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Trying Out Solid Baby Food
There are many stages that babies go through as they grow. For the first year, for the most part, they are going to be breastfeeding or bottle feeding. At about six months, many start giving baby cereal to see how that goes over. This is a prime time to start looking out for food allergies. After this progresses nicely, soft foods may also be added as time goes on. There is going to come a time when solid baby food is next. This should not be too hard, but it can be a bit trying on the parents.
No baby can deal with solid baby food until they have teeth with which they can chew. There are some exceptions as there are some biscuits made just for babies that will melt when they use their gums on them. These are generally good for baby, especially when teething, but parents do have to keep an eye on things. If a piece were to break off that they can not chew, they could choke. As with all types of solid baby food, they have to get used to the way they go into the mouth, and swallowing is also something that they have to get used to doing.
There are some great solid baby food items that you can try with your baby. What you may want to do is to start out with foods they have already had in soft form. That way you know they already like the taste, so at least that part of it will not be too big of a shock to them. Things like soft cooked carrots and boiled potatoes are good starter foods when introducing solid baby food to your child for the first time. As with the biscuits, keep your eyes wide open for choking and other problems.
Once they have gotten the hang of solid baby foods, you can start giving them things that you think they are going to handle well. You should think about choking issues (your doctor can give you a list of foods that are choking hazards if you ask), and also about nutritional value. There is nothing wrong with chopping up a hotdog for them once in a while, but you want most of your solid baby foods to be things that are good for their body and have little in the way of preservatives and other chemicals.
You should watch out for food allergies when you are starting with solid baby foods. The best way to do this is to only introduce one new food at a time. If a reaction were to occur, you would then instantly know which food it was and what to tell someone if you have to take your baby into the doctors or the ER for help. Giving baby all types of solid baby food is a good idea so that they learn to love all types of foods, but doing so slowly can help you out if there is an allergy of which you should know.
Summary
Jumping from formula to solid baby food is a step most parents can't wait for but have a little hesitancy about at first. Remember these little people have small teeth and are getting used to using them. Always go with foods that are easily eaten and that have very small pieces to avoid choking.
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