Your baby’s introduction to “baby food” will set his tastes and favourites for many years to come.
So when should you start? The best time to wean your baby onto solid food is at about 6 months. This age is best because it is when your baby’s mouth will start to change to help her cope with the transition. Another tip as to when to begin is when baby is double his birth weight.
Starting to early can cause digestive issues in babies as before around 6 months, your baby’s digestive system and kidneys are able to cope only with breast milk or formula.
Starting too late can however cause baby to find it difficult to adapt to swallowing food, and of course, to remain healthy, she will need a balanced varied diet.
Preparation for weaning:
What will you need?
* Bibs . At first she will spit out more than she swallows and feeding will be very messy.
* Unbreakable bowls and spoons.
* Lidded containers for storing the food.
* A food processor or hand held blender. You could manage with a fork and a sieve, but you won’t have plenty time, so a blender will make life easier.
You don’t need a high chair yet. Baby may not be stable enough to hold up her head steadily enough until about age 8 months, so feed her while she is in your lap or in a seat that supports her head.
As a responsible mother you want to make sure that his food doesn’t contain preservatives, food colourings or strange spices. You want to know exactly what your baby is eating and that you can control everything that passes his lips. With that in mind, here are some tips and ideas.
* Baby rice is usually the first solid for babies, it has a low
protein content and is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. Mix with
milk (expressed breast milk or formula) to make the rice easier to
swallow. Rice also has the advantage that it can be mixed with both
vegetables and fruit, so after a few days, mix in a little fruit or vegetable puree.
Try to make weaning fun and interesting. Don’t be panicked about feeding and overly worried about the quantities that baby is eating. By all means keep an eye on it, but it is worth remembering that your child will not starve himself. Just persevere and keep offering a selection of foods and before you know it, they’ll be eating dinner with you.
I am a preschool and primary school teacher and mum to 3 children. I have been involved in education since 1997 and have trained in a variety of educational specialist areas. It is with this expertise that I write articles to help parents and educators provide quality learning experiences for the children in their care.
