Introducing Your Baby To Solid Foods 2nd page

Infant Feeding At a Glance
Age - Birth to 6 months

Food Sequence
Breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula satisfies all nutritional requirements.
Solid foods not nutritionally needed under 6 months of age.
Food Presentation
Breast and/or bottle
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Designed to suck, not chew
Rooting reflex; searches for food source
Tongue-thrust reflex pushes out solid foods
Sensitive gag reflex

Age - 6 months
Food Sequence
Starter foods:
banananas
rice cereal
pears
applesauce
Food Presentation
Strained, pureed
Finger-tip-full
Small spoonful
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Tongue-thrust and gag reflexes lessen; accepts solids
Sits erect in high chair
Begins teething

Age - 7 to 9 months
Food Sequence
Avocados
peaches
carrots
squash
prunes
sweet potatoes or yams
mashed potatoes
barley cereal
teething biscuits
pear and apple juice, diluted
Food Presentation
May drink from cup
Finger foods begin
Pureed and mashed foods
Holds bottle
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Thumb-and-forefinger pickup begins
Fascination with tiny food morsels
Begins mouthing chokable food and objects (parents beware!)
Bangs, drops, flings
Reaches for food and utensils
Munches food

Age - 9 to 12 months
Food Sequence
lamb, veal tofu
poultry beans
rice cakes peas
egg yolk oatmeal
cheese spinach
yogurt
Food Presentation
Lumpier consistency
Finger foods mastered
Bite-size cooked vegetables
Melt-in-mouth foods
Holds trainer cup
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Self-feeding skills improve
Holds bottle and cup longer
Points and pokes, smears, enjoys mess
High-chair gymnastics increase
Tries to use utensils, spills most

Age - 12 to 18 months
Food Sequence
whole milk apricots
cottage cheese grapefruit
ice cream grape halves
whole eggs strawberries
beef tomatoes
fish (salmon) pasta
broccoli graham crackers
cauliflower wheat cereal
melon honey
mango pancakes
kiwi muffins
papaya bagel
Food Presentation
Participates in family meals
Eats chopped and mashed family foods
Begins self-feeding with utensils
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Has prolonged attention span
"Do it myself" desire intensifies
Tilts cup and head while drinking; spills less
Holds spoon better, still spills much
Begins walking -- doesn't want to sit still and eat
Picks at others' plates

Age - 18 to 24 months
Food Sequence
Eats toddler-size portions of:
sandwiches stews
nutritious puddings sauces
dips smoothies
toppings shakes
spreads pate
soups
Toddler food "language":
avocado boats O-shaped cereal
cooked carrot wheels toast sticks
cheese blocks cookie-cutter sandwich
broccoli trees canoe eggs
Food Presentation
Grazes -- deserves title "picky eater"
Nibble tray
Weans from bottle
Uses spoon and fork
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Molars appear -- begins rotary chewing
Spoon-feeds self without spilling much
Learns food talk, signals for "more," "all done"
Wants to eat on the run -- needs creative feeding to hold attention at table
Has erratic feeding habits

Feeding Solids: Six to Nine Months
Breast milk or commercial formula with iron or a combination of the two contains all the essential nutrients your baby needs for the fist six to nine months. Consider solid foods as an addition to, not a substitute for, breast milk or formula. For a breastfeeding baby it's best to start solid foods slowly so they don't replace the more nutritious breast milk.

Ready-to-Eat Signs
  Baby may start begging -- reaching for the food on your plate, grabbing your spoon, looking at you hungrily, and mimicking feeding behaviors such as opening her mouth wide when you open your mouth to eat. Sometimes babies are more interested in the utensils than the actual food. If your baby shows interest in watching you eat, try offering her just a spoon to play with (preferably a sturdy plastic spoon -- they make less noise when banged). If baby is content with the spoon, then the toy is desired more than the food. When baby continues showing interest, it's time for the fun to begin. Also, the ability to sit up in a high chair and pick up food with thumb and forefinger are other signs that baby is ready for solids.

First Feeding
Start with solids that are the least allergenic (see my Article Feeding the Toddler - One to Two Years) and the closest to breast milk in taste and consistency. Examples of favorite first foods include mashed ripe bananas or rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. (See "Constipation When Starting Solids," farther on in this article.)

Place a finger-tip-full of banana (mashed to soupy) on baby's lips, letting her suck your finger as she usually does. Once she is introduced to the new taste, gradually increase the amount and thickness of the food, placing a blob toward the middle of baby's tongue. Watch baby's reaction. If the food goes in accompanied by an approving smile, baby is ready and willing. If the food comes back at you accompanied by a disapproving grimace, baby is not ready.

If baby spews the glob back at you, don't take this first impression personally. 

  Your infant has not yet learned the developmental skill of sealing the mouth shut, sweeping the food from front to back, and then swallowing. If your baby just sits there confused, her mouth open, with a glob of food perched on her tongue, her persistent tongue-thrust reflex is giving the developmental clue to shut the door and come back later.

  First Spoon - It is advised that baby's first "spoon" be your finger. It is soft, at the right temperature, and by this stage baby is very familiar with its feel. Your finger also knows if food is too hot. Few babies like to begin their feeding life with a silver spoon in their mouth. Metal holds the heat in, so each bites takes longer if you have to blow to cool food that is too hot. A hungry baby finds this infuriating! A coated baby spoon is a good starter utensil. Use shatterproof plastic bowls that can survive battering on the high-chair tray and numerous tumbles to the floor.

Progressing with Solids
  Beginning with rice cereal or bananas as a test dose, progress from a finger-tip-full to a half teaspoon to one teaspoon, then a tablespoon, then around two ounces, or half a jar. Advance from soupy to pasty to lumpy consistency. Remember, your initial goal is to introduce baby to the new taste and touch of solids, not to stuff baby. Gradually vary the texture and amount to git the eating skills and appetite of your baby. Some like solids of thinner consistency and want a largeramount; some do better with thicker solids and smaller amounts. Expect erratic eating habits. Your baby may take a whole jar one day, but only a teaspoon the next.