11 Jan 3 Tips for Starting Solids
In collaboration with Jillian Reid, RD
1. When to start is important
If you start too early, baby may be at increased risk of aspiration or choking, and their digestive systems may also not be developed and ready to digest food. If you start too late, baby may have difficulty accepting textures and foods. The guidelines have changed over the years, so you will hear many different answers for when to get started with solids. It is important to look for the signs of readiness with your baby, which happen around 6 months of age.
- Able to sit up with minimal support.
- Good head control and able to turn head away to indicate when they are full.
- No tongue reflux. Baby is not spitting everything out of their mouth with their tongue.
- Opens their mouth when food is offered.
- Able to pick up food and try to put it in their mouth.
Signs of readiness do not include interest in food, although that is a good sign. And, including food to try to get your baby to sleep through the night is also not recommended, we often do not find this helps baby sleep anyway.
2. Start with iron-rich foods
Baby’s are born with the iron stores needed for the first 6 months of life, so it is important when starting solids to choose iron-rich food sources. This includes red meat, chicken, beans, lentils, eggs, iron-fortified cereals for example. It can be hard to meet iron needs, so adding in iron-rich cereals whether puree feeding or baby led weaning can be a good addition.
3. You can start with puree feeding or baby led weaning- both are okay
Many parent use a combination method, so you can do whatever you are most comfortable with. Health Canada does state in their guidelines that a variety of textures are safe from 6 months of age. It is important to not delay texture introduction too long if you are starting with pureed foods. By 8-9 months baby’s should have more textures included.
Register for the Starting Solids Safely recorded 2 hour webinar with Jillian Reid, Registered Dietitian and Laura Proud, Registered Nurse from Beyond the Bump Education to feel confident with feeding your baby in the first year, including how to get started, foods to include, textures, allergy introduction, choking and infant CPR.
For more information visit Jillian’s blog HERE.
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