3 Things to Remember When Starting Solids for Babies

1. 3 Things to Remember When Starting Solids for Babies Starting solids is one of the most important landmarks for a baby. As a parent, it is very important that you make this experience fun and healthy for your child. Here are a few tips to help make feeding easy and less messy: Wait Until Your Child Is Ready Several health organizations, including the World Health Organization, recommend waiting until the child is six-months-old before starting solids. This is because breast milk and formula have enough nutrients the baby requires for healthy development. Also, babies aren’t good at moving food around in their mouths until they are about four- to six-months-old. And if your child was born prematurely, speak to your pediatrician before introducing solids. Look for signs that the baby is ready for solids. These include (1) they’re sitting up straight and holding their head steady, (2) they’re exercising good hand-to-mouth coordination, (3) they’re swallowing food, and more! What If the Baby Is Uninterested in Eating If your baby is not interested in solids, don’t worry. At this stage, breast milk and formula should remain the primary source of nutrition—solid food is just supplementary. Do not worry about your child not eating enough; the idea is to introduce them to different textures and tastes so that they learn how to move food around in their mouth. Do not add preservatives, condiments such as sugar, or salt or stock cubes to make homemade baby food more appetizing. The recommended amount of salt for children up to 12-months-old is less than one gram of salt. Too much salt could affect the child’s kidneys while sugar is bad for their oral health. Don’t Let Anyone Pressure You into the Perfect Parenting Trap Thanks to social media, everyone has an opinion on what’s right or wrong for a child. With so many conflicting opinions on what’s best for a child, people are now under tremendous pressure to go above and beyond as parents. In our enthusiasm to feed our children a variety of flavors, we end up introducing too many new foods. If your family has a history of allergies, introduce one food at a time and wait for allergic reactions. Don’t beat yourself up about not feeding homemade baby food—readymade food is alright as long as it’s made using organic fruits and veggies, free of preservatives, and make sure it’s not older than your baby! But draw a line when it comes to baby food pouches. These tend to contain more calories and sugar, affect oral motor development, and could encourage overeating. What’s your parenting philosophy? What is the best organic baby food you’d recommend? Share your thoughts with us! Author Bio: The Author shares a few important things to remember when you introduce your baby to solid foods. He also suggests feeding homemade baby food that’s organic and healthy for your child’s development.