Water and Cereal
The first six months babies should only receive breast milk or formula. No water or cereal until 6 months. By instinct your baby drinks by volume, not by calories. When you give your baby plain water, he will be missing some important nutrients and calories. When you put cereal in the bottle, it may lead to your baby getting too many calories. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeeding as the sole source of nutrition until 6 months. At this point the babies iron starts to diminish, and it is time to start introducing some solid food.

Starting solids at 6 months was a fun way for my husband and I to celebrate our son’s half birthday! My husband was very anxious to spoon feed our son. I remember him talking about looking forward to feeding him even when I was pregnant! (Have I mentioned my husband really loves food!)

Once your baby gets the hang of spoon feeding, he is ready for a variety of tastes. Be adventurous and have fun feeding your little one. The faces my son made when we introduced new foods were priceless! You will want to avoid some foods though. Here are a list of foods to NOT feed those under one:

Cow’s milk – their digestive system cannot break down the long proteins in milk.
Honey – can cause botulism (serious stuff)
Egg whites – their digestive system cannot break down the long protein in the egg whites.
Peanut Butter – considered a choking hazard until 2.
Choking Hazards – anything small and hard (grapes, hot dogs, candy, chips, raisins, nuts, etc.)

Besides these foods, feel free to introduce lots of different foods and flavors to your little one. A variety of tastes now will help them be better eaters when they are older. The possibilities are endless.

What food caused your baby to make funny faces the first time you feed it to him?

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace advise from your pediatrician. Please consult a physician before introducing your baby to solid foods.