be eaten while sitting, and it prevents choking.
After feeding your baby a little bit of milk, put a little bit of rice cereal on a spoon and see if your baby eats it. Some mothers choose to use a rubber spoon so as not to hurt their baby’s gums, and you can do this too. If your baby eats the solid, you can continue feeding them the solids for as long as they are taking it.
It is common for a baby to reject solid foods during the first feeding session, however, and in this case, allow your child to play with the food and become accustomed to it. Sometimes children play with the food first and put it in their mouths themselves, so make sure your baby’s hands are clean before starting any solid feeding session.
If your first feeding session goes well, you can continue to feed your baby solid foods. Start with a slow schedule. You can try once every other day, or if your baby responded very well, once a day. This will get your baby used to eating solids. Your baby will get used to their new diet slowly and at their own pace.
It is for this reason that you should consult your doctor on your baby’s solid diet. Your baby may need different amounts of solid foods from that of other babies, and they may progress to more solid feeding sessions at different times. Most babies, however usually eat a few tablespoons of rice cereal each day, and as they become hungrier, more tablespoons and feeding times are added.
There is no need to heat up rice cereal or any other baby food. In fact room temperature food is probably best for your baby as it will assure you that they won’t burn themselves while eating. Remember to feed your baby when they are hungry, but don’t wait till they are starving. Babies who are very hungry tend to be fussy, and don’t respond well to being fed solids. Once your baby shows several signs of hunger, you can start feeding them to avoid the fussiness that occurs when they are very hungry.
Page Two: Moving Forward With Solid Feeding (How to Introduce Solids continued)
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