Parental Values, Strategies, and Perceived Barriers During the Introduction of Solid Foods: A Qualitative Study

New parents receive abundant information on the solid food introduction that both supports and undermines current feeding guidelines. Previous studies reveal barriers to timely introduction that include inconsistent information from healthcare professionals, peer influences, and inappropriately responding to infant cues perceived as readiness. This qualitative study aimed to explore the values, strategies, and barriers that drive solid food introduction decisions among new parents. First-time parents with an infant aged 9-12 months were recruited via social media and a local pediatric clinic. Ten new mothers were recruited and completed the pre-interview survey and one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed before being manually coded by two researchers. Their code lists were compared and over-arching themes were determined to answer the research questions of this study. Most participants reported introducing solid foods at 6 months (n = 6). Participants relied on medical professionals, family, friends, and media for information. Themes related to responsive feeding included reading infant cues (n = 9), bonding with the child during feedings (n = 6), modeling ( n = 5), allowing for infant exploration during feedings (n = 8), and food repetition (n = 5). Challenges the participants faced included refusal (n = 9), transition (n = 10), uncertainty (n = 10), infant well-being (n = 10), food variety (n = 8), change in routine (n = 9), and feasibility of family meals (n = 8). With exploration of the current feeding environment and aspirations for future feeding environments, participants shared values for family bonding, healthy variety, and establishing traditions. This study warrants a need for educational programs provided by healthcare professionals to better support new parents in the Long Beach area