Your baby is going through major changes in their digestive tract and ability to consume food during the first year. This baby feeding guide will give you a few guidelines to follow in preparing for this first challenging year. Just keep in mind, all babies are a little different. You will need to watch your baby and determine when they are ready for each step.
Newborn to 4 Months – During this time in your baby’s life their diet will be very boring. They will only be eating breast milk or formula. Their digestive system is not ready for any other kinds of food at this point. Make sure you keep them limited to milk unless advised differently by your pediatrician.
4 Months to 6 Months – Your baby is in the right age to start eating a little solid food. You will need to watch carefully for the right signs to make sure it is time. They should be able to hold up their own head. Watch for the ability to sit well in a high chair. Have they started chewing with their empty mouth? These are just a few of the normal signs of being prepared. You will be starting off with grain cereals like oat, barley, or rice. Start off with a very wet mixture and then slowly make it slightly stiffer.
6 Months to 8 Months – This is the time your baby will be ready for smoothly pureed foods. Stage 1 baby foods, or foods you puree very finely at home are fine. Start off with green vegetables, yellow veggies, orange vegetables and then fruits. Introduce one new food at a time, and only use this one new food for several days to watch for signs of allergies before introducing the next new food.
8 Months to 1 Year – Your baby is now ready for a more varied menu. They can handle foods which are a little thicker. This is the time to start trying mashed potatoes and other mashed but thicker foods. You can even start introducing solids like small bits of cheese, pieces of cereals, teething biscuits, and others.
This simple baby feeding guide does not tell the entire story, only you and your baby can accomplish that. Your job is to watch your baby very closely and see if they are satisfied with what they are eating. Watch as teeth being coming in, which will allow them to chew on slightly harder foods. Watch your baby closely as they try new foods and see if they deal with it easily or if it causes them to have problems.
If you detect your baby having problems when you add any new types of foods back up a stage and wait a few weeks then try again. Every baby develops at their own speed, as do their parents. Enjoy the fun of experimenting with new foods together and learning what works and does not. Use a baby feeding guide only for advice, not as the facts of how your baby will progress.