Contents:
According to WHO, complementary feeding should be:
- Timely – @ 6months (digestive system needs to be ready, extra protection from breast milk).
- Adequate (amount, frequency, consistency, covering the child’s nutritional needs).
- Prepared in safe and hygienic conditions.
How do you know if your child is ready?
- Can stay in a sitting position and hold her head steadily.
- Can co-ordinate her eyes, hands and mouth so that she can look at the food, pick it up and put it in her mouth.
- Can swallow food- babies who are not ready will push their food back out with their tongue, so they get more food around their face than they do in their mouths.
- Make chewing motions with their mouth (esp for BLW).
General guidelines:
- Supervised feeding- high chances of choking!
| Gagging | Choking |
| Can make noise + can breathe | Usually silent |
| May splutter, retch or cough | Unable to breathe |
| Tongue push forward | Wide open mouth |
| Eyes water | Possible ineffective cough |
| Face turns pink or red | Face or lips turn blue |
| Loud and red- let him go ahead | Silent and blue- they need help |
- Forcing the baby to eat is discouraged- appreciate that it’s a new process and that it will take time for her to accept solids.
- Provide a stress free environment and try to build positive associations with food.
- The mouth must be fully open- stimulate using your finger.
- Ensure the temp and taste are known to you- taste prior to feeding.
- Salt and sugar do not need to be added at this point.
- Do not offer honey under 1 year.
- Avoid cows milk as main drink before 1 year of age. Can use in porridge and other foods.
- Avoid tea, coffee or other caffeinated products, artificial sweeteners, whole nuts, low fat products before 1 year.
- Avoid offering foods that are high risk for infection such as raw meat and fish, deli and processed meats, unpasteurised products such as unpasteurised milk and cheese before 1 year.
Allergenic foods:
- Cows’ milk, eggs, soya, nuts, peanuts, peanut products, fish and shellfish.
- Introduce after 6 months.
- One at a time. Take a break for a few days after introducing an allergenic food.
- Watch out closely for any reactions.
- If there is a known allergy or eczema, or you have a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, you need to be extra careful when introducing the allergenic foods.
- If tolerated- continue to regularly provide.
What to expect:
- Being scared- while introducing solids is a lot of fun but it can be very terrifying for the parents especially in the beginning. This is new to both yourself and to the baby therefore, it will take some time getting used to this process.
- Gagging- babies will often gag especially in the beginning but this is nothing to make you worry and it will improve with time. May happen more often with baby led weaning approach.
- Mess- be prepared for mess and try to make use of appropriate mats and bibs so that its easier on cleaning. More significant for baby led weaning approach.
- They might not eat much or enough according to you with both approaches but more so with baby led weaning approach. The baby led weaning approach is focused on exploring rather than eating. While some babies may start eating right away, some may do this slowly over time.
- You may have longer or shorter mealtimes. Some babies can get distracted very quickly and will no longer be interested in the food.
- Changes in smell, texture, texture and colour. You may also see undigested pieces of food.
- Constipation- due to the change in diet, some babies may experience harder or no stools for a few days. Continue offering breast milk or formula, sips of water with meals and in between meals and fruits like papaya, avocado to ease the constipation.
- Malnutrition.
- Fussy eating.
- Poor transition/ delayed transition to whole foods.
- Intolerances.
Preparations:
Gather the essentials: a high chair, a free flowing sippy cup, a bowl , silicon or plastic soft spoons , feeding bibs, a mat to keep under that high chair- one that’s easy to clean and reuse, re-usable pouches for home made smoothies, purees when on the go, toddler cutlery, food supplies , recipe books.
TRADITIONAL WEANING
- Spoon feeding your baby pureed food
- Starts with smooth simple purees, gradually introducing texture, lumps and softer foods
- Introduces finger foods along side purees from 6 months
- More focused on eating
| PROS | CONS |
| Less messy | Need to prepare special food for baby |
| Convenient to feed anywhere (home or out) | If you rely on ready made food- can get expensive |
| Easier to monitor how much baby eats |
6 – 8 months:
Introduce solids BUT breast milk is still the main source of energy and nutrients for the baby.
What to introduce?
- Vegetables, fruit and cereal 6-7months.
- @8 months- introduce protein and healthy fats.
Timing:
- Breast Milk/formula first then top up with solids.
- Start with 1 meal a day and slowly progress to 2 meals/day.
Consistency: start with soft purees, progressing gradually to mashed then semi- solid then soft.
How to feed and what to feed:
- One food at a time – know allergies, likes and child gets to learn natural flavours.
- Don’t add flavours- keep it simple.
- Introduce variety of foods but introduce a single item at a time and repeat at least 3 times before trying the next one.
- Introduce vegetables then fruits.
- Approximately 600kcal/day. Breast or formula milk give 0.67kcal/day.
- Offer sips of water in a sippy cup- free flowing.
