Here - Health Promotion Agency

Feeding your child
66
HOW WILL I KNOW MY
BABY IS READY?
Babies are usually ready to
start on solid food at six
months. You will notice that
at six months your baby:
● shows interest in what
you or your family are
eating – picking up food
and putting it in his or
her mouth;
● can sit up – even though
he or she may need some
support;
• is still hungry after
finishing a milk feed;
•
after sleeping through the
night, starts waking
again to be fed.
Go on breastfeeding,
alongside giving ‘solid’ food,
for as long as you and your
baby want.
HINTS FOR SUCCESSFUL
WEANING
The idea of weaning is to introduce
your baby gradually to a wider range
of foods so that by the age of one
your baby will be joining in family
meals. All babies are different. Some
take to it quickly, some take longer.
Some are more choosy and may need
a new food offered several times
before it is accepted.
• Choose a time of day when you
are both relaxed.
•
Allow plenty of time for feeding,
particularly at first. Until now
your baby has known only food
that comes in a continuous flow
from nipple or teat. Your baby
needs to learn to move solid food
from the front of the tongue to
the back in order to swallow it.
The food tastes and feels different
– it’s bound to take time.
• Make sure everything you use for
feeding your baby is really clean.
Spoon out a small amount of food
and heat this, rather than heating a
large amount that then goes to
waste. You can always heat up
more if it is needed. Heat food
thoroughly and allow it to cool,
stir well and test before offering it
to your baby. Throw away any
food your baby hasn’t eaten as it is
not safe to reheat previously
warmed food. Don’t refreeze
warmed food if it is not used.
•
Cover the floor with newspaper or
a protective mat and use a bib to
catch food spills – weaning can be
a messy business!
• Always stay with your baby
when he or she is eating to
make sure he or she doesn’t
choke.
• Do not rush or ‘force feed’. Most
babies know when they’ve had
enough to eat. Don’t spend a lot
of time persuading your baby to
take food – they soon learn that
refusing food is a good way of
getting attention, or of getting
sugary pudding instead of a
savoury course. Of course it’s
right to give attention, chat and
enjoy meals together, but when
food is refused it might be best to
call an end to the meal.
•
When your baby shows an
interest in feeding him or herself,
this a good sign. Encourage this
by giving your baby finger foods.
You can also offer your baby a
spoon whilst you feed most of the
meal to him or her with another
spoon. It will be messy at first but
try not to worry about it.
• Use mashed-up family food when
you can – it’s less expensive, you
know what the ingredients are,
and it will get your baby used to
eating what you eat. Do not add
salt or sugar when cooking.
Preparing larger quantities than
you need and freezing small
portions, e.g. in an ice cube tray,
can save time and effort.
(Commercial baby foods can be
useful but don’t let them replace
family foods altogether. See the
box on page 67 for more
information about using
commercial baby foods.)
•
Never add any food to your
baby’s bottle.
• By the age of one you want your
baby to be eating a variety of
family foods.
•
Babies are telling you they have
had enough when they:
– turn their head away;
– keep their mouth shut;