How To Start Weaning A Baby

How To Start Weaning A Baby

As a first time mum I didn't know where to start when it came to weaning a baby. I think for most people we don't even think about it until well after pregnancy and when we've actually had the baby. Even then I think for the first few months your trying to get the hang of breastfeeding or bottle feeds that nursing, taking care of your new baby and praying for sleep is what were focused on. Once the initial newborn bubble is over that's when I thought about weaning. I want to share the knowledge I gained while researching and experimenting with weaning my own baby onto solid food. I definitely know a thing or two about it now, in fact I feel like a weaning pro and I hope this helps alot of mums. To have all the information you need condensed into one space from a real mother that's been there and done it. I answer the most common questions mums ask about weaning and share my own weaning journey with my daughter Isabelle.

Signs your baby is ready to wean
There's signs that can show your baby's ready to start weaning and the most common ones to look for are your baby can support their own head, sit upright, has an interest in your food, wants to chew a lot and has an increased appetite. Doctors do recommend 6 months of age but you can start earlier if you see all of these signs.

How I Started Weaning - Tastes of Food
Our weaning journey started when my little girl was 6 month's old. That is the age doctor's recommend you can start weaning a baby off from milk and onto solid food. 6 month's is when I properly started to wean her but before that at around 4 months old I gave her "tastes" of food by putting a tiny bit on the end of my finger and letting her have a lick of something. It was completely smooth food's almost liquids like juices, sauces, ice cream and yogurt for example. I think its fine and even good to let babies have a taste of something and to follow your intuition on when your baby is ready to try food.

My baby's very first bite of food was banana porridge and she absolutely loved it. It was the Cow & Gate brand. We managed to pick up one of their boxes reduced to 20p! You can't argue with that to just try something! I didn't know how much of it she'd actually eat so being that cheap was perfect. I made a very small amount, about 2 baby spoons worth and she maybe took half of it but that was still very good for her first attempt!

In the very beginning they will only take the tiniest of mouthfuls. At least that is my experience and I mean small like the size of a pea. It's best to give them small amounts anyway as it reduces the risk of them choking or gagging on their food. My daughters mouth is quite small and she doesn't open particularly wide so that's all she could take at a time. Even though it takes longer to feed them, its less messy and doesn't smear all round their face. Just take your time feeding them and have patience. Go slow and follow their lead. They will turn their head away if their not interested so don't force it into their mouths. Give them encouragement and praise while feeding them it will make for a happy experience for everyone.

First Foods & Purees
At this early stage of weaning its best to give completely smooth purees and then progress to a firmer texture and lumpier foods as they learn how to eat them. For example I would make the porridge very slack and loose in texture so that its soft and easy to eat. I would also make it with their regular milk so it has a familiar taste. This was a right treat for my little one who devours her breakfast like there's no tomorrow and she dropped her first morning bottle easily in replace of breakfast. Similarly with the purees, make them smooth and loose, almost like a liquid so that they can get used to it before working up to lumpy food.

Moving on from Purees
Follow your instincts on when its time to move on to lumpy food, this could be for example when your baby starts getting teeth. Mashed food like avocado, bananas and potatoes are good ones to try that aren't too strong in flavour and easy to eat for your little one. Baby rice and porridge are still great just start making them a bit thicker than before.

Finger Foods - Baby Lead Weaning
You may want to think about trying BLW (Baby Lead Weaning) at this point. BLW encourages self feeding and hand eye co-ordination.You can give them food that melts/dissolves in their mouth so your not as worried about them choking like the Ella's Kitchen melty puffs and Kiddylicious veggie straws. Soft boiled potato/veggies cut into sticks are great, this way they can just pick them up and feed themselves. Soft fruits cut into baby bite size pieces.

Solid Food
Once they are able to chew solid foods you can give them exactly the same as what you eat. Now's a good time to think about eating meals together as a family at the table, enjoying the same food encourages them to try new foods and avoids picky eaters. They will feel included and safe in knowing they are eating the same as you. Most babies will need a decent amount of teeth to start enjoying whole solid foods like toast or pasta etc so make sure they are safe from choking before introducing too early. My baby was 15 months old when she could finally eat the same as me for instance and it was when her first back teeth came through to grind her food down properly (she had 10 teeth in total then).

