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The transition to solid foods is such an exciting time for little ones! I am sharing some tips to help the transition go smoothly!
For us, Parker had a hard time with the transition because of a sensitive gag reflex. We worked with an occupational therapist for a while and she worked with us during his transition to solid foods. So it took a while, but he got it and I learned a lot!
Different families choose to go about the transition to solid foods differently. I am sharing information based on the information I have found from verified sources (see all sources at bottom of the page) and from our personal experience working with an occupational therapist to help our little one with the transition. Every family has to do what works best for them! You should definitely speak with your child's pediatrician about the transition.
Our pediatrician gave us a tip when we got started that I am going to share with you. It doesn't matter if you make the purees yourself or if you buy them at the store. Do what works best for you. She told me this early on and it took a lot of the pressure and the mom guilt off of me.
When?
According to the CDC, you should start adding solid foods around 6 months old. But every child is different, so you should look for the following signs from your child that they are ready.
Your child is able to:
Sit up on their own or with your support
Has head/neck control
Will open their mouth when you give them food
Brings small items to their mouth
Tries to pick up and hold small items
What?
So you think your child is ready for solids, but what do you give them?
It is best to start with one-ingredient foods that are very smooth (with no added sugar or salt).
It is best to start with one-ingredient foods because if your child has any allergic reactions, you want to be able to identify what caused the reaction. (Check out my food allergies post, so you know what to look for with allergic reactions.)
You should wait 3 - 5 days before introducing new foods to make sure there is no reaction.
It needs to be very smooth because up until this time, your child has only had liquids.
It takes time for children to develop the ability to eat more textured foods. Once your child masters the purees (I recommend a week of mastery from personal experience.)
When we first started working with an occupational therapist, the therapist had us go back to fully pureed foods because we had moved onto more textured foods too quickly and Parker wasn't ready. He was gagging, which caused him to spit up a lot. So we had to take things slower. We even took some purees and mixed them with formula to create a little smoothie for him, this helped with a more gentle transition.
I want to emphasize taking it slow because I know we moved too quickly. Taking it slow allows you to be sure that your child is not having an allergic reaction and it gives your little one plenty of time to develop the skills to eat more textured foods.
Once your child has mastered purees, move on to slightly more textured foods like a mash.
We started with thinner mashes and moved to thicker mashes because Parker's gag reflex was so sensitive.
From mashes, move on to finely chopped, easy-to-chew foods (approximately 8 to 10 months)
Examples: Soft fruits, vegetables, pasta, cheese, dry cereal, well-cooked meats
You want to make sure you are not giving your child choking hazards, while still exposing them to different foods. My son's pediatrician recommended these Mesh Feeders to help as our son got used to new foods/textures and mastered chewing.
Other Important Notes:
Your child is still drinking breastmilk, formula, or some combination during this time
If you are feeding your little one single-grain baby cereal, you want to provide a variety of cereals (rice, oatmeal, barley) - do not serve just rice cereal as it can provide a health risk of too much exposure to arsenic.
It is important for your child to get iron and zinc from their diet, these nutrients are in pureed meats and single-grain, iron-fortified cereal
Don't be afraid to give your child allergens, just watch for a reaction - we spoke with our pediatrician who recommended giving Parker allergens as it may reduce the risk of developing an allergy.
Give your child a wide variety of foods - our OT told us that children who have a large variety of foods when they are little are more likely to like a variety of foods when older, even if they go through a picky phase
Let your child get messy - feeling the textures on their hands/faces helps them transition
Don't put food in a bottle
Try foods many times, even if your child doesn't initially like it -- I spoke with a dietician who told us we should give kids foods 50 - 100 times before they can make a real decision on if they like/do not like something. They are still learning - so keep trying!
Foods to avoid:
Juice
Cow's milk
Drinks with Caffeine
Honey
Choking Hazards
Seeds
Nuts
Popcorn
Hard Candy
Be sure to cut other food up small enough to prevent choking, especially round foods like grapes, blueberries, hotdogs, chunks of meat or cheese, etc.
If serving peanut butter, spread it in a very thin layer, and/or mix it with liquid to make it thinner, or puree it with other fruits/vegetables
Have fun at this exciting time! It's so fun to watch your baby trying things for the first time and watching them develop their tastes! If you have questions or concerns, talk with your child's pediatrician!
Remember Mama, you are doing a great job! You got this!
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