When can my baby eat food?

talk to your pediatrician, but it's generally a good idea to wait until at least 4-6 months. when the time does come, it's a good idea to start with one of the single grain baby cereals, like rice cereal. there are several brands like beechnut and gerber. you start with a tablespoon of the cereal and just enough formula to get it to a consistency like thin cream-of-wheat. a tip i have is to start out with a spoon (as opposed to the bottle-like infant feeders) even though it is incredibly messy at first until baby learns how to open his mouth for the spoon and to swallow without smushing it all out of his mouth :-). when you do start feeding any kind of food (including these baby cereals) it's important to introduce just one new food at a time, giving at least a few days before introducing another. this way if baby has an allergic reaction to something it is much easier to identify which thing they are reacting to. The order in which I started all my kids' food was as follows:

first- baby cereals, starting with rice cereal, then oatmeal, then wheat, then barley.

next- (start with step 1 foods, they are the finest puree) yellow veggies, like squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc (remember one at a time.- and I know those are mostly orange, but they are classified as yellow vegetables)

next- fruits, like peaches, pears, applesauce, apricots, bananas, etc (still going just one at a time)

when baby has gotten the hang of eating like this, these fruits can be mixed with a little baby cereal too. and when baby can eat these foods pretty well and not gag on them, you can move up to step 2 foods when you feel he is ready for the increased portion size.

next, green veggies

then other stuff, like chicken, beef, etc. (these come in baby food purees too)

Another tip for you, don't feed directly from the baby food container. instead put just about a half of the food into a little bowl and feed from that, then whatever doesn't get eaten from the bowl gets thrown away. this will allow you to save the other half of what's in the container for later if you need to (since baby will probably not eat the whole container's worth in one sitting at first). if you feed directly from the baby food container, you should throw away any uneaten portion of it since it gets contaminated with saliva (from dipping the spoon back into the food after putting it in baby's mouth) and this can cause the food to spoil and ferment faster.

Don't be in too big of a hurry. they grow up so fast as it is. i know it's kinda fun when you get to try new experiences with baby, but you will have plenty of time and opportunity to see them eat and other stuff, enjoy the newborn stage while you are there.

If this is about baby taking too much formula and you are looking for ways to quench his appetite, i would talk to the pediatrician about it, but you might try just a pacifier (the urge to suck in these early months is extremely strong, which can lead to them taking too much formula if they don't have something else they can suck on)

okay, sorry for the long answer- good luck and congrats on your little bundle!

The advice is different, depending on where in the world you live, but experts seem to agree no matter where you are that you should not feed an infant anything more than breast milk or formula until it is a minimum of 4 months old as their tummy and digestive system is too immature to cope with anything other than milk. Whatever you do, unlike some of the other respondents here DO NOT put cereal in your baby's bottle! EVER!!

My babies' paediatrician and health visitor told me that in Australia it is recommended to wait until six months as per the World Health Organization, however I was later advised by the paediatrician that allergists recommend starting earlier as it seems that babies that start solids later are more susceptible to food allergies. I believe in the UK 4 months is the recommended age. I'm not sure for the US.

Personally, I started my twins on solids when they were just over 5 months and the only other advice I can offer is that once you start your baby on solids your work load increases... I feel like all I do these days is feed my babies, be it milk feeds or solids!!

The World Health Organisation states:

"Infants should be exclusively breastfed – i.e. receive only breast milk – for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. "Exclusive breastfeeding" is defined as giving no other food or drink – not even water – except breast milk. It does, however, allow the infant to receive drops and syrups (vitamins, minerals and medicines). Breast milk is the ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; breastfeeding is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers.

WHO recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at six months (180 days) of age in addition to breast milk. Complementary foods should be given 2–3 times a day between 6–8 months, increasing to 3–4 times a day between 9–11 months. Between 12–23 months of age, 3–4 meals should be given. In addition, depending on the child's appetite, 1–2 nutritious snacks can be offered between meals. These foods should be adequate, meaning that they provide sufficient energy, protein and micronutrients to meet a growing child's nutritional needs. Foods should be prepared and given in a safe manner to minimize the risk of contamination. Feeding young infants requires active care and stimulation to encourage the child to eat.

The transition from exclusive breastfeeding to full use of family foods is a very vulnerable period. It is the time when many infants become malnourished, contributing significantly to the high prevalence of malnutrition in children under five years of age worldwide. It is essential therefore that infants receive appropriate, adequate and safe complementary foods to ensure the right transition from the breastfeeding period to the full use of family foods."

honestly if u can put it off till they are 6 months that is best for there little bellies. I gave my 1st son a small bit of rice cereal at about 5.5 months but because he was already 10kgs on breast mlk alone and thats alot of food for such a lil person 'me not the baby' My sencond is 5 months on monday i gave him a little taste of rice cereal today but he probably wont have much more till he is 6months i just wanted to see how his gag reflex was developing, ive read alot that say when the child can sit up supporting its own head, when the gag reflex has gone, when they try to reach for your food when u are eating. with my first i would use a spoon with milk or water just so he felt like he was eating with the family. probably didnt meen anything to him but itmade me feel good which sometimes u need as a mother anyways i hope all is going well for you xx

when it comes to feeding a baby, 'solids' is anything other than breastmilk or formula.

Current recommendation is 6 months.

Think about it.

The baby has to sit up well unassisted to be able to safely swallow.

The baby has to lose his tongue thrust reflex to be able to even get it to the point where he will swallow.

The baby has to be able to pick up a small object with his thumb and pointer and place it in his mouth.

These three signs of readiness VERY RARELY.. almost never happen before 6 months, and sometimes even come later.

It all depends on the baby and what your doctor says. My doctor told me to start my son on cereal at 13 pounds so around 2 1/2 months my son started cereal. I first only gave it to him at night and after a week or two I started giving it to him 3 times a day. After that he started veggies at 4 months and then fruit. I would ask your doctor though cause every baby is different. Babies that are breast feed don't start food as early as children on formula so take that into account aswell

Cereal at 4 months

1st foods (fruits and veggies) at 6 months.

It really all depends on your baby. My little one had bananas at three months and cereal in his bottle at one month.