How much should my baby eat and drink in a day?
Try to aim for 3 meal's a day plus snacks in between and always have a water bottle/sippy cup to hand for when they're thirsty. Give them water as their drink with every meal. I always have a water bottle on me so Isabelle can sip on it throughout the day and as they can't tell you when they're thirsty try to offer them a drink every 20 minuets just to be safe. The one I like to use is the Tommee Tippee Easy Drink Straw Cup and Insulated Straw Cup. If you don't want to give them water just be mindful of the sugar in fruit juices.

When eating regular meals and drinking water or juice they shouldn't need milk to fill them up so milk can be reserved for naps and bedtime. Overall though try not to worry about them eating a certain amount per day. Every baby is different and some babies eat more or less than others. Your child could be feeling unwell one day and not want anything other than milk or just a few bites of food which is fine. Don't force feed and trust your child's instincts. They'll only eat when they're hungry and will stop when they're full so listen to their cues as they are in tune with their own bodies. 3 meals a day are guidelines that can be tailored to suit your own individual child's needs. If you are worried however then ask your doctor/health visitor.

When do they drop bottles?
The simple answer is when they are ready and the age is different for every child. I found babies tend to drop bottles for 2 reasons, once a regular meal is established and when they drop naps. For instance my baby no longer needed a morning bottle because it was replaced with porridge/fruit for breakfast and also now she has a regular lunch and dinner she isn't hungry for milk during the day. When Isabelle dropped her 3rd and then 2nd nap she didn't need those 2 bottles to send her off to sleep anymore so they were naturally dropped.

Should I cut out bottles?
There is no need to forcefully remove bottles during weaning. It should happen naturally. You can start with them either being replaced with a meal or when naps are dropped and see how you go from there. There is no need to give them a bottle during the day to soothe them so if this is what you are doing then I recommend you offer cuddles and other loving gestures to calm your child instead rather then bottles. There can be pressure to only have them on a certain amount of bottles per day while weaning but there really is no need to focus on that. I say this because I was told when your baby's one years old then they shouldn't have any bottles at all and that isn't true. It was just added stress and pressure that isn't needed. Doctors recommend children to consume milk up to 3 or 4 years old.

Currently Isabelle's only on 2 bottles a day, one at her nap time half way through the day and her last bottle at bed time. I know when she drops her nap all together that will be when she's on just one bottle. The hardest bottle to lose will be at bedtime which I will talk about in a future post when were at that stage.

What if I'm breastfeeding?
It's going to be harder then bottle's to drop feeds because your baby can see your breast's and smell your milk. Babies breastfeed for so many reasons like for comfort and can use you as a dummy/pacifier. They love the closeness and bonding time they have with you during those moments so its not as simple to just replace they're milk with food. I would encourage you to breastfeed for as long as you and your baby want to. Don't feel pressure to stop by a certain age. It is recommended by doctors to breastfeed for up to 3-4 years old same as bottle feed babies. Offer them food regularly and once they have established a meal time routine they will be full and will naturally not need as much milk. As they grow older and into more independent toddlers they will feed less often and not need soothing with milk as much as before. Try to just enjoy and cherish these precious moments with your little one while they last. Gaze into your babies eyes while you breastfeed and savour how connected you both are. You have done an incredible thing for your baby and you are amazing!

I want to finish this off reminding everyone to never leave their baby unattended while eating. They can't be left alone when eating in case of choking so make sure you have everything you need to hand before you get started and do it somewhere comfortable. You'll need plenty of baby wipes, bibs and a camera at the ready to capture this special moment.

If you found this helpful and know someone that's looking for tips on weaning, feel free to share this post! Don't forget to share any weaning tips you may have in the comments to help out other mums too!

I hope this was indeed helpful and wish you good luck with your weaning journey :)

 - Jess x

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