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If you have a 6 months old baby, you are probably wondering when and how to introduce solids. As a mum of 2 and having worked with children’s dietitians as well as many new mums through their weaning journey, here are some personal best tips I’ve collected.
Is my baby ready?
There are some basic ones - for example, they need to be able to sit up independently and hold their head steady; they need to be able to coordinate their hands and eyes to pick up the food and eat it and they need to be able to swallow the food instead of spitting it right out…
But another big one people sometimes miss is their interest in food. Sit them next to you when you are having lunch and see if they show signs that they want to join in! If they do, you are off to a good start!
Milk before or after?
General advice is to give their usual milk AFTER you’ve given them solids - but just like everything else baby related, each baby is different. I’ve found this to be a big area of trial and error. You don’t want to keep them too hungry because then they just get frustrated - especially as they haven’t quite nailed the skill of self feeding yet! So try to give them a little feed before or adjust the time you give them milk, so they are a little hungry but not starving!
Finger food or puree?
Many people seem to take baby-led weaning (BLW) to mean finger foods only - but in fact you can take the best of both worlds!
The core idea behind BLW is to encourage babies to self feed and to develop those all important eating skills and control how much they eat - not to encourage them to only eat foods in finger shapes.
Realistically, in the early days, it’s much harder for them to take in food such as meat, fish and pulses without some help. Pureeing those nutrient-dense food down and preload a spoon for them to practise self-feeding could be a great “middle ground”.
When to introduce meat / fish?
If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, it’s a good idea to introduce meat and fish as soon as you think your little one is ready. 2-3 weeks after their first taste of food is a good time. The nutrients in meat and fish (think iron, omega 3) are important for their growth and development and hard to replace with purely plant-based alternatives without expert guidance.
Fish is one of the top allergens in the UK so make sure you leave at least 3 days in between the introduction of any other allergens and watch out for any signs (including rashes, swollenness, diarrhoea).
How much should I start with?
Their first taste of food will probably only be less than a (baby)spoonful - don’t worry, it’s normal! It is a skill they have to learn over time. Don’t give up! They will gradually work their way up to a few tablespoons at each meal. It’s important to follow their hunger cues. If they start to close their mouth and turn away from you, it’s a sign they’ve had enough. Babies' appetite fluctuate naturally and many factors can affect it (sickness, teething, growth spur etc.) so don’t worry if they are not eating the amount you expected them to! Keep an eye on their weekly intake as that’s a much better measurement.
If you are weaning your baby (whether it’s your first or fifth) - why not give V&Me a try? Our menus are planned out by paediatric dietitians to ensure your baby is getting all the right nutrients. We also provide our community with Dietitians Office Hours so you can stop googling and rely on their evidence-based research!
Try it today and never look back. Click here to start your journey.
