Commencing Weaning

Commencing Weaning

There is no set way to start weaning. Let your baby have his/her initial taste of solids when you consider the baby to be ready. Such tastes are a learning experience and ought not to replace any milk feeds.

Select a convenient time, when you are relaxed. Try feeding baby a couple of teaspoonfuls of food after a bit of milk or after its breast or bottle feed. Babies do not always take to solids straight away. So should your baby not know what to do with the solids, it is likely to come back out. Initially, the baby may not know how to swallow its food. However, after a little while, the food will slide right down his or her throat.

Given that babies have been used to the not so exciting taste of milk, it is sensible to commence weaning your baby with foods of a similar texture and taste. A common food used for weaning is baby rice, that is, ground rice with extra vitamins and minerals. It is possible to mix rice with breast or formula milk, or boiled and cooled water.



It is also possible to give your baby small amounts of fruit or/and vegetable puree likecooked pear or apple, potato or carrot. A tip is to introduce your baby to a food at a time in order to work out if there is anything baby is allergic to or simply does not want to eat. It is almost unheard that babies have problems to begin with baby cereals or vegetables. Should your baby appear to tolerate food well, it is possible to mix baby rice with fruit or vegetable purée.

Check out whether your baby likes savoury and sweet foods so he/she can adapt to both. Make sure that the food given to your baby is lukewarm; hot food is of course going to burn his or her mouth. Ensure you taste the food yourself.

Don’t make your baby eat if he or she does not wish to. On many occasions babies eat a few teaspoonfuls of food and then nothing the next time round.

Should your baby be reluctant to commence with spoon-feeding, place a bit of the food on your finger and try putting that on your baby’s lips instead. Keep on trying. Should your baby not wish to eat, baby won’t eat. There is no need to force your baby to eat. Some babies do not eat until they are able to hold a spoon themselves.




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