The first big transition: starting solids, Part 1

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

In the good old days, when I was carefree and young (read single), I would be amused by moms who would make shapes and stories to go with food. Blissfully unaware, I would vow, “I would never do that when I have a child." Today, I am the lady who makes alphabet dosas and purple idlis for her daughter. So, yeah, life has a way of coming back at you.

When my baby was 5 months old, I felt like I had gotten the hang of being a mom. With Google at my side and a mommy sisterhood that had my back, I still felt anxious about transitioning to solids. I had a billion questions about how to, and what ifs, so it felt appropriate to do some research.

As with all things motherhood, it was a rabbit hole. I came out alive and am here to tell the tale (and summarize my learnings) from this adventure. So, put on your seat belts, and read on. We will tackle one question at a time.

Why are we introducing solids in the first place?

Solids are the first step in the weaning process. When we introduce solids to a baby, they discover the world of food. Food is an integral part of all cultures, and with solids, we bring our world to the baby to explore, engage, and expand.

Think of the 6-month period after solid introduction, as probation for solids. Babies will engage with it using all their senses (sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste), and when it passes their tests, some of the food will make its way into their mouth.

However, the introduction of solids doesn’t mean that the baby will start “eating” food. Their primary source of nutrition is still breast milk (“bm”) or formula milk (“fm”) until they turn 1 year old.

What should I, as a parent, know before starting solids?

I would say there are three key things to frequently remind yourself about this whole process: the goal, the boundaries, and the intent.

The goal of introducing solids at this point is to enable the baby to have food from the family pot by the time they turn one year old. This means, that the baby needs to be familiar and comfortable with “regular home food” throughout this journey.

In terms of boundaries, we need to recognize that, as caregivers, our role is to offer a diverse range of healthy foods, and it is the baby’s job to decide how much to eat. This means we don’t fuss over the quantity of food the baby is eating. Instead, we focus on offering a diverse range of healthy, nutritious options that enable the baby to eat what we have at home.

The intent of this journey is to help the baby develop a healthy relationship with food. If I had to ask you to name a food that makes you happy or a food that you dislike immensely, I am guessing it would instantly evoke pictures of the items you associate those emotions with.

Each one of us has a unique relationship with food, shaped by our memories and early experiences. The early years set the foundation for how our babies will develop this relationship. When we let the baby lead this relationship while holding our boundaries, we can help the baby associate food with nourishment. We are effectively setting the foundation for our babies to make conscious, mindful food choices when they grow up.

Photo by Colin Maynard on Unsplash

When should we start with solids?

Solids are to be started when the baby’s digestive system has matured a bit to handle the plethora of food groups that you as a family have on a regular basis. There are 3 key readiness signs that you can use to judge if the baby is ready for solids:

1. The child can support their body with their arms or sit unsupported when made to do so for at least 30 seconds. They should be upright or nearly upright when being fed, and ideally be able to do so on their own.
2. They have lost tongue thrust, i.e., they do not push out food with their tongue.
3. They have some sort of grasp and can move things from their hands to their mouths.

Typically, babies are able to demonstrate these criteria around the 6-month time frame. However, more than age, it is the presence of readiness criteria that should trigger the introduction of solids.

Other than these, there are no other readiness criteria for solids. I am also listing some cues that get misinterpreted for solid readiness. I reiterate, none of the following means that the baby is ready for solids:

1. The baby looking at your food with visible excitement—this is more curiosity and interest in you and your actions than the food. At this point, babies don’t link food to hunger.
2. The baby drools when looking at food. Drooling is part of a baby’s normal development and is not a response to the food you are eating in front of the child.
3. The baby wakes up frequently at night. This tends to happen for a multitude of reasons, mostly developmental milestones, and growth spurts. It is not linked to being hungry for solids.
4. The baby is on a higher or lower percentile curve. A baby in the higher percentile does not necessarily need to be introduced to solids early. Similarly, a baby who is in the lower percentile doesn’t need extra calories to become "healthier." Both types of babies are growing at their own pace. For a baby under one year, milk (BM/FM) is the most calorie-dense food. Feeding solids to a child who "might" need to gain weight is going to displace milk and reduce the overall number of calories consumed.

Are there any more guidelines I should keep in mind?

I am sharing some key principles that acted as our compass as we made these choices:

1. Follow the child. This tenet of Montessori philosophy plays out beautifully when we start solids with babies. Babies are naturally attuned to their bodies' cues for hunger and satiety. When we let the baby indicate their needs to us (through verbal and/or nonverbal cues), we as caregivers need to respect them and listen to what they are communicating. When we do this, our babies learn to listen to their bodies and build confidence in their ability to communicate. This is an invaluable skill, and we as caregivers can show them the power of their consent with our actions.
2. Offer nutrient dense food options to the baby. Babies are growing at a tremendous rate in the first year of their lives. At the minimum, most healthy babies will triple their birth weight by the time they turn 1 year old. Offering nutrient dense food supports this journey, while also calming down the anxiety that other caregivers may have around calories and nutrition.
3. Avoid added salt and processed sugar until the baby turns 1 year old. Breast milk or formula can provide most of the daily sodium requirement for babies. The rest can be obtained from solids without any additional salt. When we add salt to baby food, we are creating an additional burden for their maturing kidneys.
   Babies have a clean palate and can appreciate the taste of food as-is. When we add sweeteners (natural or otherwise) to a baby’s food to make it more “palatable” by our standards, it masks the actual flavor of the food. Both salt and sugar are best avoided, to help the baby appreciate food for what it is

In Part 1, we spotlighted the big-picture story around starting solids. Part 2 of this series will talk about the tactical stuff: how to get started, what to offer, and other day-to-day things.

I would love to hear what you thought of this post and any questions you may have.

If you would like to reach out to me to talk more, please drop me a note at sweta[dot]p@gmail[dot]com