Spencer has been eyeing and reaching for our food and drinks for a couple months now! Finally he is 6 months old and his little system is ready to start digesting "solids".
As written on Baby Center Canada:
"The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends exclusive breastfeeding until your baby is six months old. After six months, breastmilk alone doesn't provide your baby with enough nutrients, in particular iron, so other foods are needed.
Waiting until six months to introduce solid foods into your baby's diet will help minimise the risk of developing adverse reactions to foods and allergies. This is particularly important if you have a family history of allergies, as the incidence of adverse food reactions, allergies and celiac disease does decrease if you delay weaning until this time. If you feel your baby needs to start solids before six months, do discuss it with your family doctor first. This is particularly important if your baby was born prematurely."
One of the first things your baby has to learn when weaning begins is how to swallow "non fluids". So that your baby doesn't have to cope with new flavours as well as using different muscles, bland baby rice mixed with baby's usual milk is the most common first food. Mix one teaspoon of rice cereal for every 4 to 5 teaspoons breastmilk to make it easier to swallow and digest. Start out slowly, preparing a tablespoon sized portion of food and don't worry if baby doesn't finish the food. Just follow up the meal with breastfeeding.
It is advisable to introduce one food at a time so you can tell if your baby reacts adversely to a food. Rice cereal is a good first food because it is very unlikely to cause a reaction. There are many baby rice cereals on the market. We chose Healthy Times Organic Baby Cereal found at Whole Foods, Capers and Choices Markets. This cereal is organic, made from whole-grain brown rice, no unhealthy additives and has many other benefits that made it a clear winner for us.
Stage 1 Baby Foods- single ingredient baby rice cereal followed by soft steam cooked thinly pureed fruits and veggies should be baby's first solid food experiences. It's important to introduce single ingredients only at a space of 4 days apart with the introduction of each new food. Stage 1 Baby Food is a term that applies to baby foods that are highly pureed and strained. The foods in this range are targeted to babies who are between the ages of 6 to 8 months old. These foods are thin, runny and are the lowest on the allergy scale. Stage 1 baby foods are typically those foods that are also more easily digested by a tiny tummy.
Stage 1 Foods Include:
Grains- rice cereal & barley cereal.
Vegetables- sweet potatoes, butternut or winter squash, carrots, peas, green beans.
Fruits- avocado, banana, papaya, mango (not cooked just carefully mashed), pear, apple, apricot, plum (steamed and mashed).
Check out the Wholesome Baby Food website for more information on feeding baby. This website is a wonderful resource! You will find recipe ideas, rules of thumb, safety considerations, information on nutrients and more.
