Preparing For Weaning

Weaning conjures up many emotions - sadness at the passing of those small baby days, excitement at the prospect of your baby joining in with family meals, and trepidation, thinking about the whole process and of course the inevitable mess! Even with second, third and in my case fourth babies, these emotions still resurface and are completely normal. 

What age to start weaning? 

When my own mum became a mum back in the 1960s, the advice then was to start introducing solids at around 8 weeks of age! With my first baby the advice was 4 months and in 2003 the WHO (World Health Organisation) along with the NHS recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months. Before six months babies’ digestive tracts may not be mature enough to cope with solid food. This is particularly relevant if there is a family history of coeliac disease or allergies. Weaning too early may cause your baby to have regular upset stomachs. 

At six months your baby is developmentally ready for solid food. If your baby was born prematurely then please talk to a health professional as to when you can start the weaning process. 

Signs your baby is ready for weaning

Look out for these three signs which indicate your baby is ready for the introduction of solid food in addition to breast milk or formula,

💎 can sit up, holding their head steady and upright

💎 good enough hand/eye coordination so they can look at food to pick it up and navigate it into their mouth

💎 the tongue thrust reflex has disappeared - now your baby has the ability to use their tongue to push food to the back of their mouth in order to swallow. Here’s a quick test to find out if your baby can do this - mix a tiny amount of baby food with your baby’s usual milk and using a clean finger gently insert it into your baby’s mouth. If on repeated attempts your baby spits it back out then this indicates they aren't quite ready to start solids. 

If your baby starts waking in the night before 6 months this is not a sign on its own that your baby is ready for solids. Increasing the amount of milk may help until your baby is actually ready for weaning. 

Weaning gear! 

💎 spoons - the first weaning spoons are soft rubber/plastic so gentle on your baby’s gums

💎 bowls - ones with suction on the bottom so you can clamp it to the tray of the highchair! 

💎 talking of highchair, one of those would be good to get at this stage. (During those first few weaning feeds I did sit my baby on my lap just to reassure them)  

What to look for in a highchair, 

• good strong straps - five points ideally, shoulders, waist and crotch, so your baby is unable to slip down under the tray. 

• big adjustable tray 

• foot rest, makes sitting more comfortable for your baby as they grow 

• easy to clean seat with no hard to reach crevices!

• check stability and robustness

• foldable and lightweight 

💎 bibs - smaller ones are best to start with, plastic pelican ones are ideal, as easy to wipe down. Later on invest in bibs that cover their whole front and arms too, you’ll thank me for that tip!

💎  small sippy cup so you can offer water (cool boiled) at meal times

💎 ice cube trays - if you’re planning on batch cooking pureed food to freeze

💎 small plastic pots for food on the go! 

💎 if you don’t have a wipeable surface under the highchair then a plastic sheet might just save your flooring from the inevitable food carnage!

Next week we’ll delve into the weaning journey of a typical baby. It’s going to get messy!