Moving to Solids

Moving to Solids

It is recommended to begin solids at 6 months. However some children may be ready for solid food as early as 4 months old. One tell-tale sign is that your baby is waking up earlier than the “normal” routine and is no longer satisfied after just having a bottle or breast feed. It is important to speak to your doctor before introducing solids or alternatively your health visitor for advice.

Over the years I have noticed that some parents introduce solids far too quickly and this in turn can be detrimental effect on the baby’s digestive system as it requires time to adjust to new textures and food groups. My advice is a more “slowly, slowly” approach, by giving small amounts of food twice a day always before the bottle feed. I also encourage feeding the same food to your baby for two to three days in a row. This allows parents the opportunity to watch out for any allergies to certain food types and also to determine which food your baby prefers. This initial introduction to solids is very much a trial and error period; i.e. your baby may not particularly like a certain meal on the first try but a couple of weeks later if you try this meal again there could be a different reaction. A simple food chart should be used to record the solids that the child has eaten or not eaten. Patience is required throughout the introductory period, at first mealtimes may take 20 or even 30 minutes.

It is important to make meal times as stress free as possible. Do not make an issue about food that has not been eaten. Every child will take to solids at their own pace. It is important that meal times do not become a “battle ground”!

The introduction of solid foods can also be helpful if your baby suffers with silent reflux. It is recommended to introduce more vegetable based foods than fruit as the latter are obviously more acidic. By the age of 10-12 months the symptoms of silent reflux usually disappear.

While working abroad, particularly in Italy I liked many of the Italian methods for introducing solid foods. One very helpful tip with savoury foods was to add a drop of olive oil to any savoury puree. This is good, not only for the baby’s skin, hair and nails but also for digestion, more specifically easing the passing of stools.

Your food chart, as detailed later, is a vital tool in understanding and keeping track of the introduction of solids. It is highly important to monitor stools throughout this phase to ensure that your baby does not become constipated. If constipated you will see from the food diary which food caused the problem and this can be eliminated from your baby’s diet.

Once your baby is established on solids he/she should be eating 3 meals per day. At this stage do not be afraid to experiment with various different foods including garlic and all sorts of herbs. It is essential that your baby is given a variety of food so that they do not get bored with the same meal every day. By the age of 12 months, your baby should be eating exactly the same as what you are eating. Always remembering that salt and pepper are not necessary in a baby’s diet.

By Teresa Boardman

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