When to feed your baby solid food

Age: 4 to 6 months

Signs of readiness for solid food
Some clues to watch for

• Can hold head up (TK is able to do that very well at 3m)
• Sits well in highchair
• Makes chewing motions
• Shows significant weight gain (birth weight has doubled) (TK's birth wt doubled at 3m)
• Shows interest in food (TK stares at us when we're eating in front of him, sometimes he even swallow hard)
• Can close mouth around a spoon
• Can move food from front to back of mouth
• Can move tongue back and forth, but is losing tendency to push food out with tongue
• Seems hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day (at 4m, TK is only taking 30oz in a day)
• Is teething

What to feed

• Breast milk or formula
• Semi-liquid iron-fortified rice cereal
• Other grain cereals like oats or barley

How much per day

• Begin with abt 1 tsp dry rice cereal mixed with 4 to 5 tsp breast milk or formula
• Gradually thicken consistency and increase to 1 tbsp dry cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, twice a day

Feeding tips

• If your baby won't eat the cereal on the first try, offer it again in a few days
• more detailed tips on how to introduce solids