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    Home

    How to Introduce Solid Foods to your Baby / When to Introduce Solid Foods to your Baby

    January 15, 2014 By Aarthi 39 Comments

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    Don't stop Breast Feeding even if you have started solid food. Continue breast milk with other food too.

    When you can start giving Solid Food:

    1)When your baby's head is steady and when she can sit upright with a support.
    2)When she starts grabbing things and your plate when you are eating.
    3)When your breast milk is not sufficient for her.
    4)When you see that your baby is getting interest in other foods.
    5)When she always stares at you when you are eating. Eyeing your bowl of food, and keep looking as the food travels from the bowl to your mouth.


    Before you start feeding your baby:

    1)The first thing you have to remember is, start with mild non allergenic food. 

    2)Start
    with less portions, initially your baby need only 3 to 4 spoons of the
    food. So dont make a entire bowl of food and look for your baby to empty the whole thing.Gradually increase the portion size.

    3)Never force feed your baby. This will make your baby get a bad feeling about food and she will start refusing all foods and go wild during feeding time.

    4)
    Give breaks between each spoonful of feed. I usually leave a couple of
    mins break between each spoonful and show her toys or make funny faces,
    so she gets into jolly mood and enjoy the next spoon of food.

    5)Let your baby swallow each mouthful properly before the next spoon. 

    Pin
    ur baby will surely show these type of faces when you are feeding

    6)If
    you are introducing a new food for your baby, continue that for 4 to 5
    days or even a week. Dont introduce new foods each day, so your baby
    gets to know about the food and familiarize herself with that taste.

    7)Dont introduce more than one new food on a single day. This may cause problems in her digestion

    8)If your baby doesn't like some food, try that food someother time.


    After you finished feeding your baby:
     
    1)If you find that your baby has some symtoms like vomiting, constant crying, diarrhoea and something which makes you think that it is not right with your baby, you have to stop giving the particular food immediately.

    2)Give some water after giving solid foods. 


    Things to remember:

    1)Feeding your baby can be quite messy and takes lots of time. So dont be in a rush when you are feeding. Spend lots of time in feeding.

    2)Dont give chopped fruits or veggies, even it is cooked. Always puree them or mash it completely.

    3)Dont add too mush salt or sugar in your baby foods.

    4)Always make your own baby food. Dont give store bought or packaged foods.

    5)Prepare your food in a hygenic way. Always sterilize the vessels you use for your baby.

    6)Wash your hands thoroughly before you start making baby foods..

    More Point from my Viewers Comments:

    1.Start giving food when the baby is 6 months
    2. Food should contain 5 star qualities
    * Cereal like rice/wheat/ragi etc.,
    * Pulse like toor dal etc.,
    * Should be solid
    * Contain sweet
    * contain fat like ghee,butter,oil
    Best example: Sweet Pongal
    Worst example: rasam rie

    3.Give always homemade food..Dont give ceralac,farex etc.,So kids wont love homemade food when they grow

    4.Dont feel shy when you are brestfeeding your baby even in the public place.

    5.Breastfeed the baby till atleast 2 yrs

    6.give intervals between each feed..atleast 2 hrs..then only baby will get hungry..

    7.split the day into 5.
    like 8.30am, 11 am, 1 pm, 4pm,7pm

    8.30am,1 pm,7pm - give heavy feed
    11am, 4pm - Give light feed
    in between breast feeding ...

    8.When
    you are feeding the baby dont show,tv,crow,trees like our grandma do..I
    know it is very difficult ..but you can do it..I did it..eating is like
    a prayer,so the kid should see the plate and the food,then feed her.
    If
    she is not ready to eat ,leave it...dont force..offer some other
    food...again if she refuses then the baby is not hungry..so dont feed
    her.after an hour you can try..
    Let her decide her food n dress...

    9.Offer her healthy food to choose...

    10.start with semi solid,then solid..by the age of 1 she should eat what u r eating..
    On
    her 1st birthday she should sit n eat with you..so give all food to
    eat..one by one..including nonveg.This will help the child come out of
    allergy ...She wont get allergic to any food..

    Main thing..treat
    your child like a adult...she knows what her stomach knows better than
    you..so let her decide the food and time of feeding..

    Hope i have covered most of the things, i know. Will add more if i come across any other points. I am leaving you now with this picture of me and maha..

    MAMA & DAUGHTER TIME
    Pin

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    « Rava Pongal / Rava Khara Pongal / Rava Ghee Pongal / Sooji Pongal
    Apple Sauce for Baby / Apple Puree / Pureed Apple / Mashed Apples / Apples for Babies - Baby Food Recipes / 5 Month Baby Food »
    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Simran Shyam

      at

      OMG such a cute baby. A baby has a special way of adding joy in every single day. Happy Pongal to u and the lil one Maha.

