Teaching your baby to feed himself can be quite tricky. Babies can become masters of drinking from a bottle or breastfeeding but find it very hard to feed themselves as solid foods are introduced in their diet. So, it is preferred to use spoon made of plastic or which is rubber or silicone coated to feed your baby so that your baby’s gums do not get damaged. Before introducing solid food in your baby’s diet, it is necessary to find out whether or not he/she is ready for it.

Although every baby is different form the other, the best time to introduce solid food is between 4 to 6 months. Only a certain type of food should be spoon fed to the baby initially as there is chance that some food may cause allergy to your child and it would be difficult to find out the one causing the allergy if you try out too many different foods. Babies should be made to associate spoon feeding with sitting down so make them sit upright when you begin to spoon feed them.

Babies should be fed with rice cereal which should be just a touch thicker than expressed breast milk. The reaction of the baby should be used as an indicator to whether or not you can continue feeding the same. It is important to consult your pediatrician before you introduce solid food to your baby as there is a chance of food allergies in babies because of their immature immune system if they are given solid food before they are ready.