Complementary feeding means adding solid foods to your baby’s diet in addition to his normal breast milk or formula feedings.
Breast milk or formula with iron contains all of the nutrition your baby needs for healthy growth for the first six to nine months. Somewhere around that time—it ranges from child to child—your baby will be ready for his first taste of solid food. The process of adding solid foods to your baby’s diet is called complementary feeding. The purpose is to teach your baby how to eat, chew, and swallow food, introduce him to a variety of flavors and textures, and provide extra nutrients that he isn’t already receiving from breast milk or formula.
The general rule is to start feeding your baby solids around six months, and continue to breast or formula feed until at least one year old.2
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians advise not to feed your baby any food (even a taste!) before six months, because babies are not capable of handling food any earlier.3 Doing so could cause him to choke, give him diarrhea, or even increase the risk for certain long-term diseases such as diabetes and obesity.4 Plus, human milk is more nutritious than any kind of solid food; so for breast-fed babies, feeding too early means he’ll miss out on essential nutrients and antibodies that are so good for him.5 If your baby has any developmental delays, or you are unsure about when to start feeding solids, talk with your doctor to determine the right time.
If your baby is over six months old, and your pediatrician has given you the go-ahead, but you still aren’t sure if you should start, look to your baby! Though he can’t talk yet, he’ll give you clues to let you know when he’s ready for his first taste of solid food. He’ll start eyeing your food, and maybe even reaching for it!
Complementary feeding means adding solid foods to your baby’s diet in addition to his normal breast milk or formula feedings.
Before eating solid foods, your baby needs to be able to sit up in a high chair on his own and hold his head up. He also needs to have lost his tongue-thrust reflex,7 which causes your baby to automatically push solid food out of his mouth.8 This usually happens between four and six months.
Another sign that baby is ready for solids is that he is interested in watching you eat. He may curiously watch as you bring the loaded fork from your plate to your mouth. He may even reach for it, put his hands in his mouth, or open his mouth as if he wants you to feed him. Also, if he still seems hungry after you feed him breast milk or formula, and he’s not teething or going through a growth spurt (which it would be normal for him to feed more frequently), then it may be time to start introducing solid foods.
As mothers, we get lots of advice from all different sources. Friends or family members might encourage you to start feeding baby solids earlier than the recommended age. Usually it’s because they aren’t up to date on their information, or because that is simply what they did. Steer clear of common misconceptions like, “if you start solids early, your baby is more likely to sleep through the night” or “starting solids early helps put on weight.” We know that starting solids before baby is physically ready has very little benefit and can actually be harmful.6 If you feel that it is better for your baby to start solids early, talk to your doctor.
Infant cereal is traditionally the first food given to babies in the United States. Rice cereal mixed with breast milk, formula, or water is easy to digest, and unlikely to cause food allergies. Also, the soupy texture helps babies learn how to swallow.
Though such cereals have been recommended as the best starter food for decades, there is new research showing that infant cereals are high in carbohydrates and low in natural vitamins, minerals, and protein.9 Though some are fortified with nutrients, infant cereal may not be the most nutritious first food.
In 2009 the AAP started recommending fruits, veggies, and meat in place of infant cereal for baby’s first food. Finely pureed fruit, vegetables, and meat are easy to swallow and extremely nutritious. They can also help promote healthy eating preferences at a young age.10 Despite these benefits, traditionalists argue that these foods are too advanced for young babies who may develop food allergies or have a hard time digesting.
So which is the best approach? Think about it and go with your gut. If your family has a lot of food allergies, you may want to play it safe and go with rice cereal for the first few feedings. Or if you decide on a whim that today is the day to give baby his first taste of food, and all you have at home is bananas, then go with bananas! Try to choose a food that is mild, easy to digest, and has low risk for food allergies.
Whichever you choose, this book will help you navigate the process, offering recipes on how to make your own infant cereal as well as purees that are perfect for the first feedings.