Introducing solid foods can be such a fun and messy milestone for you and your baby. Your mama super power of making breast milk or feeding formula has sustained your little one for the first 6 months of their life. Now, you begin a new journey towards teaching your baby to eat food.
In our explosive information age, there are TONS of resources available nowadays on how to accomplish this new milestone. Sometimes all of that information makes it so complicated that you don’t know where to begin. So, as a pediatrician and mommy myself, I wanted to give you some general guidelines to keep it fun and simple.
When to Start
While many families are in a rush to start this next chapter in their family’s life, you need to be sure that your baby is ready to eat something besides milk. Most of the experts recommend waiting until at least 4 months of life, preferably 6 months of life to begin feeding your baby table foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of life.
Additionally, your baby needs to be able to sit unsupported or only minimally supported to start eating food. Not only do they need to be able to sit up, but they also need to have good head control. Another step towards eating is that your baby is no longer pushing things out of their mouth with their tongues.
We pediatricians have a fancy name for this. It is called the “tongue extrusion reflex.” Simply put, it is a protective mechanism for the baby to push things out of their mouth as they are introduced. It generally fades between 4 and 6 months of age.
Iron Rich Foods
While breast milk is perfect in most every way, your exclusively breastfed baby’s iron stores that were set in place at birth are at their lowest by 4-6 months of age. While the iron in breast milk is more bioavailable (ready for the body to use) than in formula, it is not enough to sustain your baby’s needs beyond six months.
Iron rich foods such as iron-fortified cereals, ground or pureed meats and dark green vegetables should be some of the first foods that you introduce to your baby. Baby cereal or infant cereal is generally fortified with iron. Be sure to check the label.
Your pediatrician might recommend starting an iron supplement at four months of age based on guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
Other pediatricians are comfortable with a baby getting their iron from their diet as long as they are taking in iron rich foods. These recommendations apply to babies who are exclusively breastfed and were born full term. If you have questions, ask your pediatrician at your 4 month well child check.
Introduce Allergy Causing Foods Early
In the recent past, we have started recommending the introduction of allergenic foods early as you are introducing other solid foods to your baby. This recommendation is based on the LEAP study which was published in 2015. The study showed that early introduction of peanut protein actually lowered the risk of a child having an allergic reaction to the food. In addition to peanut protein, pediatricians recommend introducing other allergenic foods early such as shellfish, eggs and other tree nuts.
So, should you give your baby a spoonful of peanut butter and call it a day?
Most definitely not.
There are safe ways to introduce peanut protein and other allergenic foods. You can put a small smear of peanut butter on a cracker or soft piece of fruit, feed peanut butter baby puffs or mix powdered peanut butter into your baby’s cereal or yogurt.
The same guidelines apply to eggs and fish. Small soft scrambled eggs, diced up boiled egg or crumbled pieces of soft fish are great ways to introduce these allergenic foods. Making them into finger foods or giving your baby small pieces of food on their plate or tray will not only prevent a food allergy but also teach them how to feed themselves.
If you have a strong family history of severe food allergies, such as peanut allergies, ask your pediatrician’s advice before following these recommendations.
Baby Food Pouches
As a pediatrician and mother myself, I know that pouches of baby food offer convenience, especially when you are on the go. Certainly, they are not harmful to give to your baby on occasion.
My problem with them comes when you are depending on them exclusively to feed your baby solid foods. In addition to teaching your baby to like healthy foods, the process of actually touching the pieces of food is essential. Picking up finger foods and exploring their textures and smells are an important motor skill for babies to acquire as they learn to eat.
In addition, eating a wide variety of whole foods enables babies not only to develop these physical skills but also learn to listen to their full and hunger cues.
It is easy for a baby to consume a pouch of pureed food even when they are not necessarily hungry or eat it faster than their bodies realize. There is more to eating than just consuming calories. Teaching your baby to eat a variety of fresh foods will also lend itself towards a lifetime of good eating habits.
Best Method for Food Introduction
Baby led weaning, pureed baby foods, food in jars, only homemade foods- does it really matter how we do it?
Not really.
The studies on the best way to introduce complementary foods are inconclusive at best. There is not one right way to do it.
An important thing to remember is to make sure whatever you are feeding your baby will not cause them to choke. Also, your baby should be seated and supervised during all mealtimes. Additionally, if you choose to make your own baby food, just make sure you follow safe food handling for preparing and storing the food. Be sure to read up on foods that should not be pureed and stored.
Final Thoughts
Adding complimentary foods to your baby’s diet is a fun milestone for both you and your baby. Hopefully, you feel better about the process now that you have read this article. I want to leave you with a few additional tips.
- Incorporate your baby into family mealtimes
- Continue to breastfeed or offer infant formula until your baby is 12 months old
- Do not give honey or honey containing foods to babies less than one year old
And lastly,
Enjoy this fun milestone and take lots of pictures!
© 127 Pediatrics; April 2023
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley is the owner, pediatrician, and breastfeeding medicine specialist for 127 Pediatrics. She has an established house-calls only concierge pediatric practice in Colleyville, TX. She is also the owner and operator of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center.
