There’s nothing more adorable than a picture of a happy baby contentedly smearing food on his face -- and everywhere else. (Until it’s time to clean up, of course.) Starting your baby on solid food can be fun, playful, and messy!

For some parents, introducing solid foods can also be confusing, therefore, I have compiled this series to guide you through it all…thank me later!

This article contains answers to the following questions:

• When should I introduce solid food to my baby?
• How can I tell when my baby’s ready for solid food?
• How should I introduce solid food to my baby?
• How can I tell when my baby is full?
• Do I still need to give my baby breast milk or formula?
• How do I introduce each food to my baby?
• How many times day should my baby at solid food?
• What equipment do I need to feed solids to my baby?
• What do I need to make homemade baby food?
• How should these foods be prepared for my little one (Recipes)?
• Where should I feed solids to my baby?
• What are Stage 1 solid baby foods (for 6-8months)?
• What are Stage 2 solid baby foods (8-10months)?
• What are Stage 3 solid baby foods (10-12months)?
• How can I help my child develop healthy eating habits?

When should I introduce solid food to my baby?

You can introduce solids any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready. Until then, breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs and can handle. His digestive system simply isn't ready for solids until he nears his half-birthday.

The World Health Organisation and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least six months – though parents will attest that some babies are eager and ready to eat solids earlier.

How can I tell when my baby's ready for solid food?

Your baby will give you clear signs when he's ready to move beyond liquid-only nourishment. Cues to look for include:

• Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
• Losing the "extrusion reflex." To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.
• Sitting well when supported. Even if he's not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.
• Chewing motions. Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling – though if your baby's teething, you might still see a lot of drool.
• Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they've doubled their birth weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 4 months old.
• Growing appetite. He seems hungry – even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.
• Curiosity about what you're eating. Your baby may begin eyeing your bowl of rice or reaching for a forkful of fettuccine as it travels from your plate to your mouth.

How should I introduce solid food to my baby?

For most infants, you can start with any pureed solid food. While it's traditional to start your baby on solids with a single-grain cereal, there's no medical evidence to show that introducing solid foods in a particular order will benefit your baby. Good foods to start with include pureed sweet potatoes, squash, applesauce, bananas, peaches, and pears.

First, nurse or bottle-feed your baby. Then give him one or two teaspoons of pureed solid food. If you decide to start with cereal, mix it with enough formula or breast milk to make a semi-liquid. Use a soft-tipped plastic spoon when you feed your baby, to avoid injuring his gums. Start with just a small amount of food on the tip of the spoon.

If your baby doesn't seem very interested in eating off the spoon, let him smell and taste the food or wait until he warms up to the idea of eating something solid. Don't add cereal to your baby's bottle or he may not make the connection that food is to be eaten sitting up and from a spoon.

Begin with a once-a-day feeding, whenever it's convenient for you and your baby, but not at a time when your baby seems tired or cranky. Your baby may not eat much in the beginning, but give him time to get used to the experience. Some babies need practice keeping food in their mouths and swallowing.

Once he gets used to his new diet, he'll be ready for a few tablespoons of food a day. If he's eating cereal, gradually thicken the consistency by adding less liquid. As the amount your baby eats increases, add another feeding.

How can I tell when my baby's full?

Your baby's appetite will vary from one feeding to the next, so a strict accounting of the amount he's eaten isn't a reliable way to tell when he's had enough. Look for these signs that he has probably had enough:

• Your baby leans back in his chair.
• Turns his head away from food.
• Starts playing with the spoon.
• Refuses to open up for the next bite. (Sometimes a baby will keep his mouth closed because he hasn't yet finished with the first mouthful, so be sure to give him time to swallow.)

Do I still need to give my baby breast milk or formula?

Yes, your baby will need breast milk or formula until he's a year old. Both provide important vitamins, iron, and protein in an easy-to-digest form. Solid food can't replace all the nutrients that breast milk or formula provides during that first year. See how much breast milk or formula babies need after starting solids.


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How did you start your baby on solids? SHARE with us in the comment section….Let's all learn more

i dub you nairaland person of the year for this post.
more knowledge to your reasoning.....i really learned from this

Cute pics

pls op did you write this yourself cos I have read about it online when I wanted to start my baby on solids. Anyways am just asking.

A really good summary of all important information there is to know!

I think that introducing my baby to solid foods is one of the most adorable things I have seen in my entire life. I felt like a proud mama seeing my baby experience new things by touching and tasting the cucumbers I gave her. She enjoyed doing it and for me, introducing her to new veggies and fruits is always a pleasure because I get to know her and her taste better.

Based on my experience, I would like to add that there is a difference when introducing a breast fed baby and a formula fed baby to solid foods. Since I read an article about introducing solid foods (https://myorganicformula.com/blogs/organic-baby-formula/introducing-solid-foods-part-one ), I breast fed my baby before giving her some solid food to try. This is important so that you can keep producing milk for your baby. However, if the baby is formula fed, then it is also possible to feed the baby with formula milk after eating solid food.

Introducing solid shouldn't be anything difficult. I believe it should be done after the first year or even second year. Lot's of research on that. The more your the baby takes breast milk the better protection they'll have later one. Ask those who shy away from it.