When it comes to weaning there are some Do's and Don'ts rules that I live by and some are common sense others just give you food for thought I hope this helps you along with your little ones Weaning Journey.
- Do - be prepared for mess, all children make a mess its a natural part of exploring and playing, invest in plenty of bibs and if you have a carpet you don't want ruining get a plastic mat to put underneath or even a sheet it just makes cleaning up easier after.
- Do - Offer plenty of variety of food, weaning is an exciting time its like having new toys, experiment rotate flavours they will love it.
- Do make sure baby is always in an upright position when they are eating, whether it is on your knee in a seat or in the high chair they will always need to be upright this is important for digestion and swallowing.
- Do - give baby's small portions around the size of there own fist is a good measurement to go by
- Do - offer baby small bits of food from your plate so they feel like they are part of meal time it also gives them the chance to try different things.
- Do - Offer your baby a drink of water in a beaker they may only have a little sip and need guidance with it to start off with but like with everything it will get easier and they will learn how to hold it better over time.
- Don't - expect your baby to like or even swallow the first food you give them weaning is about being patient some babies will take time to get used to the change others will just love it from the off.
- Don't - rush, weaning is a slow process always give your baby plenty of time for there meals, don't be tempted to try and hurry them along.
- Don't - ever leave your baby alone at meal times, or unattended in a high chair it is dangerous.
- Don't - expect your baby to finish every piece of food you give them, like us they wont always want it all, they may feel full or they just might not like it.
- Don't - give babies foods that pose an obvious danger to them like nuts, meat with bones, honey for children under one or anything raw like shell fish.
- Don't - offer babies fatty foods, things that are high in salt, sugar or spices all of them can be damaging to your babies health.
- Don't - Ever start trying to wean your baby before four months
Food Safety
keep things clean, aways make sure you wash your hand before preparing any food. once your baby has had there food make sure you wash their dishes in warm soapy water - once your baby has reached six months you don't need to sterilise there weaning equipment, but you do still need to sterilise there bottles.
Cooking and re-heating food, always make sure your babies food is cooked thoroughly and is piping hot then leave it to cool down before serving. If you are going to give your baby meals from the freezer make sure it has been thoroughly defrosted before cooking them. A lot of baby meals can be microwaved, take care when using this method for cooking, microwaving food can leave hot spots so you need to make sure you have stirred the food properly to get rid of these then leave the meal to cool this makes sure the heat is the same throughout the meal. no matter where you are serving the meal from always make sure you check the temperature before serving it to your little one.
Check your food labels, always check the "use by" dates and or the "best before" dates. check the food you are giving to your baby is within there age group this is usually clearly displayed on the packaging or in the book if you are cooking from scratch. It is also best to check salt content as well all baby food should have less than 1g of salt, as salt is not good for young children and babies and can cause health problems.
Food storage, make sure you don't keep any opened baby jars or packets for more than 24hrs and keep them safely stored in the fridge where they will be kept fresh. If you are cooking from scratch make sure the food is properly cooled down before putting in the fridge or freezing label the food with dates and make sure it is in a dish or container that has a lid.
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