Gentle weaning and introduction of solids
Weaning
There are a number of signs your baby will give you when they are ready to be weaned and start eating solids including showing a curiosity in food, chewing or lipsmacking when you eat in front of them, being constantly hungry and crying to be fed before their usual feeding time, drooling at the sight of food, putting everything into their mouths, the disappearance of their extrusion reflex whereby babies automatically try to suck when being fed.
Starting babies on solids before six months can lead to allergies and food intolerances because a baby’s immune system and intestines are not mature enough to digest anything besides breast milk. But by six months of age the likelihood for developing allergies and intolerances is much lower, although not completely diminished.
For this reason you should wean your baby onto solids slowly, one by one so that it is easy to identify the source of intolerances and allergies as they appear. Start with rice cereal for a few weeks, followed by completely pureed vegetables and fruit shortly after. If you feed fruit to your baby before vegetables you may find that your baby prefers fruit to vegetables because of the sweeter taste.
You should cook fruits and vegetables in one of two ways, in order to retain the high levels of nutrients. Steaming is ideal as food remains unprocessed and if you puree vegetables and fruit in bulk, you can freeze them for several weeks at a time, and store for your baby.
Foods should be of a texture and consistency resembling paste and should pose no choking hazard. Salt should never be added to your baby’s food as it can place undue stress on your baby’s kidneys. Cow’s milk, soy milk, honey, eggs and nuts should never be given to a six month old baby and fats such as oil and butter should also be avoided.
Similarly store bought baby food should only be consumed in small amounts as it is not as nutritious as home made pureed food. Many commercial baby foods are cooked at a high temperatures which dramatically changes the flavour, quality and nutritional value of the ingredients from their original state so it's best to use baby food in situations where your home made food cannot be reheated or stored and when you do buy baby foods, choose organic, natural brands that contain little to no additives.
Some infants may need to be weaned earlier than six months due to a deficiency or delayed growth but this should be at the direction of a doctor or dietician. Babies will go through growth spurts where they may drink more breast milk than normal but this will settle after time.
Parents need to recognise when their child is hungry or full. If your baby rejects food, go back to breast milk or formula and try again the next day. Always use a rubber tipped spoon to feed babies of this age as they are likely to be teething and using a metal spoon may damage their delicate little gums. Allow your baby to make as much mess as they like as they eat and attempt to feed themselves.
Also ensure your baby drinks lots of water as it helps in digestion and regulates body temperature. Unsweetened juice is fine if it is diluted but soft drinks and sugary juices should not be given.
A child is considered to be completely weaned once they have been introduced to a wide variety of foods and no longer consume breast milk. But you do not have to stop breastfeeding just because your child is eating solids – this is a personal choice.
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