When you introduce your baby to solid foods, you open a whole new world of smells, tastes, textures and experiences. This is not only a fun learning opportunity but also the start of your child developing a healthy relationship with food.
When is my baby ready to start solids?
Your baby is ready to start solid foods when they are six months of age and can:
- Sit up on their own with very little help and lean forward
- Hold their head up with good control
- Open their mouth when you offer food
- Turn their head away to refuse food
- Keep most of the food you give them in their mouth (they don’t push it out with their tongue)
Did you know?
- All babies go through growth spurts and will want to feed more often. If your baby is not yet six months old, they do not need to start solids. Just continue to breastfeed/chestfeed or formula feed your baby on cue to provide the extra nutrition they need.
- Starting solid foods before six months will not help your baby sleep through the night.
- If you give your baby solid foods before they are ready, they may:
- Drink less breast milk/chest milk or formula and be at risk for iron deficiency
- Have a hard time swallowing food and be more likely to choke
What is my job?
Once your baby starts solid foods, you decide:
- what foods to offer
- when to offer them
- where your baby is fed
Parent Tips
- Offer food to your baby on a regular schedule. See table below for timing suggestions.
- Feed your baby at the table when the rest of the family is eating.
- Your job is to offer your baby healthy foods in a pleasant environment. After that, sit back and enjoy the fun and mess!
What is my baby’s job?
Babies naturally know how much to eat. Your baby decides:
- Whether they eat – It’s okay if your baby seems picky sometimes.
- How much to eat
- Babies will eat what they need to grow strong.
- Let your child eat as much as they want and stop when they feel full. This helps them learn to listen to their hunger cues and know when they are full.
Your baby will tell you they are hungry by:
- opening their mouth when you offer them food
- getting excited when you place them in the highchair or at the table for meals
- leaning towards and reaching for food
- becoming upset when the food is taken away
Your baby will tell you they are full by:
- shutting their mouth when you offer them food
- turning their head or pushing the food away
- getting distracted from eating
- crying and fussing to get out of the highchair or away from the table
Parent Tip
Don’t force them to eat if they don’t want to and don’t stop them from eating before they are full. This allows your baby to listen to their hunger and fullness cues. Babies’ appetites can change from day to day.
Do I still keep breastfeeding/chestfeeding and/or bottle-feeding my baby?
- Continue breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and/or formula feeding your baby on cue. This is still your baby’s main source of nutrition as they learn to eat solid foods.
- Continue giving vitamin D daily.
- If you are breastfeeding/chestfeeding, continue doing so until your child is two years old or older. Breastfeeding /chestfeeding provides many benefits to both you and your child.
- For ideas on how to incorporate starting solids with breastfeeding/chestfeeding or formula feeding click here.
Getting started – share the experience, show the yum!
Your baby is learning all about food – how it tastes, smells, feels…if it can be used as paint? It’s going to get messy, but exploring is part of the fun of learning.
- Some tips for coping with the mess:
- Set up a splash mat or bed sheet under the highchair.
- Put your baby in the highchair in nothing but their diaper for easier clean up and less laundry.
- Sit back, relax and take some photos.
Your baby wants to do what you do – if you look like you’re enjoying the taste and texture, chances are they will too.
Include your baby at family mealtimes. Talk with your baby and limit distractions such as toys, telephones and television.
Now to get started! See our article on What foods do I give my Baby First?
Quick links:
- What Foods do I give my Baby First?
- Baby-led Weaning
- Baby Food: Making or Buying?
- Wondering about Food Allergies?
- Is my Baby Gagging or Choking?
- Introducing Different Textures of Baby Food
- When Can I Give Water, Milk and Plant Based Beverages to my Child?
Questions?
If you have a nutrition or food question, call Dial-a-Dietitian Manitoba at 204-788-8248 in Winnipeg or 1-877-830-2892.