4 signs your baby is ready for solids
Dr. Panchal
Pediatrician
Although they may seem mystifying or confusing, there are important developmental indications that it’s time for your baby to start eating solid foods. Here are a few physical milestones that can help you (and potentially your child’s pediatrician) determine whether your little one is ready to begin this important transition.
To eat solids, babies need to be able to sit up, with obvious head, neck, and trunk control. This is because we use neck, arm, and abdominal muscles when eating. Body control provides a sturdy base and facilitates a happy eating experience. Babies should be able to sit upright in a high chair or other appropriate baby seat, and bring their hands to their mouth without slouching over. Infants who cannot hold themselves upright on their own (or with minimal support) are not likely ready for solids, Dr. Panchal says.
If you are letting your baby lead the transition to solids by self-feeding finger foods (and skipping over spoon-fed purees), it is extra important to ensure that your baby is able to sit upright without assistance.
Swallowing solids requires a different tongue motion than sucking and swallowing milk or formula from a nipple. When babies push early spoonsful of puree out of their mouth with their tongue, such that it ends up on their chin or chest rather than down their throat, this is often an indication that they are not quite ready for solids, regardless of how much they appear to love the flavor.
Babies usually outgrow this natural food-pushing response, called the tongue thrust reflex, between 4 and 6 months of age. At this point, they are capable of using their tongue to push solids into the back of their mouth to swallow.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a baby weighs twice as much as at birth, or at least 13 pounds, before beginning to consume solid foods.
Babies often show interest in solids by staring at something their parent or caretaker is eating, then opening their mouth and leaning toward it. Some babies cry when they see and smell food they want to try, and they haven’t been served any. Some also reach for solid foods or attempt to grab the entire plate.
Although you may notice these interest cues first, the developmental milestones indicating physical readiness are more important, so make sure that your baby has reached those milestones before introducing them to solids.
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