Parents are often anxious to begin feeding their kids solid foods, with many actually starting a little too soon. Generally, pediatricians in Anthem AZ and other areas throughout the country recommend that babies exclusively drink breast milk or formula up until six months of age. After that time, solid foods can then be introduced.

If your baby has reached six months, and you have decided you would like to begin introducing solids, consider starting with pureed food, such as applesauce, bananas or sweet potatoes, or perhaps a single grain cereal, such as rice or oatmeal cereal.

Once you have decided on a solid food, consider the following list of feeding steps recommended by Glendale child care professionals and pediatricians:

  1. Begin by breast feeding or formula feeding your baby as normal.
  2. Next, place a teaspoon or two of pureed food or cereal on the tip of a soft tipped spoon.
  3. Then, place the spoon in front of your baby’s nose and mouth, allowing him or her the time to smell the food before deciding to taste it. If your baby doesn’t show much interest in the food at first, don’t force it. Put the spoon down, and try again another day.
  4. Once your baby warms to the idea of solid food, begin feeding him or her a little once a day. This allows babies to practice keeping food inside their mouths, and swallowing that food safely.
  5. As time passes, gradually increase the amount of solid food to a few tablespoons a day. Once they get used to this, you can then consider adding another solid food feeding to their daily schedule.

Following the above tips from Glendale child care professionals and pediatricians will help you to begin the process of feeding your baby solid foods.

Pediatricians do want to note that the introduction of solid food is more so about creating an interest in different flavors and textures than it is about providing a nutritionally dense meal. Breast milk or formula can still provide most of the nutrition and calorie requirements of infants around this age.

If you are interested in learning more about newborn and infant care, trust in the expert pediatricians at Pediatrix. As one of the top pediatricians in Anthem AZ and the surrounding area, we offer the highest quality medical care to ensure that your children are developing into healthy, happy individuals. We offer a wide variety of services, including immunization screenings, labs, treatments and procedures, as well as helpful advice and resources. To schedule an appointment, call Pediatrix at (602) 866-0550 or contact us online.