How Many Months Until a Baby Can Eat Baby Food
Key facts
- Introduce solid foods at around 6 months but not earlier 4 months.
- Breastfeeding or bottle feeding should proceed up to 12 months.
- Food can be offered in any lodge every bit long equally information technology is the right texture and is nutritious.
- Introduce 'allergy foods' when you are introducing solids.
- Always supervise your baby when they are eating.
When should I innovate solid foods to my baby?
Your infant simply needs breast milk or infant formula for the first 6 months.
At around 6 months one-time, most babies – whether they are chest or formula fed – need more fe as well equally other nutrients, such as zinc and protein. A baby'south iron stores, which build up while they're in the uterus, become low by 6 months. Their trunk also demands extra kilojoules and food-dense nutrient.
The current recommendation is to introduce solids at around six months but not before 4 months. Each baby is an individual and will show signs of readiness for solid foods at different times. However, all babies benefit from having solid foods by seven months of age.
Babies also demand solid foods, as well as breast milk or formula, to satisfy their hunger and meet their extra growth needs.
How will I know my infant is ready for solids?
Some babies seem very satisfied with breastfeeding or canteen feeding, even though they have reached half dozen months. Post-obit your infant'south lead volition help you make up one's mind when they are ready for solids.
Start with modest amounts of soft, iron-rich, pureed foods. Your babe can exist offered whatsoever food, in any order, as long equally information technology is the right texture (encounter below) and is nutritious.
Your infant is ready for solids when they can:
- sit upright in a highchair with their head and back unsupported
- they're non every bit satisfied with their milk and seem hungry after they've been breast or bottle fed
- might evidence an interest in the food you're eating and reach out to swallow some, every bit well
- bear witness excitement about food
- open their mouth every bit you lot offering them a spoon
Why can't I give my babe solid foods earlier vi months?
Babies need to be developmentally ready to eat solid foods. Learning how to move food from the forepart of the tongue to the dorsum of the rima oris then swallow is a skill that needs practice.
Until iv to 6 months of historic period, babies still take a 'natural language extrusion reflex' – this means they button food out of their mouth with their tongue. Giving solids before 4 to vi months can be a choking hazard. Until they're sometime enough, babies just know how to suck and eat milk, non how to motion more solid textures to the back of their mouth to be swallowed.
Giving solids earlier your baby is ready can besides mean they fills upward on solids and won't drink the milk they need to abound and thrive.
For how long should I go along breastfeeding or bottle feeding?
Breastfeeding or formula feeding should go along until your infant is 12 months former. After that, water and cow's milk served in a cup should exist your baby's main drinks. Moo-cow's milk should be express to around 500ml per mean solar day. Some babies tin have an intolerance or allergy to moo-cow'due south milk, so they may need an alternative, such as soy. Follow your doc's or allergy specialist's advice and read food labels advisedly.
Breastfeeding tin can keep for equally long every bit y'all and your baby are happy to keep going, but infant formula is non needed after 12 months.
Read more nearly balancing solids with milk feeds.
Can I give my baby 'allergy foods'?
Allergy foods are foods or drink that can trigger an allergic reaction. Common allergenic foods are peanut butter, cow'due south milk, wheat, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts (such every bit almonds, kokosnoot and hazelnuts), sesame and soy.
The best time to innovate allergy foods is when y'all are introducing solids. It is besides recommended that y'all innovate allergy foods before your baby reaches 12 months sometime. Leaving it until they are older may increase the chance of your baby developing an allergy.
If you're concerned that your baby could have a nutrient allergy, speak to your healthcare provider.
Learn more here about how to introduce allergy foods.
How to start introducing solids
Solid foods can exist introduced in any order equally long every bit they are atomic number 26-rich and the nutrient is the correct texture. Await for signs that your baby's ready for solids.
At that place is no clear recommendation about the best time of mean solar day to offer outset solids. But it can be helpful to give your babe solids after a milk feed, mid-morning, and then if they're unsettled, it's less likely to touch their night-time slumber.
If you detect your infant loves solid foods so much that they're cut back on their breastfeeds or bottle feeds, reduce the amount of solids you're offering. Breastmilk or babe formula is however an important source of nutrition for the commencement ix to 12 months of life.
What are the best foods and textures to beginning with?
Offer your baby healthy, nutritious foods which volition support their growth and development. When they first start on solid foods, they won't need much. Ane to 2 teaspoons is enough until they learn what's involved in coordinating their rima oris to open, chew and swallow.
Get-go by offering your baby pureed foods that have a polish and like shooting fish in a barrel-to-consume texture. Fifty-fifty though your baby won't have teeth to chew and grind their food, they volition nonetheless utilize their gums to 'chew'. As they get older, they can eat foods with more texture. Chewing likewise helps with jaw and speech evolution.
