Baby Food - How do you start?
Your baby is now reached about 4 months old and your doctor has said you can start baby food. How do you start feeding baby food? How much baby food should you give him? You should gather all the information you can on feeding solid food. Your child’s health depends on it. This page and the links should help you with your options.
Baby food should only be fed to babies that can hold their own heads up and are drinking at least 32 oz of formula or breast milk a day. Once you have decided that you are ready to give her baby food you will want to start with one meal a day. Pick a time when you are both relaxed. Start out with 1 or 2 tablespoons and advance to 4 tablespoons. The first baby food you might want to start with is cereal. Start with single grains. For the first feeding mix 1 tablespoon of cereal to 4 tablespoons of breast milk or formula. Allow at least 4 days between the introducing each new food to make sure there are no reactions. Food allergies are commonly found in the first year of life. Avoid egg, fish, peanuts, cow’s milk and soy until after 12 months of age.
After cereal you will want to move to vegetables. Why? Babies tend to prefer sweet taste, just like us. So to start those out with fruits may mean disaster later when you try something like green beans. If you start them with the blander foods they will develop a taste for them. It is proven that you can teach them to like a food. It can take 10 to 15 tries before a baby could accept a new taste. But keep trying even if the first time or two your child doesn’t seem to enjoy it. You can avoid buying baby food by using your vegetables leftovers. Once you have pureed them and store them in the freezer. However, carrots, beets and collard greens contain extra nitrates and should be handled with care. Consult your doctor if you choose to make your own baby food.
Next you can move to fruits and meats. Select first stage baby food remembering one ingredient at a time. Meaning you don’t start out with blueberry cobbler. You will want to start with applesauce, peaches, bananas or pears. Then move onto the mixed fruits and desserts. Juice should be given no sooner than 6 months and should never replace breastmilk or formula. Serve the juice in a cup not in a bottle. At 6 to 9 months you should start seeing adult eating patterns.
The first stage baby food is smooth. Second stage baby food is blended fruits and vegetables. Third stage baby food has a few little pieces for babies learning to chew. Finger foods can be introduced at about 8 months. Cheerios, ripe bananas, or small pieces of bread are great finger foods. This is a milestone in your child’s life take lots of pictures and just like every other stage enjoy!