When should you start weaning?
By six months your baby will need more than just milk. Recommendations are to start at six months, so there is no rush. Solids should not be given before 17 weeks.
Babies are very good at telling you when they are ready. They may start waking up more during the night, be more hungry between feeds, be more interested in your food or start putting their hands into their mouths more.
When you begin weaning choose a time of day that you and your baby are most alert, happy and relaxed.
How much food should you give your baby?
Start with just one or two teaspoons once a day. Over the the next few weeks, gradually build up to two meals a day of six to 12 teaspoons, then three. Be guided by your baby's hunger. Babies will refuse more food when they have had enough.
What are the best foods to start with?
Start with baby rice and fruit and vegetable purees, which should be lump-free and a little thicker than milk. Introduce a variety of fruit and vegetables from the start and experiment with different combinations, for example sweet potato and pear.
Make your own purees by cooking the fruit or vegetables in a little water for a few minutes, then puree the mixture with a blender, mash it with a fork or pass it through a sieve with a spoon. Mix with breast or formula milk if you like, or baby rice, depending on the texture you want. Whole batches of puree can be frozen in ice-cube trays or yoghurt pots for thawing and using later.
After a couple of weeks introduce red meat, chicken or pulses to provide essential iron.
From around seven months you can introduce lumps and finger foods, such as toast, breadsticks, banana, carrot sticks, pieces of peeled apple or cubes of cheese. It is good to get your baby used to the tastes of healthy family meals. Remove the baby's portion before adding any salt or sugar, then mash or chop it as appropriate.
Which foods should be avoided?
Before six months babies should not have wheat or foods that contain gluten, such as bread, breakfast cereals or pasta. Eggs, fish, shellfish, citrus fruit and products made of cow's milk should also be avoided before six months. Cow's milk should not be given as a main drink before one year.
Whole nuts should not be given to children under five years because of the risk of choking.
Honey should be avoided until a child is at least one year old, and salt and sugar should be kept to a minimum at all times for babies and children, and should not be added to food during cooking.
What should you do if your baby refuses food?
At first babies may refuse or spit food out, because it takes them a while to get used to the spoon and new tastes. Some babies take to weaning more quickly than others.
Just keep trying and be patient. You may have to try the same food several times on different days before your baby will accept the taste. Persistence is the key.
Finally, remember that weaning should not signal an end to intimacy.
Weaning itself can be part of the bonding process between parent and child, particularly if you smile at your baby and talk to her while she is being fed.
