Introducing solids: 3 common mistakes
Once your baby is 4-6 months old, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends you to start introducing solid foods to them. Although, if you ever tried doing it, you'll probably agree that it's easier said than done, and most parents end up making avoidable mistakes during the process.
We've consulted with a nutritionist at an organic baby food company, Yumi, and did some additional research to help you uncover the the 3 most common mistakes they see parents make when introducing solids to their baby:
1. When baby doesn't like something the first few times, they don't offer it again.
As excited as you might be about this new milestone for your baby, they might not share your enthusiasm when it comes to certain (if not all) solid foods at first, but that doesn't mean that you should stop offering it. AAP says that many babies and toddlers need to be exposed to foods multiple times before accepting them, so keep in mind that it's totally normal behavior and keep trying again (and again and again).
2. They may expose baby to a major allergen but then after the initial introduction, not continue to offer it regularly to effectively prevent allergies to that food.
Research suggests that early and regular dietary exposure to allergens may help reduce the risk of babies developing food allergies. In the recent years American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its recommendations for introducing allergens like peanuts to infants, continuing the decades-long shift in practice from delaying the introduction of food allergens to introducing them early and often. But, every baby is different, so always consult your pediatrician about your baby's unique situation.
3. Feeling pressure to start with 3 meals per day from the beginning
You don't have to stack milk feeds and solid feeds at the same time and/or feel like your baby needs to eat solid foods for almost all their meals from the very beginning. It's okay to take is slow and just start with 1-2 meals/day an hour before or after a milk feed and slowly increase the amount over time.
If you don't have the time to cook homemade solid meals for your baby and would like to try out baby food that's freshly made, organic and tailored to your baby's developmental milestones from YUMI, we've gotten a special deal for you! Go to https://helloyumi.com/ and use code TOYYUMI50 at checkout for up to $50 off a month of food!
