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The most important thing is getting them used to new tastes and textures, and learning how to move solid foods around their mouths and how to swallow them. In the beginning your baby will only need a small amount of food before their usual milk feed.ĭo not worry about how much they eat. Get tips to help your baby sleep well How to start solid foods Sometimes a little extra milk will help until they're ready for solid foods. Starting solid foods will not make your baby any more likely to sleep through the night. These are all normal behaviours for babies and not necessarily a sign that they're hungry or ready to start solid food. waking up in the night (more than usual).The following behaviours can be mistaken by parents as signs that their baby is ready for solid foods: swallow food (rather than spit it back out).co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth by themselves.stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.There are 3 clear signs which, when they appear together from around 6 months of age, show your baby is ready for their first solid foods alongside breast milk or first infant formula. your baby will be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing it – this may mean they'll be able to progress to a range of tastes and textures (such as mashed, lumpy and finger foods) more quickly, and may not need smooth, blended foods at all.your baby will be more able to feed themselves.waiting until around 6 months gives your baby time to develop so they can cope fully with solid foods – this includes solid foods made into purées, cereals and baby rice added to milk.if you're breastfeeding, feeding only breast milk up to around 6 months of age will help protect your baby against illness and infections.breast milk or first infant formula provide the energy and nutrients your baby needs until they're around 6 months old (with the exception of vitamin D in some cases).It’s a good idea to wait until around 6 months before introducing solid foods because:
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Why wait until around 6 months to introduce solids? If your baby was born prematurely, ask your health visitor or GP for advice on when to start introducing solid foods. Gradually, you'll be able to increase the amount and variety of food your baby eats until they can eat the same foods as the rest of the family, in smaller portions. Giving your baby a variety of foods, alongside breast or formula milk, from around 6 months of age will help set your child up for a lifetime of healthier eating. They'll still be getting most of their energy and nutrients from breast milk or first infant formula. Introducing your baby to solid foods, sometimes called complementary feeding or weaning, should start when your baby is around 6 months old.Īt the beginning, how much your baby eats is less important than getting them used to the idea of eating.
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