Is Your Baby Ready For Solid Foods
by: Sarah Veda
Your little one is growing like a weed and drinking you out of house
and home. You may be wondering if your little one is ready for some solid
food. Here are a few tips to help you determine if your baby is ready to
take the next step.
Gone are the days when anxious moms start their little ones on cereal
somewhere between six and twelve weeks. To be honest, these moms did this
for their own convenience, rather than the baby’s health. Starting a baby
on cereal early can help them sleep through the night sooner, which, I
know, sounds heavenly. But here’s why it’s not a good idea. Your baby’s
tummy is just not developed enough to properly digest solids, even watered
down cereal, just yet. If you force the issue, you are inviting a tummy
ache, or worse, a true gastric disorder. So, when those older ladies give
you this advice, smile and ignore it. But don’t fault them too much. About
30 years ago, this was considered the thing to do, and even pediatricians
endorsed it.
Today, most pediatricians will recommend that you wait until your baby
is five to six months old to start solids. In addition to using this age
as a guideline, there are some signs you can look for that indicates that
your child is really ready. If you wait until you see some signs of readiness
in your child, you will likely have much better success than if you just
pick a day and start.
First, is your baby interested in what you are eating for dinner? At
four and a half months, my daughter was literally grabbing for my plate
when she sat with us at the table. Since she was clearly interested, we
started her just a bit before she turned five months.
Another good indicator is that your child can sit fairly well, with
only a little support. It’s much easier to feed them solids when they are
somewhat able to support themselves. You will probably still have to support
them with pillows or rolled up towels for a while, especially if you put
them straight into the high chair. There are some great feeding chairs
for younger children that can work better than a high chair in the early
days.
If you think your baby is ready for solids, check out my article on
the best starter foods. You can find it in “Mommy to Mommy – The Truth
about Taking Care of Baby” at http://www.educatedmother.com.
About The Author
Sarah Veda is a 41 year old wife and mother of two boys and one girl.
She spent many years as a manager in the corporate world, and gave it up
to be a stay at home mom. Go to http://www.infantresources.com
now and get her incredible baby minicourse – absolutely free. |
