Most Common Questions Asked by Parents- Before Starting Solids
Are you a new mom ? Wondering When , what and How to feed your infant? We are here to guide 🙂
We recommend , give it a
A Homemade Start
Whether you are at home, at a friend’s house, at the park, or on an airplane, you want to feed the baby fresh food that is both healthy and delicious.
I Deepti would like to welcome you to the wonderful world of starting solids. Introducing your little one, healthy, nutrition-rich, rich and delicious meals is one of the magical moments of parenting.
For 14 years, I have been working closely with young babies, preschoolers, and picky eaters, and families, and so many babies and toddlers worldwide have been brought up on the foundation we laid together with new parents and had their first bites with my recipes.
In the first half of your little one’s life, your baby has been thriving on your breastmilk or the supplementary food, and that’s all babies need.
But around 5 and 5 and a half, she will be ready both physically, emotionally to start solid foods. I will be answering all your questions today about starting solids. Stay there till the end. I have so much to share.
When is Baby ready to start solids?
At 5-6 months of age, the baby will start to give you clues that she/he is ready for solids. Watch out for the following signs:
- Baby shows interest in what you are eating
- She/He holds her/his head steady in an upright position and can sit upright with support
- She/He opens her/his mouth or leans forward when food is offered
- She/He swallows back food without pushing it back out of her mouth
Real Fact: Even though your baby is now moving on to solids, she is still getting the majority of her calories and nutrition from breast milk, expressed or supplementary feeds, and is still nursing 5-6 times a day.
Right now, more important is that your baby learns to eat, even if that means just a few bites at a time, rather than eating in quantity. Remember, please, it’s not about being satisfied, it’s about them.
Is Reflux, Constipation, Diarrhoea: are these side effects of starting solids?
Most babies have a degree of reflux because their muscular valve at the end of their oesophagus, which acts to keep food in the stomach , has not developed fully yet. Around 50 % of all babies will experience some reflux during their first three months, but this will prove to be a problem for only a few and they will usually outgrow it , with time.
How to know that the baby is having reflux ? Observe these signs
If your baby shows discomfort when feeding, such as arching his back, refusing to feed, and crying, it can be a sign of reflux. He may also frequently vomit or posset more than normal and cough, with no other signs of a cold.
Other symptoms are excessive regurgitation, weight loss or poor weight gain, and waking up often.
What to do if baby is showing signs of reflux ?
To alleviate the symptoms of reflux:
- Give small feeds
- Avoid the slump position, which adds pressure to the stomach – this can happen when the baby is seated in a bouncy chair or car seat, or on our lap
- Try to keep your baby upright during feeding
- In more severe cases, your doctor may help
How to deal with constipation in babies while starting solids ?
Sometimes babies become constipated when they are first introduced to solids after being exclusively fed. It can also be caused by not eating enough fibre rich foods such as not eating enough vegetables, fruit, whole grain cereals or not drinking enough fluids.
You can try to stimulate your baby’s bowels by bicycling his legs around while he lies on his back or gently massaging his tummy.
Foods that can help relieve constipation are those that contain soluble fibre. I am going to write more on this topic soon. Don’t worry, dear!
Do all babies show symptoms of Diarrhoea post starting Solids ?
Is it the most common ?
Diarrhoea is when poop is watery and offensive smelling. In babies, frequent abnormal-smelling watery stools are often caused by a viral infection, gastroenteritis. If it persists, see your P Paediatric .
However, Babies can become dehydrated very quickly.
Recommended is that Never dilute your baby’s formula to hydrate, but you can offer sips of water between feeds. Though Breast Milk has the optimum level of fluids and electrolytes needed to recover from diarrhea, so breastfeed on demand.
Also in this case scenario , keep your baby’s diet slightly bland with foods such as banana, dry toast, infant rice cereal, apple, and potato until she/he is well again.
You will find our Annaprashan program is the most valuable for young babies from six months onwards, supporting working mothers to feed their babies confidently when they fall sick and mamas can resume work with peace of mind.
We have a special care system for sick babies with our grandmother’s curated recipes to heal and recover soon.
Now Let’s talk about
The Most asked question “ Will my milk supply decrease when I start solids?”
So, should solids replace breast milk ?
My answer to you is, No. Solids during the first year are only meant to complement breastmilk, not take precedence over it or replace any breastfeedings.
It is more of a way to add textures to the baby’s diet, to allow the baby new experiences, and to help her develop hand/eye coordination through finger feeding.
Your baby should still be allowed to nurse on demand, as your milk should be her primary source of nutrition until closer to the end of the first year. Continuing to allow on-demand feedings also better ensures your milk supply.
Here is a great infographic to explain how calories supplied by breastmilk change with time, and on the other side, total calorie intake increases with external complementary foods. Nothing is getting replaced. So, keep going, mama!
Do Breastfeeding and Starting Solids go together?
What we’re aiming for during the first year is to have solids complementing breastmilk, not replacing it.
This means that when solids are introduced the breastfeeding pattern is not interrupted at all, but the baby is fed solids in slowly increasing amounts as his appetite increases. Baby will be getting about the same amount of breastmilk as he gets older, with increasing amounts of solids on top of that.
Hat Tip: Nursing before (rather than after) the solids is a good way to help keep the transition to solids proceeding slowly so that mom’s milk supply is maintained and the baby gets the breast milk that he needs.
Here are some reading resources for you:
12 Mealtime Essentials & Useful Baby Cutlery to begin with weaning from 0- 2yrs
It’s your time to begin in few days, few months and you really really want to lay the foundation of highest level of health and being for your child, you are ready to do the foundation work with me and create your mealtime manifesto, create happy family meal times, be the nutrition gatekeeper of your family, Annaprashan is for you.
Welcoming new You
I am so ready to walk the starting solids journey with you
Thanks. Cleard my worries on when and how should i give solids to my little angel. Loved your article.
Superb! I am a father of our 6 months old baby, so was wondering on starting solides. I loved your article. It addressed my own queries too. Thank you so much.