Our Baby News

Starting Food: When

The big moment should come at about three to four months, when eight ounces in a bottle don’t satisfy her or she still seems hungry after nursing.

Developmental, she should also show readiness by virtue of being able to hold her head up, and by not reflexively thrusting her tongue out at the proffered food.

That’s all there is to it.

Starting solids too early runs the risk of inability to digest certain foods, which manifests itself as increased spitting up or frank vomiting, or lower intestinal signs of increased gassiness and diarrhea.

Don’t delay starting solids, either, because mastering the complex series of motor skills, which we take for granted as eating, is a major developmental process. In fact, the first several weeks of feeding are, nutritionally speaking, nearly irrelevant.

Starting Food: How

One of you is probably already making sure for the fifth time that the camcorder is :-loaded and that the batteries have been recharged.

Ideally the other parent is busy making sure that baby is in the right mood and frame of mind for the new task you are about to present to him.

Make sure you have a sturdy baby seat that won’t wiggle off the edge of the table with baby. Carry a small spoon and a big bib.

Feed a hungry but happy, alert, awake baby, not one who’s cranky and irritable. You’re the grown up: If he’s fussy, adjust your plans accordingly. Let him call the shots: If he refuses or starts to lose interest, back off.

When the big moment arrives, prepare for a … well… an anticlimax. He’ll probably make a face and twist away.

You’re in no hurry. The boundless delights of the culinary world await your baby’s palate, but until she’s old enough to describe the simple pleasures of duck-au-poivre, potatoes-au-gratin, or burger-au-fromage, stick to the simple stuff and go slow.

Allow a few days between new foods to minimize the chance of allergy and maximize the chance of recognizing a reaction to a new food. If you think your baby is having a reaction, back off and try again in a week. Symptoms of allergy include an eczematous rash (often red and scaly), diarrhea (with or without blood), wheezing, and hives. If she clearly reacts to a new food with hives, wheezing, or something else equally convincing, there’s no point in reintroducing it later.

Starting Food: What

Cereal comes first Rice cereal is the near-universal choice. If s bland enough so that baby shouldn’t reject it based on flavor, and it can be mixed with a variety of liquids (breast milk, formula, water) to an acceptable texture. If s also one of the most hypo-allergenic foods on earth. It has iron, which all three- or four-month-olds need.

Increase the proportion daily, from a thin soup up to a thick paste after a week or two. Once this is tolerated, you can expand the repertoire to include barley and oatmeal, which also make good starters if the rice doesn’t seem to agree with him.

After another week or two, move on to the next food group and add a veggie like squash or sweet potato, or a fruit such as banana or applesauce.

Home Propped Food versus Store Bought

This ought to be a no-brainer. Go with the store-bought food.

Gerber, Beech-Nut, and the rest have all heard the voice of the consumer and the experts: We don’t need and don’t want added sodium.

A commercially prepared bottle of food is evenly strained (no surprise lumps) and uniform in consistency. They’re quick, relatively economical, and sanitary. They can be vitamin and mineral (especially iron) fortified, something you can’t really do at home.

The main advantage of home food over store bought: You have total control over what goes in.

Do not, however, add salt or sugar, since your baby’s tastes are more accepting of bland than your own. And certain vitamins and minerals can be leached out by things such as the copper in pots, or baking soda.

How Much Food Should a Baby Eat?

Don’t forget that your baby is a little human being, and like all of us, she has her own appetite. This will influence to how much solid foods she will be eating.

As with adults, some babies will eat more than others due to their individual appetites. Below are a few key points to remember when feeding your baby.

From meal to meal, there is no good way to predict how much a baby is going to eat. Averaged out over the long term, some good rules of thumb emerge. Be as flexible as your baby, and use the following only as a general overview.

Cereal can be offered two or even three times a day, fruits and vegetables once or twice, and meats generally once a day. For snacks, offer half of the following portions:

                          5-7 MONTHS        8-10 MONTHS               10+ MONTHS

Cereal               2+tbsp                  1-2 oz                              2+ oz
Fruit                  1-2 tbsp                1-2 tbsp                         2-3 tbsp
Vegetables       1-2 tbsp               1-2 tbsp                         2-3 tbsp
Meat                   1 tbsp                   1-2 tbsp                         2 tbsp
Finger food                                   1/4-1/2 cup                    1/4-1/2 cup