When Should I Give My Baby Solid Foods?

by Christine Gayfer, October 12, 2007

Christine, a seasoned mother of five with another baby due, chats about the "common sense" method to giving a baby solid foods....

We have 5 children (plus #6 due in March) and have started all of them on solids in the same way, using this radical ;) method:

Since we find babies intuitively wake for all the 3 S's (that's shower, sex and supper, LOL!), I am usually holding a baby or nursing one while I am eating during the baby's first year. Around the middle of the first year, we start to notice our children becoming VERY interested in what we are eating. At this point, we see if they are satisfied with holding a spoon or an empty cup, whatever is the object of their focus. This generally tides our babies over for a few weeks.

After this point, they make it clear, generally by grabbing food off our plates or holding onto our arms while we are eating and pulling the food toward their mouths, that they would like more than an empty cup or spoon. When this happens, and it always does, this indicates to us that this individual baby is physiologically ready to begin to experiment with solids. I find this a much more reliable and accurate way to assess readiness than going by the calendar, which is more arbitrary and always up for debate amongst 'experts'. I prefer to use experienced moms and natural cues as my experts as much as possible. :)

So, to start solids, if there is something suitable on our plates (ie. not 5-alarm chili, but even then, I might be known to rinse off a kidney bean and offer a little taste of the inside to the baby), we will offer a taste on our finger. This is probably about 1/8 of a teaspoon. If the baby eats it up and seems interested, I'll offer more. If not, that's the end of that day's solid food adventure. If the baby happens to be sitting in a high chair, sometimes I will just take a chunk of ripe banana or avocado (my solid-starters of choice) and smoosh it into the high-chair tray for the baby to grab and shove
into his/her mouth. If they can get it into their mouths, it's fair game. I never puree food, nor do I buy baby food, both of which I have found unnecessary when starting a baby on solids after 6 or 7 months. 

Incidentally, all of our babies have started solids somewhere around this time, though none of them eat any measurable quantity of food until probably about 9-11 months and even then, nursing continues to be easily the major food source. Other friends who use the same method of introducing solids have found their babies may not start until closer to the first year, particularly if they have a history of food allergies in their family. (We don't.) I find it utterly
amazing how these babies seem to know that solid food would not be a good thing in the earlier months. One friend tried giving her baby eggs at about 10 months. This little girl happily ate a variety of solids at this point but pulled her face away and gasped when the eggs were put in front of her, refusing without even having tasted them. Her mom, trusting her, didn't push it and her daughter was later found to have an egg allergy!

I just really encourage you to use common sense in trusting your baby and make it enjoyable for both of you. I love the starting- solids stage. It is a lot of fun for both the baby and me. At the same time, when they 'start' is sometimes hard to define since they are usually just taking a speck or two of food off of your finger for the first while! Do you tell people your baby has started solids at that point? Who knows? LOL!

Happy Solid Adventure, Mama!

Christine Gayfer is a Christian homeschooling mama and a retired La Leche League leader.  She has been pregnant and/or nursing for 13.5 years straight!  :)

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