If you are a normal parent, you have heard some of the
following comments from well-meaning family members,
friends, and even complete strangers. Something that should
be so simple - feeding your baby - suddenly becomes a
confusing catalog of do's and don'ts.

"You should not give them eggs before they are one."

"Give her some cereal before bed and she will sleep through
the night."

"No wheat in her diet until she is one or she will have an
allergy."

And the best: "You're feeding her THAT!?!?"

If you are looking for guidance about feeding your baby,
talk first to your child's pediatrician. These guidelines
should help clear the baby feeding picture for you.

Starting Solids Is Not That Important

For the first year of your baby's life he needs nothing
more than breast milk or formula for complete nutrition.
Most pediatricians recommend that babies can eat solids to
help them adjust to eating, but the main source of
nutrition is the liquid.

You can start some pureed foods when your baby is between
four and six months old. When your baby starts to show a
lot of interest in the food you are eating, can sit up with
slight support, and opens her mouth when the spoon comes
her way, she is probably ready to start solids.

Many parents start with a single item, such as rice cereal.
Feed it to your baby for a week, and watch for any signs of
an allergy or reaction. If she takes to cereal well, you
can continue to introduce solids one at a time. Traditional
advice says to start with veggies, followed by fruits, and
then meats, but you can start with fruit if you prefer.
Wait to serve pureed meats until your baby is closer to
nine months to twelve months, as they are harder to digest.

Transitioning to Table Foods

As your baby gets better at eating the purees, start making
the texture chunkier so she gets practice at chewing. When
she is good at chewing soft chunks, you can gradually
transition to finely cut table foods, but make sure
everything is very soft.

You will probably worry about choking as you start feeding
your baby table foods. Babies can choke, but for most kids
the gag reflux is strong enough to prevent this if they get
a hold of something they are not ready for. Of course, do
not let your baby eat unattended, just in case. Focus on
giving baby a variety of foods to taste, but do not worry
too much about how much she eats, as she will be getting
plenty of nutrition from her milk source. Soon your baby
will be eating like a pro, so enjoy these early days of
feeding your baby, and keep your camera handy to catch the
funny faces and messy meals.