When to wean?
Don’t be in a hurry to wean your baby onto solids because milk provides all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months or so. The UK Department of Health recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months, as this should meet all your baby’s nutritional needs.
There is no ‘right’ age to introduce solids, as every baby is different. If you feel that your baby needs solids earlier, speak to your health visitor or GP. Whilst the guidelines are there I think it’s important to follow your instincts because no two babies are the same and mum usually knows best. However, solids should not be introduced until at least 17 weeks after your baby’s due date as a young baby’s digestive and immune system is not sufficiently developed before this time.
If weaning is delayed until after six months, some babies can have difficulty eating foods with lumps. Also as your baby gets older he will need more iron and nutrients than milk alone can provide.
Signs that your baby is ready for solids
Milk is Major
To begin with all your baby’s nutritional needs will come from breast or formula milk, so don’t cut down on milk feeds. Up to the age of one year, your baby needs a minimum of 600ml (20 oz) of breast or formula milk a day.
When can I give my baby cow’s milk?
Although breast or formula milk should be your baby’s main drink for the first year, cow’s milk can be introduced in small amounts in the preparation of solid foods from around 6 months. You can use cow’s milk with your baby’s cereal or when making recipes like cauliflower cheese. Always choose full fat pasteurised milk for children under the age of two.
Your baby's food should be as fresh as possible, without any added ingredients, such as colourings, flavourings, salt or sugar. Choosing fresh or frozen local produce will help you make sure he gets the nutrients he needs.
Fresh or frozen?
If you can get fresh food from a greengrocer with a quick turnover or a farmers' marketing, fresh is best. However, second bestis most definitely frozen. Frozen has been flash frozen, often minutes after picking, and it maintains the highest level of nutrients
FIRST FRUITS: Apple, pear, banana papaya and avocado.
Banana and papaya do not require cooking provided they are ripe and can be pureed or mashed on their own or together with a little breast or formula milk. Bananas are not suitable for freezing.
FIRST VEGETABLES Very first foods should be easy to digest and unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction:--
: Carrot, potato, swede, parsnip, pumpkin, butternut squash and sweet potato.
I find that root vegetables like carrots, sweet potato, parsnip and swede tend to be the most popular with very young babies due to their naturally sweet flavour and smooth texture once pureed. Butternut squash also makes good baby food in the first few weeks. The best first fruits for young babies are apples, pears, banana and papaya and it’s important that you choose fruits that are ripe and have a good flavour, so it’s a good idea to taste them yourself before giving them to your baby.
BABY RICE
Another good first food is Baby Rice. Mixed with water, breast or formula milk, it’s easily digested and its milky taste makes an easy transition to solids. Choose one that is sugar free and enriched with vitamins and iron. Baby rice combines well with both fruit and vegetable purees.
It may be a good idea to begin with to give your baby a little milk first before his solids as he may be more receptive to this new way of eating if he is not frantically hungry.
Recently the advice was to introduce each new food separately with a space of three days before introducing another food, however unless there is a history of allergy or you are concerned about your baby’s reactions to a certain food, there is no reason why new foods should not be introduced on consecutive days, provided you keep to the list of Best First Foods.
Don’t be tempted to add salt or sugar to your baby’s food however bland. Salt may harm your baby’s kidneys and sugar will encourage a sweet tooth. A baby is not used to these tastes so will not miss them
If you are a working mum and you don’t think you have the time to prepare fresh baby food, think again… Lots of fruits like banana, papaya and peaches, do not require cooking provided they are ripe – simply mash them with a fork to make instant baby food. A banana is very nutritious and makes ideal convenience food for babies as it comes in its own sterile package!
Cooking methods
Steaming or microwaving is the best way to preserve the fresh taste and vitamins in vegetables and fruits. Vitamins B and C are water-soluble and can easily be destroyed by overcooking especially when fruits and vegetables are boiled in water. Broccoli loses over 60% of its vitamin C when boiled but only 20% when steamed. It’s worth buying a multi-layered steamer if you don’t have one already.
Boiling - Use the minimum amount of water and be careful not to overcook the vegetables and fruits. Add enough of the cooking liquid to make a smooth puree.
