- During the first year of the baby’s life, the primary source of nutrition should be formula or breastmilk. This should not be replaced by solids. Solids are meant to be complementary foods and introduced more from the point of view of introducing the baby to new tastes and textures.
- Always offer breastmilk or formula when the baby is hungriest. The ideal time to offer solids is around an hour after the baby has been fed milk.
- Always follow the 3 day wait rule while introducing solids. i.e feed the same food item 3 days in a row watching for allergic reactions all the while. If you notice any allergic reaction or upset tummy, discontinue feeding that food and reintroduce again after 1 month.
- Always introduce only one new food item at a time. Two food items can be mixed together and given only when both have been separately fed to the baby following the 3 day wait rule.
- If the baby refuses to eat the solid food, do not get stressed. At this stage, solid food is only meant to introduce the baby to new tastes and textures. The baby gets the required nutrition from formula or breast milk.
- Start introducing solid food slowly, starting with only 1 teaspoon of the food on day 1 and gradually increasing to around 3 tbsp of the food. However, as mentioned above, do not worry if the baby does not finish the entire food or does not like it.
- Start with only one meal a day and then gradually increase to 2-3 meals a day, feeding 3 tbsp of food at each meal.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. All the information which I am providing is based on my baby’s doctor’s advice and after doing a lot of online research.
Note: I will keep adding more information as I progress through my journey of feeding solids to my baby.
