When Can You Introduce Solids to a Baby
Key facts
- Introduce solid foods at around 6 months but not before four months.
- Breastfeeding or bottle feeding should proceed up to 12 months.
- Food can be offered in any order as long every bit it is the right texture and is nutritious.
- Innovate 'allergy foods' when yous are introducing solids.
- Always supervise your infant when they are eating.
When should I innovate solid foods to my infant?
Your baby only needs breast milk or baby formula for the first half dozen months.
At effectually 6 months sometime, most babies – whether they are chest or formula fed – demand more iron as well as other nutrients, such as zinc and protein. A babe'south iron stores, which build up while they're in the uterus, become low by six months. Their body besides demands actress kilojoules and nutrient-dumbo food.
The current recommendation is to innovate solids at effectually 6 months but not before 4 months. Each baby is an individual and volition show signs of readiness for solid foods at different times. However, all babies benefit from having solid foods by 7 months of age.
Babies besides need solid foods, also as breast milk or formula, to satisfy their hunger and see their extra growth needs.
How will I know my baby is ready for solids?
Some babies seem very satisfied with breastfeeding or bottle feeding, even though they have reached 6 months. Following your baby's lead will help you lot decide when they are set up for solids.
Outset with small amounts of soft, atomic number 26-rich, pureed foods. Your baby tin can be offered any food, in any social club, as long as it is the correct texture (meet below) and is nutritious.
Your baby is set up for solids when they can:
- sit upright in a highchair with their head and back unsupported
- they're not every bit satisfied with their milk and seem hungry afterward they've been chest or bottle fed
- might bear witness an involvement in the food yous're eating and attain out to eat some, likewise
- testify excitement about food
- open their mouth every bit you offer them a spoon
Why tin't I requite my infant solid foods before six months?
Babies need to be developmentally ready to eat solid foods. Learning how to move nutrient from the forepart of the natural language to the back of the mouth then swallow is a skill that needs practice.
Until 4 to 6 months of historic period, babies still have a 'tongue extrusion reflex' – this means they push nutrient out of their mouth with their natural language. Giving solids before 4 to vi months can exist a choking risk. Until they're old plenty, babies only know how to suck and eat milk, not how to motion more solid textures to the dorsum of their rima oris to be swallowed.
Giving solids earlier your infant is ready tin can also mean they fills up on solids and won't beverage the milk they need to grow and thrive.
For how long should I keep breastfeeding or bottle feeding?
Breastfeeding or formula feeding should go on until your baby is 12 months old. After that, water and cow'southward milk served in a loving cup should be your baby'due south main drinks. Cow's milk should be limited to around 500ml per day. Some babies tin take an intolerance or allergy to cow'southward milk, and then they may demand an alternative, such every bit soy. Follow your doctor's or allergy specialist's advice and read food labels advisedly.
Breastfeeding can continue for equally long equally y'all and your baby are happy to go along going, just babe formula is not needed subsequently 12 months.
Read more about balancing solids with milk feeds.
Can I give my baby 'allergy foods'?
Allergy foods are foods or drinkable that can trigger an allergic reaction. Mutual allergenic foods are peanut butter, cow'south milk, wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts (such equally almonds, coconut and hazelnuts), sesame and soy.
The best time to introduce allergy foods is when you are introducing solids. It is also recommended that y'all innovate allergy foods before your babe reaches 12 months old. Leaving it until they are older may increase the chance of your baby developing an allergy.
If you're concerned that your infant could have a food allergy, speak to your healthcare provider.
Acquire more than here about how to introduce allergy foods.
How to start introducing solids
Solid foods can be introduced in any club as long every bit they are atomic number 26-rich and the food is the correct texture. Await for signs that your baby'southward set up for solids.
At that place is no clear recommendation nearly the all-time time of twenty-four hour period to offering first solids. Simply information technology can be helpful to give your baby solids later on a milk feed, mid-morning, so if they're unsettled, information technology's less likely to bear upon their night-fourth dimension sleep.
If y'all find your baby loves solid foods then much that they're cutting back on their breastfeeds or bottle feeds, reduce the amount of solids you're offer. Breastmilk or infant formula is withal an important source of nutrition for the first 9 to 12 months of life.
What are the best foods and textures to start with?
Offering your baby salubrious, nutritious foods which volition support their growth and development. When they kickoff start on solid foods, they won't need much. One to 2 teaspoons is plenty until they acquire what'due south involved in analogous their oral fissure to open up, chew and swallow.
Start by offering your baby pureed foods that have a smooth and easy-to-eat texture. Even though your baby won't accept teeth to chew and grind their food, they will still use their gums to 'chew'. Every bit they get older, they can eat foods with more than texture. Chewing too helps with jaw and spoken communication development.
