Is your baby ready?
As babies become more active, they start to use a lot more energy. There are many exciting moments of development that you'll see; from the pushing their chest away from the floor, to rolling over or practising sitting up; all this activity naturally gives them a bigger appetite. It is important to keep an eye out for these developmental cues in your baby so you know when the time is right to start. Just remember, every baby is different!
Clues indicating your baby may be ready for complementary foods:
They can sit with support and hold their head up
They show interest in what the rest of the family are eating
They lose their tongue reflex (that's where they push the food out with their tongue)
They bring toys or their fists to their mouth and start to chew on them
They look for more food after a breastfeed or infant formula feed
Could it be a growth spurt?
At four months, lots of babies go through a growth spurt which can make them seem a lot hungrier than usual. It's important not to confuse this as a sign your baby needs to start solids. At this stage their digestive system is not fully developed and suitable to cope with solids, no matter how puréed they are! Remember you can always speak to our Kariclub Advisory team or ask your health care professional for tips.
Are there risks of introducing complementary foods late?
After six months babies cannot meet their increased demand for energy, and nutrients such as iron and zinc from your breast milk or infant formula alone. So solids should be introduced by this time to help ensure your baby is getting all the necessary nutrients, especially iron. Introducing solids around this time is also important to help your baby develop the motor skills that will help with their learning of speech.