Introducing solids to your baby
It can be very easy to jump into the kitchen and start making fancy combinations of fruit and vegetables as an introduction to the new world of solid food, but in reality you should probably limit the pures you cook to a single constituent, so you can see how popular each new type of food is with your baby. There will be time for more extensive dishes later on.
Use fresh fruit and vegetables where possible as they will be additive-free and delicious to boot. Home-made meals are much more cost effective than shop-bought meals, so it is worth spending a bit of time each few days making up some pures. You can always freeze them and heat them during the course of the week.
In the beginning, it might be an idea to give your child half of his normal breast feed before you try his first taste of something new. This way, he won’t be extremely hungry, nor will he be too full. Try to pick a time when he is not too fractious and try to create a routine by giving him food at the same time each day. To begin with, you may want to sit him on your lap.
In the beginning he will most likely only eat a teaspoon or so, you can offer him more, but when he loses focus it is probably best to feed him the rest of his milk feed.
Children need to learn how to swallow, (hence the regurgitation anddribbling that turns yourself, him and the surrounding area into a large mess) so go slowly. For the first few of months, you should become accustomed to your lovingly home cooked fruit concoctions being unceremoniously messed around as your little one figures out how to chew.
If your baby does not show interest in solids, then it is prudent to wait a bit longer before trying again. Maintain the usual breast feeds and you could even try something a bit blander, formula and baby rice or pured sweet potato for example. He might not like the strong taste of the strange new food that you are giving him. No matter what, your baby will at some point show interest in eating.
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