The 3-Day Wait Rule For Babies To Introduce Solids

We all have heard of the 3-day wait rule before introducing solid food to your little one. It simply means you have to wait 3-4 days whenever you introduce a new food item to your baby, before you go ahead with another new food. This rule helps you discover if your baby is allergic or intolerant to a specific food.

Doctors and experts, time and again, urge parents to introduce solid foods gradually to their babies. While in the initial weeks, this is followed to the end, parents generally get excited in the absence of any allergies and stop following this thumb rule. Let’s see how important the 3 day wait rule is for your baby.

• What is the 3-Day Wait Rule?
• Why is the Rule Important?
• When Can I Stop Following the Rule?
• How to be Careful After You Stop the 3-Day Wait Rule?

What is the 3-Day Wait Rule?

Patience is the key to this rule. It simply means that after introducing a new food item in your baby’s diet, you need to wait at least 3 days (ideally 4-5 days) before introducing another new food item. During those 3 days, ensure your baby eats only those items that have previously passed the 3-Day test.

For instance, if you started with apple puree, you give it in very small quantities for 3 days. Then introduce a new item, let us say for instance, banana puree. Give it for 3 days, but you can continue to offer the safe food, the apple puree as well. Watch out for any kind of allergic reaction. If you do not see any, from the fourth day, you can give both apple and banana purees to the baby. Then introduce another item (may be ragi) for the next 3 days. This rule will help you pinpoint any allergens that food items may cause. If your baby develops an allergy, gas, diarrhea, etc., you will know which food to avoid.

Why is the Rule Important?

If you introduce a new food over the course of many days, then it becomes very easy for you to monitor the impact it had on your baby. Does s/he appear to have rashes the next day? Is their poop very loose? Are they showing signs of tummy ache? If you notice any of these small or big problems, then you can pinpoint quite easily what caused it and eliminate it from the baby diet.

It is also a good idea to keep a baby food journal where you note down the food items introduced with dates and any noted aftereffects. This is especially important if there is a family history of food allergies.

When Can I Stop Following the Rule?

By the time your baby is 9-10 months, you would have introduced most of the things that make a balanced diet. Once this is achieved you can relax a bit, but only when you are offering home made food.

That said, it would never hurt to be cautious, especially when introducing items that are commonly known to be allergic, such as peanuts, eggs, wheat, meat or certain types of fishes. This holds through for store-bought or canned food items as well. Always introduce a new food item either in the morning or during lunch.

How to be Careful After You Stop the 3-Day Wait Rule?

Follow the below mentioned steps to ensure safety while introducing your baby to a new food:

• Ensure that you introduce a new food item early in the day. This way, even if your child develops an allergic reaction, you can monitor it well and it would not lead to an emergency room visit during the night.
• Be extremely cautious when you introduce a food item that is a known allergic to you or your spouse. In fact, you can avoid introducing it till the baby is older.

The 3-day wait rule is the best rule to find out if your baby is allergic or intolerant to a particular food. Though the 3-day wait rule is becoming outdated and obsolete ,it is best to be followed to avoid any serious food allergies.

Read Also: Your Baby and Solid Foods

Happy Parenting!