Baby Weaning Milestones

With thanks to doddl 

  The weaning process is looming, you have that excited but anxious feeling, and the huge quantity of information out there is overwhelming. Panic not! Here’s a few simple ‘milestones’ for you, alongside a warm fuzzy reminder that all babies are different and establishing a positive relationship between your baby and food is a marathon not a sprint. At doddl, as fellow parents, we have all been through it and it is genuinely why we designed cutlery specifically for babies and young children, to make the whole mealtime experience easier and more enjoyable for everyone. So here goes:  

Milestone 1. My baby is ready to go (whoop!)

General advice is that most babies are ready to be weaned at six months, when they are able to sit independently, hold up their head and have shown an interest in food. In all the anticipation, our simple advice is to remember weaning is just the very start of your baby’s lifelong relationship with food and the first weeks and months are about having positive experiences. Ignore the proud well-meaning social posts of friends kicking this off at the same time. Go at your baby’s pace.  

Milestone 2. Making the ‘how to wean’ choice

This milestone is definitely for you rather than your baby, and remember, your baby, your choice. But as we’re writing this blog, we’ll tell you what we think. We’re big supporters of baby-led weaning (we don’t have t-shirts, but we do prefer it) having said that, puree foods can also help support baby led weaning as and when you feel it’s right. During BLW you’re basically encouraging your baby to explore the types of food you eat for themselves (as long as it’s appropriate) and offering them a level of control over how much they want to eat and (to an extent) choice over what they eat. It can be messy, but it’s so much more fun for them. Learning their own full signs, as opposed to spoon feeding them until the food has gone, is an essential development milestone and will help your baby avoid overeating as they grow.   

Milestone 3. My baby ate kale

There’s no right answer for what you should begin with but you’ll no doubt have read books that say fruit and vegetables are your go to here. We would highly recommend starting with the more bitter green vegetables first. Sounds harsh, what tiny person wouldn’t prefer something sweet after all, but once you go sweet it’s hard to go back. By offering the green vegetables first and then introducing other vegetables you will probably find your baby will be more open to suggestion. Smooth is the word of the moment. Hard and lumpy food are not your friend at this point, nor is anything that is too sweet, salty or generally over produced and it goes without saying really think about the shape and size of the food you give (think chopped grapes for instance!).   

Milestone 4. OMG my baby put food in their mouth!

But how to start?! Simply place a small range of foods onto the tray or table in front of your baby and watch (alongside usual enthusiastic words). Think about what foods might be easier for your baby to pick up and hold, such as cooked carrot batons. They will start to explore with their hands and then, maybe with some encouragement, their mouths. Be ready, some of the facial expressions are priceless…! At doddl, we truly believe introducing great mealtime habits early offers lifelong benefits. Sitting together with your baby to eat and encouraging them to be part of the mealtime experience and the conversation (however limited at first) without distractions offers great development and learning opportunities for your baby.  

Milestone 5. My baby used a spoon to feed THEMSELVES

BLW encourages babies to touch and hold foods and is all part of exploring so your baby can develop their senses in relation to food. Introducing cutlery that they can use themselves at the same time will help build familiarisation between cutlery and food at mealtimes. Choosing the right utensils for this is critical (obviously we would say that given here at doddl HQ we spent years researching this…). Short handles help to avoid any gagging incidents. And the right cutlery, used at every mealtime will also help develop your baby’s key motor skills like coordination, dexterity and control. Simply lay the baby cutlery on the tray/table in front of them at every meal and encourage them to pick it up. You can add some of their food to the ends while they get the hang of it, and don’t worry if they chuck it around a bit or put the wrong end in their mouth, it’s all part of learning.  

Milestone 6. My baby tried something new (woohoo!)

Banish bland (or at least mix it up a bit..) it’s time to show your baby the marvellous big wide world of foods. If you baby is now eagerly eating the initial introduction of vegetables, proteins and fruit then go a bit more combo and mix some of their familiar tastes together in more of a one pot meal (its ok to keep with some soft manageable lumps). Then, if that works for your baby, try introducing cheese, herbs, spices and sauces. Obviously be careful of any reactions to new foods and speak to your health visitor or doctor if you’re worried. Oh and watch out for your own face (stay with us), if you are making a face that has ‘he’s not going to like this’ written all over it, that’s a huge clue to your baby how you are expecting them to react.   

Milestone 7. We’re both enjoying this (hurrah!)

It’s fair to say that food and mealtimes are a huge part of our lives from the moment we start eating and the social, developmental and emotional benefits of happy mealtimes are enormous. That’s why we do what we do, to help make mealtimes easy.  So just crack on and soak up some fabulous mealtime memories with your little ones. Enjoy!   Here’s a link to the mealtime milestones checklist, as promised: https://www.doddl.com/2020/04/17/cutlery-mealtime-milestones/ Doddl creates innovative and functional products that help children eat independently. Recognised in industry awards and endorsed by child healthcare experts including Occupational Therapists, Nutritionists and Child Development Specialists, Doddl is designed and developed in Great Britain. Find out more about mealtime milestones on their website. @doddl   Disclaimer: The views and advice given in this article are those of the guest writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Weaning Week or any other organisations represented on this platform