Microwaving - Chop the vegetables or fruit and put in a suitable dish. Add a little water, cover, leaving an air vent and cook on full power until tender. Puree to the desired consistency but take care to stir well and check that it is not too hot to serve to your baby.
Baking - If you are cooking a meal for the family in the oven, you could use the opportunity to bake a potato, sweet potato or butternut squash for your baby. Wash and prick the chosen vegetable with a fork and bake until tender. Cut in half (remove the seeds from the squash) scoop out the flesh and mash together with some water or milk.
Texture and temperature
First foods need to be semi liquid and as much like milk in consistency as possible so that they are easy to swallow. At first add breast milk, formula or a little cooled boiled tap water to thin the puree. Your baby’s purees should not be made up with tap water that has not been boiled; you could use the boiled water from the bottom of the steamer or the cooking liquid if boiling vegetables in a saucepan.
A baby’s food should be given at room temperature or lukewarm. It should not be too hot as babies’ palates are very sensitive. If re-heating in a microwave, heat until piping hot all the way through, allow to cool then stir thoroughly to get rid of any hot spots and check the temperature before giving it to your baby.
storage
As a baby only eats tiny amounts especially in the early stages of weaning it saves time to make up larger quantities of puree and freeze extra portions in ice-cube trays or small plastic freezer pots for future meals. Thus in a couple of hours you can prepare enough food for your baby for a month using the weekly menu planners.
• Once food has cooled down, freeze as soon as possible.
• Freeze baby food in a flexible ice-cube tray with a lid, which you should label clearly with the contents and expiry date.
• Thaw foods by either taking them out of the freezer several hours before a meal, heating gently in a saucepan or defrosting in a microwave. Always reheat foods thoroughly, allow cooling and testing the temperature of the food before giving it to your baby. If reheating in a microwave, make sure that you stir the food to get rid of any hot spots.
Never refreeze meals that have already been frozen. The exception to this is that raw frozen food can be returned to the freezer once it is cooked. For example cooked frozen peas can be re-frozen.
Do not reheat foods more than once.
The temperature of your freezer should be 0F (-18C) or below.
Baby purees will keep for 8 weeks.
What to give and what age
| • Gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats) - 6 months. If you suspect that your baby is allergic to a particular food, speak to your doctor who can refer you to a specialist. Do not exclude foods from your baby’s diet without a proper diagnosis. If your baby does develop an allergy be reassured that many babies grow out of this allergy by the age of five (see section on food allergies).
Foods to avoid | ||
| • Whole nuts. • Salt or soy sauce. • Processed, salty meat products e.g. • Crisps and salty snacks. • Shellfish. • Undercooked eggs. • Mould ripened soft cheese e.g. Brie and blue cheese. • Artificial sweeteners. • Added fibre in the form of bran which can affect your baby’s ability to absorb calcium, zinc and iron and other vitamins and minerals.
How to begin | ||
Your baby's first taste of 'real' food is a momentous occasion but don't be surprised if it things don't go according to plan. Some babies eagerly embrace those first mouthfuls, while others are a little shocked.
Which food? A plain puree of a single root vegetable, such as carrot, mixed with a little of your baby's usual milk is the perfect first food. Choosing sweet vegetables, or a little baby rice with milk, makes the experience less overwhelming. It's fine to start with single fruit purees, such as pear.
How much? One or two teaspoons of puree is about right for the first week or, but she may want more or less.
How often? Once a day is perfect for the first week or two. Then experiment.
New tastes and textures
Between seven and nine months is a rapid development period for your baby and because your baby is growing so fast he will need plenty of calories. He will get quite a lot of calories from his milk but it's important to make sure that as well as fruits, vegetables, carbohydrate and protein foods he gets enough fat in his diet. Recipes like vegetables in cheese sauce and fruit mixes with Greek yoghurt are very good for your baby.
Once your baby can sit unsupported (probably around 7 months), he can use a high chair and it is important to try to make eating a sociable event so it is good to get him sitting at the table with you whenever possible.
