weaning baby (Baby Food Hints/Tips)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Baby Food Hints/Tips
Date:	22/01/03 (4008 review reads)
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Advantages: good

Disadvantages: can be messy

BABYFOOD HINTS TIPS


Well first there is breast milk the best for all babies formula/ milk for babies nearly as good fine if you have problems can not do not want to feed yourself or baby needs topping up.
After a few months milk is just not enough baby cries more drinks more is not satisfied with just milk. Now is the time to start weaning. About 4 to 6 months for the early beginning to try real food. If you are unsure if your baby is ready to start go to your baby clinic, ask your health visitors, nurse, doctor they will give you some guidance.
Weaning, a very slow gentle start is the way to do it. Baby will tell you when he/she wants more /doesn’t like foods

I will start at the beginning.
Now you have decided it is time to wean baby not before 4 months it does depend on the baby but the baby’s digestive system will not have developed till about then.
Baby should be able to hold his own head up to enable feeding and swallowing.

Do nots
Do not give baby food with salt added or sugar added. No honey added until at least 12 months Honey may contain harmful bacteria
Do not give nuts till at least 2 years
Do not give cows milk till 1 year best use breast/formula milk or boiled water to mix?

Do not give eggs or gluten products or citrus during the first stage

The first spoonful/ taste of real food.
I would recommend starting with baby rice; buy a packet of baby there are several manufactures of baby foods. These foods are specially designed with out added salt, or sugar. A packet of dried baby food is perfect for starting as you only need prepare a little at a time
The best time to give baby his/her first taste is his/her mid day feed.
First Wash your hands prepare your food as per instructions on packet. Get yourself in a comfortable position baby on knee feed him/her some breast/formula milk from bottle/ breast per normal, after a little while before baby is ful

l of milk present him/her with a small spoon of baby rice, hopefully baby will not spit it out. Be prepared with a cloth to wipe. After this first spoon full give him/her the remainder of his/her bottle/breast feed. Do not save left over food for later in case of contamination by germs.
Give the remainder of that days feeds as milk from breast or bottle baby’s tummy needs to get used to the change in diet slowly the different tastes and textures.
Next day repeat the procedure the same as above. Even if he/she spat out the food you presented try again. It did not mean he hated that food just unsure about new tastes textures. Try different flavours every few days
Continue this for a few days, a week or so gradual increase to meet baby’s hunger.
Now after a week or two you can start introducing. Solids at breakfast and teatime feed keeping the last feed before he/she goes to bed as milk, bottle/breast.
There are a variety of prepared baby foods dried packet ones or jars. These are good and convenient but can work out pricey,



Baby will only need a small quantity of each food .A time saving economic idea is when you are cooking carrots, potatoes, apples, anything suitable for baby. Freeze a little in ice cube trays they make perfect small convenient portions quick to defrost and reheat


Alternatives to bought shop food at 4 –6 months pureed banana (a favourite) pureed cooked apple, or pear pureed cooked potato carrot, cauliflower other pureed vegetables and fruit can be given remember not citrus yet, and do not add anything salt or sugar.
Preprepared adult foods contain lots of additives that are unsuitable for baby’s first foods.
If you are cooking veg for family meal puree a portion and freeze in ice trays a small ice cube of veg will defrost quickly. Will heat up quickly. Remember weaning is a slow process, can be messy.
Remember baby still needs lots of formula/ breast milk
G

radually introduce new foods.



After 6 months you can introduce pureed meat
You can use full fat cows milk in cooked items like custard or cheese sauce.
The home cooked meals you produce for yourselves can be liquidised, mashed.
Now you will be moving on to 3 meals a day with breast bottle morning and last thing at night
At 6/7 months you can introduce glutinous foods wheatabix are great mush down well Sleepy dormouse loved them, until 12 months use formula or breast milk

9 –12 months your baby will be able to manage more texture minced /roughly pureed fruit mashed vegetables. Should be on three meals a day as well as milk when waking and before going to bed.
Baby will enjoy finger foods.
If you have a very energetic active baby you can offer snacks in the day, fruit, breadsticks rice cakes. Avoid biscuits and cake food items with sugar and salt. Do not give snacks before a meal it will lesson his/her appetite.
You can give water or dilute fruit juice with meals.


At twelve months you can give baby pasteurised milk.
At this age baby should be eating much the same food as the family. Do not add salt or alcohol to his/her food. Limit sugar.

Introduce spicy foods slowly

Enjoy weaning your baby, it is not a battle it is a slow gentle process. You may miss out on the cuddling time you had when breast/bottle feeding so make it fun and have a cuddle after the feed read a story, sing a few rhymes


This is just my advice get more advice from clinic or books read baby mags read boxes of baby food. get more ideas then formulate your own opinions and technique. Baby will help you along the way letting you know by his cry’s / smiles and rejection/enjoyment of food what food he/she likes
(I am a qualified nursery nurse, weaned my own baby successfully)

Thanks for reading Mary

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