Introducing Solids: When and How
There are a lot of unknowns you will come across when you are trying to figure out the best way to raise your baby. One of those things will be when you should start to introduce solids. Traditional doctors usually suggest around 4 months or when baby can sit up on their own. However you will quickly learn there are a lot of mixed opinions on this. First we want to encourage you to do what you feel as a parent is best for you and your baby. Nobody is responsible for your baby like you are. Here are some things to consider when you start to think about introducing solids.
Is your baby showing interest in the food they see you eating? If not then they may not be ready for solids. Never force your baby into starting solids before they are ready. People often overlook the natural instincts we are all born with. Baby should reach, try to grab, or smack their mouth while you try to eat.
Baby should be able to sit independently, a few falls are fine but no balance means not ready. They need the core and neck strength to be able to safely support eating.
Babys have a reflux called the tongue thrust, basically when theres food in their mouth they immediately throw it back out or spit it out. This tells us that baby is not ready. Once you feed baby and they keep food in their mouth that means baby is also ready to start solids.
You may hear the term “Baby Led Weaning” thrown around. This approach lets the baby lead the way by offering them a selection of baby friendly foods at family meal time and letting them explore the foods with their hands and picking up what they choose to eat. This could look like a plate of soft carrots, pieces of chicken to suck on and avocado. Babies are typically able to pick up foods around 6 months. Taking the baby led weaning approach helps your baby develop a sense of independence and exposes them to different food textures. It also helps with their palmer grasp and eventually their pincer grasp, along with hand-eye coordination.
What should babies first foods be? You will often be encouraged to give your baby rice cereal, however this is outdated advice. Rice and oats are very difficult for your baby’s digestive system to break down properly. Giving them hard to digest foods can cause issues in the long run. We suggest starting with bone broth, homemade or store bought. A brand we like is Kettle Fire. This will help the gut microbiome to prep for solids that you will introduce.
When introducing new foods to baby we always encourage parents to pay close attention to how baby reacts. For example, if you notice redness or hives form around your baby’s mouth as they are eating this could be a sign of a food sensitivity and/or allergy.
As babies start to eat more solids you will notice the consistency of their poops change. Make sure they are still drinking an adequate amount of breastmilk or formula and water. Once baby is six months old they can start drinking water.
Momma you may be wondering if you have to stop breastfeeding once you introduce solids. The answer is no. Continue breastfeeding until baby is at least one year old or longer if you choose. Breastmilk and formula is the number one source of nutrients under the age of one. So no rush with introducing solids.
If you start with BLW, know that the first month will be just exploration, lots of mess and playing. After that baby will begin to slowly eat and throw less. By 8 months baby will have 1-2 meals per day of solids. and by 10 months baby will have 2-3 meals per day. By 12 months, baby will have 3 meals and a few snacks per day. We like: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. You can mix in nursing sessions in between if you still nurse.
Educate yourself in infant and child CPR. We encourage parents to be prepared for the unexpected and ready to assist any child that may start to choke on their food.
There is so much to be said about introducing solids to your baby. The most important thing to take away from this blog is to see what works best for you and your baby. And if you ever find yourself in need of guidance or advice you are welcome to bring it up at your next appointment!
