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Introducing Your Baby to Dairy
Nutritionally, babies need breastmilk or infant formula until they are one year old. From the age of six months full-fat cow’s milk can be used in cooking and with baby’s breakfast cereals and cow’s milk can be introduced as a main drink from the age of 12 months.
Dairy is an important part of your child’s diet providing essential nutrients such as calcium. When you start weaning your baby at around six months of age you can begin to slowly introduce a variety of foods.
Dairy can be given to baby from the age of six months in the form of cheese but avoid giving blue cheese or soft unpasteurised cheese, such as Camembert and Brie, until your baby is at least one year old. Blue cheese and unpasteurised cheese contain live bacteria which carries the risk of food poisoning.
Yoghurt is a good source of dairy for baby and can be given from the age of six months.
Allergies to Cow’s Milk
Some babies are allergic to cow’s milk so it is important when weaning your baby to introduce foods one at a time over a few days to check for any allergic reactions. You should seek urgent medical help if you think your baby is having an allergic reaction.
A food allergy is when the immune system reacts to a certain food protein resulting in a physical reaction which can occur immediately or within three days.
If your child has cow’s milk allergy the symptoms will start when cow’s milk is introduced into their diet. Symptoms of cow’s milk allergy could result in diarrhoea, vomiting, skin rashes, stomach cramps and difficulty breathing. In rare cases cow’s milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis.
Cow’s milk allergy is a common food allergy in children and most children who have this allergy grow out of it by the age of three, although it is estimated that 20 per cent of adults will continue to have cow’s milk allergy.
Alternatives
Aside from cow’s milk products there are many food sources that contain high levels of calcium. So if your child does have an allergy to dairy products you can still make sure your child’s diet is rich in calcium. Some good sources of calcium rich foods include sesame seeds, sardines canned in oil, spring greens, tofu, watercress and kale.
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the September 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.
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Week
The first week of July is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Week. It is a time when leading organisations aim to highlight the impacts of childhood obesity and request the Government take action to focus on reducing obesity in children, for the health of our nation.
Awareness of childhood obesity and the risks it brings can help parents make better choices for their children. There is a much greater chance that overweight children will become overweight adults, when compared to children who maintain a normal weight throughout adolescence.
Childhood obesity heightens the risk of serious illnesses during childhood and increases the risk of developing long-term health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer.
As a parent there is plenty that you can do to help your child maintain a healthy weight with the support of healthcare professionals and schools. Many teaching institutions now provide an environment where your child can learn about nutrition and health.
Healthy living starts at home and children learn first and foremost from their parents.
Here are some easy ways to assist your child to achieve a healthy weight:
1. Monitor your child’s weight. The ‘red book’ you are given when your baby is born contains useful charts for reviewing your child’s weight, height and development. Always seek professional help if you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s health and development.
2. Encourage your child to exercise and have fun outdoors every day.
3. Feed your child a healthy diet high in vegetables, fruit and unprocessed foods. Minimise the amount of packaged food, fresh is best.
4. Enjoy food in moderation and limit sweet treats to special occasions.
5. Have fun teaching your child about nutritious foods and show them how to cook healthy meals so they are prepared to make the best choices in life.
6. Be a role model for your child and encourage physical activity and healthy eating.
If your child is overweight, you can do something about it. The earlier you act the sooner your child will reap the health benefits, both mentally and physically.
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the July 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.
Wobbles When Weaning
Before long you will have mastered the art of weaning your baby with pureed fruit and vegetables. After a couple of months of puree your baby will be ready for the next stage of weaning, eating foods with more texture.
Adding texture is an important stage in weaning and development for your baby. It helps to strengthen jaw muscles, encourages the development of speech, helps to ensure healthy teeth and prepares your baby for chewing food and eating family meals.
The best advice I received when I was introducing texture to my baby was to take things slowly. There’s no need to get anxious or frustrated if your baby spits out the lumpy bits or refuses textured food altogether.
You may find your baby takes to textured food straight away or it could be some time before your baby is happy chewing and swallowing lumpier food. Either way, there are things you can do to help make this next stage of weaning as easy as possible for both you and your baby.
Tips for the Smooth Introduction of Texture
1. Until your baby is at least ten months old they should be able to easily mush any lumps in their mouth, with or without teeth.
Lumps in food need to be small, soft and manageable for your baby.
2. Begin by slowly adding texture to the foods your baby likes.
Introducing texture to your baby’s puree will most likely be met with a surprised face! You can start by adding grated fruit, mashed vegetable or finely chopped food to your baby’s puree which is a subtle way of encouraging your baby to eat thicker and lumpier food. Introduce new food textures one at a time.
3. Keep baby interested in texture.
When your baby is happy with some texture you can start to vary the texture you give by adding baby pasta shapes or grains such as couscous into their favourite meals.
4. Offer your baby finger foods if they’re developmentally ready.
Babies will often eat lumpier foods if they’re feeding themselves.
5. Don’t force your baby to try something if they don’t want to.
The key is to keep things relaxed and fun so your baby looks forward to mealtimes. This helps to avoid fussy eaters later on.
Initially, I found my baby was happy to eat food with a thicker consistency but she didn’t enjoy food with lumps in it. She would spit the lumps out or refuse to try what I was offering. I took my time and continued to give her food with texture for several weeks until one day she just ate the spoonful of lumpy food as if it were the most normal thing to do!
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the April 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.
