Hard stools are very common among babies since many of them have just recently started
with solid baby food, or the share of solids is increasing.
A child between the age of 4 and 6 months can begin to
eat solid baby food along with the infant formula.
Most babies will not begin eating solids at this time, but there are some that will be introduced to
solid baby foods if they develop quickly.
There is no reason to start your 4 month old baby
on solid baby food, as the mainstream «what to expect when...» books are advising.
A very common example of that is when a child transfers from breastfeeding to formula or to
eating solid baby foods.
While parents are encouraged to make homemade versions
of solid baby foods like fruit and veggie purees when children are old enough to tolerate them, creating a homespun version of formula is next to impossible to do accurately, and is not recommended.
Here are some signs to look for that will tell you if your baby is ready to start solid foods, with the
first solid baby food usually being an iron - fortified rice cereal:
I started my daughter Kailey at 5 months with rice cereal first mixed with banana and then I moved her onto oatmeal, then
other solid baby food.
Nutrient levels
in solid baby foods, either commercially prepared or homemade, vary considerably.
As you gradually introduce
solid baby food during her first year, you should keep in mind that every baby is different and thus the process of incorporating solid food may or may not follow the usual course of action.
Some of these things are extremely important, like the new recommendations to keep newborns and infants sleeping on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, and others are less important, like this one about water or some of the stricter guidelines about the order of
introducing solid baby foods.
In such case, first, offer the breast milk or formula then provide
some solid baby food afterward.
When I started serving solid food to my first baby, I got worried that he wouldn't get enough liquid since I substituted some of the breast milk with
solid baby food.
For your baby,
solid baby food is a new world.
When we introduce
solid baby food to our babies, their pooping may change drastically.
If your baby is teething, generally just drooling or spitting up a lot or maybe has started with
solid baby food, and Christmas bib will be perfect for the family dinner and it will add to the Christmas feeling around the house.
By this age, babies can sit up with some support and you can start feeding
them solid baby foods.
Some of these things are extremely important, like the new recommendations to keep newborns and infants sleeping on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS, and others are less important, like this one about water or some of the guidelines about the order of introducing
solid baby foods.
The charts presented are general guidelines with
solid baby foods that are age appropriate.
The fact that your son has become constipated now that you are introducing
solid baby food is very normal.
At this age, breast milk or an iron - fortified infant formula is the only food that your infant needs at this age and he should be nursing or drinking about 5 - 6 ounces 4 - 6 times each day (24 - 32 ounces), but over the next month or two, you can start to familiarize your infant with the feel of a spoon and start
solid baby foods.
He might be ready for
solid baby food.
Solid baby foods can be introduced when the baby is 4 to 6 months old, but the baby should drink breast milk or formula for a full year.