Babies are a blessing of God for the parents. They are, without a doubt, the most important in our lives. Therefore, it is necessary to pay due attention to every step during his development and growth. The most important area is the nutrition cycle of a child. We all know that babies start by having breastfeeding from their mothers for the initial growth. At a certain time of his age, approximately after a few months, the child would need other types of foods to grow into a healthy child.
There are many queries in the minds of the people regarding when to start solids or when they start eating baby food? The answers to these questions will help the parents to establish a good nutritional cycle for their young kids so that they might remain healthy and grow efficiently. Most children are strong enough to digest the baby food at quite a young age, but other infants require comparatively more time to get settled for new types of baby cereal.
Breast Feeding-A Compulsory Thing
Almost all the doctors and the nutritionists in the word suggest keeping feeding the child with breast milk till he is 4-6 months old. Some doctors say that a baby must not be given anything else until the first six months of his birth. But a few doctors offer some relaxation that you might offer him something else if the conditions are in favor and allow us to start solids at four months. One thing should be kept in mind clearly that nothing should be offered to the child before four months as these things will cause no benefit for the infant but will be a source of a lot of harmful effects.
Look for Signs
When the infant passes the four-month mark and is still continuing with the breastfeeding, you might have to look for the positive signs a bit moiré carefully. These signs will help you in understanding whether the child is ready for some different food or not? You will get to know about when to feed baby solid to the kids. Some of the most common signs are discussed in the next lines.
- Look for the actions that demonstrate his interest in the food items. Suppose you are eating something sitting beside your infant baby and looking at the food with great interest or might try to grab the food from you. This is the first indication that your baby might be in need of some food items other than breast milk.
- Good head control is extremely important. It does not matter whether the kid can sit on his own or not; head control is still important to know whether he is ready for food or not. The head controlling power of the baby will let you know if it is time for starting babies on cereal or not?
- He should be able to sit straight on a supporting chair if he needs to make his case stronger to be considered eligible for the cereal food.
- You have to focus closely on the baby’s tongue thrust instinct. This is the sign that after all, your kid might be ready for some additional nutritional foods.
- Another thing that should be considered here is the weight of the baby. His weight should be approximately twice his birth weight. It means your child is now ready to digest some solid food intake.
- Your baby might be keeping his fingers or toys in the mouth, trying to chew them. It could be an indication that now is the time to introduce baby food.
Steps to Follow
There are a few steps and important things to keep in mind when you look out for introducing solids to the baby. Some of the most common tips and suggestions are presented before you in the next passage.
- Don’t Force
It is quite possible that the infant does not accept the new intake due to the differences in taste and texture. He may spill out everything you try to feed him. In such situations, don’t force him to eat. The better option is to try again in a few days.
- Start Simple
Like all other things in the world, this process must also be started with the help of simple solid for babies. The best idea is to offer the food that only has a single ingredient, even without adding any salt or sugar. The most basic item would be rice cereal that can be mixed in breast milk or water. Go for combinations of foods only after the kid has started accepting the single ingredients items.
- Check for Side Effects
Whenever you try a new food item, make sure there is a gap of almost 4-5 days. You have to keep closer attention to the baby’s condition at this time as the child might be allergic to the new food. The newly introduced food might be a source of vomiting or diarrhea, so it must be stopped immediately if you detect any such signs.
- Go for Iron & Zinc
Iron and zinc are considered the most important nutrients for an infant baby. These should be started as soon as you want to add something new other than the breast milk to the kid’s diet. These are available in pureed meats and iron-fortified meals.
- Food must be finely chopped.
Make sure that the food is finely chopped and easy to digest for the child. The baby starting solid must be served properly in small amounts so that there are no chances of any potential hiccups or blockage in the respiration.
- Say no to Juices & Honey.
Fruit juices might sound tempting, but they would do no good to the children. In fact, they will fill up the child’s stomach, and there would be no space to add some nutrition-rich foods. Juice might also add to obesity or diarrhea in intense situations. The same goes for honey, as it may cause infant botulism that is considered a serious disease for the infants.
- Make him Sit Straight.
Always serve the food by making him sit straight on a supporting chair. Make the foods soft and chop it into small pieces that would encourage the child to explore the eatables. Don’t rush for the results. Wait for the right moment to feed him the new things.
Bottom Line
The best time to start the baby food for the infants is between 4-6 months, depending upon the compatibility of the child. You just have to look for some encouraging signs before you start something new. Get in touch with a baby nutritionist to sort out the best die for your baby. Make sure he is able to digest the food properly to avoid any respiratory or digestive issues.