Your beautiful baby is a few months old now, and you're beginning to think about giving him solid foods. But you're not quite sure when and what you should feed your little darling. Worse, you have visions of mashed peas being hurled through the air, covering your hair, and hitting the floor and the walls.

Feeding your baby solid foods for the first time can certainly be an adventure, but with some simple tips, you'll be an old pro before you can say "splatter."

Breast milk or fortified formula are the only foods your baby needs for the first 4-6 months. They should remain the core of the baby's diet for the first year of life. If you are breastfeeding, your pediatrician will likely urge you to hold off on giving any solid foods until the baby’s first birthday.

Your baby's development determines when he or she is ready to begin eating solid foods. Most babies are ready to begin solid foods between the ages of 4-6 months, though breastfeeding provides everything the baby needs for the entire first year of life. Starting solids sooner than four months could put the baby at risk for choking and food allergies .

Your baby may be ready to begin eating solid foods if he:

  • Is able to sit up, with little support, and his head/neck movement is more coordinated.
  • Is interested in the foods you're eating.
  • Doesn't push food out of his mouth with his tongue.
  • Is able to pull himself forward when food is wanted and move away when full.
Eating From a Spoon  

Your baby should learn to eat semisolid and solid foods from a spoon and with fingers. Never give your baby semisolid or solid foods from a bottle or infant-feeder because the baby could choke or take in too much food at once. Eating from a spoon and with fingers is the first step toward independence and will help your baby develop chewing and swallowing skills.

Here are some tips that can help you and your baby make an easier transition:

  • Don't expect the experience to be neat. —It's quite likely that more food may end up on the bib than in your baby's mouth, at least at first. Relax and try to make this an enjoyable experience for both of you. Talk calmly and softy to your baby while feeding.
  • Use a very small spoon, one that is meant for babies. —A small spoon with a long handle is preferable. You can find them at most grocery and department stores. Do not use the baby's spoon for tasting.
  • Start with only a small amount of food and work up to more. —Begin with no more than one or two teaspoons of food at a time and gradually work your way up to one or two tablespoons, two or three times a day.
  • Make sure your baby is sitting up straight and leaning somewhat forward. —This position allows your baby to swallow more easily and minimizes the risk of choking.
  • Let your baby set the pace of eating. —Don't feed too slow or too fast. Introduce only one new food at a time, at the beginning of the meal. Introduce new foods when your baby is most hungry. Otherwise, he may not be interested.
  • Try, try again. —If your baby refuses a new food, don't force the issue. Offer it again in a day or two. If he still refuses, offer it again in two or three weeks.
What to Feed Your Baby  
Start With Cereal  

The first solid foods given to infants are usually iron-fortified infant cereals. They are easier to digest and help meet your baby's iron requirements. Start with rice cereal because it is the least likely to cause an allergic reaction. Cereal should be thin at first—one part cereal to four parts breast milk or infant formula. Your baby will be ready for thicker cereal when he or she develops eating skills.

Don't use cow's milk to mix cereal because it is difficult for babies to digest until after one year of age. Give only about one teaspoon of cereal twice a day, at first, and then gradually increase to two or three tablespoons twice a day. Other grain products such as rice, soft breads, cooked pasta, and teething biscuits can be added a little later.

Try Smooth Foods First  

When your baby is able to make chewing motions and teeth appear, he will be able to eat mashed or finely chopped foods. These textured foods will also help your baby's developing teeth. When your baby gets more teeth and wants to feed himself (usually between the ages of 9-12 months), you can introduce finger foods such as cooked vegetables and soft fruit without seeds or peel.

Try Vegetables and Fruits Next  

After your baby is comfortable eating cereal, introduce strained vegetables and fruits—one at a time. Vegetables should be introduced before fruits because vegetables often have less taste after eating fruit. At the beginning, give mild flavored vegetables such as green beans, yellow squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Next, add applesauce, peaches, and pears. Once your baby has accepted several vegetables, give him two different vegetables a day.

After Vegetables and Fruits, Try Meats  

After your baby eats vegetables on a regular basis, introduce strained lean meats—one at a time. Offer a variety of pureed or finely chopped meats, including chicken, beef, and turkey.