By the age of seven months your baby should be eating 3 meals a day and is ready to enjoy a wide variety of tastes. He should have doubled his birth weight and a diet of breast milk or infant formula may not be enough for him, so it’s important to include foods like red meat which provide a good source of iron and zinc
Introducing lumps
Is not a good idea to continue giving only smooth purees for too long or your baby may become lazy about chewing? Also chewing on food helps to develop the same muscles your baby needs for speech.
As teeth begin to emerge you can introduce slightly thicker purees and some mashed, grated or chopped food.
Another way to introduce texture is to prepare a fairly smooth puree and then add some tiny cooked pasta shapes.
Once your baby is able to hold food and feed himself, introduce some soft finger foods like steamed vegetables, fresh fruit or strips of cheese on toast.
By this age, your baby should have gained some teeth and graduated to a high chair. It’s important to introduce coarser textures in order to encourage your baby to chew.
Your baby will gradually be eating more solids so that eventually solid food becomes the main part of the meal.
Variety is important so try introducing lots of different flavours and textures during this stage.
Try to give some food mashed, some grated, some diced and some whole. It is surprising what a few teeth and strong gums can get through.
Finger foods
As your baby develops better finger control (usually around seven or eight months), introducing finger foods will help to develop the skills of biting, chewing and self-feeding. Finger foods should be big enough for your baby to pick up, easy to hold and should not have any stones, pips or bones. You should also avoid hard foods like whole grapes that might cause your baby to choke.
Remember never to leave your baby alone whilst eating as sometimes babies put food in their mouth without chewing it and choking can be a real hazard.
Below are some ideas for first finger foods and offering a selection of these to your baby will get him used to chewing many different textures.
• Banana, melon, apricot, peach, halved peeled grapes, kiwi fruit, sliced apple etc.
• Soft dried fruits like apricots, apple or prune.
• Steamed carrot, potato or parsnip sticks or florets of cauliflower or broccoli.
• Sticks of cucumber.
• Cooked pasta shapes.
• Fingers of toast, rice cakes, miniature sandwiches, dry breakfast cereals.
• Hard-boiled egg cut into quarters.
• Sticks of mild cheese.
• Goujons of fish/fish fingers.
• Slices or chunks of chicken or turkey.
• Miniature meatballs made of minced chicken, turkey, lamb or beef.
Your baby may be drinking less milk as her appetite for solid food increases, but she still needs 600ml (1 pint) of her usual milk per day. Continue with breast, formula or follow-on milk until your baby is one year old as cow’s milk is too low in iron or vitamin D. Milk is particularly important for calcium, which is necessary for developing bones and strong healthy teeth.
Cow’s milk however can be used with your baby’s cereal or in other forms like yoghurt or a cheese sauce.
The sooner your baby can drink from a beaker or cup, the better. There are lots of different beakers to choose from. A beaker with a long spout that is not rigid makes a good transition from a bottle. Aim to dispense with bottles by the age of one. Most milk feeds are better given in a beaker or cup, perhaps reserving just one bottle feed for before bedtime if it helps to settle your baby.
Cows milk allergy
What is cows’ milk allergy (CMA)?
CMA develops when cows’ milk is first introduced into the diet either in formula or at weaning, although it can also appear in children who are exclusively breast fed, due to cows’ milk proteins from the maternal diet passing to the infant via breastmilk.
What are the symptoms?
There are a variety of symptoms, which may occur in different combinations. While some symptoms of CMA are easy to spot, others are not and many parents don’t realise that cows’ milk may be the cause. Individual symptoms such as skin rashes or reflux are treated, but the possible link to allergy is not often considered.
There are two types of CMA. Immediate (IgE-mediated) allergy typically begins within minutes (and certainly no more than 2 hours) after exposure to cows’ milk protein, so it’s often easier to recognise. However, the delayed (non-IgE-mediated) type of allergy can be more difficult to identify, as symptoms typically begin several hours or even days after exposure to cows’ milk protein.
The main symptoms for Immediate CMA are reddening of the skin or itchy rash similar to nettle rash, swelling of lips, face or around the eyes, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases can include sudden development of wheezing, cough or shortness of breath immediately after exposure to cow’s milk protein.
