Introducing solids to babies is always an exciting phase of parenting. You are eager to see how your little one would respond to food, and partly because breastfeeding 24×7 for the past 6 months has exhausted you and partly because you still think your baby might start sleep better once you start solids though researches say otherwise.
Here are a few tips that could be helpful while you introduce solids to your baby.
- Your baby must be able to hold his head on his own before you start feeding him solids. Else possibility of choking is very high.
- When you introduce a new food, try to give it continuously for at least 2-4 days to see if baby has any reaction to it. Though it is advisable to try for 5-7 days, it’s often not practical because the baby would be fed up eating the same food for 7 days in a row.
- Start by introducing solids one time a day and gradually increase the frequency. By the time your baby is 9 months, he should be having 3 proper meals a day.
- Always introduce a new food in the morning. This way, in the worst case of a reaction, you will be able to seek medical help easily.
- Between 9-12 months, try giving him the same food that you eat so that you do not have to prepare special baby food for the little one. By the time he is 12 months, your baby should be eating the same food that you prepare for your family.
- Do not start weaning by introducing solid food. Start with loose watery food, gradually go to semi solids and then solids. This way, you can ensure that your baby is not constipated. Ensure that your baby has sufficient water along with the food.
- Make sure you sterilise each and every utensil you use for cooking and feeding your baby. Last thing you want is a food infection. If your child gets an infection, in all possibility he will stop trying and food and will turn back to breastfeeding alone.
- Though you may find it tiresome if you have more than 1 kid, it is always best to give home made food to your baby rather than canned/ packaged baby food. It is not as cumbersome as you think, just 20-30 minutes a day would be enough to prepare delicious home made food for your little one
- Always check whether finger food you give your little one is soft enough. You can test it by trying to smash the food with your tongue and palate.
- Learn how to perform CPR on baby. There are YouTube videos for the same. Not just while introducing solids, but throughout your baby’s life, it court be useful to know how to perform CPR to save your baby if he chokes.