How To Introduce Solid Foods To Your Baby
Watching your baby’s growth is definitely a delight, and it’s quite understandable that you may be anxious to see him doing new things every day.
One of the areas which bothers a lot many parents is how and when to introduce solid foods to their baby.
While some doctors would suggest that you must wait till your baby is at least six months before you begin introducing semi solid foods to your baby, there are others who consider semi solid foods to be safe even after four months. But if you’re confused here are some signs that your baby is now ready for semi solid foods.
1. When your baby is strong enough to support his or her own head.
2. When the baby begins to show interest in your food, for instance he or she watches you with interest while you are eating.
3. When your baby’s tongue-thrusting habit has diminished.
4. When your baby tries to chew on everything that he finds around him.
If you’re sure, that your baby is ready for some solid food, the first thing that you must begin with is infant cereals, because they are nutritionally balanced and perfectly safe. When you go shopping for infant cereals, look for the fortified ones, as they contain all the vitamins and minerals, which are needed for the proper growth and development of your baby.
In a few weeks time the child will get comfortable with the infant cereal, and that’s the time when you can begin introducing more variety into his food. Make some healthy additions to his daily diet by giving him pureed vegetable and fruits. For every new food, make sure that you feed only a little at a time, because you never know your baby may be allergic to certain foods.
Around nine months, that’s when your baby begins weaning, you will need to introduce foods with coarser textures. But whatever you choose, be careful, as big pieces can choke your child.
