Is Henry ready for baby food?

I have heard babies can start solids as soon as four months. But other resources say to wait until six months or even later. So what does the research say? Most of the experts recommend waiting until around six months, including the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics and La Leche League. If you choose to introduce food sooner, it is best to delay until baby is at least four months old, since starting earlier can lead to increased risks of allergies, obesity and diabetes.

Rather than rely just on age, there are a few developmental milestones that offer better clues when Henry is ready to start foods:

Ability to sit up with little support
Ability to reach for and grab objects
Ability to bring objects to his mouth

A few weeks before he reaches six months, Henry is definitely working on these skills. He can sit in his high chair with minimal support; he has started reaching out for toys and grabbing at my hair; and everything is headed in the direction of his mouth, although his accuracy needs a bit of improvement.

Although some of my friends with babies want to wait to introduce their babies to food, I’m definitely ready for Henry to start solids. Since our breastfeeding journey ended early, in some way this is my second chance to provide Henry with a good food foundation.

Plus, Daddy is tired of paying formula companies to feed our child. Buying formula can be quite expensive.

So Henry, Daddy and I are ready for the next stage. Let’s get started!

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