This blog post will take you through your baby's first foods and the stages of introducing the different foods to your baby. I truly hope you feel well equipped to offer your baby the best start in life and help them build a strong and happy relationship with food!
This is a very special time in a child's life when you consider their health and long-term relationship with food. We as parents are the facilitators of our child’s genetic setup; from the womb - to the milk - to the dinner plate, we set up our children for life.
I consider this one of the most important pieces of information I can offer you to help you give your child the best start in life. What happens in the womb is your baby's genetic setup, and what we feed them is the gateway to health or disease. Of course, we want to choose health!
I have been presenting "Baby's First Foods - A Guide To Starting Solids" as a live event for over six years and have now transformed into a more comprehensive and detailed webinar through this blog post so you can read and listen to the information when it suits you best (probably during baby's nap time right!?) and in the comfort of your own home. I have also accumulated even more information and detail into this webinar, so you are guaranteed to have all the tools you need to provide your baby with everything he/she needs and be confident and relaxed as this first major transition in your baby's life unfolds.
Is your baby ready for solid food? Please remember; I recommend introducing your baby's first foods at 6 months, nevertheless some babies may be ready for solids prior to 6 months. One of the most common questions I get is "how do I know my baby is ready for solid food?".
With this course about your baby's first foods you will know how to:
The signs to look for if your baby is ready for the first foods:
If you have any doubt about your baby’s readiness please get in touch with me, a Skype or Face-Time consultation can allow me to assess your baby easily – to set up a Face-Time or Skype session simply: Book A Consultation
Foods to give to your baby by age:
5-6 Months Old Baby
6-8 Months Old Baby
Offer your baby the breast milk or formula before meals as the milk is still more important than the food at this stage.
8-9 Months Old Baby
12+ Months Old Baby
Chicken soup/bone broths are fantastic for baby's first foods and as the base for your purees. After approximately 8 months you can even offer it on its own as a lukewarm drink. I suggest making your own and freezing them in an ice-cube tray, handy serve size for each meal. Get the bone broth recipe here.
Strategy for a successful start with your baby's first foods
Things to be aware of when introducing solids foods to your baby
Signs of intolerance: include redness around the mouth; abdominal bloating, gas and distension; irritability, fussiness, over-activity and awaking throughout the night; constipation and explosive poos; frequent regurgitation of foods; nasal and/or chest congestion; and red inflamed eczema-like skin rash.
A note on Eggs: Egg yolks, rich in choline, cholesterol and other brain-nourishing substances, can be added to your baby's diet as early as four months, as long as baby takes it easily. (If your baby reacts poorly to egg yolk, discontinue and try again one month later).
How to go about giving meat to your baby: Cook meat gently in filtered water or homemade stock until completely tender, or use meat from stews, that you have made for your family dinner. Make sure the cooked meat is cold and is no bigger than 1-2 cm (chunks). Grind up the meat first until it's almost like a clumpy powder. (This is for 5-7 months) Later the cubes are a better option. Use, formula or breast milk, broth or the natural cooking juices as the liquid so it has a juicy consistency and isn’t too dry.
Here's what you need to avoid for your baby's first foods
A Little About Me, The Creator of "Baby's First Foods - A Guide To Starting Solids":
I am a mother of 3 girls. I have worked with children for more than 6 years and I am continuously staying up to date with the latest research on Paediatric nutrition. With my clinical and personal experience, I have created this comprehensive online course to help you feel confident and know how to support your baby the best! It truly makes a difference when you feed your baby the right foods and don't fall into the many fads and food marketing traps that can be so very hard to navigate through.
I help you understand what foods to start with and which foods come later. I educate you on how the food impacts your baby and how you can use food to strengthen their child’s immune and digestive system from the very beginning. I also clarify why some foods are important to avoid and why there are foods that are best to start with and why some need to come later. I wholeheartedly believe this is a time to really pay attention to how you help your baby connect, bond, and feel about food. You can do your baby a lot of good by considering your family history of illness, intolerances, and allergies, and the way you birthed your baby is also a very important factor here. Starting your baby on solids – the right way – can help minimise or eliminate allergies and intolerances that run in your family. Most importantly, it sets your baby up with a much more resilient foundation for his/her health and wellbeing.
Your baby's first foods and all the factors mentioned really define the foundation of your baby’s health – the platform on which they will build their long wonderful lives. Start right, and the rest will be effortless.
As all babies are different this guide of your baby's first foods is for general recommendations only. I do not have you or your baby in front of me, so please follow my guidelines and always seek further advice if you have any questions, concerns or if your baby has been unwell or is taking medication – an email is always welcome: annamaria@annamaria.com.au, I’d love to hear from you.
What Mothers Think Of "Baby's First Foods - A Guide To Starting Solids
This course gave me all the information I needed to feel confident about starting solids with my baby. I loved the fact that it was short and simple to follow, and gave explanations as to why certain foods should be introduced at different times. It's so handy to have the pdf document as a support that I can go back to anytime. Thank you for putting together such an informative and easy to follow guide
- Elise, mum to baby Camille.
This was very helpful and informative. I felt well informed and relaxed about everything when at the end. What i found most interesting was the foods to introduce. It's a lot easier than I thought. I recommend Anna-Maria's talk on solids! She made me feel very at ease and well informed. I feel more comfortable now. I was a little anxious before the talk but now I am a lot more relaxed about it. Thank you very much - It was amazing!
- Karen, mum to baby Chloe Rose.
Anna-Maria's Starting Solids online course was extremely useful. I loved the way she presented information in a way that was easy to digest but still provided the reasons for her suggestions so I could run it past my own "does-it-apply-to-me-ometer". The length of the course was perfect for busy mums to get started. I will be recommending it to other mums for sure!
- Kelly, mum of one.