by Joe Wicks
13 The biggest challenge a parent may face is trying to get their babies and toddlers to eat vegetables. Some babies will eat loads of veg from day one and keep it up forever. Others will dislike them from the start and refuse every veg on the planet. As Indie got older she started to refuse plain steamed or boiled veg (I don’t blame her really, boiled broccoli smells like fart). We just incorporate lots of veg into her meals, for example in pastas, omelettes, curries and even things like savoury porridge, which she loves. It’s good to keep exposing babies to veg in the whole form, but essentially your baby doesn’t need to sit with a side of steamed greens or a head of broccoli to be healthy. With the wonderful recipes in this book your baby will be eating plenty of veg and getting all the goodness they need.
14 It’s really easy to panic and worry that your baby isn’t getting enough food if they refuse the meal you offer them. This may make you begin to offer an alternative meal or give lots of snacks. But only offering the things you know they will love and always eat means your baby will learn very fast that they will get exactly what they want if they make a stand. This can really narrow their food options and lead to fussy eating. We rarely offer Indie alternatives and avoid letting her graze on snacks in between meals. We learnt that if we gave Indie a banana or some berries and then tried to give her dinner an hour later she would rarely have an appetite for it. Babies have little stomachs, so focus on a good mealtime routine and avoid filling them up with snacks.
15 Finally and most important of all: enjoy the weaning journey. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself or the baby, you’re doing the best you can, you’re learning and your baby loves you for it! It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of your parenting as long as you and your baby are happy. Take lots of photos and videos too. This will be a very short time you look back on once your baby is all grown up so try not to stress and worry and just HAVE FUN!
IS YOUR BABY READY?
The recommended age to begin weaning varies from country to country. However, in the UK, based on our population, World Health Organization (WHO) advice and plenty of research, our NHS suggests that infants are ready for solid foods at around 6 months of age.
Starting at around 6 months helps to ensure that your baby is developmentally ready for solids and can mean they are more efficient at chewing, swallowing and self-feeding and can cope with a variety of textures more quickly too.
We also know that breast or formula milk is more or less all that little ones need before 6 months of age (see more in the supplements section here), and some children may not be developmentally ready for solids before this time.
That being said, it is important to remember that ALL babies are different and they all reach milestones at slightly different times, so it can be helpful to look out for the main signs of readiness, which are listed below. Rather than one at a time, check for multiple signs occurring together.
SIGNS OF READINESS
• Your baby can stay in a sitting position and hold their head and neck steady.
• Your baby can coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth – so they can look at, intentionally pick up and pop food/toys in their mouth themselves.
• Your baby can swallow food and has lost the tongue thrust (which leads to more food being pushed out than swallowed).
If you do think your little one might be ready for solid foods BEFORE they get to 6 months of age, it’s worthwhile having a chat with your Health Visitor (HV) or GP first. Similarly, if your baby was born prematurely, your HV or GP will be best placed to advise you on when it might be best to start giving your baby their first solid foods.
It’s important not to offer solid foods to your little one before 17 weeks of age (around 4 months) as they are unlikely to be developmentally ready before then.
NORMAL BABY TRAITS
Many parents report other signs of readiness in their babies, including:
• showing an interest in food
• chewing fists
• seeming more hungry than usual
• not being satisfied with their usual milk
• waking during the night more often
However, these are all normal infant behaviours that occur during the first 6 months of life as babies start to learn and explore. These signs alone (unless accompanied by the main signs opposite) are not usually signs of readiness. You could try simply offering a little more milk to help a baby who seems hungrier, until you see all of those main signs of readiness opposite.
Indie started showing interest in the food we had just before 6 months – she would often stare at us when we were eating and try to grab the food out of our hands. She would also lean forward to try and take a bite out of things. We knew she was ready because she was great at sitting up and hand–eye coordination and she was also gesturing and pointing at food.
We were happy with her having milk until 6 months but after that we started introducing her to solids. This is where the real fun began!
MILK
The World Health Organization suggests that ‘infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, and thereafter should receive appropriate complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years or beyond’.
