Signs of Developmental Readiness to Start Solids as per La Leche League:
- Usually middle of first year
- Your baby has at least doubled his/her birth weight or weighs at least 14 pounds
- Your baby can sit up with support
- Your baby has control of his/her head and neck
- Your baby has the ability to transfer food from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth (tongue-thrust reflex has disappeared)
- Your baby may have a tooth or two
- Your baby is capable of refusing food
- Your baby likes to imitate people and showing distinct interest in food, not just the silverware
- Your baby can reach and handle food, toys, objects
- Your baby has increased saliva production necessary for digestion
- Your baby is not ill and has no rashes
WHAT FIRST FOODS SHOULD I FEED MY INFANT?
- Different cultures start with different first foods – you may want to think specifically about foods that provide decent mineral quality for supplemental foods.
- La Leche League typically says to start with banana, pears, applesauce (make your own), cooked carrots, sweet potatoes and winter squash, avocados. Some cultures start with meat as a first food!
- Use your own clean finger as the first spoon
- Offer new foods in the morning in case of allergic reaction
One book you may consider on this topic is the classic “Feeding the Whole Family: Recipes for Babies, Young Children, and Their Parents” by Cynthia Lair. It takes recipes the whole family can eat, and suggests how to take all or parts of the recipe to make food your infant can eat as well. All recipes are centered on fresh, whole foods ingredients.
Food Allergies per La Leche League:
Top foods to cause allergic reactions: beans, berries, cabbage, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus fruits and juices, coconut, corn, cow’s milk, eggs, nuts (especially peanuts – and peanut allergy is a type of allergy that children do NOT outgrow as they age), onions, pork, shellfish, tomatoes, wheat.
Typically tolerated foods include:
Fruit – apples, apricots, bananas, peaches, pears, plums
Vegetable – asparagus, beets, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes
Rice and grains such as oats, barley, millet
Common Signs of Food Allergies: (Dr. Sears)
Skin – Hives, Red Sandpaper-Like Facial Rash, Dry/Itchy/Scaly Skin on face, Swelling in Hands and Feet, Puffy Eyelids, Dark Circles Under Eyes, Lip Swelling, Tongue Soreness and Cracks
Respiratory – Sneezing, Runny Nose, Stuffy Nose, Wheezing, Watery Eyes, Rattling Chest, Persistent Cough, Congestion, Bronchitis, Recurring Ear Infections
Intestines- Burnlike Rash Around Anus, Abdominal Discomfort, Mucusy Diarrhea, Constipation, Intestinal Bleeding, Poor Weight Gain, Bloating/Gassiness, Excessive Spitting Up, Vomiting
Behavior – Fatigue, Migraine Headaches, Hyperactivity, Crying, Irritability, Night Waking, Anxiety, Crankiness, Sore Muscles and Joints
The scoop on juice: (La Leche League)
For ages six to twelve months, no more than four ounces of juice a day (That’s half a cup!)
Snipets taken from http://theparentingpassageway.com/2009/03/11/starting-solids-with-your-infant-and-picky-toddler-eating/
