When feeding goes beyond the boob and bottle.
It’s time to start thinking about feeding your kid real food now that you’ve got the milk thing down and maybe even a feeding schedule (look at you!). As with many other newborn “firsts,” introducing solids might be intimidating. However, once your kid is “established,” you’ll find that it’s tremendously liberating to no longer be responsible for providing all of the baby’s meals. Here is our fearless, “you got this” introduction to all the information you need to know about beginning solids.
When to start baby food?
It is advised to introduce solid foods to your infant “around six months but not before four months,” however it really depends on your child. Your infant must be able to sit up supported, have adequate head and neck control, and be ready for meals. The next step is to watch out for what pediatricians refer to as “the signs.” All of these center around your infant expressing an interest in food. You’ll recognize it when you notice behaviors like them observing you while you eat, reaching for food, bringing objects to their mouth, and losing their tongue-plunging reflex.
When to stop breastfeeding?
Milk (breast milk or formula) remains to be a baby’s primary source of nutrition until they are 12 months old, regardless of when you start introducing foods. If you decide to wean your infant from breastfeeding, our recommendations may be helpful.
“Food is fun until they’re one!”
Solid food introduction is sometimes a stressful and difficult process for parents. There’s nothing worse than spending a fortune on all-organic ingredients to make a lovely, nourishing baby food, only to have the baby reject it and hurl it to the ground. The experts encourage you to rest despite parents’ worries that their children aren’t eating enough. Kids will have good and terrible eating days, says paediatrician Dr. Scott Dunlop of Sydney Paediatrics and Kids Consult. “Don’t sweat the minor stuff. He suggests putting more effort into making eating a pleasant experience rather than worrying about what they’re eating (or not eating).”The most crucial healthy eating behaviors are frequently behavioral in character, thus parents must also set a good example for their children. Feeding ought to be enjoyable rather than a chore or a struggle. Remember that your baby’s primary source of nutrition is milk, and as long as they’re gaining weight and continuing to grow, a little food fussiness isn’t a problem. Engaging in emotional conflicts over food will never lead to the establishment of a happy feeding experience. It is advised that you consult your doctor or a child and family health nurse for guidance if your kid is almost seven months old and has not yet started eating solid foods.
Baby Food Allergies
Child allergies have a much greater prevalence than generations before. There is evidence to suggest that the advice that was given to parents in previous years, which was to avoid allergenic foods, has attributed to the rise. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015 found that children who were exposed to peanuts as babies were far less likely to be allergic to them at the age of five, than those who were not. It is now advised that all babies, including those with a high allergy risk, try foods that cause allergies from around six months.
Forbidden foods
High allergenic foods have the green light, but there are some foods babies can’t have. Cow’s milk, honey, fruit juice and junk food (also not great for adults) are all banned. Junk food and fruit juice are on the no list because of the high sugar content, honey because of a possible disease-causing toxin it may contain, and milk because of allergen and nutrition reasons, but milk-based products and other dairy are OK.