Category: Blog
Food for Thought
Weaning your baby from the breast or bottle is an exciting time for you and your baby. You’re about to introduce new tastes, textures and foods that will help provide the nutrients your baby needs to develop and grow into a healthy child.
Waiting until your baby is ready to process solid food lessens the chance of developing food allergies. Health experts recommend full term babies begin weaning at six months to give baby’s digestive system time to mature. At six months babies start to need a higher level of nutrients, especially iron, which they can’t get from breastmilk or infant formula alone.
Nutritionally, babies still need breastmilk or infant formula until they’re one year old and emotionally your baby receives a great source of comfort and security from nursing.
In the beginning weaning is all about taste and exploration. For the first couple of weeks offer a teaspoon or two of solids once a day when baby is slightly peckish. Pureed pear, apple, sweet potato, parsnip and carrot are sweet tasting and gentle on baby’s tummy. Ripe banana and avocado can be mashed to achieve a smooth consistency. Baby rice and baby cereals are a good introduction to grains and can be mixed with your baby’s usual milk.
It’s beneficial to introduce foods one at a time over a few days to check for any allergic reactions. Foods that most commonly cause allergies are wheat, eggs, shellfish, milk, nuts and seeds. You should seek urgent medical help if you think your baby is having an allergic reaction.
Foods to avoid when weaning are salt, sugar and low fat foods which are nutritionally unsuitable. Honey is a source of sugar and should not be given to babies under one year as it can contain bacteria. Cow’s milk should only be used in cooking until baby is at least one year. Nuts should not be given to children under the age of five due to the risk of choking.
Let your baby lead the way. At six months I started to wean my baby with pureed fruit and vegetables and by seven months she was showing an interest in using her fingers to eat so we moved to more of a baby-led weaning approach.
Take things slowly to give you and your baby time to adjust to weaning and allow baby to enjoy a variety of foods. Weaning is an incredible developmental stage for your baby. Eat together as a family, have fun and accept things will get messy!
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the March 2013 edition of Mummy and Me Magazine.
I offer one to one nutrition programmes for breastfeeding, post pregnancy weight loss, weaning, weight management and health. Contact me.
What I Wore Wednesday
It’s Wednesday so here’s a look at what I wore when we were out and about in London’s financial district Canary Wharf this week.
The day was beautiful and sunny despite being a little chilly, quite a shock to the system after the hot summer we’ve just had on holiday in New Zealand. I was pleased to have a reason for wearing sunglasses as I’m still bleary eyed from jetlag and sleepless nights.
Hubby and I were shopping for Imogen’s birthday celebration next week. She loved having her photo taken, just look at that cheeky expression!
I’m wearing:
Ted Baker Sunglasses – NZ Wool Scarf – Gap Trench Coat – Kookai Stripe Top – Gap Pink Jeans – Laura Ashley Handbag – Clarks Black Leather Boots (previously written about here)
Imogen’s wearing:
Gap Hat – Polarn O. Pyret Fleece Jacket – Laura Ashley Jumper – Leggings (from NZ) – Clarks Baby Shoes
Baby Passport Photos
When we were in New Zealand I took Imogen to a shop to have some photos taken for her New Zealand passport application.
Alas, the cameraman didn’t even get as close as clicking the camera’s button. Imogen didn’t want to stay still for a second. He kindly told me I could take some mugshots of my toddler at home and he would let me know if they’d do for a New Zealand passport.
The rules for baby and toddler passport photos seem to be much stricter in New Zealand. Babies cannot have their eyes closed and he clearly stated (looking at Imogen) that any ‘frizzy or loose’ hair must be tied away from the face.
Keeping Imogen’s eyes open isn’t a problem now she’s a toddler and alert 24/7 (or so it feels like it). But tying her hair back is tricky and getting her to look perfectly straight ahead at the camera is nigh on impossible. Her hair still isn’t quite long enough to tie back without clipping the shorter strands at the sides. So trying to get a hair tie in and then clipping the sides of her hair back meant I literally had three seconds to snap away before she pulled the ponytail out and ran out of the room… giggling loudly as I chased her down the hallway!
As these photos show, this is why you shouldn’t try and take baby passport photos…
Come on, just give up Mummy!
