Every parent wants to feed their child with the foods and nutrients they need to grow up strong and healthy. Although, many parents aren’t sure what mix of nutrients babies need to thrive, and often have questions about what to feed babies at each stage of their development. If you’re like most parents, the myriad of brands of formula and foods available at your grocery store can be completely overwhelming. Most look to other parents or their family doctor for help. Often times your pediatrician can recommend brands to trust, as well as which solid foods to introduce to your child and when.
In the U.S., Gerber Foods still meets the greatest demand for baby foods. But whether you’re buying Gerber Foods or your local grocery store brands of baby foods, it’s all based on the age of your baby. Before introducing any type of food to your baby you should always consult your baby’s pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that there are no specific rules or guidelines as to when you should or shouldn’t introduce solid foods to your baby. But there are others like the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who recommends waiting until your baby is at least six months. In the mean time you may have a grumpy baby who might not be getting enough from formula or breast milk.
There are many signs to look for to see if your baby is ready for solid foods. When your baby is able to establish a sense of being full and begins to turn away or just know when he or she is full this may mean they are ready to advance to a solid food.
Many new parents are a bit skeptical about if they should wait or just go ahead and start off introducing something new to their baby. With all the foods out there what kind of food is right for my baby? How will I know if they’re full? Will they like this food? Or even is this going to affect the weight of my baby. Of course these are questions that are asked frequently.
Once your baby is 4-6 months your baby maybe ready for some solid foods. Vegetables are of course accepted but shouldn’t be given to raw. This is just for safety reasons that being your baby isn’t ready to fully chew them so serving them cooked will prevent choking. But once your baby reaches about 8 months raw veggies won’t be a problem. You may also start introducing your baby to oatmeal and rice cereals. They really recommend rice and oatmeal cereals as a starter because they’re the least allergenic cereals. Dairy for your baby should mainly consist of breast milk until your baby is 12 months or older because it has been shown that it’s a serious health risk. And you really shouldn’t introduce a baby that is under 2, skim milk or even low fat milk this is because whole milk is a necessity.
When you’re giving your baby something new, doesn’t be upset if your baby doesn’t finish all of it. What many parents don’t realize is that when you first give a solid food they will only usually eat ½ a tablespoon or so of food, remember this. The first few times they will push away. But if you notice that your baby is always pushing food away or turning away from food, this may mean that they may not be ready for solid foods. And remember in the end a happy baby makes a happy parent.
