Weaning Tips

It is recommended that you wean your baby from the age of 6 months. You may find that your baby starts to pay an interest in what you are eating slightly earlier than this, or they wake up more in the night hungry, which is a good indication that they are ready to have a go at trying solid foods.

When starting the weaning process keep it simple, your baby is only used to one flavour and texture, so everything is new. Baby rice is recommended to try for a few weeks, gradually building it up with different flavours in the rice so the texture remains similar, but the taste changes slightly. There are many different varieties or pureed food you can try, and if you find your baby refuses it the first time, leave it a few weeks and try that flavour again, don't give up just because they refuse it first time. Their sense of adventure with tastes and textures grows.

When you start weaning always allow yourself plenty of time, don't choose a time that you know you are pushed for time, or is likely to stress you out, as the calmer you remain the more likely your baby is likely to take to it.

Let your baby experiment with the food, exploring it not only with their mouth but by sense of touch, by playing with it. (this can get messy!)

A list of do's and don'ts related to weaning is available on the healthy start nhs website, as follows:

* Do: Try a variety of different foods – include mashed-up fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta, dhal, lentils and other pulses as well as meat, fish and well cooked eggs.
* Do: Offer finger foods such as cooked vegetable sticks, pieces of soft ripe fruit, bread crusts,chapatti pieces and cooked pasta shapes. 
* Do: Try and feed your baby mashed-up versions of what the rest of the family is eating as long as you haven't added any sugar or salt to it - this will help your baby get used to eating what everyone else eats and you'll know exactly what your baby is eating. 
* Do: Introduce foods that commonly cause allergic reactions one at a time. That way, you can spot any problems. These foods are eggs, wheat, nuts, fish and shellfish.
* Do: Continue to give your baby breast milk or infant formula milk alongside solid foods until he or she is at least a year old. The more solid foods your baby eats, the less milk he or she will need.
* Do: Make sure any cooked food has been thoroughly heated, cooled and tested by you to make sure it's the right temperature.

* Don't: Rush or force feed your baby. Most babies know when they've had enough to eat. Go at your baby's pace and be patient. If your baby shakes his or her head, turns away or refuses to open his or her mouth, take the food away and try again later.
* Don't: Leave your baby alone when eating. Keep a close eye on your baby when offering him or her solid foods as some babies may choke.
* Don't: Give your baby cow's milk to drink until he or she is a year old. Other whole dairy products like yoghurt are fine, and you can use cow's milk in cooking or preparing baby food.
* Don't: Force your baby to eat any solid food if he or she doesn't want it - your baby will take it when he or she is ready.
* Don't: Feed your baby eggs, wheat-based foods that contain gluten (like bread or breakfast cereals), fish, shellfish, liver, citrus fruits (like oranges or orange juice), or soft and unpasteurised cheese before he or she is six months old. Ask your health visitor for advice.