Between the ages of six to nine months, babies can begin to taste “real” food, such as mashed banana and rice cereal. But up to a year of age, all the nutrients a baby needs are obtained through breast milk or formula. For a baby that’s nursing, there’s no reason to rush into solid food, which will only be taking the place of more nutritious breast milk.

Despite this fact, there are those who think that solids will fill your baby’s tummy better because they are more, well, solid than milk.  It would be logical to think that baby will wake less often to nurse if his tummy feels fuller. Nevertheless, controlled studies show that infants who are fed solids before bedtime do not sleep through the night any sooner than infants who do not get this extra meal.

Instead of focusing on ways to get your baby to sleep through the night (which, by the way, is defined by five hours of uninterrupted sleep–not eight or ten!) it would help to understand your infant’s sleep patterns, and why frequent night waking is actually beneficial to your baby’s health!  All babies reach the milestone of “sleeping through the night,”  but it is something that will happen when baby is ready.

Source: The Baby Book. See also Dr. Sears online

feature image: WebMD: Common Baby Feeding Problems

Start solids around 6 months. Up until then, your baby’s digestive system can’t handle anything besides breast milk or formula. You may not want to wait much longer to start, or your baby may get so accustomed to her liquid diet that she loses interest in solid foods.

Cereal in the bottle: Don’t try it unless your pediatrician advises it. Your baby doesn’t need the extra calories that it adds to formula. Plus, thickened formula can cause babies to gag or inhale the liquid into their lungs.

One at a time: Waiting 2-3 days between offering new foods makes it easier to spot allergic reactions like diarrhea, vomiting, or rashes (although most symptoms appear within four hours of eating).

Don’t give up! Don’t stop trying a new food if your baby spits it out after tasting it. Sometimes, babies need to try a food 10 times before accepting it, so offer it again several days later — or mix it with something you know he likes.

Must we eat rice cereal? Although it is often a first food because it is unlikely to trigger an allergic reaction, there’s no reason you can’t start with something else. Try unsweetened applesauce, mashed veges, or pureed chicken.

Veges first? Some people will warn you that if you start with fruits, your baby will get used to the sweet taste and refuse to eat her veges. Turns out there’s no supporting evidence for this theory, so if you want to, offer fruit first.

No vegetarians here: Research shows that babies who eat meat earlier have a higher intake of zinc and iron, nutrients important for growth. Start with pureed chicken.

Spice it up! Babies should learn to enjoy plain fruits and veggies, but nothing bad will happen if you treat her to some mildly spicy ravioli.

For more info on babies and solids, click these links:

• The Complete Guide to Starting Solids
• Simple Homemade Baby Food
• Signs Baby Is Ready for Solids