Y'all can try feeding your baby:
- iron-fortified cereals
- pureed or minced red or white meat, including fish
- cooked vegetables. Aim for white, orange, green and xanthous vegetables in their diet each day.
- fruit, either cooked or mashed
- cooked and mashed egg
- dairy foods — for instance, unsweetened yoghurt and full-fat cheese
- wholegrain bread, cereal and pasta
As your infant grows, transition them from purees to mashed foods with lumps and textures. You can also serve minced or chopped food, then 'finger foods'. These are foods that are cutting into small pieces which babies tin can choice upwards and eat themselves.
How of import is variety?
Aim for variety when it comes to your baby's foods. Colour, texture and taste are all important characteristics of first foods.
Where possible, cook and prepare your infant's foods so yous know what's in them. Aim for fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked with a minimum of water until they are soft plenty to chew. Freeze small containers or ice-cube trays containing freshly cooked meals.
Most babies show some hesitation when offered new foods and textures. It's worth reoffering foods a few times until they evidence involvement or information technology's articulate they're non cracking and would prefer something else.
Share suitable food from your ain plate and get into the habit of offering your babe different tastes. Avert adding salt or strong-tasting additives or spices to your baby's food. Their taste buds are very sensitive and can detect even the nearly subtle flavours. Past effectually 12 months one-time, near babies should be eating more often than not the same food equally the rest of the family.
Tips for introducing solid foods
- Until your baby is 9 months, offering them breast milk or formula feeds earlier solids. After 9 months, they can have chest milk or formula after their solids.
- Be sensitive to your baby'southward cues or signals that they are hungry or total. Don't force them to eat or keep offering food if they're turning away, closing their oral cavity or not swallowing.
- Give your infant plenty of time to practise their new eating skills. At first, they'll spit the food out, may seem unsure or pull faces at the taste of certain foods. Remember, eating solids is as much about learning as it is about nutrition.
- Allow your infant make a mess. Equally soon as they are ready, offer them finger foods and the opportunity to option up food and put it in their oral cavity.
- Ever supervise your infant when they are eating solid foods. Small, hard foods can be a choking hazard – although babies tin choke on any food of any texture.
- Make sure you cook and store your baby'due south food safely. Never reheat nutrient that has been reheated previously, or that has been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Are there whatsoever foods my infant shouldn't eat?
At that place are some foods that are not suitable for infants, including:
- cow's milk as their main milk potable from 6 to 12 months
- reduced-fatty milk or unpasteurized milk and dairy foods
- whole nuts, popcorn, hard sweets, whole grapes, raw carrot, raw apples or other hard fruit and vegetables
- beloved — this tin can incorporate spores of botulism and should not exist given to babies nether 12 months
- cordial, soft beverage or sweet drinks
- tea, coffee or energy drinks
When tin my baby accept water to drinkable?
Once your baby has reached 6 months, they're onetime enough to exist offered water to beverage. Cooled, boiled water can be offered in a sippy cup at mealtimes and in-between.
As long equally a breastfed or bottle-fed baby is offered plenty of milk, they don't need actress water to potable. It'south the practice of drinking from a loving cup which is useful.
Is a vegetarian or vegan diet safe for my baby?
Babies and toddlers fed a vegetarian or vegan nutrition can thrive every bit long as their food contains sufficient free energy (kilojoules) and nutrients for growth.
Iron is particularly important from 6 months. Nut pastes (such equally peanut butter), avocado, wholegrains, tofu, good for you fats and oils are all dandy options. Iron-fortified cereal and greenish leafy vegetables are besides essential.
If you are planning to offer your babe a vegan or vegetarian diet, speak to an Accredited Practising Dietitian before getting started.
Which is better – bought or homemade nutrient?
Many babies eat a combination of homemade and bought food. Store-bought food is convenient and like shooting fish in a barrel to fix. It's also handy for when you are not at home or travelling. When buying store-bought food for your baby, read the labels and try to avoid foods that are high in sugar and salt.
Although making your own nutrient might be a bit fourth dimension-consuming, the advantage is you know what's in it. Making one big batch and freezing in portions will become along manner. Homemade food volition aid your baby get familiar with family cooked meals. Yous can serve small portions of meals made for the rest of the family unit earlier any table salt or spices have been added. Making your ain baby nutrient is besides more affordable.
Where can I go for more than data?
For more data on how to introduce solid foods, check with your child wellness nurse, or call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to talk to a maternal child health nurse.
Source: https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/introducing-solid-food
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