You can try feeding your babe:
- fe-fortified cereals
- pureed or minced cherry or white meat, including fish
- cooked vegetables. Aim for white, orangish, green and xanthous vegetables in their nutrition each day.
- fruit, either cooked or mashed
- cooked and mashed egg
- dairy foods — for example, unsweetened yoghurt and total-fatty cheese
- wholegrain bread, cereal and pasta
As your baby grows, transition them from purees to mashed foods with lumps and textures. You can also serve minced or chopped food, then 'finger foods'. These are foods that are cutting into small pieces which babies can pick upwardly and eat themselves.
How important is variety?
Aim for multifariousness when it comes to your baby'south foods. Colour, texture and taste are all important characteristics of first foods.
Where possible, cook and set up your baby's foods so you know what's in them. Aim for fresh fruits and vegetables, cooked with a minimum of water until they are soft plenty to chew. Freeze small containers or water ice-cube trays containing freshly cooked meals.
Well-nigh babies show some hesitation when offered new foods and textures. It'due south worth reoffering foods a few times until they show interest or it'southward articulate they're not keen and would adopt something else.
Share suitable nutrient from your own plate and go into the addiction of offering your baby different tastes. Avoid adding salt or strong-tasting additives or spices to your baby'southward food. Their sense of taste buds are very sensitive and can detect even the nigh subtle flavours. By around 12 months erstwhile, most babies should be eating more often than not the aforementioned food as the balance of the family unit.
Tips for introducing solid foods
- Until your baby is 9 months, offer them breast milk or formula feeds before solids. After nine months, they tin can have breast milk or formula after their solids.
- Be sensitive to your infant'southward cues or signals that they are hungry or full. Don't force them to swallow or keep offering food if they're turning away, closing their mouth or non swallowing.
- Give your baby plenty of fourth dimension to practise their new eating skills. At starting time, they'll spit the food out, may seem unsure or pull faces at the gustation of certain foods. Remember, eating solids is every bit much virtually learning equally it is nearly nutrition.
- Let your baby brand a mess. As soon as they are ready, offer them finger foods and the opportunity to pick up food and put information technology in their mouth.
- Always supervise your baby when they are eating solid foods. Small, difficult foods can be a choking hazard – although babies can choke on any food of whatever texture.
- Brand certain you lot cook and store your baby's food safely. Never reheat nutrient that has been reheated previously, or that has been sitting at room temperature for more than than two hours.
Are at that place whatever foods my infant shouldn't swallow?
In that location are some foods that are not suitable for infants, including:
- cow'due south milk every bit their principal milk beverage from 6 to 12 months
- reduced-fat milk or unpasteurized milk and dairy foods
- whole basics, popcorn, difficult sweets, whole grapes, raw carrot, raw apples or other hard fruit and vegetables
- honey — this can comprise spores of botulism and should not be given to babies under 12 months
- cordial, soft drink or sweet drinks
- tea, coffee or free energy drinks
When tin my baby take h2o to potable?
Once your baby has reached 6 months, they're erstwhile enough to be offered water to beverage. Cooled, boiled h2o can be offered in a sippy loving cup at mealtimes and in-between.
As long equally a breastfed or bottle-fed babe is offered plenty of milk, they don't need extra water to drinkable. It's the practice of drinking from a loving cup which is useful.
Is a vegetarian or vegan diet safe for my baby?
Babies and toddlers fed a vegetarian or vegan diet tin can thrive as long every bit their nutrient contains sufficient energy (kilojoules) and nutrients for growth.
Atomic number 26 is specially of import from 6 months. Nut pastes (such as peanut butter), avocado, wholegrains, tofu, healthy fats and oils are all slap-up options. Fe-fortified cereal and green leafy vegetables are also essential.
If you are planning to offer your babe a vegan or vegetarian diet, speak to an Accredited Practising Dietitian before getting started.
Which is meliorate – bought or homemade nutrient?
Many babies consume a combination of homemade and bought food. Store-bought food is convenient and piece of cake to prepare. It'due south besides handy for when you lot are not at home or travelling. When buying store-bought food for your baby, read the labels and try to avoid foods that are high in carbohydrate and table salt.
Although making your ain food might exist a bit time-consuming, the advantage is yous know what'south in it. Making one big batch and freezing in portions will go along manner. Homemade food volition help your baby become familiar with family cooked meals. Y'all tin serve small portions of meals made for the rest of the family before any salt or spices have been added. Making your ain baby nutrient is also more affordable.
Where can I go for more information?
For more information on how to innovate solid foods, cheque with your child health nurse, or call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to talk to a maternal kid wellness nurse.
Source: https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/introducing-solid-food
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