Family:feeding children after nursing

At birth, babies have the reflex of pushing their tongue forward when something touches it and this is what helps them get used to breast milk or formula  naturally.This reflex however doesn't help them use their tongues to move food from the front to the back of the mouth which means that it is not possible for them to swallow solids .If parents try to push the food  into their mouths they start to gag and may even choke. At the age of 4 to 6 mounths, this reflex disappears announcing that babies are ready to eat solid foods.

The appropriate food from the age of 4 to 7 months:

At this age babies still need breast milk or formula and may associate it with:
- some iron- fortified  rice cereal,
-Other kinds of cereal such as wheat,bran,or oats.
-Finely strained,pureed,or mashed fruit and vegetables.
Be careful not to serve your own greens, carrots ,turnip ,or beets because they are rich in nitrates which may cause anemia to your baby!commercial baby-food  which are fine and sometimes nitrate-free may be more appropriate to your baby.

The appropriate food from the age of 7 to 10 months:

You may introduce new foods at this age but you have to be careful not to introduce new kinds of food in a short span of time. Allow your baby at least three days between new kinds of food which may include:
-Mashed or strained fruit and vegetables with a thicker consistency than  the earlier age.
-Finely chopped meat?, chicken, or fish .

The appropriate food from the age of 9 to 12 months:

At this age babies are ready to sit up in their high chairs which raises their interest in the food they see on your tables. You may start serving them:
-Soft combination foods such as pasta with  cheese or tomato sauce .
-All types of food that dissolve in the mouth without chewing like baby crackers and cooked frozen vegetables.

When your baby is 1year
-Add whole cows milk to your baby's diet.In fact at this age babies will need certain nutrients and additional calories until they are 2 .Then you may switch your child 's diet to lower fat orskim milk.
-Cooked vegetables cut into small pieces.
-Cooked meat ,poultry, fish, or eggs.
- Grain food.

General tips

-The quantities of food served may vary from a baby to another.
A baby may need different quantities from a meal to another and from a day or a period of days to another .

-If your baby shows rashes,bloating, ga,or diarrheaafter a newly introduced type of food, stop serving it to your baby and call his doctor to check if he has an allergy or food intolerance.