- Allow you baby to touch and hold the food.
- Allow her to feed herself as she shows interest
How to prepare:
- Some foods such as baby rice and some soft fruits like bananas and avocados can be given raw- wash fruit thoroughly, peel and blend or mash. Can mix with breast milk or formula for familiarity of taste.
- Steam or boil the harder vegetables/ fruit in little amount clean water (not to lose all the good nutrients) and then blend or mash. Can mix with breast milk or formula for familiarity of taste.
- Cereals- boil with clean water to a thick consistency then blend or mash. Add cows milk while cooking or breast milk or formula milk after cooking.
Examples of foods:
- Cereals- baby rice, oats, maize unrefined, millet, sorghum, brown rice porridge.
- Raw fruits: avocado, banana, papaya, mango.
- Cooked fruits: apple, pear.
- Cooked vegetables: carrots, broccoli, butternut, gem-squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, cauliflower, peas.
8-10 months:
What to introduce?
- Balanced meals with difference food groups.
Timing:
- Breast Milk/formula first then top up with solids upto 9 months then switch.
- 3-5 meals. Increased as you progress to 9 months.
What to feed and how to feed:
- Begin introducing family meals by 9 months with minor adjustments e.g. less salt, softer textures, no spices.
- The baby is teething, so you can give solid food to hold.
- Ensure variety.
- Keep progressing in consistency
BABY LED WEANING
- Baby self feeds, baby decides what to pick and what to put in mouth.
- Starts with finger foods straight away (but also involves soft textured food).
- Baby eats what you eat, at the same time as you.
- Baby guides on how much to eat.
- Focused on exploring food rather than eating.
- Aim to develop a lifelong balanced attitude of eating, avoiding the negative emotions. Being able to decide when they want to eat more and when to stop.
| PROS | CONS |
| Part of family meals from early on | Very messy |
| Exposed to different tastes, textures early on which may avoid fussy eating later | May not know how much baby is actually eating |
| Develops hand eye coordination, manual dexterity and chewing skills earlier |
6 – 8 months:
Introduce solids BUT breast milk is still the main source of energy and nutrients for the baby.
What to introduce?
- Vegetables, fruit and cereal from 6-7months.
- @ 8 months- all above and protein and healthy fats.
Timing:
- Breast Milk/formula first then top up with solids.
- Start with 1 meal a day and slowly progress to 2-3 meals/day.
What to feed and how to feed:
- Strips or sticks of food. Size of an adult finger- long enough for baby to pick up and hold and nibble on. Texture should be firm enough not to turn mush but soft and tender enough to easily chew with gums and to move around the mouth (no sticky foods like nut butters on it own).
- Softer foods– pick up with their hands in clumps e.g. mashed potatoes.
- Liquid or soft foods like porridge, yoghurt– pre load the spoon and hand to baby or let them eat with their hands.
- CAUTION: never offer small, hard and round foods- choking hazard. These include whole nuts, whole baby tomatoes, whole grapes (cut lengthwise).
- Allow them space to explore- pick, play, nibble, drop, lick, spit out and eat again.
- Offer sips of water in a sippy cup- free flowing.
- Introduce 1-2 varieties at a time .
- Portion sizes depends on the baby- best to avoid creating expectations on how much your baby will eat.
Examples of foods:
- Sticks of boiled or steamed vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, broccoli
- Sticks of roasted sweet potato
- Corn on the cob (sweetcorn soft one)
- Slices of soft fruit such a ripe pears, ripe apples and watermelon
- Orange wedges with skin on
- Sticks of banana
- Cooked pasta spirals with little sauce
- Strips of poached or baked fish (skin and bones removed)
- Thin strips of tender meat
- Toast or crumpet fingers with a smooth spread- avocado, peanut/nut butter, unsalted butter
- Think sticks of cheese or grated cheese
- Slices of hard boiled egg or omelet
- Clump foods- mashed potato, rice with curry (into balls), scrambled egg
- Pre-loaded spoon or fingers- greek yoghurt, yoghurt, thick porridge
8-10 months:
What to introduce?
- Balanced meals with difference food groups.
Timing:
- Breast Milk/formula first then top up with solids upto 9 months then switch.
- 3-5 meals. Increased as you progress to 9 months.
What to feed and how to feed:
- Serve as above but also start offering smaller items (pincer grip). Maybe be able to dip with spoon.
- Scoop with a spoon, may try to stab with a fork.
- Offer a range of textures, flavours and shapes.
Examples of foods:
- All of the above either cut into fingers or now have the option of offering smaller pieces
- Peas, sweetcorn, rice
- Berries- strawberries, blueberries, rasberries- sliced or slightly mushed
- Low sugar breakfast cereals- shreddies
- Pieces of cooked vegetables e.g. carrots, broccoli
- Different shapes of pasta such as spaghetti, macaroni.