Most babies' introduction to solid food comes in the form of small jars of pureed vegetables, fruits, and meats. For a young baby, the commercial foods offer several advantages—they are safe and most are salt- and sugar-free. For the mother, they offer convenience. If you use commercial baby foods, follow these precautions:• Never feed the baby straight from the jar and then save the remaining food; saliva on the spoon can transmit bacteria to the food and result in spoilage.
• Commercial baby food typically tastes bland; resist the temptation to season it with salt. Excessive salt can cause future
health problems.
A baby who has regular stools and produces six or more wet diapers a day is most likely getting plenty of food. Although this varies, breastfed babies generally nurse every 2 to 4 hours for the first month or so. Experts promote "on demand" feeding; in other words, babies should be fed whenever they are hungry for the first 4 or 5 months. Some babies may be sleepy or disinterested in food; a baby who is not feeding at least six to eight times a day may need^erbe stimulated to consume more.
Growth is an important indicator of whether or not a baby is getting enough to eat. Remember, however, that babies tend to grow in spurts. Dur-ing a growth spurt, an infant will want to nurse more often and longer than usual, which may empty the reserve of breast milk. This will signal the mother's body to increase milk production. But the mother should not be concerned if, a week or two later, her baby is less interested in eating.
Finally, hungry babies send out plenty of signals that they are hungry. Common cues are fussing, crying, and irritability as well as a variety of lip and tongue movements such as lip smacking and fists in mouths.
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