Baby Starter Feeding
Often parents look back and laugh that they were ever unsure about when babies were ready to start solids, what and how much they should eat. The most important thing about baby feeding is not to make a fuss. Take Sister Lilian's approach to heart.
There is never only one correct way of feeding a baby. I am a great believer in following what works for your little one. When to wean is probably the most basic of concerns in the food department. Being a very individual affair, it is helpful to have a guide to consult to help one assess baby's readiness for solid foods.
Baby suddenly demands more bottle or breast feeds
Baby might simply need more milk, so first try to increase the number or length of feeds for at least a week – if still seeming dissatisfied, it might be time to introduce solids, unless there is another rational explanation, like teething or stress in the family.
Everyone says baby is old enough
This is an inaccurate indicator! Most babies don't need solids before six months, although there are exceptions – both younger and older. Milk is food, don't forget. You must let baby take the lead in this one – it is his tummy, after all.
Baby is teething
Teething often precedes interest in solid food, maybe because there is some connection! Once a few have sprouted your little one will start chewing.
Late teethers may well start with food later.
Baby shows interest in your food
This will seldom happen before baby is ready to eat. Sometimes it's more about the sensation of squelching food between the fingers, but eating is always more than just physical nutrition, so allow some measure of exploration at mealtimes. Do be careful not to give baby seasoned foods at this tender stage.
Tips for feeding your toddler
To get you going with the practicalities, use this easy early feeding summary
Offer first foods between milk feeds, when baby is a little hungry but not ravenous and is in a good, inquisitive mood.
Increase amount slowly, maybe by 1 teaspoon or cube a day every 3 to 5 days, until baby indicates that you should settle at a specific amount.
Introduce new foods one at a time so that you can readily identify problem foods and adverse reactions.
Always keep fruit separate from other foods and offer sweet and acidic fruits at different times to avoid skin rashes.
Many babies are natural 'grazers' – they might spurn regular meals, preferring to snack throughout the day.
Food savvy
Preparing fresh food daily is the most nutritious – convenience foods should be reserved for busy and difficult times.
Most babies are only ready for food once they have sprouted their first few teeth.
A teething baby often goes off his food for a while though.
Buy only good quality animal protein if giving to baby, make it a small part of the meal and preferably use free range, un-medicated produce.
Eat healthily and your baby will do so too.
Four to six months
Start with just a teaspoon of the chosen food at a time of day when baby is not hungry for milk, overly tired or ratty.
Only offer a different food if your baby plainly does not like what is on offer, although this might be an indication that she is not ready for solids at all yet, so try and interpret her body language.
Then increase by one half to one teaspoon the amount of this food every two to three days.
Every week or so, another new food is in order, but babies will often be most happy sticking to only about three or four varieties at any one stage.
Be guided by your baby's appetite, but stay on two meals of not more than about a small baby food jar each, until about seven to eight months
From six months onwards
Prepare a few cubed pieces of the veggie or fruit that seems to have caught your baby's eye, or choose a brightly coloured, naturally sweet-tasting food to offer. While baby experiments you can offer a mashed version of the same food by spoon if you wish, to see what baby prefers, but stick to about three teaspoonfuls initially.
It is quite okay for baby to take food from your plate at this stage, even a few times a day, so long as the food is not spicy, processed or unhealthy.
Quantities will vary from baby to baby once meals are established and you must be led by your child and your common sense.
Do not offer any form of non-food or 'junk food', do not prepare foods with oils, butter or margarine, or sugar and you need not fear weight problems. Also do not fob your child off with food if he really needs love and some of your time.
If baby refuses to eat
If your baby simply clamps those jaws tightly shut, you might despair of ever getting any food past her lips.
Most important is that you take the heat off her for a few weeks and never make an issue of food.
When you start again, adopt a totally different approach of simply making food available.
Many babies only start becoming really interested in food closer to a year to the horror of moms, clinic sisters and doctors alike.
Sometimes a healthy dose of common sense must prevail though, so if you can see that your baby is just fine, do not force the issue.
What does one need to feed?
Always wash hands before preparing baby’s food.
If baby does not eat the whole jar or container of food, remove the desired mount first and feed from a different bowl as the spoon that goes into the mouth should not touch remaining food.
Very little special equipment is needed to prepare baby’s food, but just in case you are feeling at a loss as to where to start, check this list:
Large absorbent bibs with a plastic backing will help curtail the extent of messiness of initial trial-and-error baby feeding.
If you are making larger quantities of your own baby food, use ice cube trays to freeze meal size portions – as baby grows you’d simply use more than one block at a time.
