The following information is taken from a free book I picked up (UK) and thought I would share with you.
WEANING STEP BY STEP
1. Gradually increase the amount of solid food you offer your baby after her usual milk feed
2. Start by offering a taste of baby rice once per day, plus her usual milk feeds.
3. Progress to two teaspoons of baby rice once per day, plus her usual milk feeds
4. Then offer two teaspoons of baby rice at breakfast and two at lunchtime, plus all her normal milk feeds. If your baby is thirsty
between feeds give her cool boiled water.
5. Keep giving two teaspoons of baby rice at breakfast but start to add a little pureed apple or vegetable, such as potato, to her
lunchtime rice. She still needs her usual milk feeds, plus water in between if thirsty.
WHEN SHOULD I WEAN
Don’t feel under pressure to rush it. Between four and six months, babies need more than breast or formula milk it’s time to start weaning. Talk to your health visitor if you feel your baby is ready for solids sooner. It could be that she’s going through a growth spurt and will be satisfied with more milk feeds.
If you feel your baby isn’t ready for solids at four months, leave weaning her until she’s about six months old.
JUST FOR STARTERS
When your baby’s ready for weaning she may wake more in the night wanting to be fed, stare at whatever you’re eating, or try to grab it herself. If so, buy some baby rice you can mix with breast or formula milk to prepare the tiny, smooth portions she needs to get started.
Remember, you’ll need to sterilise all of your baby’s feeding equipment, including bowls, spoons and cups, until she’s a year old.
READY, STEADY, GO…
• Sit your baby on your lap, at a time when she’s relaxed and alert
• Give her a milk feed as usual, but atop in the middle and, talking soothingly, offer a little baby rice on the end of a sterilised spoon
• If your baby sucks or licks the spoon, offer a spoonful or two more then continue with the milk
MAKING PROGRESS
If your baby spits out the rice and looks startled, just give her a cuddle and try again in a day or two. Next time, try a smoother, sloppier texture or a different first food, such as rusks. At this stage, you’re simply getting your baby used to the idea of new textures and she’ll still be getting most of the nourishment she needs from breast or formula milk. Weaning can take several weeks, so don’t rush it. Once your baby’s used to eating a tiny bit of food, gradually offer a little more. She’ll soon learn to enjoy all kinds of textures and flavours.
PUREE AND SIMPLE
Once your baby is used to taking food from a spoon, it’s important to introduce a greater variety of ingredients. Just remember to puree them and make sure any pips or pieces of skin are removed. It’s really easy to prepare purees: just steam fruit or vegetables until soft, Iiquidise or mash them to a pulp then push them through a sieve to get rd of any stringy bits. Make sure it’s lukewarm before offering it to your baby.
MORE VARIETY
During this first stage of weaning (four to six months(, you can carry on using baby rice as the basis of your child’s meals, but try adding small amounts of other purees, such as different fruits, vegetable, meat, white fish and cheese. If your baby turns her nose up at a particular flavour, just leave it out for a while. Remember, there’s no need to add sugar or salt to your homemade baby food even if it tastes bland to you.
NEW TEXTURES
Soon your baby may be ready to try firmer foods. Slowly introduce mashed, minced or finely chopped foods, remembering that if you’re making them yourself you’ll need to sieve out seeds, pips and coarse fibres, and check for bits of skin or bone, especially in fish.
When you want the convenience of ready-made baby food, there’s a wide choice of tasty recipes (as well as dried foods) suitable from seven months.
CHEWING IT OVER
Your baby will soon be able to chew lumps even if she hasn’t any teeth, and will enjoy food that’s mashed rather then pureed. Interestingly, chewing not only helps prepare her for firmer foods, but also helps strengthen the muscles she’ll use to say her first words.
Remember never leave your baby on her own during mealtimes.
TASTY FINGER FOODS
• Vegetable sticks # try peeled carrot or cucumber
• Lightly cooked broccoli or cauliflower florets
• Sticks of hard cheese, such as mild cheddar
• Fingers of toast, or mini sandwiches ~ try savoury spreads like yeast extract
• Slices of pitta bread or chapatti
• Sliced banana or sliced, peeled apple
• Cooked pasta shapes
FOODS TO AVOID
• Honey until your baby’s a year old
• Bread with seeds she could choke on
• High-fibre cereals they’re too filling
• If you’ve a family history of allergies asthma, don’t give eggs, wheat (gluten), citrus fruit, fish or cows’ milk to your baby until she’s six
months old
GOING ORGANIC
More and more parents are choosing an organic diet for their babies because they believe that’s the healthiest option. Organic food is grown to a system that minimises artificial pesticides, fertilisers and chemicals. Farmers must be able to demonstrate at least three years of monitored adherence to legally defined farming standards. In order for a food to be certified organic, at least 95 per cent of the Ingredients have to be organic.
YOUR BABIES FIRST CUTLERY
Once your little one starts on solids she’ll have to learn a new way of feeding, too. You’ll find that baby spoons designed for weaning make it easier for her because they’re softer and specially shaped for little mouths.
Understandably, your baby might find the progression from breast or bottle to sucking food from a spoon a bit tricky at first, but she’ll learn at her own pace. Just take your time and make sure you’ve got plenty of bibs and wipes handy. Spoon feeding is a messy business!
Don’t forget to sterilise either no matter how many spoons she throws on the floor!
