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The World Health Organization (WHO)
recommends that babies should start on solids when they are six months
old. As baby grows and becomes more active, milk alone will not be
enough to fulfill his increasing nutritional needs. He needs to start
progressing to solid foods, a transition step commonly known as
weaning a baby.
While some babies take to solids like a duck to water, others need a
little more encouragement. It is important to persist in weaning a
reluctant eater as his body needs the extra nutrients to develop and
grow. Having said that, even though your baby has started eating other
foods, milk is still important in his daily diet for the development of
his bone and teeth.
When to Start Weaning A Baby ?
All your baby needs during the first few months of his life is milk.
However, by the time he reaches four to six months, he will be ready to
move on to solid food. By then, he will be holding his head up when
sitting, making chewing motions and starting to suck in a different
way. More signs include:
Being still hungry even after a good milk feed.
Seeming to want feeds more often.
Not gaining adequate weight.
Starting to wake up at night for feeds.
How to Wean Your Baby ?
Introduce a little food on the spoon before a milk feed when he is
alert and hungry.
Introduce one new food at a time. Give him at least 4 days to get
used to and accept this new food before introducing another. This will
also allow time for any allergies to arise and make it easier for you
to identify the food culprit.
Start with small quantity (1/4 ½ teaspoon), especially if you are
introducing new textures and flavors. If he rejects, you can blend it
into familiar foods, and introduce it by itself later.
You can mix new food with milk, so that he accepts it better.
Try not to mix different new foods together. Serve each new food
alone, so that he learns how it tastes by itself. This will help him
better accept foods during toddler hood.
Introducing your baby to solids is also related to teaching him social
skills because eating is very much a social act. Babies need to
discover that eating is fun!
Handy Tools When Starting Your Baby on Solids
Before you begin feeding solids to your baby, prepare yourself with the
following apparatuses:
Unbreakable plastic spoons with soft or rounded edges.
A set of plastic bowls or plates.
A food processor, blender or grinder to puree food to a mash.
Something for your baby to sit in while he eats, such as a highchair
or a special child seat.
A good supply of bibs.
Plenty of cloth rags to clean up the mess.
A plastic sheet to protect the floor if you have wall-to-wall
carpeting.
Special Notes to the Parents
Load yourself with lots of patience as your baby will most probably
make a face and spit out the food during the first few feeds. Keep
trying, or give it a rest and try again a few days later.
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