Asking For Help With Weaning
Weaning can be a trying time for any parent (and baby) it’s only natural to have questions and seek guidance. Should I start baby-led weaning or pureeing? What are the benefits of baby-led weaning? What are the downsides? Is my baby at risk of choking? What are the best safety tips before starting weaning?
Stage 1 Weaning – First tastes
Weaning starts at around 6 months old. It’s time for baby to have their first tastes and experience new textures with solid foods for the first time. If your doctor has given you the advice to start weaning prior to the 6-month mark you should try starting out by hand-feeding a small amount of pureed food from a soft-tipped spoon.
After 6 months (if you think your baby is ready), you can try a mixture of purees and offering soft finger foods.
Stage 2 Weaning – New Tastes
It’s about to get messy! Between 7 and 9 months, your baby will start to feel more comfortable with more solid foods and a wider range of tastes and textures. They’ll be more engaged at mealtime and more inclined to play with their food. Now is a good time to invest in a floor mat and a sleeve bib/coverall! A suction plate or bowl will definitely come in handy as well.
Stage 3 Weaning – Family Meals!
Between 10 months and a year your baby will need much less milk and will get most of their nutrition from solid meals. Stage 3 weaning is when your baby will be more interested in finger foods and trying the food you eat. At this stage, your baby should be ready for a wider variety of foods in different textures and should be able to manage more than 2 textures in one meal. You should base your baby’s meals and snacks around normal family foods and mealtimes.
