While it may be tempting to start with a flourish, the best way to tackle solids is slowly and methodically. Introduce foods one at a time, and a couple of days apart.

• Make sure that everything is smooth and pureed.
• Start by offering a teaspoon of rice cereal -it’s plain, iron rich and gluten free, so unlikely to illicit any adverse reactions.
• You can use breast milk or formula to thin the rice cereal-this will make it taste slightly familiar which may help your baby to accept it.
• Slowly increase the amount you offer by a teaspoon each day. Once she’s eating two tablespoons of rice cereal at a sitting, you can begin to offer solids twice, and then three times, a day.
• Don’t be discouraged if she seems to push as much out of her mouth as you put in – for some babies, co-ordinating the chewing and swallowing actions takes a bit of time to master.

TIP!

Don’t season your baby’s food – she doesn’t need it. And don’t introduce all the sweet foods (apple, pear) first, as she may not want to give the savouries a try later.

Foods to introduce from 6-8 months:

• potato, pumpkin, carrot
• mashed banana, cooked and mashed apple or pear

Foods you can introduce after eight months:

At this stage, your baby should be able to cope with coarsely mashed foods. She’ll also enjoy finger foods such as pieces of soft fruit, cooked vegetables and toast, all of which will encourage self-feeding. Try:

• ground up meats and chicken
• cereals such as whole rice, couscous and pasta – though delay these if you have a family history of wheat-based allergies
• yoghurt
• a little cow’s milk to add to cereal or food such as custard

Solids: 12 months and beyond

At 12 months, you can introduce cow’s milk to your baby’s diet. At this stage she’ll be able to eat coarsely textured foods, including meat, and will be moving towards a family diet. She’ll also be able to wield a spoon with varying degrees of success, though she may prefer the more ‘hands-on’ approach to eating.

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include The Royal Children’s Hospital , Raising Children Network and The Children’s Hospital, Westmead.