How and when to start baby on solids. Sample schedule to follow.

Table of Contents

Overview

Starting a baby on a solid schedule can be an exciting time for you and your baby. But before that, many questions come to mind like how and when to start baby on solids and what schedule to follow initially.

What method is the best way to start? What foods should you introduce first? and What to do if your child will not love solids? But don’t worry, here is everything you need to know about starting a baby on solid, including sample schedules.

Things to consider before starting this solid journey for babies

Knowing the best way to feed your baby is essential as a parent. You want them to eat on a schedule, not just whenever they feel hungry.

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Feeding times should be consistent throughout the day—not just for one meal but also for snacks between meals. Make sure each time slot corresponds with peak activity levels so that when hunger strikes during those times of day, baby will show more interest in solid.

Starting your baby on a solid schedule is an excellent way to ensure that they get the right amount of food and water at the right times every day.

You must also follow a regular schedule for feeding, sleeping, and playtime with your baby. By keeping these things consistent, you can help their brain to develop properly and ensure they will get all the nutrients they need to grow up healthy.

When to start baby on solids

Solid food refers to either traditional baby food or baby-led weaning finger foods—anything besides breast milk or infant formula. Watching for developmental signs is the best way to tell if your baby is ready to start solid foods.

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Some of the development signs to look for are, as soon as you’re sure your child has mastered sitting up and holding the spoon, start feeding them solid foods at least once a day and then move it to twice a day.

Primary source of nutrition is still breastmilk

Breast milk offers all the nutrients a baby needs to grow and develop normally and keeps them healthy. Most mothers will continue to breastfeed their babies until they are 12 months old.

Breastfeeding lowers the risk of diseases and improves immunity. It also helps with weight gain, healthy brain development and immune system function. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby to develop a strong immune system—essential because they’re born without one! Breast milk also contains special fats called colostrum which is the first milk.

Colostrum has many antibodies that protect against bacteria in newborns’ intestines; it’s like medicine for an infant’s digestive tract.

Small babies will eat very small portion

The first few weeks are the most crucial time for introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet because their body takes time to adapt to this new change. This might be possible then initially they will not like it or have only 1 or 2 tbsp, which is completely normal.

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This journey will go slow, and they will adapt to this by the time. Make sure, not to force them to eat bigger portion and introduce one food at a time so that you can identify any allergies as well.

Benefits of solid foods for young babies

Here are few of the benefits of solid foods for young babies

Solid foods help aid digestion

Solid foods are an excellent way to help an infant’s digestive system get used to solids and develop healthy eating habits. It is digested more slowly than breast milk or formula, so that babies can get the nutrition they need from their meals.
This helps prevent digestive issues like diarrhea and constipation in babies who can still not digest the proteins found in breast milk or formula easily.

Important for nutrition

The food that you feed your baby will provide them with energy, vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein and fat, which are necessary for healthy development. Energy: Your baby needs a lot of calories each day to keep up with their growth, and they need about 1,000 calories per day to grow and develop properly.
This is why giving them whole milk instead of formula or diluted juice is essential because it has more nutrients than other liquids like water or fruit juice, which are low in nutrients.
Vitamins: Your baby needs vitamins like A & D and B12. These come from the food you eat.

Essential for physical growth and development

Solid foods are essential for physical growth and development. A baby’s skeleton, immune system and nervous system benefit from adding solid foods to their diet. The bones built during infancy are important because they will continue to grow throughout childhood.

If you do not provide your child with adequate nutrients during this period of rapid growth, it can lead to osteoporosis (weak bones) later in life. Solid food also helps build a strong immune system which is necessary to protect against disease.

Help them to be independent

The first thing to know about babies is that they are very much in touch with their bodies. They can sense hunger, thirst and other sensations through the skin.

So, if you offer him a variety of textures and food at every meal—from soft fruits like bananas and melons to hard vegetables like carrots or potatoes—your child will begin to appreciate different kinds of flavors as well textures.

This will help him gain greater control over his food intake and become more independent when it comes time for him to eat solids.

Signs to looks for before starting babies on solids

Here are a few signs that babies give as they grow which are called developmental signs before starting solid journey.

Your child is reaching for your food.
They open their mouth voluntarily to accept food.
They can sit up straight without assistance and has good head and neck control.
They’re curious about your food or what’s on your plate.

Sample schedule for starting solids at the age of 4 month

If your baby is displaying signs of readiness for solid foods at the age of 4 months, you may want to start with solids introduction.

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Here is just one point to remember, don’t be in a hurry, they are still small and can have one meal a day or by the time 2 meals a day. The portion will remain small and introduce one food at a time in the interval of 2 to 3 days.

foods to introduce to your four-month-old include:

Smooth pureed cooked vegetables such as squash, sweet potato, carrot and zucchini,
Smooth pureed cooked fruits like apples and pears,
finely mashed fruit like banana or avocado,
unsweetened, full-fat yogurt.
Infant cereal

Sample Schedule at 4 month old

7:00 AM Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
7:45 AM: Breakfast (1 to 4 tablespoons infant cereal/1 to 4 tablespoons mashed banana)
8:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Nap
10:45 AM– Wake and nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
12:00PM- Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.– Nap
2:30 PM– Nurse (6 to 8 ounces breast milk)
4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.– Nap
5:00 PM– Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
5:45 PM– Dinner (1 to 4 tablespoons mashed avocado/1 to 4 tablespoons puréed peas)
6:45 PM– Nurse or bottle (6 to 8 ounces breast milk or formula)
7:00 PM—Bed

Sample schedule for starting solids at the age of 6 month

Here are few food options to introduce to a 6 month old baby

Fruits

Pear
Apple
Banana
Avocado

Vegetables

Butternut Squash
Sweet Potato
Green Peas

Sample Feeding Schedule for A 6-Month-Old Baby

7:00 AM – Wake Time; Nurse or Bottle Feed
8:00 AM – Eat Pureed Solids
9:00 AM – Nap
11:00 AM – Nurse or Bottle Feed
12:00PM – Eat Pureed Solids
1:00 PM – Nap
3:00 PM – Nurse or Bottle Feed
4:00 PM – Eat Pureed Solids
5:00 PM – Nap
6:30 PM – Bath time
7:00 PM – Nurse or Bottle Feed
7:30/7:45 PM – Bedtime

Sample schedule for starting solids at the age of 9 month

Food options to consider at the age of 9 month while starting on solid
Fruits

Apricot
Mango
Nectarine
Peach
Plum
Prune
Pumpkin
Orange
Banana
Melon