Ok we all
know that breast is best for baby for but when should you fed your little one
real food
There are 3
things you should do
1 Never buy
a readymade meal for your baby they are full of all kind of stuff that you don’t
know, and will cost you more money that can be used for something better
2 lean to cook
real food it’s fun to do and you can do great bonding at the same time letting
your child help with the cooking.
3 Don’t
just leave it to mum feeding your child is great way for dad and baby to bond and
have real eye contacts and lots and lots and lots of FUN!!!!
Which is
the best way to know if baby is ready for real food?
Can he hold his head up? Your baby should be able to sit in a high chair, feeding seat, or infant
seat with good head control.
Does he open his mouth when
food comes his way? Babies may be ready if they
watch you eating, reach for your food, and seem eager to be fed.
Can he move food from a spoon
into his throat? If you offer a spoon of rice cereal and he
pushes it out of his mouth and it dribbles onto his chin, he may not have the
ability to move it to the back of his mouth to swallow it. It’s normal.
Remember, he’s never had anything thicker than breast milk or formula before,
and this may take some getting used to. Try diluting it the first few times,
then gradually thicken the texture. You may also want to wait a week or two and
try again.
Is he big enough? Generally, when infants double their birth weight (typically at about 4
months) and weigh about 13 pounds or more, they may be ready for solid foods.
Baby-led weaning
The key to baby-led weaning is to enjoy a relaxed approach – know that your
baby will receive adequate nutrition through nursing. You don’t need to purchase expensive
prepackaged baby foods, nor equipment for making them at home; rather,
simply prepare real food from wholesome natural ingredients and serve them to
your family – baby included. Let your baby pick up, mash, taste, sample
and explore the foods your family would normally eat during regular meal
times. Be vigilant in watching your baby explore foods, but do not be too
concerned about choking as babies are thought not to be capable of moving food
from the front of the mouth to the back until they learn to chew – an
evolutionary fail-safe, if you will.
Tips for Baby-led Weaning
- Do NOT serve small, tiny pieces of food.
- Serve large chunks that can be easily grasped.
- Make sure your baby is capable of sitting on his or her own and is well-supported. If your baby cannot sit on his or her own but still expresses other signs of readiness including the loss of the tongue-thrust reflex and is interested in meal time, you may wish to provide your baby with purees and mashes from which to choose.
- Offer your baby the same foods you’re eating so that your baby feels included in the family meal.
- Know that your baby may not actually eat any of the food presented; rather, baby-led weaning is about exploration. He or she will eventually learn to eat.
- Don’t hurry or rush your baby – after all, do you like to be rushed while eating?
- Make sure you only offer wholesome, natural foods (no added refined salts, flours, sugars, oils).
- It will be messy, be prepared and relax a bit.
- Steer away from foods that are clearly dangerous for young persons (peanuts, chips, popcorn etc).
- Steer away from highly allergenic foods like egg white and nuts as well as those foods that are contraindicated for babies like honey.
- Talk to your baby’s health care provider about this approach to weaning.
The baby food, remember that texture and consistency are important. At
first, babies should have finely pureed single-ingredient foods. After you've
successfully tried individual foods, it's OK to offer a pureed mix of two
foods. When your child is about 9 months old, coarser, chunkier textures are
going to be tolerated as he or she begins transitioning to a diet that includes
more table foods.
Above all have fun and don’t worry about it. Just remember the food will go
everywhere and sometime they will eat a lot other times they will only eat a
little
