Sometimes it’s hard to know if your baby is ready to start eating solids or not, but there are certain signs that your baby is ready to move on from milk:- If he or she can sit up and hold their head up comfortably.
- They have doubled in weight since they were born (about 15 pounds)
- They are eager to taste what you’re eating.
- They can keep their food (mostly) in their mouth and stop pushing it out with their tongue.
- If they can chew (it takes a while for them to be able to move food to the back of their mouth and swallow)
- They seem hungrier
What kind of food?
There’s no evidence saying that any one particular food is the best to start with. For most babies, any pureed food will do – try mashing up some sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, bananas, peaches, and pears. Or you can try adding some cereal to your baby’s milk.
What to use?
Use a soft topped plastic spoon to avoid hurting your baby’s gums. Try not to use a bottle so that your baby realises that food has to be eaten sitting up.
How often?
Start feeding your baby solids once a day to begin with. Once they get used to it, you can try them on a couple of tablespoons of food a day. You can gradually thicken the consistency by adding less milk.
Will they still need breast or formula milk?
Yes, your little one will need to be drinking breast milk or formula up until they are one-year-old, solid food won’t replace the nutrients your baby gets from breast milk or formula.
