How to Tell if a Baby is Ready for Solid Food

Your baby will let you know when he is ready to try solid foods.

Parents receive many conflicting messages when it comes to feeding their baby solid foods. Your mother may tell you that she started you on solids when you were six weeks old. However, your pediatrician will probably tell you to wait until your baby is six months old before beginning to introduce foods. You may be able to take your cues from your baby. She will let you know when she is ready. It is important not to start too early. However, waiting too long has its own problems. Most babies are ready to start solids between four and six months old.

Instructions

1. Ask yourself if your baby can hold her head up well. No solid foods should be offered to your baby unless she can hold her head up very well when she is propped up into a sitting position.

2. Check to see if your baby's tongue thrust reflex has disappeared. This reflex causes babies to push things out of their mouths with their tongue. This helps to protect your baby from choking. To test for the reflex, place a bit of diluted rice cereal into your baby's mouth; if he pushes it right back out, even after several attempts, the reflex has not left, and your baby is not ready for solids.

3. Watch to see if your baby shows interest in the food that you are eating. Does your baby watch you eat or reach for your food? This is her way of letting you know that she is interested in trying out something new.

4. Observe your baby's tongue movements. If he moves his tongue back and forth, as well as up and down, he may be ready to try solid foods.

5. Check to see if your baby will open her mouth when a spoon is placed at her lips. If she is unable to do so, it is unlikely that she is ready to try to eat regular food.

Tips & Warnings

• If you feel that your baby is ready for solids, talk with your doctor first.

• Regular foods are not needed for young babies. Formula or breast milk can fulfill all of their nutritional needs for the first six months.

• If your family has a history of strong food allergies, dicuss this with your doctor. It is likely that you will feed your baby breast milk or formula almost exclusively for the first year of her life. You may be able to carefully and slowly begin introducing solids to your baby at six months. You will have to give her foods one at a time so that you can monitor any allergic reaction.

• Introducing solids too early can lead to food allergies.

• A young baby's digestive system is not ready to deal with regular foods.

• Waiting too long to introduce food may cause your baby to be very resistant to trying.

Resources

• Introducing solid foods.
• Babies and food allergies.