Tips for Weaning

AD – This is a collaborative post

The beginning of the weaning journey can be exciting for you and your little one. It is an opportunity to introduce them to a whole new world of delicious flavours! However, as with many aspects of parenting, getting your baby to try new foods isn’t always a walk in the park. Hopefully, these handy weaning tips will give you a helping hand when it comes to your little one’s
first adventures with solid food.

Take it Slow

Introducing solid foods for the first time can be overwhelming, so take it slowly at first. Start with one serving of solid food per day, and you can build up the servings and variety over time.

Giving a solid serving at mid-morning or lunchtime can often be a good idea because you are more likely to be successful when your little one is more relaxed and not too tired or hungry like they might be first thing in the morning or at the end of the day.

Get Them Used to Swallowing

For babies, suckling is reflex but swallowing solids food is something they must learn. At the beginning of the weaning journey, you may find that your little one pushes food out of their mouth with their tongue. This can be discouraging, but it is something they will grow out of as they learn how to swallow.

If your baby continues pushing food out of their mouth, you can put a little bit of puree on a clean finger and let them suck on that for the first few mouthfuls.

Try Finger Foods

As your little one becomes comfortable with purees and mashes, you will be able to try them on some finger foods. Finger foods can be fun and engaging and are a good start when endeavouring to present a variety of foods to your baby.

Soft, easily graspable finger foods can give your child more control over what they are putting in their mouth, giving them the opportunity to explore tastes and textures freely. This kind of control will also mean your little one will stop eating when they are full, helping them to become intuitive eaters from the start!

Create a Relaxed Environment

You are a role model to your little one, and they will look to you to see how they should react around food and new situations. If you feel stressed or pressured at mealtimes, your baby is likely to pick up on it, and they may start to feel worried as well.

Creating a fun and relaxed environment at mealtimes will help it run more smoothly. Have fun and make your little one laugh; don’t treat the weaning journey too seriously, you and your little one will learn what works best for you over time.

Try a Variety of Foods

Keep trying a variety of foods with different flavours, textures and colours to get your baby interested in mealtime. If they are showing signs of being a fussy eater, try different combinations and pair something they love with something they aren’t sure about yet.

Freeze Meals

Freezing extra purees or mashed portions can be really convenient for those evenings when you don’t have time to spend in the kitchen.

These handy meals can be a good fail-safe and will save you a bit of stress when you know there is some ready-to-go food that will require minimum preparation.

Don’t Worry About Mess

Letting your baby play with their food and get messy is an excellent way to get them more engaged with new foods and eating solids. Try not to get too caught up in the mess and just let them explore! Having bibs, plastic sheets and wipes on hand will make clean up easier.

Starting on solid food can come with some challenges, but there are so many great memories and learning experiences that you’ll gain from this time, so embrace it. Cherish these moments, because little ones turn into big ones
before you know it!