There are many reasons why weaning is good for your baby and, whilst it provides them with a whole host of benefits, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a nerve-wracking and daunting experience. It’s easy to worry about weaning, due to your baby’s age, it means they’re unable to tell you that they are full and often, they aren’t always open to trying new things – especially when they’re tired and cranky! There are plenty of ways in which you can lessen the stress of weaning and make it a more enjoyable and easier experience for you and your baby. With that in mind, here are 4 ways you can make weaning easier for you and your baby!
Remember Food Is For Fun Until They Are One
This is one of the most important things to remember when weaning with your little one. Usually, weaning starts from 6 months and this means that, up until they are one year old, they will still get the majority of their nutrition from either formula or breastmilk.
Six months is quite a long period of time to get used to a whole new skill – just think of where they were six months prior! If after just a month, they’re still refusing certain foods, then remember that there is still quite a way to go! By taking this approach, you take some of the stress away from both you and your baby, making it a more enjoyable experience all around.
Opt For Variety
When it comes to weaning, it’s good to choose a variety of different foods and dishes, no matter if you’re following baby-led weaning or puree weaning. Try your baby with a mixture of different meat and veggie dishes and flavours in order to give them a chance to try new tastes and textures, but be sure to give them a varied and balanced diet.
If possible, it’s recommended that you give your little one the same types of food that the rest of the family eat, so that they fit in easily into mealtimes and this then reduces your need of cooking multiple meals a day.
Embrace The Mess
Weaning is naturally a messy experience. Your little one is learning how to feed themselves and getting used to a whole new world of taste, textures and colours, so of course, some mess is to be expected! If the thought of the mess makes you feel uneasy, then when you feed your baby, they will likely pick up on these tensions, making the weaning experience less enjoyable for the both of you.
The best way to approach weaning is to just embrace the mess. Whilst that doesn’t mean letting your baby throw their food everywhere, not worrying about their faces getting messy or regularly wiping their hands can mean that they’re more likely to pay interest in their food.
There are some wonderful weaning tools you can use to make the process more fun for your little one and less of a clean up for you afterwards. Coverall bibs protect the mess of food spills and stains. Bamboo cutlery and bowls help your little one adapt to using a spoon and fork, specially designed for little mouths. A high chair with a tray means that your little one can enjoy their meal with the rest of the family.
Offer Them Foods Again and Again
You need to remember that, prior to starting weaning, your baby had only experienced sweet flavoured milk. Getting them used to the whole new world of weaning is quite a leap, so don’t worry if they don’t instantly take to new foods, especially more bitter or savoury foods. Baby’s will naturally prefer sweet foods, especially in the early stages of weaning, so if they refuse or dislike a food at first taste, be sure to offer it to them again at other opportunities.
Try not to be influenced by your own food preferences and attitudes. Let them try things on their own and under no pretences from yourself. Vegetables often get a bad reputation, but they are packed full of nutrients and babies will get the taste for them over time, they just need to get used to them. Vegetables are easy to prepare and can be served for babies that are following both puree and baby-led weaning, whether it be chunky pieces of sweet potato to chew on, or a puree combining red pepper and butternut squash.
Conclusion
Some little ones are pickier than others when it comes to weaning and eating solid foods. It is important to remain patient and take a fun and easy approach for both you and your little one. Be sure to offer a mixture of foods in the first few months, invest in a good quality bib and give your baby positive encouragement. Over time, they will get used to it and, soon, they will be eating whole meals!
