How to get started when you’re introducing solids
The practical tips can help when you’re first introducing solids:
- Choose a time of day when you and your baby are calm, relaxed and not in a rush.
- Sit your baby on your knee, in a highchair, or somewhere that they’re safe, supported and supervised.
- Give your baby a spoon to practise eating with. You might like to feed your baby with one spoon while they play or practise with another spoon.
- Give your baby pieces of soft food, so your baby can learn to feed themselves. Babies get better at managing finger foods with regular practice.
When is the right time to start introducing solids? When your baby shows signs of being ready. These signs include reaching for food or opening their mouth when you offer food. This usually happens around 6 months old, but not before 4 months.
How to feed your baby solids with a spoon
Here’s how to get started:
- Put a small amount of food onto the front of a soft, flat spoon.
- Bring the spoon near your baby’s mouth, and wait for them to open their mouth.
- Put the spoon into your baby’s mouth, being careful not to push the spoon in too far.
- Give your baby time to suck or swallow the food.
- Repeat steps 1-4 until your baby shows signs that they’ve had enough to eat.
If your baby wants to eat more, they might lean towards you and open their mouth for the next spoonful.
Food safety and hygiene are important for keeping your baby healthy. Wash your hands before preparing or serving your baby’s food. And always use clean spoons, bowls and plates. You can wash them with warm soapy water or use the dishwasher.
What if your baby refuses solids?
If your baby refuses food, it might be because they’ve had enough to eat. Signs that your baby has had enough include:
- turning their head away
- losing interest or getting distracted
- pushing the spoon away
- clamping their mouth shut.
If this happens, it might help to know that it’s natural for your baby’s appetite to vary from day to day.
Your baby might also refuse food because they’re tired. If you see signs of tiredness in your baby, it’s a good idea to get them ready for sleep. You can try solids again another time or another day.
Your baby might refuse food because it’s new. This is also natural. Sometimes babies and children need to try new foods 8-10 times before they accept them. If this happens, just offer the food again another day. Offering your baby a new food alongside one they already like can sometimes encourage them to try the new food.
At first, your baby might not swallow much. This is because eating solids is a skill, and learning new skills takes time. Just try to be patient and go at your baby’s pace.
How to move from first foods to family foods
By the time your baby is 12 months old, they should be eating the same foods that the rest of the family is eating. This is a good time for you to think about the foods you eat and enjoy a variety of healthy foods together as a family. This sets a great example for your baby.
Here are ideas for developing your baby’s interest in new foods after they’ve started solids:
- Offer your baby tastes of what you’re eating to introduce the flavours of your home-cooked meals.
- As your baby starts eating more solids, feed them during family meals each day, if you can. Your baby might be more interested in food if the rest of the family is eating too.
- Talk with your baby about the food they’re eating – what it is, what colour it is, how it tastes, where it grows and how it was cooked.
- Be guided by your baby’s interest and appetite levels.
It’s common for babies to make funny faces when they try new foods. Funny faces can mean different things. For example, your baby might make a funny face when they’re surprised, confused or unsure about a new taste.
How to manage mealtime play and mess
Your baby’s eating will probably be messy and slow. Eating is a skill that babies have to learn. Also, babies learn about the world around them by touching and playing with new things, including new foods.
Here are ideas to help your baby get the most out of mealtimes and to help you manage mealtime mess:
- Encourage your baby to explore foods with their fingers. This builds skills in other areas of development, like fine motor skills and thinking.
- Try to stay calm and patient with your baby’s mess. This will help your baby to enjoy mealtimes.
- Make cleaning up easier by spreading newspaper or plastic under the highchair and having a washcloth handy.
- Try to wait until the end of the meal before wiping your baby’s face. Babies usually don’t enjoy having their face wiped regularly while they eat.
Starting solids is about more than nutrition. Once your baby is eating solids, mealtimes can become family time – time to talk, listen and bond with each other.