Finally, some other variety beside milk milk and milk! WHO supports exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and mentioned that solids can be introduced between 4 and 6 months. I introduced solid to HengBoi when he was about 5 months after being advised by his PD after his weight slide from the 95th percentile to the 50th percentile. He was able to sit assisted, can control his head and neck fairly well and seems to be interested when we are eating.
For a baby’s first food, start with a single grain cereal, preferably rice cereal as it is least likely to trigger an allergic reaction. The cereal can be mixed with milk, and as the child grows, the mix should get lumpier. It’s not a good idea to offer smooth purees for a long time. The child will become lazy about chewing.
- Six months
Food should have the consistency of pudding – smooth, soft, and fine in texture. The food can be mashed, sieved, pureed in a blender, or scraped with a spoon. - Seven to 10 months
Textures should be introduced. Food ought to be soft and lumpy to encourage a baby to chew, thereby developing stronger jaw muscles which help in speech development. - 12 months
Baby is now ready to graduate to joining in at family meals.
Sharing images that i felt its good for reference. Below images extracted from Family Health Service (Hong Kong):
You should try to introduce only one new food at a time so you can quickly spot an adverse reaction. Your baby will make funny faces as she experiments with new tastes and textures and will inevitably reject some meals. Keep in mind all the allergens to avoid (egg whites, peanut butter, honey, strawberries, shellfish, and raw tomatoes, for instance) as well as choking hazards (grapes, nuts, raisins, and chunks of meat, as well as sweets like hard candy and marshmallows).
A good phrase to remember is “Eat the rainbow.” Over the course of a day, serve lots of different colors, including green (peas, green beans, spinach, asparagus, zucchini), orange (sweet potatoes, cantaloupe), yellow (squash, bananas), and red (cooked tomatoes, red peppers). Babies need the same variety of nutrients adults do.
Do introduce the ingredients one at a time for at least 3 days to test for allergies if your baby have never tried the ingredients before. Start with giving only ½ teaspoon of solids at first. Slowly increase the amount to 1-2 tablespoons of solids, 2-3 times a day. Serving sizes varies (for a 6-month-old, a tablespoon or two can be a serving; for a 1-year-old, it’s more like 1/4 cup).Prepare your child’s food with no added salt or sugar. Oil may be recommended occasionally to ensure that the food has sufficient calorie density. Once your baby starts on solids, he may also need some extra fluids such as water. Health Hub has a really good guide on how much to feed and the serving size. Below images extracted from Health Hub.
Not knowing where to start, we went to NTUC / Cold Storage and decided to get some pre-packaged jar. The first jar we fed to Baby Heng was Gerber Carrot and he loved it. We also standby a few jars of Gerber Prunes (in case he gets constipated), and theses works wonder!
These are the brands that we have tried:
- Gerber: Oatmeal, Puffs, Fruits, Teether Bites
- Wakodo Rice Porridge (Variety)
- Heinz Pasta
- Bellamy’s Organic (Variety)
- Baby Bites (he loves it)
Do take note that prepackaged finger foods for baby are easy to find, but you should use them sparingly to avoid the extra sugar and preservatives
Useful Links:
- https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts
- https://www.parents.com/baby/feeding/solid-foods/feeding-9-12-month-old-baby/
- https://www.youngparents.com.sg/pregnancy-baby/how-enjoy-restaurant-meal-toddler/