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Is Your Baby Ready for Solid Foods?
Learn About Baby's Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods
There are many signs that might lead you to believe that your little one is ready to begin eating solid foods. But how exactly do you know if your baby really is ready for solid foods? Has your baby doubled her birth weight? Does your baby have good head control?
Your baby may be 3 months old or 4 months old when you start to feel she may need "something more" than formula or breast milk. Maybe she is beginning to awaken more often at night or eat more often than "usual" and you wonder if introducing solid foods may be what she needs.
A Growth Spurt May be Confused with a Readiness for Solid Foods
Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age. Your baby may begin to wake more frequently at night for a feeding and/or may begin to eat non-stop (cluster feed) as she once did as a newborn. This growth spurt often accounts for the increased hunger in your baby and it should not be taken as a sign that your baby needs solid foods added to her diet.
You may try offering your baby more frequent nursing sessions and/or bottle feedings instead of solids; you will find that within a week or two, your baby is oftentimes over the growth spurt and back to feeding "as usual".
Here are a few "signs" that may indicate your baby is ready for Solid Foods:
- Loss of tongue-thrust reflex - This allows baby to drink and swallow liquids with ease; with the tongue-thrust reflex still present, baby may simply drink in liquid purees or push the food back out. According to Dr. Jim Sears, in the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, and that glob of cereal actually may have a chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy!
- Ability to let you know she is full from a "meal" with signs such as turning away from the bottle or breast. This is important so that baby is able to self-regulate the amount of food being eaten. This helps stop baby from accidentally overeating as parents may continue to feed baby thinking that she is still hungry.
- Ability to sit up and hold head up unassisted
- Interest in your food (I tend to disagree with this one as when a baby reaches the age of 4-6 months, he is interested in putting everything in his mouth.)
- Doubling of birth weight
- Frequently waking in the middle of the night when a solid sleeping pattern had been established. This may not be the best indicator that your baby is ready for solids. Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age, 6-7 months of age and also 9-10 months of age. Your baby may also be waking due to an illness or teething.
Won't My Baby Sleep Through the Night If We Start Solids? (Continue Next Page)
