Hi my daughter has completed 4 mts. I want to know when do we generally start semisolid food is it at the completion of 6 mts of completed of 5 mts. Also lemme know what shld i start with and what quantitiy thanx Mel replied. You can start anytime between 4 - 6 months, but it should be VERY gradual. You can start with something very simple and easy to digest, like rice cereal (Cerelac) or you can make your own at home, grind cooked white rice fine, mix with little cow' s milk or formula (no sugar, no salt). The consistency should be slightly runny, not too thick or lumpy. Give her a teeny tiny bit, wait a few moments for her to get accustomed to it, and then try some more. Start with just one tablespoon once a day, then move up to three to six tablespoons once a day. Once she starts taking it well, you can increase it up to two times a day (but, at least wait for a week to pass). Then after a month or so, work up to three times a day. Make sure she still takes BM or Formula as much as she wants.

Keep a few things in mind:
1. Your daughter is ready for solids if her neck is steady and she can sit assisted, Leaning on something, pillows, high chair, etc. Otherwise, it can pose choking problems.
2. She should be in a sitting position when you feed solids - do not feed her lying down.
3. The food should be semisolid in nature, more runny / liquidy the first month, so that she can gum it and swallow.
4. Offer only one type of food for a week and watch her bowel movements. It may change slightly for a few days as her system is experiencing new food for the first time, but if it is very loose and runny for over 3 days, or has blood or mucous, then discontinue the food, and show her to a doc. If her bowel movements settle down in 3 - 4 days, then try a new food, offer only the first two foods for a week, then try another the next week and so on. This way, you will come to know if she is allergic to anything.

Once you have successfully started rice cereal, you can start off with veggies first, then fruits (otherwise, once she tastes sweet fruits, she may reject the veggies later), then egg yolks / chicken / fish (only after 8 months), similarly, chapati or other wheat products should only be introduced after 8 months, egg whites, nuts, sugar and salt only after 1 year.