Introducing Solids for my 6Month old. Pls help am lost :)?

[dondon]

My baby is 6 months old and I want to introduce solids. I'm a bit lost so any help and advice is greatly appreciated.
What do I start with? For how many days? What is the amount? Is it a bottle replacement? Do I start gradually? When is the best time? What is a good schedule for now?
Plsss help
I'm so lost

Also if I start with cereal, do I keep on giving cereal as a meal or do I replace it with veggies or fruit. Do I mix cereal with milk? Fruits? Veggiesd
I would appreciate some details if u can pls
Thankss?

 

[Two boys are a joy!]

Ipersonally don't use process foods or cereal and used the bayb-led weaning method. I started with table foods. My son is 6 month old and had tried banana. I gave him a half a banana to hold and he ate it. I sliced avocado, he liked that, Sweet potato fries. I sliced them up and baked them. He LOVED that. I cut them big enough that he could grip and gum them.

solids at this stage are not to replace milk feeds and are just for practice. cereal is not needed and contains almost nothing that is beneficial.

 

[Ash]

Start with cereal, DO NOT replace meal with bottle, first meal then in half an hour or so bottle... the meal isnt that heavy initially that you can replace it with bottle.

2 spoons cereal and water to start... start with breakfast, give cereal at that time, then at lunch you can give veggies... then slowly gradually start mixing fruit with cereal....

do it very slowly, one new thing a week.

 

[daa]

You don't have to do baby cereal or purees. Some good first foods are avocados, bananas, and baked sweet potatoes. It's best to hand baby a chunk of food and let her explore and work out how to feed herself. Once a day (or even once every few days) is plenty to start with. Solids are just for fun and practice and are not meant to replace breast milk or formula at this point.

 

[Pippin]

What do I start with? It doesn't matter -- fruits, veggies, grains, meats.

For how many days? It's wise to offer one new food at a time for 2-3 days, to watch for reactions, but no need to obsess about it. Some babies start right off with table foods at 6 or 7 months, and they aren't getting single foods.

What is the amount? Start small. A teaspoon or so is a good start. If he likes it and does well, you can gradually increase as he enjoys.

Is it a bottle replacement? No -- it's just for fun. He'll continue to get about the same amount of formula until he's around a year old.

Do I start gradually? Yes, as noted, once a day, about a teaspoon is good for the first day. You can gradually increase amount and frequency as he enjoys, as long as he isn't cutting back on his milk.


When is the best time? Anytime BUT bedtime. If he reacts badly you don't want to be up all night. Once you're sure he does well with a particular food, you can offer at bedtime if it's convenient.


What is a good schedule for now? Breast or bottle on demand, or in whatever pattern he's become accustomed to. Solids once a day after any one bottle. After a week or two you might go to 2 meals if he's hungry enough. He probably won't want/need 3 meals until 9-12 months, but follow his lead.


Plsss help
I'm so lost

Also if I start with cereal, do I keep on giving cereal as a meal or do I replace it with veggies or fruit.

Doesn't matter. I honestly wouldn't bother with cereal. It doesn't taste like much and there's no reason to offer it. He's likely to find fruits or veggies more interesting. But if you want to give cereal and he enjoys it, you'd add new foods over the next few weeks, just as you'd add new fruits or veggies if you've started with those. Obviously he isn't going to be eating every food every day.

Do I mix cereal with milk? Fruits? Veggiesd

Cereal is normally mixed with formula or breastmilk. If you have to mix it with fruit to get him to eat it, I don't think I'd bother with it. There's nothing in cereal that he needs. When he can pick up a piece of toast and eat it, you can give grains then.

Just remember that it's not rocket science and it IS just for fun. Whatever the two of you enjoy is fine, as long as he's still getting ample milk. Many people will have their own opinions about the 'right' order to give them, or the 'right' way ... but it IS just their opinion. (Ask 10 doctors and you'll get 10 'right' ways of doing it.)