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Not because your baby puts everything into his mouth means he’s ready to eat solid food.

By on July 27, 2018

 

Your baby’s size, teething, frequency of breastfeeding, your level of tiredness or the fact that your baby puts everything into his mouth, are not indicators of readiness.

(Check Parenting tip box below for signs of readiness).

At around six months of age, your baby will probably show signs of readiness for solid foods.

This is about the time that your baby’s intestines have matured to better handle the task of digesting foods and filtering potential allergens. In families with a history of allergies, delaying solids may be wise. Also at this age, babies are beginning to better coordinate tongue and swallowing movements.

Ideally, breastmilk makes up the main part of the baby’s diet for the first year of life and solid foods are supposed to complement the breastmilk rather than replace it.

A formula-fed baby also does not need to hurry to begin solid foods. Good foods to start with are whole foods, rather than processed foods.

Many parents typically start with packaged rice cereals, but soft ripe bananas, avocado and steamed sweet potato are ideal: Natural, nutrient-dense foods with a taste and texture your baby will enjoy.  Babies also need iron rich foods (eg. beef, chicken, liver, hijiki seaweed). Don’t give baby tea or coffee as the tannin interferes with iron absorption. Eating is mostly about learning in the early days, and there should be no pressure on your baby to finish all the food you have prepared.

 

Starting solids in the summer presents the challenge of storing and carrying the food, as it can quickly go off in the Tokyo heat. When you cook food for your baby, you can make larger quantities and after mashing/pureeing, freeze it in an ice-cube tray. Later, tip the cubes into ziplock bags and store in the freezer. You just need to pop one or two cubes in a sealed container, inside a small insulated bag with a reuseable ice-brick and you are ready to go! On a hot day, some babies even prefer to eat their vegetable or fruit puree still half frozen… and slushy!

 

 

Parenting tips

Signs of readiness for solid foods

•  Baby sits up well without support.

• Baby no longer thrusts his tongue out

when things are put in his mouth.

• Baby is developing his “pincer” grasp,

where he picks up food or other objects

between thumb and forefinger.

• Baby is eager to participate in mealtime,

he mimics your chewing and might try to

grab food and put it in his mouth.

 

Mango, Apple and Carrot Puree (10 Baby Servings)

1/2 cup baby carrots, chopped and steamed

1 cup mango, chopped added to the carrots

1 cup apple, peeled, chopped and added to the mango and

carrots, for a couple of minutes till  tender. Puree till smooth,

pour into ice-cube tray and freeze.

 

Further information on starting solids:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp

About Iona Macnab

Iona has helped mothers and babies from Australia, Japan, the US, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, the Middle East and all over Europe, both ex-pats and locals, while living and working in Asia since 1995. A former lawyer, she trained as a volunteer breastfeeding counselor with La Leche League International (LLL), and after running the LLL Tokyo Central group for 13 years, she also volunteers in Melbourne. She further certified as a professional lactation consultant in 2002, specializing in pre-natal breastfeeding education, breastfeeding management in the early days, particularly slow weight gain, low milk supply, attachment difficulties and colic.