Start With Single Foods  

Offer single cereals, vegetables (such as carrots, squash, green beans, peas, etc), fruits (applesauce, pears, peaches, bananas, prunes, etc), and meat (turkey, ham, beef) rather than combination foods. Also, wait 3-7 days before introducing new foods. This will allow you to see any signs of a food allergy and to know which food caused them.

Signs of food allergy may include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach discomfort
  • Vomiting
  • Spitting up
  • Wheezing
  • Skin rash
  • Hives
  • Swelling of the lips, tongue, and mouth

Extreme and life-threatening allergic reactions include difficulty breathing, swelling in the throat, decreased blood pressure, and passing out.

Offer a Variety of Foods  

Eating a variety of foods will help your baby have a well-balanced diet and develop good eating habits for the future. Also, be sure to offer your baby foods that vary in color and texture.

Avoid Foods That Could Cause Choking  

Babies less than three or four years old should not eat small, hard foods such as chips, pretzels, raw carrots, celery, raisins, popcorn, snack puffs, nuts, or seeds. Slippery foods should also be avoided—candy, cough drops, chewing gum, whole grapes, frankfurters, sausages, and large or tough pieces of meat and poultry.

Don't Add Sugar, Salt, or Other Seasoning  

Babies don't need added sugar, salt, or seasonings. They need to develop a taste for the natural flavor of foods. Avoid adding seasonings to your baby's food. If you buy commercially-prepared baby food, read the label to make sure sugar, salt, and seasonings are not added.

Don't Give Cow's Milk Until 12 Months  

After 12 months of age, most babies don't have as much difficulty digesting cow's milk and can be given whole milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese. Children under two years of age are not advised to eat lower-fat diary products because they need the fat for brain development.

Be Patient  

It may take a while for your baby to get used to solid foods. If if he refuses, just try again in a few days.

Other Tips  
  • Remember that the primary source of nutrition during your baby's first year is breast milk or formula.
  • Offer juice in a cup rather than in a bottle. It helps reduce the risk of tooth decay .
  • If warming food in a microwave, use a microwave-safe dish and heat to lukewarm.
  • Always read and follow instructions on containers of baby food.
  • Don't feed your baby directly from the jar or you could risk contaminating the leftover food. Spoon small amounts of food into a feeding dish and feed your baby from it. If your baby wants more food, take more from the jar with a clean spoon.
  • Date, label, and refrigerate leftovers immediately after each feeding. Use all leftovers within three days.
  • Leftovers should not be reheated more than once.
  • Don't use honey or corn syrup. In babies, they can cause a serious food-borne illness called botulism .
  • Never leave your baby alone during mealtime.
  • If you feel that your baby is not eating enough, contact your doctor.
What to Do If Your Infant Chokes  

In general, choking on liquids is temporary and of little cause for concern. However, if your child chokes on liquid and turns blue, becomes limp, or passes out, call 911 immediately.

Choking on solid foods and other objects is especially dangerous. Here's what you should do:

If Your Baby Is Conscious and Choking  
  • Call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.
  • Turn the baby face down and place him over your knee or forearm. Give five blows between the shoulder blades, and five chest thrusts. Repeat until the food or object is dislodged.
If Your Baby Is Unconscious  
  • Check for unresponsiveness and breathing. If the baby is not breathing:
    • If someone is with you, have them call 911 immediately.
    • If you are alone, perform CPR for at least 1 to 2 minutes (5 cycles) before dialing 911.

The following are steps on how to perform infant CPR:

  1. Open the airway by gently tilting the head backward.
  2. Pinch the baby's nose and cover his mouth with yours.
  3. Breathe twice into his mouth; until you see the chest rise. Breaths should be about one second each.
  4. Administer chest compressions.
    1. Place two fingers on the center of the chest just below the nipple line.
    2. Compress 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the chest.
    3. Allow the chest to rise completely in between compressions.
    4. Minimize interruption between compressions.
  5. After 30 compressions, give two rescue breaths.
  6. Continue cycle of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives.

If you have not called 911, call after 1 to 2 minutes of CPR (about 5 cycles). If the baby has a restored heartbeat and is breathing, he should be taken to the hospital. Emergency personnel will take over care when they arrive.