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Re-activateWhen your baby is 4 to 6 months old, a whole new world of tastes and textures opens up. That's when most babies are ready to start mouthing and chewing "solid" food. It's mushy and messy, but it's an important and exciting milestone.
Your baby is ready for a real-food fest when he meets some key developmental markers—he sits up with support, holds his neck steady, and shows good head control—and he reaches twice his birth weight. If you eat with your 4-to-6-month-old baby at meals, you'll begin to notice entrée envy: He may reach out and grab for the food you're eating. And you'll be able to spoon-feed your baby without resistance. At about 4 months, most babies lose the tongue-thrust reflex, the tendency for an infant to push his tongue against the roof of his mouth when a spoon is inserted. Still, your baby has a way to go before he is nibbling from your plate. (Learn how to keep your baby's food safe.)
The first solid food your baby will eat is likely to be a soupy mixture of a tablespoon or two of dry infant rice cereal combined with breast milk or formula. Breast milk or formula will still be on the menu until your baby is a year old or so and makes the switch to cow's milk. If your baby doesn't demonstrate an allergic response—rashes, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, or constant fussiness—after three to five days, you can gradually make the cereal thicker. When your baby is 6 months or so, you can begin to introduce, one at a time, yogurt, oatmeal, barley, wheat, and puréed fruits, vegetables, and meats that you buy in jars or make yourself. (See our video on organic baby food, available to subscribers.)
To learn about the next steps for baby's food, check back here tomorrow.
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