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.
My view:The first year
This is the first of an irregular series of posts where I will try to share some of our experiences from Luke's first couple of years in terms of equipment we found useful, weaning tips and summaries of published advice, to try and cut through some of the masses of information available to new parents. This post deals with some of the essential equipment you will need as a new parent: There are so many gadgets on the market, sometimes its difficult to cut through the advertising spiel to decide what you actually NEED rather than what they want you to have. The good news is, the absolute essentials number less than you probably think.
From personal experience, this is our list of absolute essentials that saw us through the first year: - Bottles and Teats (We stock avent, tommee tippee, Dr Browns and Vital Baby)
- Bottle brush
- Steriliser
- Expressor
- Breastmilk storage bags (We recommend Lansinoh products for Breastfeeding mums)
- Lanolin cream
- Nursing pads (Have you tried Lilypadz, the award winning non-disposable pad?)
- Large muslin cloths
- Handheld blender
- Flexible ice-cube trays (The absolute best we have found are by Pea in the Pod, see the bottom of our breastfeeding product pages)
- Freezer bags
- Some plastic feeding bowls
- Some shallow, plastic baby spoons
- Bibs
- Highchair
I would add to that list, the following optional items which made our lives easier: - Microwave steriliser bags (there WILL be days when you forget to put the steriliser on!)
- A bouncy chair (we used it for feeding whilst our son was a bit floppy for his highchair)
- A waterproof splash mat for under the highchair (Saves washing the floor after every meal)
- An extra kettle (so that we always had cooled once-boiled water for bottles)
- A portable bottle warmer (so you can feed on the go)
- A wide necked thermos flask for keeping food warm
Fortunately all the above items are available from Kiddies Kitchen - your one stop baby food and feeding accessories shop.
How to give your baby a green bottom
I can think of two ways: One involves paint, the other is a lot less likely to attract the attention of the local social services department. The non-paint way simply involves making a more informed choice about the nappies you use. What is the point in using mainstream disposable nappies that will remain intact in a landfill for many many years when there is another, greener, more eco-friendly and just as effective option? Moltex OKO nappies are the answer. In my experience, they are virtually indistinguishable from "normal nappies" in performance (same number of leaks, some absorbancy, same fit) and yet they are almost totally biodegradable, contain no chlorine, and are produced with unbleached cellulose. Even the bag they come in is 100% biodegradable. Moltex OKO nappies come in 5 sizes - from Mini for newborns (3-6kg) to XL for toddlers who aren't potty trained (16-30kg). At Kiddies Kitchen we sell them for £10.99 a bag or £29.95 for three bags. Why not try them for yourselves? We also sell biodegradable nappy sacks and wipes. Why not invest in a Diaper Champ aswell? This innovative awarding winnng product allows you to dispose of soiled nappies without having to buy special cassettes. In our changing area in the shop we use a Daiper champ and biodegradeable bin liners to collect nappies and there is not a whiff of odour from the bin as it is completely sealed. Absolutely brilliant!
enough new products, lets share a recipe: Mediteranean Pork
I know you're all fascinated by the new products we keep adding here at Kiddies Kitchen, but its been a while since I added or reviewed a recipe on the blog, so here goes: This one has been a firm family favourite since way before Luke arrived and now that he's nearly 2 we have been enjoying it as a family meal on a regular basis. We usually use a couple of big thick pork chops from the butcher which I bone and cut into strips before frying them briefly in some oil. When browned I added a deseeded and sliced red pepper and cook for a couple more minutes when I add a tin of our Essential Organic chopped tomatoes (59p from Kiddies Kitchen - bargain!). Once this is bubbling I add a couple of teaspoons of rinsed capers, some chopped parlsey, and some salami sliced into strips. the whole thing bubbles away for about twenty minutes with extra water if too thick or a little cornflour if too runny, or until the pork is cooked through and tender. We add a scant pinch of chilli flakes which adds some depth to the flavour, or you could use smoked paprika, just don't make it too hot if you're going to share with a toddler! We usually shred up some of the pork for Luke but otherwise he eats it as it comes ("Daddy pork, Mummy pork, Luke pork!") either with rice, baked potato even organic oven chips ( available in our frozen food section). I can't remember where the genesis of this recipe as we've adapted and made it our oown over the years - but well done whoever came up with it - we love it and so does Luke.
New products - The Doidy Cup
Here we are again, This time I'm very pleased to announce the arrival of the Doidy Cup (£4.50 free P&P). This unique trainer cup is designed and made in Scotland and is a very effective way to encourage young children to drink from an open cup rather than a bottle or beaker. The Doidy cup's unique slanting design makes it easy for the child to see the contents of the cup and means that they do not have to tip i up very far in order to get to the liquid. Darn clever stuff and very popular - I know of one nursery local to us who have bought 10 Doidy cups after success with one 3 year old who had never drunk from a cup before. Even better than that the Doidy Cup available from Kiddies Kitchen at £4.50 with free postage and packing. Now there's no excuse not to order one in your kid's favourite colour!
New Product - Lilypadz non-disposable nursing pads
I'm delighted to say that we now have the revolutionary Lily Padz nursing pads in stock and available to purchase on line at £14.99 a pair. These greast new flexible, breathable and all but invisible pads are made out of soft silicone and naturally adhere to the breast. I'll try to post some extracts from the very useful FAQS provided by the manufacturers as these answer lots of obvious (and not so obvious) questions about using Lily Padz. You can find Liliy Padz in our brestfeeding section, along with the fantstic Lansinoh range and some helpful books.
a new version of an old favourite
Whoops! Turn your back and 3 weeks pass without updating the blog. Things are getting manic in the run up to Christmas - apologies to those who are having to wait a couple of days longer than usual for delivery of their orders. I'm afraid it can't be helped at this time of year as the orders come in in increasing numbers. Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly. Thanks to everyone who has ordered a gingerbread house kit - I am delighted by their popularity, particularly as these really are genuinely hand made in small batches (4 at a time to be precise), right here in Tavistock. Its only right to say a big thanks as well to Rachel Harrison-French of the Gingerbread House Company whose expertise at baking makes these houses so special - well done Rachel and keep it up for a few more days please! Because they are made to order please respect the deadline for last orders before Christmas of 15 December Orders after that date cannot be guaranteed before Xmas. Finally for this post news of two new fantastic versions of our best selling thermos funtainer food flasks - Those of you who found the plain clours too staid can now enjoy two exciting patterned designs - Flower Power ("for girls") and Redline ("for boys") Both of these wide neck kids thermos food flasks are in stock now and can be with you within a few days. Why not take a look?
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