Your baby isn't walking yet, but it might be time to take baby steps with solid foods. Every baby is different, but yours will let you know how much she wants to eat and what she likes or doesn't. She'll also eat different amounts on different days. When introducing solid foods, begin with single–ingredient foods. Wait for three to five days before introducing each new food to check for allergies.
Most pediatricians recommend starting with a single–grain cereal, such as Beech-Nut®* Rice Cereal, because it's easier for babies to digest. Once your baby has tried a single–grain cereal, and when you're both ready, you can introduce your baby to single–ingredient foods, such as any Beech-Nut Stage 1® jarred baby food. Here's some basic information to help you and your baby get started:
Is Your Baby Ready for Single–Grain Cereals?
The answer is yes if between 4 and 6 months, your baby can:
- Sit with support.
- Hold her head up and turn away when full.
- Take food from a spoon and learn to swallow.
Tips for Introducing Single–Grain Cereal
- Start with a small amount and increase gradually. Even a teaspoonful is enough for some beginners. Start with 4 to 5 tablespoons of breast milk or Similac formula in a bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Beech-Nut Rice Cereal. Gradually increase the amount of cereal, for a thicker consistency, as your baby becomes accustomed to eating from a spoon.
- Babies usually respond better to the first feedings of cereal if it's thin rather than thick.
- Put a small amount of warm cereal on the tip of a rubber–coated spoon and place it in your baby's mouth.
- Don't be surprised if at first the food comes right back out. Your baby has been nursing, or sucking from a bottle, and the natural instinct is to use the same mouth and tongue movements, which is what causes some of the food to be pushed out.
- Starting solid foods helps your baby transition from a totally liquid diet of breast milk or Similac formula, so your baby might not swallow much at first.
- As your baby becomes accustomed to eating from a spoon, you can make the cereal thicker and increase the amount. You can begin to offer two to three feedings a day.
Is Your Baby Ready for Single–Ingredient Jarred Foods?
The answer is yes after your baby has tried cereal and can:
- Sit with support.
- Hold her head up and turn away when full.
- Take food from a spoon and swallow.
Tips for Introducing Single–Ingredient Jarred Foods
- Introduce one new food at a time over a course of three to five days to check for food allergies.
- Start with a small amount and increase gradually. Even a teaspoonful is enough for some beginners.
- Do not feed your baby directly from the jar. The bacteria from your baby's saliva will make the food deteriorate.
- Your baby should only be fed when sitting up.
Do Solid Foods Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night?
There is no scientific evidence that feeding solids early in the evening helps your baby sleep through the night. Babies fed solids early do not sleep through the night any sooner than babies not fed solids early. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that solids can be introduced between 4 and 6 months of age.