Weaning

What is Weaning

Weaning is the process in which a baby is introduced to solid food. Very young babies need no food other than milk. As they start growing and getting more physically active, they begin to use up more and more energy. A milk-only diet can no longer fulfil these energy requirements or give them all the different nutrients they need.

Your baby will probably seem hungry after a feed and offering more milk won't help. The amount of milk a baby's stomach can hold is limited.

When should I start weaning my baby?: While it is not set in stone when you should wean your baby, you should aim for between four and six months. (If you are still breast-feeding at this point, you may take this opportunity to wean your baby off the breast as well.)

There are a number of reasons why you should wait until they are over four months old:

• Children younger than four months cannot bite and chew.
• They don't usually like different tastes and textures.
• They are more prone to allergic reactions therefore it is safer to wait until the baby's body systems have matured a bit more.
• Giving energy-rich foods too soon may result in the baby becoming overweight.

There are also a number of reasons why you should not leave weaning too late (ie. after six months):

Your baby needs to get used to the foods before he/she actually needs it. By the age of six months, your baby will have used up the store of iron he/she was born with. Therefore from this point on, iron will have to be included in the diet. However if you wait until this store is used up and then your baby doesn't take to the solids, there is going to be a period of time when he/she is taking in no iron at all. Delaying weaning also means the process may prove much more difficult. This is because babies are usually most willing to try new foods and flavours when they are between four and six months old.

At around six months old, babies should be introduced to drinking from a cup. This may take a while. Breast-fed babies, even if they drink readily from a cup, may still want to breast-feed as well, especially when they are going to bed. Similarly, bottle-fed babies are often very reluctant to give up their bottle for a cup.

When your baby starts to take solids, they will often get thirsty. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce a cup rather than giving them their usual bottle. Get them used to drinking water. Apart from the fact that fruit juices are sugary, your baby will get used to the sweet taste and may then refuse to drink water.

Two-handed plastic cups with a tight lid are the best containers for this stage. If your baby wants to hold the cup by themselves, let them. This is an important learning stage for your baby.