Tag Archive: baby feeding

Feeding your Baby

How To Feed Your Baby

Every new mom hesitates when it comes to feeding solids. Most pediatricians will agree that most babies are ready for solids at around 6 months of age. You wonder just how successful you will be at feeding your baby? How do you begin solids?

  • Here are some clues that your baby may be ready to begin solid foods:
  • Your baby can sit with little or no support.
  • Your baby can totally control head movement.
  • Your baby opens his mouth when food comes near it.
  • His tongue is capable of moving food around on it. Can he get food from the front of the mouth to the back of his mouth?

Once determined that your baby is ready to feed solids, you wll need some equipment:

baby feedingYou will want to introduce foods one at a time. Normally start with rice cereal, than barley cereal. Rice cereal is less likely to have a reaction to it. With each new food allow it to be the only food for about a week. During this time, keep baby wipes handy. More may go outside the mouth than in it.

Once cereals are looking good and the baby is happy with the addition to the diet, it is time to give a taste of fruit. Again keep it to just the one food type for a weeks.

After sweet potatoes, squash, peas, apples, peas and peaches are well on their way to be Jr’s favorites, it is time to go to pureed chicken, turkey, or beef.

Keep a food journal and space the foods apart by at least weeks. In the journal record each food, when it was started, what reaction was yours. Record any reactions like vomiting, rashes, or even refusal to eat.

Dairy products such as whole milk, cheese and yogurt can be given once the baby is 9 months to a year of age.

By the time a baby is celebrating his/her first birthday the baby should be ablest oat the same foods as you do.

No matter how many foods you try, breast milk or bottle milk you be your baby’s primary food for the first year of life.

Never give honey to anyone younger than 18 months.

Do not give egg whites til the child is more than 12 months.

To prevent salmonella poisoning avoid using raw eggs.

Baby’s food does not need any added salt or sugar.

If warming food or a bottle in the microwave makes sure that you test the temperature before giving it to the baby. Microwaves are notorious for leaving hot spots. Always stir food and test it before giving it to your child.