The first question you'll need to ask yourself is whether your baby's ready for weaning - for having something other than milk. Babies differ in this, so what suits one baby may be too soon for another.
Current Department of Health and World Health Organisation recommendations are that babies should be given milk (breast-milk, preferably) for six months and not given any solids before that. However, historically, early weaning from four months was acceptable, and many parents find their children do begin to chew after four or five months. You should consult your health advisor, though, before encouraging your baby on to anything more than first milk before six months.
At this age, most babies' digestion can tolerate other foods, they may be just able to chew as well as suck, they can enjoy exploring new tastes and textures, and they are reaching a sociable age when joining in with what the people around them are doing is good fun.
You might think about introducing solids if your baby is at least four months, and:
- is showing an interest in the food on other people's plates, perhaps reaching out to touch
- seems to be often unsatisfied after his usual milk feed, yet refuses to be put on the breast again, or to have more formula
- his weight is causing concern, perhaps because he's failing to gain adequately (however, some younger babies are better off increasing their milk intake, rather than taking solids - and don't forget that a loss of weight or a poor weight gain can mean your baby is ill. Check with your health visitor).
- he has teeth
- he can pick objects up and suck them to investigate them more closely
- he enjoys a few offerings of solid food when he's on your lap
Think about whether weaning fits in with you, too. You may be going back to work, and you'd like your childminder to give a solid meal plus a drink in the middle of the day, instead of you having to express breast milk. If you're planning to go on holiday, now is not the time to introduce solids - don't complicate life. Your baby can wait a week or a fortnight without harm.
Ask your health visitor for her opinion.
Very first foods
There's a wide range of commercially-packaged dried first foods available for your baby, usually based on rice and sometimes with added vitamins and minerals. It's often called 'baby rice' though there are other brand names. These foods are fine, and most babies like them as the taste is very bland and the texture is soft. They are easy to use because you can mix them, as you need them, in the quantities you want. You can also mix them with other foods. However, you don't have to buy anything special for your baby. Here are foods you can share with him, and which are suitable for your baby from the very beginning of weaning. Mash, sieve or puree to get rid of lumps. Just don't add any seasoning, salt or sugar.
- cooked potato
- cooked swede or turnip
- cooked carrot
- soft dessert pear, peeled
...
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