Whether to start feeding baby solid/semi solid food depends upon whether your baby is ready for weaning. Does he get exited when he sees you or other person eating food.. Does he keep staring at your food plate? If answer to the Q's is yes then he is ready to eat outside food. Also you will find that his appetite has increased to the extent that you are unable to satiate through breast feeding alone, it is then the right time to start weaning. I started experiencing all of the above with my son when he was about to turn 5 months old. My son's pediatrician gave a green signal to start weaning but I waited till he turned 5.5 mths. You need to be very vigilant when you start weaning your baby.. Closely examining for atleast 3 days after introducing a new food item whether he is allergic to it. It's best to introduce a new food in the morning, so that just incase baby shows any severe signs of allergy you can immediately seek medical help. Don't take allergies lightly, they can prove fatal. To be on a safer side I started with fruits since they are natural n hence very less chance of baby getting allergy on its consumption. Avoid giving citric fruits (pineapple, orange, sweet lime, strawberry, grapse) till your baby turns 1. Prefer fruit puree over juices. Peel outer cover of all the fruits including Apple, anjeer they contain chemicals. Avoid honey till your baby turns 1. Giving cows milk is optional. You will have to first figure out whether your baby is lactose intolerant in such a case you need not give milk n dairy products for atleast a year. My son was lactose intolerant, hence I used to give him formula milk. I introduced grains n vegetables to my son after one month of having started fruits. Again while feeding dal khichdi, kanav, sheera , daliya, etc, I would recommend to ensure that the food is in the form of a smooth paste without any lumps but it's not runny. When you start weaning your moto should be to help infant learn to swallow food which he won't if you give runny food. All the best. It's a very exiting moment when you start weaning your baby but at the same time you need to be very careful about allergies.

You have to explain to them things have changed now and it's best for your baby. Their internal organs are delicate and can only best digest mothers milk. If you have to start weaning before your baby is 6 months, start slowly with one food item per week to check for any allergies. You can start with veg soup (only liquid) or watery dal or rice. Slowly in a month's time as Smita mentioned above start mushing it and giving it so that he gets used to the texture. And of course continue Breastfeeding between meals. Make sure all the vessels are sterilised in hot water. By the time he is a year old he should be eating all home cooked foods without mashing it.

thanxxxx Smita....but I don't have any choice I have to give it...my in laws they are like hum ne to 4 month se shru kr dia tha somehow any how I Stretch this one month aur ab to pedia ne bhi green signal de dia...can't do any thing....

Hi Ritika, I started with semi-solids once my kid turned six months. if you can wait till six months and keep the baby on breastfeeding that will b good. if you really want to start then this is how I did. I started with moong dal in runny form once a day for four days. Once I saw that my son is doing fine then made it twice a day. After seven days or so I started giving him twice a day-lunch and dinner time and rest of the times he was breastfed and formula milk. Slowly I started introducing rice boiled and mashed in runny form twice a day. Once my son was fine with two meals during lunch and dinner time apart from milk, I increased the solids to thrice a day. Early morning I gave him mill. Then after around one and half hours I gave him apple puree. After bath and play I gave him breastfeed and then during lunch Rice puree. Then milk during noon and evening, dinner again mashed runny dal then bedtime milk. Slowly you can change the menu. Remember to check for any allergies. So keep checking for first four days after introducing any new food. do not give salt before one year.