At four months of age, your baby’s diet should consist of breast milk and/or formula. However, between four and six months, you may begin adding solid foods to his or her diet. Prior to this age, babies have not lost their tongue-thrust reflex that will push out a spoon or anything else inserted in the mouth, including food. Most babies lose this reflex at about four months. Interestingly, this is also around the same time that a baby’s energy level increases, thus making it a perfect time to increase the caloric intake.
To prevent choking, make sure that your baby is sitting upright, either in your lap or in an infant seat, when you introduce solids. If he or she cries or turns away, don’t force the issue. The goal should be to keep feedings positive. If the timing is not right, go back to nursing or bottle-feeding for a week or two and then try again.
Always use a small spoon to feed your baby solids. Do not add solids to a bottle of milk. This can lead to over-consumption of calories and unhealthy weight gain. It’s important for your baby to get used to the process of eating -sitting up, taking bites from a spoon, resting between bites, and stopping when full. These early eating experiences will lay the groundwork for positive eating habits throughout life.
For the majority of babies, the first solid food introduced is rice cereal mixed with either formula or breast milk, followed by either oatmeal or barley. Start with a half a spoon-full or less. To ease the transition, give your baby a little milk first, then switch to very small spoonfuls of food, followed by more milk.
Once your baby is comfortable eating cereal, slowly start introducing other foods including strained vegetables, fruit, and meat. Give your baby just one food at a time and wait at least three days before starting another food. After each new food, watch for signs of allergic reactions such as diarrhea, vomiting, or rashes. If any of these occur, consult your baby’s doctor or health advisor. Within a couple of months, your baby’s diet will consist of breast milk or formula, cereal, vegetables, fruit, and meat among three meals.
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