How to Encourage a Baby to Eat Solid Food

You will probably begin feeding your baby solids between 4 and 6 months of age. At first, more food will end up on the bib, high chair and you, then will end up in your baby's tummy. Do not be discouraged. As long as your baby is still nursing or eating formula, the amount of food that your baby actually consumes is irrelevant. Consider this time to be a learning period in your baby's life. Remember, that she is only used to a liquid diet of milk or formula. She is bound to reject foods, at first. Give her time to get used to the different flavors and textures of food. Here are some ideas for getting your baby to eat solid foods successfully.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bibs
• Baby spoons
• High chair
• Rice cereal

1. Pick the right time to try. If you are nursing, consider giving your baby solids when your milk supply is lowest. For most women, this is in the late afternoon and early evening. However, if your baby is very hungry in the morning, you may want to try then. Be flexible and if you aren't successful at one time, try another. Start with one meal a day and gradually add a second meal.

2. Take your cues from your baby. If you are ready to give your baby solids in the afternoon and she is tired and fussy, you may want to reconsider. Introducing your baby to anything new is unlikely to go well when she is sleepy and cranky. Wait until your baby is happy and alert before giving solids a try.

3. Give your baby a bit of milk or formula before giving food. Be sure not to give him too much milk. Give him just enough to whet his appetite and make him receptive to try solids. This will also ensure that your baby is not too hungry to experiment without getting frustrated.

4. Give you and your baby plenty of time. Do not try to squeeze mealtime into a 5-minute period. Your baby will spend much time spitting out and playing with the new foods. Be aware of this and allot enough time for her meals.

5. Put your baby in an appropriate seat or high chair. This will make the experiences a bit easier and a lot less messy. Be sure that your baby is comfortable in the seat or high chair You may even want to set it up a few days before the planned introduction. Put your baby in the chair and let him get used to it before trying to feed him. This way, he will not have to deal with two new experiences at the same time.

6. Have the right type of spoon. It should be a small, bowl-type spoon. Plastic is best because it is more gentle on your baby's gums than metal spoons. It is also a good idea to give him his own spoon while you are trying to feed him. This will lessen his desire to grab the spoon full of food.

7. Use a bib. Find large, easy-to-clean bibs as this is where the majority of the food wild end up. Getting your baby used to a bib now will prevent tantrums later.

8. Let your baby explore. Before trying to feed her, put a small bit of food on your baby's high chair tray. Let her poke it, smush it, or smear it around on the tray. When you do offer the food on a spoon, it will not be a completely unknown substance.

9. Start small. Place the smallest bit of food into your baby's mouth. Give him plenty of time to get used to each bite. If he likes the taste, he may open his mouth for more. However, even if he does like the flavor, it is likely that the food will fall out of his mouth. It will probably take him some time to get the hang of eating solids.

Tips & Warnings

• Rice cereal is an appropriate food to begin with.
• When your baby is about 6 months old, you may be able to introduce new foods such as bananas, peas, oat cereal, squash, and pears (talk with your doctor first).
• Introduce new foods one at a time. When you give your baby a new food, watch her closely for signs of an allergic reaction.
• If your baby cannot sit up in the high chair, it is probably too early to be giving her solids.
• It is not recommeded that you give your baby foods from a bottle. This will reinforce the bottle habit and does not teach your baby feeding skills. Babies also tend to eat too much when fed this way.
• If you try several times to feed your baby and she keeps pushing the food out of her mouth with her tongue, she is probably not ready for solids. Wait a week and try again.
• Do not feed your baby chocolate, nuts, honey, eggs, or cow's milk during her first year.
• Always talk with your baby's doctor before introducing any new foods.

Resources

• Guide to starting solids
• Homemade baby food and baby food recipes