One of the most interesting milestones in the first few months of a baby's life for the mother is introducing solid foods. Apart from the fact that a lot of mums believe this will help their babies sleep better at night, but the look on a baby's face when he/she tastes something else is absolutely adorable. But how do you know your baby is ready for solid foods?
Pediatricians recommend starting solids between the ages of 4 and 6months, but we should also realize that all babies are different and as such not rely strictly on the timeline but on the signs of readiness discussed below.
it is important to follow the signs of readiness as starting too early can increase the risk of an allergic reaction to the food or simply just making sure the feeding is a fun experience for the child.
SIGNS OF READINESS
- Tongue thrust reflex : To successfully feed, babies need to have out grown the reflex of using their tongue to push food out of their mouths. This is important as feeding a baby that cannot use the tongue to move food backwards, could lead to gagging and aspiration.
- Neck control: Babies need to have develop good neck control, making it possible to turn the head away when full or no longer interested.
-Sitting: Babies need to have been able to sit with assistance before introducing solids, as the upright position makes it easier to safely swallow.
-Interest and growing appetite: When a baby is ready for solid feeding, he/she will begin to show interest in your food when you are eating, and also when baby seems dis satisfied even after 6-7 feedings a day.
*** Please remember that these signs are not all inclusive. please always seek professional opinion if your baby does not seem to respond well to the food.