Necessary Items for Introducing Your Baby to Solid Food

Whether you are breast or formula feeding your baby, you will probably begin to feed them solid foods when they are four- to six-months old. Here are some things you need to prepare for this.

Baby food-When first beginning solids, many recommend trying cereal first, then veggies and finally fruit. Regardless of what you try first, the consistency of the solids are key. Therefore, begin with stage 1 baby foods (or puree them completely if making your own baby food) and mix cereals to a thin consistency. Babies will gag if the food is too lumpy or grainy.

Bibs-Your baby will make a mess when eating solids. A big one. Having bibs that are big enough to cover the child's entire chest are best. There are manufacturers that make long-sleeved bibs (SillyBillys). There are also vinyl bibs available, which are very easy to clean up solid food messes.

Spoons-When you first begin feeding solids, using a small spoon with a long handle is best. Some spoons have coated tips that turn white when they are too hot, which is nice. When baby gets a bit older and she is wanting to self-feed, getting spoons with shorter handles will be more effective.

Plates and bowls-I have found that bowls with suction cups on the bottom are useful when beginning to feed your baby solids. Baby's movements can be unpredictable at first, and then exploratory later on as he finds that throwing the food bowl can be as fun as eating the food inside it. Soon, however, after your baby has mastered eating solids they also master the art of pulling these bowls off their pedestals and they become useless.

Muffin tin liners-I sometimes use these to put portions of baby food in when feeding my baby solids. It is recommended that once you have fed your baby from a baby food jar, that the remainder of the jar be discarded to reduce risk of introducing bacteria into the solid food. By simply pouring portions of the baby food into muffin liners, which are disposable, you don't waste baby food.

High chair or booster seat-it is a good idea to have the baby sitting at the dinner table with the rest of the family when eating their solid foods. It allows them to be included in dinnertime activities from the earliest of ages. A high chair is great to have. The trays usually have an edge to prevent (some) food from being shoved to the ground and on baby's lap.

Paper towels-Because babies are very oral, they will continue to put their hands in their mouths even while you are feeding them their solid food meals. Paper towels help alleviate messes.

Patience-Before feeding solids, your baby is used to sucking on a bottle with a tongue-thrusting motion. When starting solids, this reflex is still present so your baby will end up pushing a lot of food forward rather than taking it in their mouths. Keep trying, and be patient. Soon your little one will have it down pat and you will enjoy feeding him solid foods!