      Reply
    2. Soumya

      at

      Hi..aarthi,
      Solids foods is best to start after six
      months breastfeeding or formula milk
      months slowly introduce solid.This information is from my daughter's pediatrician...Baby will always love their mother's milk......
      Soumya
      Oishi Recipes

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        at

        yea,, now its an ad in indian radio to feed only milk til 6

        Reply
    3. morri

      at

      Good advice! And this picture of you and Maha together made my whole day. It's so heartwarming, I can't stop looking.

      Reply
    4. Aparna Vijay

      at

      Very useful.. keep sharing.. thanks 🙂

      Aparna vijay
      http://aparnacooks.blogspot.com

      Reply
    5. Unknown

      at

      Very sweet. God bless the daughter and her parents..Good luck Aarthi..

      Reply
    6. ELel

      at

      Your baby is beautiful!

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      at

      Hi Aarthi,

      I agree with Soumya...what is said is correct...

      I totally disagree with you first 5 lines...

      You should start giving solid foods when the child is 6 months old.
      Before that you should not give even a single drop of water.
      Actually that is not needed for the baby.
      Mothers milk is enough for the baby..very few women gets less milk..if you take good healthy intake that is enough.
      I strongly disagree your 4th point...Always baby like their mothers milk.
      But if fill baby's stomach with something then the baby wont give much interest.
      Baby will see and try the catch the food after 3 months,bcoz of the color and smell attracts the baby,baby is not catching the food to eat.

      Im a mother,Chef & a nutritionist too..

      I want to share something thats my pediatrician advice..I followed that now my son is having a good food habit..
      He is a very famous pediatrician

      1.Start giving food when the baby is 6 months
      2. Food should contain 5 star qualities
      * Cereal like rice/wheat/ragi etc.,
      * Pulse like toor dal etc.,
      * Should be solid
      * Contain sweet
      * contain fat like ghee,butter,oil
      Best example: Sweet Pongal
      Worst example: rasam rie

      3.Give always homemade food..Dont give ceralac,farex etc.,So kids wont love homemade food when they grow

      4.Dont feel shy when you are brestfeeding your baby even in the public place.

      5.Breastfeed the baby till atleast 2 yrs

      6.give intervals between each feed..atleast 2 hrs..then only baby will get hungry..

      7.split the day into 5.
      like 8.30am, 11 am, 1 pm, 4pm,7pm

      8.30am,1 pm,7pm - give heavy feed
      11am, 4pm - Give light feed
      in between breast feeding ...

      8.When you are feeding the baby dont show,tv,crow,trees like our grandma do..I know it is very difficult ..but you can do it..I did it..eating is like a prayer,so the kid should see the plate and the food,then feed her.
      If she is not ready to eat ,leave it...dont force..offer some other food...again if she refuses then the baby is not hungry..so dont feed her.after an hour you can try..
      Let her decide her food n dress...

      9.Offer her healthy food to choose...

      10.start with semi solid,then solid..by the age of 1 she should eat what u r eating..
      On her 1st birthday she should sit n eat with you..so give all food to eat..one by one..including nonveg.This will help the child come out of allergy ...She wont get allergic to any food..

      Main thing..treat your child like a adult...she knows what her stomach knows better than you..so let her decide the food and time of feeding..

      Hope this help you...

      Reply
    8. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymous You have to note, that i didn't stop breast feeding for my baby. Some people dont have enough milk to feed their baby, or their baby seems always hungry after breast feed too. I consulted with my perdiatrician and he told me to start giving other foods along with breast milk.

      And thanks for your info. I have added them to the post.

      Reply
    9. Anonymous

      at

      Anonymous: I disagree with the point that you MUST breastfeed until the baby is 2 years old. Yes, babies enjoy breast milk and the comfort of feeding. But not having to breatsfeed (for example, before bedtime) gives the mother a lot more freedom, so it should be a personal decision. It's recommended to breastfeed for 2 years, yes, but if you cannot do it for some reason, then just stop and don't worry. Nothing bad will happen, as long as the baby gets all the proper nutrients from food.

      Reply
    10. Anonymous

      at

      Hi aarthi..thanks for info.. please tel the foods which will increase breast feeding.. now my baby is 3 months old.. milk is not sufficient so per day twice or thrice I go for formula milk.. so please tel me the foods that produce more breast milk...

      Reply
    11. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousdrink lots and lots of milk, eat tapioca / Kappa a lot. Drink a tall glass of milk which is boiled with garlic(drink along with the cooked garlic)before you go to sleep.

      Reply
    12. Aabidha Banu

      at

      thanks a lot aarthi for giving us such a good advice..my baby girl is 4 months and 1week...im confused on which food shld i give her..now i got a clear idea of this...thanks dear..:)

      Reply
    13. Veera

      at

      Useful tips, keep up the great work Aarthi 🙂

      Reply
    14. Diviya Krishnakumar

      at

      Its really good one to see.. Thanks aarti.. actually baby looking so cute.. Thanks for the info..

      Keep posting regarding baby foods
      Looking forward to see ur recepies..

      Reply
    15. Anonymous

      at

      No salt or sugar till as long as possible. Babies should get used the natural taste of food. Sweet pongal is loaded with sweetness, would never give it for my baby!

