Baby Ready to Eat Solid Food?

Baby starting solids? How to tell if your baby is ready for solids? Here are a few hints:

• Is your baby’s tongue-thrust reflex gone? This reflex, which prevents infants from choking, also causes them to push food out of their mouths.
• Can your baby support and control his or her own head? To eat solid food, an infant needs good head and neck control and should be able to sit up.
• Is your baby interested in food? A 6-month-old baby who stares and grabs at your food at dinnertime is clearly ready for some variety in the food department.

If your doctor gives the OK approval but your baby seems frustrated or uninterested as you’re introducing solid foods, try waiting a few days or even weeks before trying again. Solids are only a supplement at this point — breast milk and formula will still meet your baby’s basic nutritional needs. Remember that breast milk and formula milk should be the main source of nutrients until age 1! Do be careful about food allergy.