Feeding Your Baby

Your little one is growing up so fast that he's ready to start eating solid foods. How do you know what to start with? How do you know how much to feed him? How do you know what foods he will like? Here are a few helpful tips that may help.

Once your baby is between 4 and 6 months old they can begin solid foods. At this age babies learn to use their tongue to move food to the back of their mouth and their mouth reflexes are developed enough to let them swallow the food. Most doctors recommend that rice cereal should be the first food for babies. It's easy to digest, and it mixes easily with formula or breast milk. It's really important to try one new food at a time with your little one. Going slow helps determine if the food agrees with your baby or if it causes any reactions. At first your baby may only eat less then a spoonful at first, but after time he'll be ready to eat more.

Once your baby reaches 6 months he can try a wider variety of foods, known as stage 2 foods. By this age your baby can swallow foods easily and is accustomed to the stage 1 foods. Most stage 2 foods are combination foods, so your baby should be familiar with the taste. Even though you are feeding your baby stage 2 foods, keep the stage 1 foods in their diet. It's also good if you offer your baby single grain cereal from time to time, preferably in the morning. Every baby is different so there is no one way to determine how much to feed your baby. You can probably count on larger portions for your baby at this age.

From 8-12 months you can begin stage 3 foods. By this time your baby has grown so much, you won't believe your eyes! It's amazing how quickly your little one can grow, especially since he's been eating solid foods along with formula or breast milk. By this age formula or breast milk should only be about half of your babies nutrition. At this age your baby may have a few teeth too, so it's good to get them used to chewing. Biter Biscuits or Zwieback toast is good way to help them learn, and they'll love it!