Feeding Your Baby - Starting Solids

Does the thought of starting solids seem overwhelming?

The only thing that your baby will need for the first several months, and the original organic baby food, is your breastmilk. Don't rush starting solids. Breast milk is the best for your baby. If you can't give your baby your own milk or donor milk, choose an infant formula for a supplement or substitute.

If you are nursing your baby ensure your own optimal diet. This will give your baby the best nutrition possible. If you're supplementing or fully feeding your baby with infant formula, research all that you can and choose the best for your baby. If you're looking for advice on the best type of formula or other alternatives, the Weston A Price Foundation has good information on feeding babies.

Starting Solid Foods

Many experts agree that breastmilk is sufficient for your child throughout the first year and there is no need to rush starting solids, even if you are going to use organic baby food and ingredients. In modern day society, however, there is definite pressure to feed babies solids earlier. Formula fed babies tend to need solids earlier.

You should decide for your baby when the right time for starting solids is. It's important to note that "solid readiness" signs may not truly be a sign that your baby wants or needs solids - all babies grab and mouth things, and it doesn't mean that they need food. You know your baby best and will know when they are ready for food.

If your baby thrusts his or her tongue out when you try and put food in it's a good sign that it is too early for starting solids. This tongue thrusting reflex is a defense mechanism to protect your baby. If you feed your baby a solid and it causes a lot of spitting up, or if it passes through the stool undigested, your baby may not be ready for solids yet.

Signs of Readiness

You may have read that your baby should be 4-6 months old when you begin starting solids. Many organizations strictly advocate that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months - that means no supplemental juice or solids until that time. The World Health Organization, Health Canada, and the US Department of Health and Human Services are among some of these organizations.

Waiting to start solids gives your baby a longer period of enhanced immune protection, protection from allergies, and it gives your baby's digestive system time to mature. In addition, delaying starting solids also makes it easier to introduce them.

Here are some of the commonly listed guidelines for starting solids:

Your baby can sit up without support.
Your baby no longer has the tongue thrust reflex (see above)
Your baby should be able to chew.
Curiosity about your food (remember that babies are curious about everything).
Gaining weight. Most experts say your baby should have doubled his or her birth weight.
Your baby should be six months old.

How to Start

The variations on what solid food to start with are as numerous as there are babies. You will hear so many "don't start with this" or "do start with that" and it can seem overwhelming.

Some will tell you not to start with sweet foods because your baby will develop a taste for sweets. However, your milk is very sweet. A sensible recommendation seems to be to start with easy to digest foods that are low in iron, at least while your milk is still the primary source of nutrition. As solids begin to play a larger part in your child's diet, introduce foods with higher iron content.

Choosing nutrient dense solids such as banana, avocado, and sweet potato can be a good strategy. These foods are relatively mild, most babies love them, and they have a lot of nutritional value. Though it has a high iron content, some parents choose to start their babies on cooked egg yolk (wait until after the first birthday for the egg white). Egg yolk is also a nutrient dense food that many babies like.

Many guides and baby food companies suggest starting solids with a rice or grain cereal, however, choose this route cautiously. Most "baby cereals" are highly refined and contain little nutritional value. The grains may also be hard for your baby to digest. If you choose to start with rice cereal you may want to make your own.

Timing

Initially when starting solids you should begin introducing your baby to new foods at least one week apart, so that you can watch for reactions to the food. Continue to wait several days between starting each new food.

There are some foods that should wait until after your baby's first birthday. As was already mentioned, you should wait on egg whites. Also wait on berries, citrus, nuts, soy, shellfish, and tomatoes.

Some experts recommend waiting on all seafood. If you choose to introduce fish before your baby's first birthday, watch carefully for reactions. Dairy is also something you may want to wait as long as possible on. Choose a cultured dairy product, such as yogurt or kefir, before introducing milk.

Making Your Own Baby Food

Making your own baby food is beneficial because it allows you to choose exactly what ingredients your baby will have in his or her meal. You can also choose to use on the freshest ingredients, and you can choose organic as much as possible.

Making your own baby food is also relatively easy, despite what you may have been told. You don't need many supplies to get start. A few clean ice cube trays and a small food processor will work. If your baby is older when he or she starts solids you may not even need to use those. You can also buy baby food grinders and trays for freezing baby food.

If you decide to make your own baby food, take a look at this homemade baby food website for excellent recipes and food guides based on your babys age. Making your own baby food really is easy.

Natural Birth and Baby Care.com