3 easy signs of readiness for solids. Let's end the confusion once and for all.

[go_romanovs]

I am goin to make is really easy for you and narrow down the signs to just 3. They are

• Baby can sit up well without support.

Yup, if you have to prop the baby up to feed, like in the picture - he is NOT ready.

• Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.

Yeah, we all have seen it - the mouth opens, the spoon goes in and the green stuff oozes out. Mom collecs the ozzing stuff off of baby's chin and chest and shoves it back in. The baby's tongue thrust reflex is not gone yet - the baby is NOT ready.

• Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, just like this
  

he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.

The other signs of readiness that you might have heard of may include

• Baby is ready and willing to chew.
• Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

Don't go by these. Don't even bother remembering them because by the time they are doing the first 3 the other two are always there. Just because there are so many parents who have a curious grabby teething 3-4 months old who would 'look' like he is ready - because exibiting the 2 other signs - chewing on everything and grabs food and watches you eat...  and parents forgo the other signs and introduce solids way too early and stuff them up on solid food when they would be just as happy to teeth on an empty spoon, as long as it just like mama's :)

The list of signs of readines is taken off of kellymom.com - an awesome website for moms - check it out!

[chairhead28]

Jul. 28, 2009 at 2:28 PM

Yep, I agree. I didn't start solids with Ry until she was 8.5 months old. I would have liked to have waited until a year, but other things happened before then.

[blssdmumof2]

Jul. 28, 2009 at 2:35 PM

My DD who is 2 never liked solid baby food, so I never gave it.  She was on pure liquid gold until she was old enough to eat table foods, like what I would be eating, and i think that was around 9-10 months.  The ped. told me that a BF baby does not necessarily need solid food, unless they were of a low weight gain. He stated that they are getting all the nutrition they need from mama's milk! 

[chairhead28]

Jul. 28, 2009 at 2:54 PM

blssdmum that's what happened with me. My DD was losing weight and even now at almost 11 months she's 14lbs 15oz so the pedi said to give solids. I never did the jarred baby food, just mashed up whatever we were eating. She loves it.

[go_romanovs]

Jul. 28, 2009 at 3:14 PM

Yup, if you wait to see all the 3 signs, there's no need to give mushy storebought stuff. Baby will have no problems going straight to table foods.

(Original Poster)

[catholicmamamia]

Jul. 29, 2009 at 8:31 PM

We skip all of the jarred purees (except the bananas, my toddlers eat that like pudding LOL) and go straight to bland table food mushed with a fork, and only AFTER baby has hit the important ready signs. Mama's milk is all my little ones need for that first year, and most of the second year!  ;o)

[SlapItHigh]

Oct. 18, 2009 at 2:03 PM

nice!