Baby Solid Foods for 6-Month-Olds

You have a 6-month-old now! Wait, what? (Cue record scratch.) While those sleepless nights often felt like an eternity, the months have flown by, which only means one thing: When the next six months fly by, you'll have a (gulp) 1-year-old.

OK, now we're getting misty-eyed with nostalgia.
What You're Thinking: "They grow up so fast. Sniff!"

Welcome to the messy, sticky, stain-ridden world of baby's solid food! When you first feed your baby solids, she will probably thrust her tongue out and most of the baby food will end up on her clothes (or hopefully, her bib!), but don't worry, she's not rejecting the food. The tongue thrust is a normal reflex at this time (and, you'll find, a normal reflex at 4 through 9 years old, too). Keep introducing the food with a spoon, and over time, she'll learn to bring the food in to her mouth and swallow.

• Most babies start with a single-grain cereal as their first food. Check with your doc to see what she recommends. Then, once your little nosher has gotten the hang of eating cereal, you can start to expand her repertoire one veggie or fruit at a time.
• Play the time-treasured "airplane game" with the baby spoon. Brush up on your "vroom-ing" and don't forget a drool-covered bite of mush for Mommy, too! (Wretch.)
• Don't worry if baby's poop changes in color and texture once she starts solids. It's totally normal for her to have orange poop if she downed a few jars of carrots.

• You tasted baby cereal and had only one thought: "This needs a serious dose of maple syrup and raisins."
• If you're a working parent, you're totally over hanging out at the office for a minute longer than you have to. When you're done for the day, you are done. You have more important face time to give at home!
• You're also totally over giving face time at home when your family is visiting. When you're tired, you're tired—they can play with the baby while you nap.
• You learned that anything can be explained away as a "growth spurt."
• You can't even remember what it was like to need an alarm clock.
• You compare your baby pictures and your partner's baby pictures to your baby's pictures. ("See, those are my eyes!")

Baby's newly expanded menu of dinner choices means you'll be putting a little more thought into meal prep. (And by that we mean you'll have more decisions to make than "right breast or left" or "green bottle or blue.") Among your new choices will be the decision between store-bought baby food and homemade (or a combination of the two).

While you're deciding, it might help to know that homemade baby food is easier to prepare than you might think. Here are some pointers for getting started making your own baby food, if you want to give it a whirl. Read more ...

• Freezer Essentials
• Once we've introduced cereal, what are some good first foods for my baby?
• Baby Food Recipes
• What can I do to get my baby to nurse again after I startled him by yelping when he bit me?

Do It: Flat as a Board
Yes, we're talking about your abs, Mama!

Add a visual element to your airplane sounds!
Share It: Chemical Spill
One conscientious mama frets over going organic.
Discuss It: Chat with other new mamas and papas on our Baby Board.

BACK: Baby Development: Month 5 / NEXT: Baby Development: More Month 6

All babies grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your kid with so-and-so's baby from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with your pediatrician at your baby's next checkup.