Your beautiful baby is a few months old now, and you're beginning to think about giving her solid foods. But you're not quite sure when and what you should feed your little darling. Worse, you have visions of mashed peas being hurled through the air, covering your hair and hitting the floor and the walls. Feeding your baby solid foods for the first time can certainly be an adventure, but with some simple tips, you'll be an old pro before you can say "splatter".      Breast milk or fortified formula are the only foods your baby needs for the first four to six months. They should remain the core of the baby's diet for the first year of life. Your baby's development determines when he or she is ready to begin eating solid foods. Most babies are ready to begin solid foods between the ages of four and six months. Starting solids sooner could put the baby at risk for choking and food allergies.      Look for these signs that your baby may be ready to begin eating solid foods:

• Your baby is able to sit up, with little support, and his or her head/neck movement is more coordinated.

• Your baby is interested in the foods you're eating.
• Your baby doesn't push food out of his or her mouth with his or her tongue.
• Your baby is able to pull himself or herself forward when food is wanted and move away when full.

     Your baby should learn to eat semisolid and solid foods from a spoon and with fingers. Never give your baby semisolid or solid foods from a bottle or infant-feeder because the baby could choke or take in too much food at once. Eating from a spoon and with fingers is the first step toward independence and will help your baby develop chewing and swallowing skills. Here are some tips that can help you and your baby make an easier transition:

Don't expect the experience to be neat.

     It's quite likely that more food may end up on the bib than in your baby's mouth, at least at first. Relax and try to make this an enjoyable experience for both of you. Talk calmly and softy to your baby while feeding.

Use a very small spoon-one that is meant for babies.

     A small spoon with a long handle is preferable. You can find them at most grocery and department stores. Do not use the baby's spoon for tasting.

Start with only a small amount of food and work up to more.

     Begin with no more than one or two teaspoons of food at a time and gradually work your way up to one or two tablespoons, two or three times a day.

Make sure your baby is sitting up straight and leaning somewhat forward.

     This position allows your baby to swallow more easily and minimizes the risk of choking.

Let your baby set the pace of eating.

     Don't feed too slow or too fast. Introduce only one new food at a time, and at the beginning of the meal. Introduce new foods when your baby is most hungry. Otherwise, he or she may not be interested.

Try, try again.

     If your baby refuses a new food, don't force the issue. Offer it again in a day or two. If he or she still refuses, offer it again in two or three weeks.

     The first solid foods given to infants are usually iron-fortified infant cereals. They are easier to digest and help meet your baby's iron requirements. Start with rice cereal because it is the least likely to cause an allergic reaction. Cereal should be thin at first-one part cereal to four parts breast milk or infant formula. Your baby will be ready for thicker cereal when he or she develops eating skills. Don't use cow's milk to mix cereal because it is difficult for babies to digest until after one year of age. Give only about one teaspoon of cereal twice a day, at first, and then gradually increase to two or three tablespoons twice a day. Other grain products such as rice, soft breads, cooked pasta and teething biscuits can be added a little later.

Try smooth foods first.

     When your baby is able to make chewing motions and teeth appear, he or she will be able to eat mashed or finely chopped foods. These textured foods will also help your baby's developing teeth. When your baby gets more teeth and wants to feed himself or herself (usually between the ages of 9 and 12 months), you can introduce finger foods such as cooked vegetables and soft fruit without seeds or peel.

Try vegetables and fruits next.

     After your baby is comfortable eating cereal, introduce strained vegetables and fruits-one at a time. Vegetables should be introduced before fruits because vegetables often have less taste after eating fruit. At the beginning, give mild flavored vegetables such as green beans, yellow squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. Next, add applesauce, peaches and pears. Once your baby has accepted several vegetables, give him or her two different vegetables a day.

After vegetables and fruits, try meats.

     After your baby eats vegetables on a regular basis, introduce strained lean meats-one at a time. Offer a variety of pureed or finely chopped meats, including chicken, beef and turkey.

Start with single foods.

     Offer single cereals, vegetables (such as carrots, squash, green beans, peas, etc.), fruits (applesauce, pears, peaches, bananas, prunes, etc.), and meat (turkey, ham, beef) rather than combination foods. Also, wait three to seven days before introducing new foods. This will allow you to see any signs of a food allergy and to know which food caused them. Signs of food allergy may include diarrhea, stomach discomfort, vomiting, spitting up, wheezing, skin rash, hives, and swelling of the lips, tongue and mouth. Extreme and life-threatening allergic reactions include difficulty breathing, swelling in the throat, decreased blood pressure, and passing out.

Offer a variety of foods.

      Eating a variety of foods will help your baby have a well-balanced diet and develop good eating habits for the future. Also, be sure to offer your baby foods that vary in color and texture.

Avoid foods that could cause choking.

     Babies less than three or four years old should not eat small, hard foods such as chips, pretzels, raw carrots, celery, raisins, popcorn, snack puffs, nuts, or seeds. Slippery foods should also be avoided-candy, cough drops, chewing gum, whole grapes, frankfurters, sausages, and large or tough pieces of meat and poultry.

Don't add sugar, salt, or other seasoning to baby's food.

     Babies don't need added sugar, salt or seasonings. They need to develop a taste for the natural flavor of foods. Avoid adding seasonings to your baby's food. If you buy commercially-prepared baby food, read the label to make sure sugar, salt, and seasonings are not added.

Don't give cow's milk until your baby is older than 12 months of age.

      After 12 months of age, most babies don't have as much difficulty digesting cow's milk and can be given whole milk, yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese. Children under two years of age are not advised to eat lower-fat diary products because they need the fat for brain development.

Be patient when your baby refuses food.

     It may take a while for your baby to get used to solid foods. If he or she refuses, just try again in a few days.

• Remember that the primary source of nutrition during your baby's first year is breast milk or formula.

• Offer juice in a cup rather than in a bottle. It helps reduce the risk of tooth decay.
• If warming food in a microwave, use a microwave-safe dish and warm until just lukewarm.
• Always read and follow instructions on containers of baby food.
• Don't feed your baby directly from the jar or you could risk contaminating the leftover food. Spoon small amounts of food into a feeding dish and feed your baby from it. If your baby wants more food, take more from the jar with a clean spoon.
• Date, label, and refrigerate leftovers immediately after each feeding. Use all leftovers within three days.
• Leftovers should not be reheated more than once.
• Don't use honey or corn syrup. In babies, they can cause a serious food-borne illness called botulism.
• Never leave your baby alone during mealtime.
• If you feel that your baby is not eating enough, contact your doctor or dietitian.

     In general, choking on liquids is temporary and of little cause for concern. However, if your child chokes on a liquid and turns blue, becomes limp, or passes out, call 911 immediately. Choking on solid foods and other objects is especially dangerous. Here's what you should do:

What to do if your baby is conscious and choking:

     Call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.

     Turn the baby face down and place him or her over your knee or forearm. Give five blows between the shoulder blades, and five chest thrusts. Repeat until the food or object is dislodged.

If your baby is unconscious

     Call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance.

     Clear any visible objects from the mouth. If you don't see any objects in the child's mouth, don't put your fingers in the mouth because you could push the object deeper into the larynx.

     Put your mouth over the baby's mouth and give two slow breaths. Give five back blows and five chest compressions. Continue until the baby is breathing or help arrives.