The Basics of Baby Cereal: A Guide to Getting Started
You might get many different answers if you ask people when it’s best to start giving your baby cereal. Some people might say you can start giving your baby cereal at 6 months, while others say you can begin as early as 2 or 3 months.
But just because someone else starts their baby on cereal early doesn’t mean you should too. Consult your baby’s doctor for guidance, as they will have the most insight into your child’s health. In the meantime, here are some ideas from other experts.
How to Know When to Give Your Baby Cereal
Some of the following signs may indicate that your baby is ready for solid foods:
- Can sit up with the help of a high chair
- Has good head control
- No longer has a tongue thrust
- Wants a spoon
- Is interested in the food you are eating
If your baby isn’t showing these signs yet, you should wait a little longer before giving them baby cereal or other solid foods. Don’t worry; all babies are ready when they’re ready.
Your baby will still get the nutrition from breast milk or formula, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on important nutrients. You should always talk to your child’s doctor if you are worried.
How to Start Giving Your Baby Cereal
Breastmilk and formula will still be your baby’s main sources of nutrition until they are one year old, but cereal is a great way to start giving them extra nutrition and get them used to eat solid foods. So what should you do?
Here’s how to give your baby their first bowl of single-grain cereal:
- Make sure they show the recommended signs that they are ready. This will not only make feeding your baby or toddler safer but also make it a lot more fun for you.
- Plan to feed your baby after they’ve had a full feeding of breastmilk or formula. So, they’ll be mostly full and probably be glad to try a little cereal. At first, you’ll only feed your baby once a day and you can choose when to start.
- Read the label on the baby cereal brands you choose and do what it says. To get started, you don’t need much. For the first few feedings, 1 tablespoon of cereal mixed with enough breastmilk or formula to make it runny will be enough.
- Make sure your child is sitting straight up. The best way to do this is in a high chair, but they could also sit on your lap. You’ll want them to wear a bib because most of their food won’t go in their mouths at first.
Conclusion
Getting a baby to eat solid food is a big step, but you shouldn’t give cereal to a baby too soon. There are a few different risks if you do this. If you want to know if your kid is ready for baby cereal brands, you should wait until they are around six months old.
Also, Visit here: The 9 Best Indian Baby Food Brands
