Weaning your baby - when to wean and first foods

Weaning: Part 1 - when to wean and first foods

One of the most exciting (and nerve-wracking) moments faced by new parents is when baby takes that first spoonful of solid food. Weaning your baby onto solids can actually be a fun and fascinating process but there are a few guidelines which must be remembered.
It's convenient to split weaning into 4 stages: Stage 1 (4-6 months) - First foods, Stage 2 (6-9 months) Moving on, Stage 3 (9-12 months) - finger foods and self feeding, stage 4 (over twelve months) - toddler food. Future articles will look at these stages in more detail, today let's see how you tell when you baby is ready to wean and the food options available.

When to wean

Current WHO health guidelines recommend that babies up to 6 months old should be exclusively breastfed. In fact, most babies are weaned when they are between 4 and 6 months of age, but experts agree that weaning should not be attempted before the baby is 17 weeks old as their digestive system is too immature to cope with solid food.

There are a number of signs to look out for which will indicate that your child is ready to be weaned. These include:

• Increased hunger and a need to reduce the time between feeds
• Early morning waking and increased nightime waking
• The tongue thrust reflex reduces (Young babies will automatically try to clear food from their mouth by sticking out their tongue. This reflex disappears between 4 and 6 months and is a good indication that your baby is ready to try a little solid food).
• Weight gain may level off
• He may show an interest in food generally, reaching for your food or drooling when you eat.

Whilst it is important to wait until an appropriate age to begin weaning it is equally important not to wait to long. Several authors suggest that very late weaning (after 6-7 months) can lead to babies being fussier eaters and having problems with lumpier foods as they mature.

First weaning foods

The best foods to start with are those which are easy to digest and non-allergenic. Baby rice makes a great first food, either simply mixed with water, breast milk or formula, or in combination with pureed fruit and vegetables. It's best to choose one without added sugar such as Organix.

Many books on this subject have been written, but most agree that starting with baby rice and then introducing single flavour puree every few days is a sensible way to start. At this stage, purees should resemble very smooth thick soup, and it is usually recommended that you begin by introducing solids at lunchtime, rather than in the evening when the baby can be tired and you want to ensure that they have a good milk feed before bed (rather than filling them up with pureed vegetables.

At this stage weaning is all about trying out first tastes as a young baby continues to get most of its nutritional needs from its milk. Consequently, don't be surprised or worried if baby only takes a couple of teaspoons of food at each mealtime - rest assured that as their appetite grows, the quantities eaten will increase and a second solid meal can be introduced at teatime with a third, at breakfast, introduced by about 6 months, or when your baby shows signs of hunger in the morning, before the lunchtime feed.

The most important thing is to be guided by your baby. Don't try and force feed them with "just one more for daddy" - this is a sure-fire way to cause upset, food throwing and tears! A baby only eats enough to satisfy his or her hunger, so don't try and force them to eat more than they want!

Commercial baby food vs. homemade

We all want the best start in life for our children, and by making your own you can be assured that you are using only the freshest organic ingredients without thickeners or additives. Although a little time consuming, it is relatively straightforward to stock your freezer with several batches of single flavour purees - Just freeze the purees in flexible freezer trays and decant into a sealable freezer bag. This will allow you to defrost meals in convenient portions and add variety to your baby's diet by introducing different flavour combinations. If you can afford them, organic fruit and vegetables ensure that you are not exposing your baby to any harmful sprays or pesticides.

In the real world, it's not always possible to make your own. A few companies out there are committed to producing baby food under organic standards, and these are a good compromise for those without the time to cook from scratch. At Kiddies Kitchen choices include frozen purees and baby meals from Truuuly Scrumptious and MiniScoff, or pots or pouches of purees from Plumbaby Superfoods, Ella's Kitchen or Organix.

posted by Richard @ 7:48 AM