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        at

        true, in US, Doctors are against adding any salt or sugar.

        Reply
    16. alisha sharma

      at

      Breast milk or formula is the only food your newborn needs. However, by ages 4 months to 6 months, most babies are ready to begin eating solid foods as a complement to breast-feeding or formula-feeding. It's during this time that babies typically stop using their tongues to push food out of their mouths and begin to develop the coordination to move solid food from the front of the mouth to the back for swallowing.
      I introduce solid food to my baby when she was 7 months old. I always buy baby solid foods from firstcry.com. They have good varieties of supplement foods.
      Check out their food section here:http://www.firstcry.com/formula-and-supplements/2/79

      Reply
    17. Sadhana

      at

      Hi Arthi,
      My baby is 3 months 1week old now.. Shall I stat giving fruits and veg purées to him along with my Breast milk.

      Reply
    18. Aarthi

      at

      @SadhanaTHis is too early..You can start solid after 5 or 6 months.Now give only breast milk

      Reply
    19. ramya sundar

      at

      Wondrrful article aarthi.. very useful thank u

      Reply
    20. Serviced Apartments London Lady

      at

      Amazing tips, thanks so much for posting (also, those pictures are just so adorable)!

      Reply
    21. Aarthi

      at

      Very thank for the recipe can we give breast milk after solid food immediately

      Reply
    22. Aarthi

      at

      @Aarthiif your baby demands that you can give, i have done that.

      Reply
    23. Anonymous

      at

      Thanks a lot for giving such a nice description. This will be helpful for all feeding mothers.

      Reply
    24. Kalyani Sagar

      at

      Hi Aarthi.
      Very nice and informative blog. Looks like you are a super mom already :). for her and have so many questions and confusions. I started off with your blog on my dearest friend's suggestion. I am a mom of 6months baby girl. I have just started on solids. You specified to divide a day into 5 and give heavy feed 3 times and light feed other 3 times with bf in between. Could you please specify exactly what you meant by a heavy feed and light feed. What foods to include while heavy feeding and what foods to include while light feeding along with the quantities in each feed.
      Waiting eagerly for your reply
      Love
      Kalyani

      Reply
    25. Aarthi

      at

      @Kalyani Sagarheavy feed is all kind of porridges. Light food is steamed foods like idli, dosa, idiyappam and things like that. just give her how much she eats

      Reply
    26. Sai Raj

      at

      Hi aarthi..this is latha
      I'm very much worried about my 10months baby becz she is not eating much of solid foods..can any one plz suggest me some weight gaining receipe for baby..
      It's my humble request..tried feeding her mashed rice with dal but she vomits it all the time...ppl around me tell that my baby is still not eating rice and i'm not a caring mother...but gods grace shez very active and plays well.
      Her weight is 8kgs is that a normal weight??

      Reply
    27. Aarthi

      at

      @Sai Raju dont have to worry about her weight it is normal. Just give her healthy food as you can, babies at this age are really fussy. they will eat well as they grow up. Just keep her feeding.

      Reply
    28. midhuna

      at

      Hi aarthi... hw much quatity of idli or dosa to b fed for a 9 month old baby... could u please guide... thanks ad regards midhuna.

      Reply
    29. Aarthi

      at

      @midhuna1 idli or 1 dosa is good

      Reply
    30. Arulraj Kannan

      at

      thank u very much ...pls share wht is right time to give right food means in a day...

      Reply
    31. Aarthi

      at

      @Arulraj KannanCHECK THIS LINK
      http://mahamylife.blogspot.in/search/label/Feeding%20Schedule

      Reply
    32. foru

      at

      Hi arthi, my baby is 4month 2weeks old and I suspect that my milk is not sufficient because she is not sleeping during day, she takes only 30 mins of nap n then wakes up n shows hunger signs always. I tried giving nanpro n lactogen but she throws up badly. Now I am planning to start Ragi kanji, do u have any other suggestion. Please advise...

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        u can start it after she is 5 months

        Reply
    33. Ashu

      at

      Hi Aarti
      My baby is now going to be 6 months old in few days. As he his feeling hungry after breastfeeding so I started giving him solids like apple puree , carrot puree , ragi porridge also but in liquid consistency. I am giving him only two meals a day morning 10 o'clock and then 4 o'clock. Need your advice regarding feeding time. Can I give him as you have mentioned in your blog 5 meals? If possible pls upload a food chart.

      Reply
    34. figaro refined olive oil

      at

      hey, very nice site. thanks for sharing post
      figaro olives

      Dry Fruit

      Reply
    35. Jahnavi Jaanu

      at

      Each parent thinks about giving healthy food to their baby. In a hurry, most parents go with the packet food. This post really helps in creating an awareness of how good homemade food is. Very helpful post. Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
    36. Lilly Whitehead

      at

      Great blog post! I just started my little girl on solids a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been finding all the information on the web really overwhelming. Especially the whole puree vs BLW movement. This post sums up everything really nicely. I’m looking forward to trying those recipes!! Thanks!!

      Reply

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