Most pediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is at least 6 months old before starting any solid foods.  Your doctor will give you the best advice but here are a few tips to keep in mind:

 

*Start with a single-grain cereal usually rice.

 

*Keep the first feedings small and thin in consistency.  One teaspoon mixed with breast milk or formula is  plenty. The idea is to get the baby use to a different texture of food and swallowing rather than nutrition or filling the child up.  Never force your baby to eat more than she wants and if she chokes a little then stop for awhile.

 

*Next, introduce single-ingredient fruits and vegetables.  Do this over several days one item at a time to test for allergies.  Making a list is helpful so you remember what you gave your baby and for how many feedings.  Fruits can be mixed with a little cereal too.

 

*Babies prefer fruits at room temperature and cereals, vegetables and meats can be warmed.  Be careful when you microwave food to be sure to stir thoroughly because uneven heating can result in “hot spots”.

 

*When your baby can sit up well and has started teething he or she can have some raw fruits such as bananas or cooked fruits and soft cooked vegetables.  Do not give them popcorn, nuts, hotdog pieces or anything that might present a chocking hazard.

 

Don’t worry how your baby chooses to move around, as long as it happens. Any type of crawling is just a “transitional skill” with the ultimate goal being able to walk. Some babies even crawl backwards before they can go the other way, and while this may seem and look a little humourous and odd, there is no need for concern.

Different babies do different things at different times, and your baby will not be like any other baby. (This I guarantee is true to all you moms out there, right?) So do not compare your first child walking at 9 months to your second child still crawling at 13 months.

Every baby has his own unique style of crawling-each finding his own solution to getting to that cat or toy. And they will go after the cat.

One very positive perk plus to this “tummy time,” is that babies who exercise often sleep well at night. Woo hoo! Floor work is really work, not only physically but mentally too. It takes a host of developmental stages for a baby to learn to get across the room. Some of these skills are spatial skills but also later they have to detect safe versus risky ground and sensitivity to the locations of things.

 Depth perception, navigational skills and decision-making all go into a good “army crawl” workout. No wonder my granddaughter sleeps well.