Baby Formula Feed

For a baby, the bottle is one of the most precious and familiar things they will develop a relationship with in the first years of their life. As months pass and they grow older, there comes the time when baby must learn how to leave the bottle behind and move on to cups.

For some kids, parting with the baby bottle is a non-event. The parent announces it’s time, and the baby goes with it. So, what really works when giving up the bottle? Persistence, perseverance and remembering that really and truly … it will work. And as annoying as it is, people really are right when they say that no child has ever gone off to kindergarten with a bottle in their mouth.

When weaning your baby from the bottle, distractions should be kept at a minimal. Nothing else should take place at the same time that will cause anxiety or stress for your child. Renovating the house with the hammering of nails or packing up the house to enter a move across country are not good times to wean a baby from bottle.

Don’t allow your baby to use a bottle as a toy or treat it as a pacifier. Your aim as a parent is to create an association with the bottle that conveys feeding time. When a baby views their bottle as a toy or something that satisfies boredom, it will be hard to ease them towards leaving it behind.

Weaning a baby from bottle to a sippy cup is a popular transition. Many parents introduce the cup when their child has reached the age of 6 months.

The weaning process should be approached with consistency and the process should be gradually enforced so that the baby is fully able to adjust.

The ultimate goal is to support your baby as they associate with the new object with a feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment.

When to wean is a question facing all breastfeeding mums. How does a new mum know when to introduce solid food into her baby’s diet and what sort of food can a baby eat?

At present the World Health Organisation recommends that all babies be breastfed exclusively for six months. A long time, you may reckon, especially in the middle of a colic episode or growth spurt! But, there are real concerns for the welfare of babies that have led to this advice.

In the past many babies were fed solid foods at very young ages. It is now believed that their bodies were unable to cope with the demands this placed on them; a dramatic increase in the incidence of allergies and food intolerances meant guidelines were reviewed and altered.

The main danger that comes with introducing solid food too early is that babies may receive too much salt in their diets, leading to potential kidney problems in later life.

So, if you follow the advice of the World Health Organisation, you will see that it makes sense to place off giving food other than breastmilk for the first six months.

So how do you encourage a six month ancient baby to eat solids? The main thing to remember is that you should introduce solids gradually.

When your baby is ready for solid food he will start to demand feeds more often, and may never seem satisfied for very long. He will start to take an interest in your meals and may even try to help himself! He will start lip-smacking and chewing as he mimics you. A real sign that solids are imminent is the development of teeth.

Speak to a health-visitor if you reckon your baby is very hungry. If your baby is under six months you may find that he is just going through a prolonged growth spurt. If this is the case, his hunger will normally settle down after a few days when your milk supply has increased.

When your baby reaches the six month target, and you are sure that he is ready for solid food, try a teaspoonful of watery baby rice or baby porridge. Try to keep foods very bland and runny at the beginning.

Once he is used to solid foods, and is no younger than six months, you can quickly go onto adult cereals like Weetabix and Readybrek.

It is wise to only introduce one food at a time so that you can identify any intolerances or allergies. Sometimes these can take several days to take effect, so stick to one food for a few days before moving onto another.

Some babies are pleased to have one solid feed a day at the beginning of weaning, whereas others require more frequent feeds. It is a excellent thought to offer the breast before and after each feed to maintain a excellent milk supply.

Cows milk and dairy products, eggs, fish particularly shellfish), nuts (especially peanuts), some fruits and foods containing gluten can all cause allergic reactions. So be careful with your choices…

From six months babies can digest protein so red meat, fish ,eggs, cheese, chicken and pulses can all be introduced.
Do not give peanuts to babies under one year ancient: if there is a history of allergies in your family avoid giving them for at least three years. As well a being an allergy hazard they can also be a choking hazard.

Honey should also be avoided for the first year as babies can contract botulism from it.

Eggs must be thoroughly cooked but can be introduced from six months.

Buy gluten-free baby food at the beginning of weaning, if possible, as gluten can cause coeliac disease. Usually a six month ancient baby can digest gluten without any problems but younger babies are more at risk.

Some babies react to citrus fruits such as oranges but alternative fruit juices can be given instead, such as apple juice.
Never add salt to food which your baby will eat. If he is ready to eat the same meals as the rest of the family do not add gravy until you have removed the baby’s part, as gravy can contain a lot of salt.

It is best to introduce savoury foods prior to sweet foods as babies very quickly develop a sweet tooth! They tend to delight in pureed carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, turnip and parsnip and any combination of these foods. Babies also like stewed apples and pears or mashed bananas and strawberries!

But, many babies dislike potatoes at the beginning of weaning. When the baby is a small more experienced with tastes and textures you can start adding some potato to his meals.

Let the baby choose when he has had enough of any particular meal. Never force-feed the baby. He only needs a small bit of solid food each day. For some babies a few spoonfuls will be enough; for others a main course and dessert are required!
If he refuses to eat one type of food avoid it for a while and try something else. Return to the disliked food after a few days and try again. Some babies can be very fussy, whereas others eat whatever is placed in front of them!

Take it slowly and it will not be such a huge change for either you or your baby. Weaning should be a fun experience for you both. After a very small time your baby will look forward to his solid feeds and will even start to let you know that he wants more!

Baby led weaning (sometimes referred to as infant-led weaning) is becoming a well loved approach to weaning babies on to solid food. In basic terms, it means forgetting about pureed food and letting your baby feed herself (appropriate) whole foods. It is arguably the natural way to introduce solids.Although it still remains a recommendation of many childcare professionals and institutions, there is really no research to support the widespread notion that babies should be weaned first on to solids through pureed or mashed food. The thought that pureed solids should be introduced is arguably a hangover from the 1960s, when the recommended age for introducing solids was 3 months. These days, the recommended age for introducing solids is 6 months. By 6 months, most babies have strong necks, can sit up if supported and have enough fine motor skills to reach out and grasp things, including finger food.They can also start to feed themselves.Baby led weaningTo start baby led weaning, offer your baby a selection of appropriate finger food. Because babies will not yet have developed a pincer grip and can only grasp things in their fists, foods shaped like a chip or ones which have a handle (such as broccoli spears) are ideal. Leave it up to your baby to choose what to do with his food – if at first all he wants to do is play with it, that’s fine. He may go on to sucking on his food and later ‘chewing’ it by mashing it with his gums.Make sure you let your baby pick up his own food and don’t place food into his mouth for him. This is because his ability to manage his food matches his overall development. When he is first introduced to solids, he won’t have the fine motor skills to pick up small foods which may otherwise present a choking hazard.Don’t worry about him getting enough food or eating a balanced diet of solids. He will still be getting all of his required nutrients and ‘balance’ from breastfeeds – the marvels of breastfeeding! You should, but, try to offer a variety of solid finger foods to keep up his interest.

Benefits of baby led weaningAccording to Gil Rapley, deputy programme director of UNICEF UK’s Baby Friendly Initiative, weaning babies using a baby led approach has the following advantages:

Won’t my baby choke?It is very vital that self-feeding babies sit upright and are never left unattended. But until a baby can chew, she is unable to go food to the back of her mouth. And until she can chew, she won’t be able to pick up food to place in her mouth. The way in which your baby naturally develops makes the risk of choking minimal. If a piece of food does go to the back of her mouth, she will promptly clear it herself by gagging and coughing it out. While the gagging reflex may look uncomfortable, it doesn’t seem to bother babies at all.Is baby led weaning for everyone?Baby led weaning may not be suitable if:

In these cases, you should consult with your paediatrician or GP before starting.Vital This information is of a general educational nature only. You should consult your healthcare professional for advice specific to your situation before relying on any information in this article.