Weaning your baby and transitioning from breast milk or formula to solid foods is an important stage in your little ones life. There will come a point where milk alone cannot provide all the nutrients that your baby requires, and this is where you need to start introducing other foods into their diet. Weaning your child from milk to food can be tough and knowing when to do so can be hard to figure out, so it is important to wean them carefully to help them grow and develop properly. When Should You Wean Your Baby? There are often signs that your little one is ready for solid foods. If your baby can hold their head up, sits up and makes chewing movements with their mouth, these are usually tell tale signs that they are ready for weaning. If they start grabbing your food and become interested in what you are eating, this is also a sign that they are ready for solids. This generally occurs when they are around six months old. How To Introduce Solid Foods

• Your baby will only require a small amount of food when you start to wean them. This should be given to them before their milk. If they don’t eat the solid food, don’t worry, the milk will provide them with enough nutrients for the time being.

 

• When choosing foods, opt for pureed or blended foods then once they have got used to this, move on to mashed foods or small finger foods – this should make for easier progression from milk to solid foods.

 

• Avoid feeding them salty food as this can affect their kidneys. You should also try and avoid sugar to prevent tooth decay.

 

• When introducing new foods into your baby’s diet, it is important to encourage them to try a range of different foods to get them used to various tastes and textures.

 

• If they don’t take to the solid food straight away, don’t panic, it can take some children a while to get used to it. Don’t force feed them and remember to praise them when they do finally accept the food. Patience is key.

 

• Allow your baby to play with their food a little. This lets them explore and investigate their food. They will be naturally curious about what they are eating.

 

• It may also help when you are introducing foods to your baby that you do this at meal times with the rest of the family. If your child sees that everyone else is eating they may be more inclined to join in and eat their food too. Avoid sitting them in front of the TV or a tablet as this can be a distraction.

 

• Weaning can get a little messy so make sure you are well prepared with plenty of muslin cloths, like the organic muslin cloths from Tilly & Jasper, for cleaning up after your little one.

  Hopefully these tips will help when weaning your child, but it’s important to remember that every baby goes at their own pace, so don’t rush into it. Be patient and good luck!