Delayed CMA symptoms include gastro-oesophageal reflux, which causes crying, back arching and regurgitation after feeds, eczema, also diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain, severe colic, refusing food and faltering growth.
How common is it?
CMA is the most common food allergy among infants and young children1. It affects between 2 and 7.5 per cent of infants2, although up to 15 per cent may exhibit symptoms suggestive of CMA at some time1.
What should I do if I suspect my child has CMA?
What can I do to get more information?
Allergy UK in partnership with infant nutrition specialists Danone Baby Nutrition and Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition have launched an awareness campaign – ACT on CMA. The campaign’s aim is to increase awareness of cows’ milk allergy among parents of young children and the healthcare professionals (HCPs) who advise them.
The key step in the diagnosis of CMA, especially delayed CMA, is in making the link between the condition’s diverse and often subtle symptoms and the cows’ milk protein that is causing them.
ACT stands for:
Visit www.cowsmilkallergy.co.uk for more support and information
Drinking from a cup
Try to get your baby used to drinking from a cup from around six or seven months perhaps just giving a bottle at bedtime. Once your baby is on three solid meals a day it's best to stop giving milk at mealtimes as it may reduce your baby's appetite for food. You can give cooled boiled water or well-diluted juice from a beaker with meals (one part juice to at least two parts water).
FOLLOW-ON MILK
If your baby is a very picky eater you could switch to a follow-on milk which contains extra vitamins and iron and therefore acts as a nutritional safety net.
VITAMIN DROPS
Most babies under the age of six months do not need supplements however after six months it is recommended that breast-fed babies should be given vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D. Formula fed babies do not need these provided they drink at least 500ml formula milk a day since all formula milks are fortified with vitamins. You can get vitamin drops especially formulated for your baby from your child health clinic or local chemist.
Growing independance
The final quarter of a baby’s first year is a time of rapid change, babies will progress from sitting to crawling and maybe even walking. This is a time of growing independence and many babies refuse to be spoon-fed and only want to feed themselves.
Towards the end of the first year a baby’s rate of growth and weight gain tends to slow down quite dramatically and sometimes babies who have been good eaters become fussy and difficult. This is quite normal so do not worry.
Encourage self feeding
As your child’s hand to eye co-ordination matures, she will find it easier to feed herself. Finger foods will become an increasingly important part of your baby’s diet. You should also encourage your baby to experiment with using a spoon or fork as soon as she is able to hold one. It will be messy at first and she may well end up biting the wrong end but eventually the food will actually go to its intended destination.
Bowls that stick to the tray by suction are a good idea as it means that your baby is less likely to push the bowl around the tray in frustration as she tries to get a spoonful of food. Serve food in colourful bowls and plates and try to make the food look attractive using contrasting colours and cutting food into interesting shapes.
If more of her food ends up on the floor or on her lap than in her mouth you could use a two-spoon system. Give her a spoon to hold so she can attempt to feed herself and use another spoon yourself to get some of the food into her mouth.
hygiene
| Once your baby is 9 months old and actively exploring her environment (which often involves her putting every object she lays her hands on in her mouth), there seems little point in sterilising feeding spoons. However, bottles, teats and beaker spouts should be thoroughly washed and sterilised until your baby is one year old. Your baby’s hands should also be washed before eating. Equipment |
Baby Food Grinder - This is a hand-turned food mill and is ideal for vegetables like potato or sweet potato. Pureeing potato in a food processor tends to break down the starches and produces a sticky glutinous pulp so potato is much better pureed using a moult. A baby food grinder is also good for foods, which have a tough skin like peas or dried apricots as you can then produce a smooth puree and discard the indigestible bits.
Electric Hand Blender - These are ideal for making baby purees and can handle quite small quantities.
Food Processor - These are good for pureeing larger quantities when making batches of purees for freezing. Many have mini-bowl attachments, which will work better with smaller quantities.
Food Cube Trays - Flexible food cube tray with lids to keep food covered for maximum freshness. By freezing your baby’s food you only need to cook for your baby once a week.
