Don’t be in a rush to take this big step! Remember that your breastmilk alone is enough to satisfy your growing baby’s needs for the first six months, after which it’s time to start giving her solid food. If you are going to introduce solids to your baby earlier than this, do not do so before the age of 4 months. This is because her digestive system is not able to process anything but milk before this. In fact, giving your baby solids earlier than four months can have negative effects on her long-term health.
Waiting much later than 6 months of age is also not a good idea, as her nutritional needs increase at this age. As a result, she’s ready to be exposed to the different tastes and textures of solids.
Age is not the only factor at play though; there’s a number of developmental milestones and fine motor skills that will show that your baby is ready for her first bites of solid food:
YOUR BABY CAN SIT UP UNSUPPORTED and has good control over her head and neck.
YOUR BABY IS NO LONGER GAINING WEIGHT AS QUICKLY as she did in the early months, and her milk feeds no longer satisfy her, as she gets hungry soon after a feed.
YOUR BABY CAN REACH OUT TO GRAB an object and bring it to her mouth.
YOUR BABY SHOWS INTEREST IN YOUR FOOD.
YOUR BABY HAS LOST HER TONGUE-THRUST REFLEX and does not automatically push food out of her mouth with her tongue.
YOUR BABY MAKES A CHEWING ACTION with her jaw.
YOUR BABY HAS DOUBLED HER BIRTH WEIGHT (but if she’s done this before the age of 4 months, she’s still not ready).
This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of Your Pregnancy.
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This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of Your Pregnancy.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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