Weaning
Weaning
Open Wide!
Giving your baby solid food for the first time is a moment you'll remember forever. Helping them take their first step towards eating 'real' food is a major milestone, abeit a messy one! There's no rush though - there's nothing better for them than milk for the first six months or so of their life. It's only after that that they'll start to need the extra calories, iron and vitamins that solids can provide. At the start, giving solids is much more about helping your child learn how to eat than feeding them up.
When's the right time?
There are no hard and fast rules about when it's right to start weaning a baby as every child is different. Some health visitors say you shouldn't try until they're at least six months, while others suggest starting at around four months. Certainly you shouldn't think about starting until they're at least four months, as their digestive system won't be set up yet to absorb anything other than milk. Plus they won't be able to sit upright properly or move the food from the front of their mouth to the back - key skills they'll need for eating.
Some Signs
There are plenty of clues that'll help you decide if your baby is ready to try solids. They might be chewing and sucking their hands a lot or trying to eat everything in sight. Or they might still seem hungry after a full 250ml/8 fl oz milk feed, start waking in the night after sleeping through for a period of time or start to demand their milk feeds more and more often. Usually bigger babies are ready first as they're just not getting enough to satisfy them. If you want a second opinion about whether or not your baby is ready, have a chat with your health visitor.
Get Ready
You shouldn't need to buy much to start weaning as you've probably got lots of mashers, graters and sieves in your kitchen already. Most parents find a blender irreplaceable, especially if they're planning on preparing a lot of the food themselves. You will need some soft plastic spoons, preferably with long handles, plus some plastic bowls to serve the food in and lots of bibs. Plus get lots of ice-cube trays in - these are perfect for freezing any food you make as you can then defrost just one or two cubes at a time. Take extra care to keep everything you use clean - you might even want to sterilise spoons and bowls at first.
There are no hard and fast rules about when it's right to start weaning a baby as every child is different. Some health visitors say you shouldn't try until they're at least six months, while others suggest starting at around four months. Certainly you shouldn't think about starting until they're at least four months, as their digestive system won't be set up yet to absorb anything other than milk. Plus they won't be able to sit upright properly or move the food from the front of their mouth to the back - key skills they'll need for eating.
Some Signs
There are plenty of clues that'll help you decide if your baby is ready to try solids. They might be chewing and sucking their hands a lot or trying to eat everything in sight. Or they might still seem hungry after a full 250ml/8 fl oz milk feed, start waking in the night after sleeping through for a period of time or start to demand their milk feeds more and more often. Usually bigger babies are ready first as they're just not getting enough to satisfy them. If you want a second opinion about whether or not your baby is ready, have a chat with your health visitor.
Get Ready
You shouldn't need to buy much to start weaning as you've probably got lots of mashers, graters and sieves in your kitchen already. Most parents find a blender irreplaceable, especially if they're planning on preparing a lot of the food themselves. You will need some soft plastic spoons, preferably with long handles, plus some plastic bowls to serve the food in and lots of bibs. Plus get lots of ice-cube trays in - these are perfect for freezing any food you make as you can then defrost just one or two cubes at a time. Take extra care to keep everything you use clean - you might even want to sterilise spoons and bowls at first.
Get Set
Make sure you’re both nice and comfortable before you start. Sit your baby in their chair and make sure their head is well supported. Or you can try offering your baby their first food while they’re sitting on your lap. Although don’t forget weaning can be a messy business so it’s best not to wear your best clothes! Choose a place that’s got tiled floors or cover up any carpets with a plastic sheet or newspaper.
Go, Go, Go!
A lot of parents start weaning their baby with just one feed a day, usually mid morning or mid afternoon. It’s usually best to try them with solids after they’ve had their milk (or most of it) so that they’re not extremely hungry. Try all hot foods yourself first to check they’re the right temperature and don't ever add any food to a bottle with milk or water, as it could cause your baby to choke.
Let your child have plenty of time to explore and savour the food you've given them. You’ll find it incredible how long a baby can take to eat just a few teaspoons of food! And if they don’t seem to want any, don’t worry - they’ll probably be keener tomorrow or the next day. These early stages are all about showing your baby how fun eating food can be.
Make sure you’re both nice and comfortable before you start. Sit your baby in their chair and make sure their head is well supported. Or you can try offering your baby their first food while they’re sitting on your lap. Although don’t forget weaning can be a messy business so it’s best not to wear your best clothes! Choose a place that’s got tiled floors or cover up any carpets with a plastic sheet or newspaper.
Go, Go, Go!
A lot of parents start weaning their baby with just one feed a day, usually mid morning or mid afternoon. It’s usually best to try them with solids after they’ve had their milk (or most of it) so that they’re not extremely hungry. Try all hot foods yourself first to check they’re the right temperature and don't ever add any food to a bottle with milk or water, as it could cause your baby to choke.
Let your child have plenty of time to explore and savour the food you've given them. You’ll find it incredible how long a baby can take to eat just a few teaspoons of food! And if they don’t seem to want any, don’t worry - they’ll probably be keener tomorrow or the next day. These early stages are all about showing your baby how fun eating food can be.
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