When to Start Solids
At what age should you introduce solid foods to your infant? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing solid foods at around 6 months of age. And to expose them to a wide variety of healthy foods and textures. Two key words stick out to me when I read these recommendations which I want to explain and give more information about. The words are “around 6 months of age” and “expose them to a wide variety.”
It’s more than just an age thing
No magic switch flips inside your child the day they turn 6 months old that makes them ready for starting solid foods. It is more about the strength and developmental skills that are present around 6 months of age for infants that makes them ready. And every child is going to vary a little bit around that 6 month mark in terms of when they are ready. This is why around is such a keyword to me.
Strength and skills they need
Rather than age, watch your baby for the following signs that they are ready:
Sit up by themselves with minimal support. They can sit upright as they are strapped into their high chair. You don’t have to prop them up with pillows or supports and they aren’t leaning over or drooping. This shows they have the trunk and torso strength they need.
They can control their head and neck. Again no droopy babies. They can hold up their head and move it where they want to look. This shows they have the neck strength they need.
Open up their mouths wide when you offer them food. Try it - see how they react!
Can move food from the front of the tongue to the back to swallow, AND swallows food rather than pushing it out back onto their chin. These skills can be a little harder to interpret. Sometimes babies who show all the other signs of being ready for food will still push their tongue out a bit as they learn to move food around in their mouth. But thrusting out the tongue to push food out of their mouth is also a sign that they aren’t ready and are keeping themselves safe. So which is it? Make sure this isn’t the only sign you are seeing that they are ready, go slow, and be responsive to your baby’s needs and reactions.
Tries to grasp small objects like food and toys, AND brings objects to their mouth. If you find that you now constantly scan and are on high alert for choking hazards when you put your baby on the floor or outside of your baby-proofed home then your baby probably has this skill.
Expose, not feed
Notice the recommendation is to expose your child to a wide variety of healthy foods and textures. Not feed them a wide variety of healthy foods and textures. It is not your job as a parent to make sure your child consumes and ingests the food you put down on the table. Your job is to offer, make available, and model eating a bunch of different foods and textures. They get to decide if their exposure includes ingestion. It can be normal for some kids to take 15+ exposures, over several months, before trying a new food. For kids that seem more hesitant to try new foods, following their lead and letting them explore food on their terms is especially important for them to feel safe and supported by you. It’s hard, but do your best to approach each meal like a blank slate. As if you had amnesia regarding what your child liked, didn’t like, ate, or refused at the last meal.
Additional Tips
Looking for more info now that you know WHEN to introduce solids to your baby? Here are a few additional tid-bits and how-tos that might be helpful:
Don’t introduce solids early, particularly before 4 months of age. Babies aren’t ready before 4 months of age, and research suggests introduction this early is associated with increased risk for being overweight later in life.
Offer a variety of healthy foods and textures. Try new things. Prepare food for your baby that you yourself don’t normally eat and try it with them. This is part of it being fun and exploratory.
Avoid choking hazards and prepare and cut up food so it is safe for your baby.
Keep your reactions positive and neutral at best. Lots of smiles, laughs, and yummy noises. At the worst keep your reactions neutral.
Did your baby gag a little? Apologize and help them. Don’t jump up and shout and make the situation loud and chaotic. Try not to show them how much it freaked you out!
Didn’t like something? Don’t stick out your tongue and make a yucky face. Calmly tell them it looks like they don’t want that today and ask them if they’d like to try something else. Point to another option. Show them you are putting that food down and selecting another. Remember - they are looking to you to see how they should respond.
At first it’s about play, not eating.
Happy eating!