Mini Freezer Pots - Mini pots for storing larger amounts of food for older babies
Vegetarian
A balanced vegetarian diet can be very healthy for babies and young children. The early stages of weaning will be just the same as for any other baby but after six months it’s important not to give up meat and fish without replacing the nutrients that they provide, particularly protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins
For meat eaters, the proteins in meat, fish and dairy foods supply all the essential amino acids. However, getting good quality protein can be more difficult for a vegetarian diet and vegan diet.
Protein supplies your child with amino acids, essential chemicals which are the body’s building blocks. Whilst all animal proteins including egg and dairy products provide a high quality protein containing all the essential amino acids, cereals and vegetable proteins (e.g. peas, beans, lentils, and nuts and seeds) have a lower quality.
Good source of protein for a Vegetarian Diet
LEGUMES:
• Baked beans
• Chickpeas
• Butter beans
• Borlotti beans
• Kidney beans.
SOYA PRODUCTS:
• Tofu
• Miso
• Tempeh (soya).
PULSES:
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Green peas.
| An important nutrient, which is harder to obtain from a vegetarian diet, is iron. Iron deficiency is the commonest nutritional deficiency in the Western world. Babies are born with a store of iron that lasts for about the first six months. When this in-built store of iron is depleted, a baby will need to get iron from his diet. There are a few types of iron, the best source is found in meat and is easily absorbed by the body, plant food sources are more difficult to absorb, and lastly a third type added by manufacturers to foods such as breakfast cereals is absorbed less well. Good source of iron: Follow-on milk can be introduced from 6 months and this contains more iron than ordinary formula milk. Provided there is no history of atopic illness in the family e.g. asthma, food allergy, eczema or hayfever, smooth peanut butter can be introduced from 6 months. This is a good nutrient dense food providing a valuable source of protein and minerals. DO NOT give whole nuts to children under the age of five, as there is a risk of choking. |
Calcium is important for the health and formation of bones and teeth and to begin with, breast or formula milk contains all the calcium that your baby needs. Bringing up a baby on a vegetarian diet with a good volume of either breast milk or infant formula can provide all the nutrients they need.
Although breast or formula milk should still remain your baby’s main drink until one year, you can use cow’s milk in cooking for example when preparing cauliflower cheese from the age of 4 months. Dairy products like yoghurt, fromage frais or cheese provide a rich source of calcium. Babies under 2 should only be given whole milk and whole milk dairy products because reduced fat milks such as skimmed milk lack the fat soluble vitamins A and D and are low in energy due to the lack of fat.
Food with calcium are:
• Tofu (calcium fortified)
• Dried figs and apricots
• Nuts (in particular almonds)
• Wholegrain cereal and muesli
• Fortified white bread
• Fortified soya milk.
If you wish your child to follow a vegan diet (i.e. without dairy products or eggs) you should plan your child’s diet carefully, in consultation with a doctor and paediatric dietician. Your baby will need an infant formula based on soya.
A vegan diet can make it difficult for a young child to obtain enough iron and calcium. You will need to offer alternative sources (see good sources of iron and calcium above)
Foods rich in vitamin C should be served at every meal as this will increase the iron absorption from these foods.
Some good vegan foods are:
• Nut Butters e.g. peanut butter (provided there is no history of allergy in the family)
• Avocados
• Seed Pastes /dips e.g. tahini, hummus
Bran, some high fibre breakfast cereals or tea should not be given as these interfere with iron absorption.
If you are bringing up your child on a vegan diet, she should take a supplement containing Vitamin B12.
Baby led weaning
Baby Led Weaning, quite simply, means letting your child feed themselves from the very start of weaning. The term was originally coined by Gill Rapley, a former health visitor and midwife.
According to the most recent research most babies reach for food at around six months, which is also the time that mothers are being encouraged to wean by their Health Visitors, in accordance with the government guidelines.
The distinct advantage of weaning at around six months is that by then, our children are developmentally capable of feeding themselves proper food, in other words – no more mush!
You just hand them the food in a suitably-sized piece and if they like it they eat it and if they don’t they won’t.
That’s the essence of Baby Led Weaning. No purees, no ice cube trays, no food processor, no potato masher, no baby rice, no weird fruit and veg combos… just you and your child, eating food that you enjoy with you and your family.
http://www.babyledweaning.com/
http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/first-foods
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