The commencement of introducing solids to your little love is an exciting milestone, albeit one that can be a daunting experience. We have compiled our top tips for starting solids, to ensure a safe and enjoyable welcome to the world of food for you, and your precious one.

Look for signs of readiness to start solids
Most babies will show signs of readiness around 6 months (keep it mind there isn’t a magic switch the night bub turns six months, this will look slightly different for all babies). Signs of readiness include; sitting with support, good head control, opening mouth when food is offered, reaching out for food/utensils & interest in watching others eat.

Introduce foods during the longest wake period (often the morning)
By introducing foods during your bubs longest wake time during the day, you are able to observe them for as long as possible, watching for any adverse signs that could indicate potential allergy.

Introduce the top allergenic foods ONE at a time
This is key to ensuring that if there is an allergic reaction, it is easy to identify which food has caused the reaction. These foods can then be given multiple at a time once they have been established and bub is tolerating normal serving sizes in the diet. It is important to maintain these foods in the diet regularly once deemed safe, to minimise the risk of developing an allergy.

Introduce new allergenic foods when bub is well
If bub is unwell with any kind of illness, it can potentially make it hard to differentiate symptoms of allergy and the pre-existing illness.

Keep track of foods introduced/tolerated
Rhythm First Aid's food tracker magnet easily sits on the fridge, a high viewpoint in the kitchen, to keep track of which foods have been introduced, how many times, any reactions and ensuring variation in the diet - decreasing the mental load that comes with starting solids!

Do not introduce honey until after 12 months of age
There is a rare risk of infant botulism when honey is given prior to 12 months of age.

Feel supported
If you are feeling stressed about starting solids/introducing allergenic foods, pick a time where there is another adult in the house, to provide extra support. Making sure you have a phone accessible/close by during feeding times may also ease some of the worries.

Learn infant/child first aid and the signs of allergy/anaphylaxis
It is our strong belief that first aid education empowers parents and caregivers to best care for their precious loves and be prepared for if an emergency situation were to arise.