When your baby is ready and the doctor has given you the OK
to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is
not tired or cranky. You want your baby to be a little
hungry, but not all-out starving; you might want to let
your baby breastfeed a while, or provide part of the usual
bottle. Have your baby sit supported in your lap or in an
upright infant seat. Infants, who sit well, usually around
6 months, can be placed in a high chair with a safety
strap. Use a highchair as soon as your baby can sit easily
without support. To safely use a highchair:
--Select a chair with a broad, stable base that won't tip
easily.
--Use the safety straps every time you put your baby in the
chair.
--Keep other children from pulling, climbing or hanging on
to the highchair.
--Place the highchair a safe distance from the counter,
table or any other stationary object your baby could push
against forcefully enough to tip him or herself over. Give
your baby enough time to finish each meal.
Most babies are full after 20 minutes of mealtime,
including several minutes of exploring their food and
socializing with the person feeding them. When your baby
has had enough to eat, he or she will refuse the spoon with
mouth closed or face turned away. Follow his or her lead,
and never try to force in a few more bites.
Our medical advisors recommend that a baby's first food
should be root vegetables (yams, carrots) or fruit rather
than rice cereal. The first feeding may be nothing more
than a little food mixed in a whole lot of liquid.
Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let the baby
smell and taste. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful
is rejected. Wait a minute and try again. Most food offered
to your baby at this age will end up on the baby's chin,
bib, or high-chair tray. Again, this is just an
introduction.
Have the right equipment a small-sized plastic baby feeding
spoon does not transmit heat or cold while having a smooth
edge.
Do's
--Sit baby comfortably on your lap, baby hair chair or
infant seat.
--Tie a bib in place and hold baby's head gently but firmly
so that a sudden turn does not result in an eye or an ear
full.
--Place the spoon in the baby's mouth on top of the tongue.
Remove it with an upwards motion so the food is pushed off
the top gum or lip.
--Offer no more than a few drops at a time at first. And if
it gets spitted back, gently retrieve it from the chin and
return it to the mouth.
--If your baby is unwilling to eat after a few attempts,
discard the food and begin again later with a new
preparation.
Don'ts
--Never attempt to feed baby cereal from a bottle using a
teat with an enlarged hole. Cereals are intended as a
supplement to the normal intake of milk. Your baby does not
have to consume a great quantity of solid food yet. If your
baby will not take it from a spoon, simply try again later.
--Get frustrated with this process.
About the Author:
Mischelle (Schelly) Weedman-Davis left her 15-year
high-tech career to become a stay-at-home mom but later
became the founder of Sprouts Baby Food, Inc. She now uses
her talents to support her husband's law firm, the Davis
Law Group. http://www.InjuryTr
