Jump to: Weaning | Getting Started | Foods To Avoid | Tips | Breakfasts
- Allow plenty of time for feeding, particularly at first
Choose a time of day when you and your baby are relaxed. - Never leave your baby alone when eating
Talk to your baby quietly and encourage them to eat. - Make sure your baby is sitting up straight and is facing forward
A high-chair or one of those bolt on table seats are best as your baby is able to explore foods better and will be less likely to choke. - At meal times, water is the best alternative drink to milk
If you chose to give juice, dilute it one part juice to ten parts water. - Don’t rush or force feed
Most babies know when they’ve had enough to eat. Go at your baby’s pace. Be patient. If your baby shakes his or her head, turns away or refuses to open their mouth, take the food away and try again later. If you think your baby is not liking a certain food, try again another time, as they may very well like it the next time! - Include your baby in the family mealtime routine
Try and much as possible (we know it isn’t always possible) to feed your baby while family members are eating. - Offer a wide variety of foods
Choose foods that you and your family usually eat, as this might help avoid choosiness later on. - Weaning can be a messy business
Cover the floor with newspapers or a protective mat and use a bib to catch food spills. - Speak to your health visitor!
It’s never too soon for tasty food!
Getting your child off to a good start in the food department is really a great way in giving them a head start in life –
you are really helping them to grow up into a healthy child and adult. Up to the age of 1 year, babies are pretty good at trying new foods, so this is a great time to introduce a variety of foods with different tastes and textures. The easiest and simplest way of doing this is offering family foods as often as possible (just don’t add salt or sugar).
Eat as a family as this really encourages your baby to get into good eating habits –
they copy you don’t forget, so if you eat the food, they will! If your baby is used to eating a variety of foods the rest of the family eats, then they are less likely to be fussy eaters as they get older.
Remember – all children are different and every mum’s experience will be slightly different from the next.
The key is, don’t get stressed, ignore the mess, enjoy this short period of time with your baby and above all, let them enjoy the experience – like crawling, walking, talking etc, all children get there, at their own pace. But, we do want our babies to enjoy family food, so the sooner they are introduced to your meals, the better!
More information …
Baby Led Weaning Approach – There is a growing number of mums choosing to follow the BLW.
Food Standards Agency – Filled with useful information along with foods that you should avoid.
Next: Introducing Breakfasts
