After passing the phase of breast feeding, babies would come to a stage when they will get the solid food. Some babies watch their parents while they are consuming solid food. Even if they have a secret desire to have solid food, they are absolutely restricted at certain age. Some babies can easily manage consuming solid food at the age of 5 months but some needs more time to adopt with the same. Whether your babies’ first bite is rice or cereal is totally your concern. It will also depend on your staple food. Some babies take their first bite as cereals whereas other feeds on rice at the first pace. You need to be very cautious about the signs of your child as all children would not have identical sign of readiness to consume the solid food.
Each parent is cautious about every single step of a baby towards his growth and development. For around 5 months he will be given nothing except mother’s breast milk. This is a crucial period for the baby. Mothers who cannot feed their baby with her breast milk can lead to variety of complications in baby. Mother’s breast milk is the best food for the baby for few months. It contains right amount of nutrients and the antibody that will help the baby to fight against variety of diseases. But after 6th month, baby develops his teeth. This is the stage when he is capable of consuming solid food.
Know the signs
It differs from one baby to another about getting the signs of consuming the solid food. Some babies can provide you with the sign within 4 months whereas other babies would take more than six years to have hunger for the solid food. The sight of muscle development as well as head control would be one of the ideal ways to find out whether your baby is ready for in taking the solid food. You can also test the baby by providing him with a single grain in a spoon. You can also mix the single grain with the formula milk or breast milk and try it on the baby. Watch his response and find out whether your baby is ready for the solid food.
Make a start with cereal
Once your baby has moved away from the breast milk, cereal will be one of the best ways to make a start with the solid food. You can boil the cereal and get it to a smooth consistency. Since, the cereals are having good amount of iron, as compared to the formulated packed food available in the market, this must be the first attempt for you. It will be really forbidden for the mothers to use salt as well as spices while preparing food for their babies.
Beans and low fat and pureed meat
Once your baby has becomes accustomed with the consumption of cereals, you can feed him with beans as well as low fat meat. You must make sure that the meat that you are feeding the baby does not have a single bone. If the bones gets inside the babies throat while consuming, this can be really harmful. Thus, it will be the best remedy to get some bone less meat from the market exclusively for the baby.
Follow the signals of the baby
When you are feeding your baby with a spoon and he tends to turn his head away, you need to put the spoon down. With this sign, you need to understand that the baby’s sign of fullness has increased. This means that your baby is no more satisfied with the formulated milk you are feeding him. Some solid bite will be needed in this situation. Your baby may also spill over the food but it will be really important to understand his need at this stage. Even if you do not understand his sign, you need to show or inform your child specialist for the same and find out the right solution.
Develop patience
If you are dealing with the food of your baby, you need to be very cautious about your temperament as your baby might make you irritated by not consuming food or spilling it over. You need to be really very patient in such situation. Different babies have different types of taste buds. Some babies might like the taste of the broccoli at the first try whereas another group of baby may not.
Introducing varieties
Your babies would get bored of consuming cereals and rice if you make him consume the same for months. You must make him available with some variety of food items. You must introduce varieties of vegetables within the serving bowl of your baby and keep changing his taste buds. You need to be very calculative with your child’s behavior especially when he is consuming solid food.
Rice ceremony of baby
Most of the Hindus have custom of organizing the first rice ceremony of their baby. This is an occasion no less than a marriage ceremony. The baby is fed with rice and different types of dishes in a platter. All these are very healthy food. Baby is set free to taste which ever food he likes. This is followed by invitees and a feast too.
Suitable solid food for baby’s first bite
You can now get a list of nutritional food from your pediatrician stating the way to cook. Even in many online baby food sites you can get the baby food recipe for his first bite. The food must be rich in all types of nutrient that your baby need. Also it must be easily digestible food. Try to avoid oil at the preliminary stage as your baby is not accustomed with it.
Khichdi/ Khichudi
This is the wonderful food for baby when he is going to have the first bite of solid food. This include rice, cereals with little turmeric and salt. All these are boiled and pressure cooked to make the cereals tiny in appearance. It helps your child to digest fast. It is very light and healthy food for every child when he going for the first bite of solid food just after his mother’s breast milk.
Egg yolk
Your child also requires adequate quantity of protein. The Egg yolk is having such quantity of nutrient that can keep your baby healthy. You need to boil a single egg, separate the egg white from the egg yolk. Now make your child consume the egg yolk. But, make sure you smash it with your hand bit by bit and make him consume or else there can be problem with digestion.
