Your Baby's Digestive System
Your baby's digestive system is still a work in progress. One that occasionally requires a little tender, love and care.
Birth-Month 6
Right now, breast milk (with vitamin D supplementation) or formula provide all the nutrients your baby needs. It's also the only thing his stomach can handle at this point.
If your baby becomes gassy, fussy or experiences diarrhea while feeding, he may have a food intolerance. Depending on your feeding preference, you have several options.
If you're breastfeeding, speak to your baby's doctor about avoiding spicy foods or gassy foods like onions, garlic, cauliflower and broccoli, which may be irritating your baby's tummy.
If you are formula feeding, ask the doctor about special formulas that are designed for symptoms like fussiness or gas, spitting up, and colic. Knowing the symptoms can help pinpoint the cause.
Months 6 and Beyond
By 6 months, your baby's digestive system and chewing abilities should be ready for some solid foods.
Start with iron-fortified baby rice cereal. Make it thin at first, but never mix it into his bottle. You can thicken the cereal as he gets used to the spoon. Next he can move on to mashed or pureed fruits, vegetables and meats. By 6 months, he'll not only want solids, his growing body will need them for their extra nutrition.
Learn more about introducing solids
The Scoop on Poop
You can tell a lot about your baby's digestion by looking in his diaper. With solid foods come more solid stools with stronger odours. You may also see bits of undigested fruits or vegetables in there, which is perfectly normal. If his stools are loose and watery, he may have an irritated digestive tract and a call to the doctor is in order.
