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Top Tips to Weaning by Lucy Upton – As seen in Milk & More’s Weaning Guide 

  1. Know When to Start – There are many myths about when a baby is ready for solids, but the current advice is to introduce them around 6 months of age. Specifically, when your baby shows developmental signs, they are ready to start learning to eat. Like other developmental milestones, each baby reaches this stage at their pace.
  2. Off to a great start  – Offer first tastes of foods, such as vegetables, to get started. From there, build in different foods like fruits, iron-rich foods, starchy carbohydrates, milk and dairy products and healthy fats

  3. Be consistent – Offer solids regularly, but remember that babies might not eat much initially. Keep trying new foods, as babies may need to taste a food several times before they accept it, especially textures and flavours they are not used to!

  4. Offer plenty of variety – Babies are primed to learn about food and develop eating skills during weaning. Aim to provide a variety of foods, gradually introduce new textures, and explore a range of flavours. This helps your baby develop a broad palate and reduces the likelihood of food rejection in the future. It also supports their health, including the growth of their gut microbiome.

  5. Let them learn! – Whether you’re doing traditional or baby-led weaning, let your baby explore food at their own pace and have some options to feed themselves. Allow them to play with and interact with their food, which helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.  Learning to eat doesn’t just mean eating, so embrace the mess!

  6. Introduce key food groups. As you start broadening your baby’s diet, keep balanced family meals in mind and aim to incorporate various food groups and nutrients together, moving from combinations to mini meals.

  7. Milk and more – cow’s milk can be introduced into your baby’s food from the start of weaning, combined into foods and meals, but not as a drink.  Focus on full-fat (whole) milk to help meet your baby’s high requirements for energy and fat. Cow’s milk often gets the finger point when it comes to tummy troubles but is not always the culprit. During weaning, tummy troubles, like constipation, are common as the gut adapts to digest a wide range of foods.  If you are worried cow’s milk is an issue, chat with a doctor before excluding anything.

  8. Introduce Allergens – Proactively introduce common allergens (such as peanuts, eggs, and milk), especially before 12 months of age. Early introduction has been found to help prevent allergies later on. If your child already has a food allergy or eczema, consult a health professional for personalised advice.

  9. Trust your baby to lead and take the pressure off. Babies are very attuned to their bodies and listen closely to their feelings of hunger and fullness. Follow your baby’s cues to trust their appetite: Offer more food if they show signs of wanting it and stop when they show signs of being full.  Be patient with progress. Each baby will progress through weaning at their own pace.

  10. Make mealtimes social. Babies learn a lot from watching and learning from others. Where possible, share the same foods or meals at mealtimes; this will build your baby’s confidence, trust, skills, and enjoyment of mealtimes.

For more resources, visit www.thechildrensdietitian.co.uk

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