Getting Started
Time your little one's first meal so that he's hungry but not ravenous, or he'll be too fussy to try something new. One tactic: Let him nurse or have a bottle for a few minutes to take the edge off his appetite, and then serve the solids, says Paula Elbirt, M.D., author of Dr. Paula's House Calls to Your Newborn: Birth Through Six Months. "Afterward, he can top off the meal with the rest of the bottle or the breast," she says.
You'll also want to have a calm setting so that, say, a loud television or an older sibling isn't competing for attention. Once he's used to eating, he can begin to join you for family meals.
If he knows how to sit up, feed him in a high chair, which will help him stay upright and reduce the risk of choking. If he's not yet sitting, place him in a bouncy chair, car seat, or your lap.
