You’ve probably been told a million times by health professionals that exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months is absolutely essential. You have probably done it very religiously even in the middle of the night. If she chose not to or was unable to do so, she was possibly reminding herself to sterilize the bottle and keep the water ready. Either way, you’re on your feet. Suddenly there comes a day when your baby, who has been staring at your plate all these days, lunges at your plate and grabs a handful. Yippe! He is ready for solids! Well, baby-led weaning is that simple, and from my personal experience, I would endorse it. On the one hand, this way he is not in a hurry to introduce solid foods and risks food allergies. Also, the jury is out on when it’s the right time to wean your baby on solid foods is almost always open. So why not leave it up to nature and let her baby decide when she wants to eat and not just drink? Just remember, like adults, every baby is different and develops on her own schedule, not yours. It is much easier to feed the baby food when he is ready and he is less stressful for you. It is said that unless the ‘tongue thrust reflex’ is gone, that is, the reflex that makes them push everything out of the mouth, they may not be ready for solids. Also, they are usually ready when they can sit up without support.
My son started to be interested in food when he was about five months old and when he was two weeks short of six I started to offer him solids or semi-solids to be more precise. Health visitors said the goal should be to allow him to eat as a family before his first birthday. Being goal oriented was very helpful in planning my strategy. I am going to share some of my wisdom and experience with you.
As a new mother, she wanted to be perfect in what she did for him. She used to refer me to so many different websites and books about weaning, what to give and what not to give. If I had to go through most of them, there was no way I could think of achieving my goal. Based on all of that, here are the key things I did, thought or felt that may help you…
1. Try to stick to the four-day rule, especially if there is a history of food allergies in your family. What this means is that if you introduce potatoes to your baby, do so for four days in a row and do not introduce any other new foods at the same time. This will help you note any allergies, as it sometimes takes a couple of days for an allergy to show up. If you give him too many new things, it will be difficult to find the allergen.
2. Don’t worry too much about how much your baby eats. It is said that the nutrient requirement for the first year of life is from milk and feeding is more the inculcation of the habit. Remember, try not to reduce the amount of milk so that your baby eats more until at least one year of age.
3. There are always days when they just refuse to eat and there are also days when they just gobble up anything.
4. As your child grows, he develops the ability to chew food better. This means that he must vary the texture of the food. Start with purees, then move to puree, then chunks. Call me lazy, but I didn’t puree any vegetables except peas and beans. Everything else I would boil/steam and make a pulp by mashing it with a spoon. I usually mash every bite of banana I have in my hand and feed it.
5. Introduce the spices slowly. Most of the spices, especially those used in Indian cooking, are beneficial to the body. Cumin, for example, helps relieve congestion and also aids in digestion.
6. Unlike adults, fat is good for babies, especially their rapidly developing brains. Use ghee, butter, oil sparingly. Give full-fat yogurt, cheese, etc.
7. Usually after the 26 week mark you are given a green signal to give almost any food such as fruits, vegetables, meat (although we are vegetarians). Of course, it is up to you to take allergies into account.
8. Start with one meal a day at a time when you are not too tired, sleepy, or cranky. Don’t rush and don’t get distracted. Try to explain to him what he is eating, what the benefits are, how it was prepared. This way, both of you will be focused on the food. You eat a spoonful in front of him and say things like ‘yum yum’. Gradually increase the meal to two, then three.
9. Variety adds spice to life, even your little one’s life. Try to add as much variety of flavors, vegetables, fruits, etc.
10. Some say that since babies have a natural sweet tooth because we are born with more taste buds for sweets, it may be a good idea to introduce vegetables first, otherwise they may never like them. I did not face this problem and was almost alternating new vegetables and fruits. For the same reason, I never added sugar to her diet. However, I add a pinch of salt. They say that their kidneys are not fully developed and therefore they avoid salt and sugar. There is no point in not adding salt and giving him a bag of chips when he is a toddler, as that will only make him want more chips and harm the body. I want him to develop a taste for a balanced diet.
11. Try not to give him too much food from a jar. Processed food is not good for adults, leave it alone for babies. It also becomes difficult to get them away from those foods and eat home cooked food. I used to buy some jars for travel and emergencies. Also, I used to try vegetables or fruits for the first time from a jar, check for allergies, and then prepare them at home.
12. Your baby is your best guide. Don’t be scared and don’t get frustrated, he will be chosen easily.
13. You can’t expect your baby/toddler to eat a piece of fruit when you’re eating potato chips. Lead by example.
Like I said, I’ve shared most of my lessons learned here and I hope this is a good starting point for you. It’s a long journey, not always fun, but you’ll get there eventually. Remember, your goal is to give your child a healthy start. Your quality of life, health, and longevity largely depend on how well you establish your eating habits. Childhood obesity is on the rise everywhere and rates of juvenile diabetes are also said to be on the rise. You can help your child, so let’s do it.
