Six months
Six months old is the age suggested by the NHS, and is the age at which your baby’s digestive system is developed enough to be able to handle solid foods. Now, I know parents that started weaning their babies earlier than this, but I think it’s really important to visit a GP if you are considering doing this. Your baby can safely live off breast milk for the first six months, so there’s really no rush for solids.
Spot the signs
When your baby is ready to move onto solid foods, you will start to notice some changes. For example, they will be able to sit up and support the weight of their head. They will also be able to swallow their food properly, rather than pushing it out with their tongue, and pick up food and put it in their mouth by themselves.
Weaning your baby
Once your baby is ready for solids, you can start to wean them off breast milk or formula. You will probably still feed them milk during the weaning process, to keep up their nutrition intake – at this stage, solid food is more about exploration than nourishment. Your baby is likely to get messy when they first start eating solid foods, but you can always use a muslin square to keep your clothes nice and clean!
Christmas dinner baby style
As all the family gathers around the table for Christmas dinner, it’s only fair to make sure your baby is involved too. There are many different options from your Christmas dinner you can chose to give your baby if you have started to wean them off milk.You could start them out on cooled mashed potato or puréed carrots are a popular option. Certain baby food products come with different Christmas food flavours such as pureed parsnips or other vegetables for your little one to try. Or for desert try giving them bits of soft peach or banana for a sweet taste.
Here at Slumbersac, we have some great products for you to use whilst you are weaning your baby. Muslin squares are great to keep you clean whilst you are feeding them, or why not buy one of our waterproof baby bibs, which are machine washable and fast drying -perfect for messy eaters.
Visit our website to view our fantastic product range!
