Introducing Solids to Your Baby
About 5 years ago when my son was six months old I introduced him to solids by giving him rice cereal.
I remember worrying about how much he was eating, how many times a day he should eat and boy did I shovel it down until he had finished every last spoonful! I then spent the next few months boiling, pureeing and mashing most foods so that he could eat them.
About a year ago I found out about the baby led approach to introducing solids (Rapley, G.
2006) and I found that it takes away all the stress and worry of solid foods, making them about fun, play and flexibility.
When your baby is 6 months old, providing they can hold their head up and sit unaided you can simply boil some soft veggies like pumpkin or broccoli, cut them into strips so that baby is able to wrap their hand around them - and still have some of the veggies poking out the top to nibble on - put them in a plate and let your baby help themselves.
The idea is for your baby to eat the healthy bits of your family meal before you add the sugars, salts or strong spices.
No more pureeing, no more food fights, no more cooking multiple meals...
music to my ears! By allowing your baby to decide what (of the selection you provide) and how much they are going to eat they are less likely to grow to hate certain foods, less likely to choke or gag as they control the pace, and they are more likely to enjoy your family meals and meal time routines.
For the first month or so you may find that most of the food gets dropped on the floor or is spat out.
And while it can be messy and may seem as though your baby isn't eating much, until your baby is 12 months old, breast milk or formula should still be their main source of nutrients.
It's also at this age that many babies lose interest in the breast or bottle because they are too busy exploring their world.
To help keep milk as your baby's main meal, offer breast milk or a bottle before offering solid food.
Wearing a long necklace to keep your baby at the breast can help and you can also try feeding in a dark quite room so there is nothing to distract them.
By letting your baby play with food, chomp on it, swish it in their mouths and squeeze it in their fingers you are not only supporting your baby's oral development but keeping food interesting and enjoyable, forming healthy food habits.
When using the baby-led approach it's important to remember the basic principals of solids; wait at least 3 days before introducing a new food and avoid offering any foods that you, your partner or someone in your family is allergic to.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many babies need to taste a food 2-3 times before they decide if they like it, so if your baby hates something you introduce, keep putting it in their plate so that they can try it out a few more times.
I really like the idea that babies' first foods can be developmental, fun, and easy, for both mum and baby.
Rapley, G.
2006.
Baby-led weaning, a developmental approach to the introduction of complementary foods.
In Hall Moran, V and Dykes, F.
eds.
I remember worrying about how much he was eating, how many times a day he should eat and boy did I shovel it down until he had finished every last spoonful! I then spent the next few months boiling, pureeing and mashing most foods so that he could eat them.
About a year ago I found out about the baby led approach to introducing solids (Rapley, G.
2006) and I found that it takes away all the stress and worry of solid foods, making them about fun, play and flexibility.
When your baby is 6 months old, providing they can hold their head up and sit unaided you can simply boil some soft veggies like pumpkin or broccoli, cut them into strips so that baby is able to wrap their hand around them - and still have some of the veggies poking out the top to nibble on - put them in a plate and let your baby help themselves.
The idea is for your baby to eat the healthy bits of your family meal before you add the sugars, salts or strong spices.
No more pureeing, no more food fights, no more cooking multiple meals...
music to my ears! By allowing your baby to decide what (of the selection you provide) and how much they are going to eat they are less likely to grow to hate certain foods, less likely to choke or gag as they control the pace, and they are more likely to enjoy your family meals and meal time routines.
For the first month or so you may find that most of the food gets dropped on the floor or is spat out.
And while it can be messy and may seem as though your baby isn't eating much, until your baby is 12 months old, breast milk or formula should still be their main source of nutrients.
It's also at this age that many babies lose interest in the breast or bottle because they are too busy exploring their world.
To help keep milk as your baby's main meal, offer breast milk or a bottle before offering solid food.
Wearing a long necklace to keep your baby at the breast can help and you can also try feeding in a dark quite room so there is nothing to distract them.
By letting your baby play with food, chomp on it, swish it in their mouths and squeeze it in their fingers you are not only supporting your baby's oral development but keeping food interesting and enjoyable, forming healthy food habits.
When using the baby-led approach it's important to remember the basic principals of solids; wait at least 3 days before introducing a new food and avoid offering any foods that you, your partner or someone in your family is allergic to.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many babies need to taste a food 2-3 times before they decide if they like it, so if your baby hates something you introduce, keep putting it in their plate so that they can try it out a few more times.
I really like the idea that babies' first foods can be developmental, fun, and easy, for both mum and baby.
Rapley, G.
2006.
Baby-led weaning, a developmental approach to the introduction of complementary foods.
In Hall Moran, V and Dykes, F.
eds.
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