Starting solids is a rite of passage. Nearly every baby progresses onto solid foods somewhere between 4 – 6 months of age.

Some of the common situations I have worked with:

• Family pressure to start your baby early on solids – how do you know what is right for your child? 
•  Should you stick to your original plan? Baby's not sleeping through the night at 4 months old, he is a big baby and is up feeding throughout the night – does this mean he should be starting solids? 
• Strong family history of food allergies – how can solids be introduced in a way to monitor for any potential allergies? 
•  What are the best solids to introduce first to make sure you avoid picky or fussy eating in the future? 
•  What foods should I feed my child to make sure they stay healthy and reach their best as they grow?
  

Jessica came to see me about her second child, 5 month old Samuel. Sam showed signs of wanting to start solid foods, but Jessica was nervous. Her daughter, Anna, had started off all guns blazing with solid foods. 

However, at around 9 months old things had begun to change. 

Anna screwed her nose up at any new flavours and gagged when Jessica tried to serve her mashed rather than pureed foods. 

Now at age 3 years Anna was really difficult with her eating. 

She also had a dairy intolerance which limited her intake even more. Desperate, Jessica wanted to avoid these issues with Samuel.

I sat down with Jessica and designed a tailored plan for starting Samuel on solids. 

Food was introduced in a graduated way, enabling Jessica to monitor for common allergies and intolerances whilst also introducing Sam to different tastes and textures. 

Finally in control of the situation, Jessica felt confident as she followed the plan. She told me how much better she felt not stressed about what to do next. She knew what she was doing and what was best for Sam.

One year later and Jessica has an adventurous eater. On the odd occasional Sam decides to play up, Jessica has learnt a variety of tricks to help keep her little eater fearless.

*Please note names have been changed to protect the privacy of my clients