There are many benefits to breastfeeding, including the fact that it provides all the nutrition your baby needs for around the first 6 months (with some exceptions). Breast milk can also reduce the risk of infections in babies and children, including gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, and will adapt and change to a baby’s specific needs. However, in the UK we are lucky to have safe alternatives available in the form of infant formula for those who are not able to or choose not to breastfeed. Formula milk also provides babies with all the nutrients they need to grow and develop, but doesn’t have all of the benefits that a baby may receive from breast milk.
Initially when you first begin weaning, it’s ideal to still offer your baby the same amount of milk as you did before they began on solid foods. The reason for this is that the first tastes of food are simply about that – initial tastes – as well as the exposure to new flavours and textures. Breast milk or formula milk will still provide the majority of calories and nutrients that babies need each day at the start of weaning.
Rosie’s breastfeeding journey
Rosie always intended on breastfeeding Indie when she was born. She attended some breastfeeding classes at the hospital during pregnancy to find out more about it and what to expect. The first two weeks of breastfeeding were really emotional and challenging. This was a painful and frustrating time for Rosie as Indie wasn’t latching on properly and this made her really sore. It was upsetting, and at times Rosie would cry and feared it wasn’t going to get better, but she went to see a breastfeeding specialist who helped, and this made a huge difference. Eventually Indie was latching on perfectly and they both loved the closeness and convenience of feeding on the go at any time.
At about 5 weeks of age when Indie had nailed the breastfeeding, we introduced one bottle of expressed milk before bed. This was important to us because I really wanted to feed her myself and we wanted to give Rosie some independence.
Just as breastfeeding took patience and perseverance, so too did the bottle. Some days Indie would love it and other days she would scream and refuse it. This was just a phase we had to push through and we are so glad we did. Having the baby take a bottle of breast milk can be helpful as it removes some pressure from Mum.
Eventually it became a difficult balance of pumping and expressing and actually having milk to feed Indie in the moment there and then, so we found it quite challenging. As a lifestyle decision, we decided to opt for a mix of breast milk and formula from when Indie was about 8 months old.
Rosie stopped breastfeeding Indie completely at 11 months old when Indie’s demand and interest naturally dropped. She had formula milk until 12 months, then we switched to full-fat cow’s milk as her main drink.
I was really proud of Rosie getting this far with it and,
even though the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding to 2 years or beyond, we have no regrets at all. This is just me sharing my experience and journey – everyone’s feeding journey is different, so focus on doing what makes you and your baby happy and try not to worry about anyone else’s opinion.
MILK AND FOODS
Experts advise parents to continue to offer the same amount of milk to their baby at the start of weaning and let the baby guide them as to how much they want to take – this is a process called ‘responsive feeding’ (see here).
Over the first months or so of weaning you will increase the frequency of your baby’s meals, along with their portion sizes, and at the same time there will be a very natural and gradual decline in the amount of milk you give to your little one.
When it comes to breast milk, it’s important to know that it’s a dynamic substance – meaning that breast milk is changing all the time dependent on your baby’s needs and environment. This means that you don’t necessarily need to know exactly how much milk a breastfed baby has, as intake should adapt as your baby starts to get more in the way of calories and nutrients from their solid food. The amount of milk your little one takes will decrease over time as they become more familiar with and interested in solid food.
When it comes to formula, it’s recommended to keep offering your baby a similar amount of milk at the start of weaning: the NHS suggests 600ml is appropriate at around 7 months as a very general guide. From around 10 months of age, the NHS suggests that roughly 400ml of formula milk will be appropriate for your baby alongside increasingly diverse complementary foods – again, this is just as a rough guide, so be flexible.
Some babies can take to solid food right away and want less milk early on in weaning – if this is the case, alongside continuing to offer a similar amount of milk, try adding your baby’s usual milk into solid foods that you give. Have a chat with your health visitor, so they can keep an eye on your baby’s weight and intake.
When weaning is established and your baby is on roughly three meals a day, you can spread your milk feeds out around your family’s routine. It’s good to leave a reasonable gap between a milk feed and solid food, however, just to allow your baby time to build up an appetite for their newly introduced food.
* These are average amounts based on general guidelines per day. Babies should be fed responsively with attention paid to baby’s cues for hunger or fullness. All babies are very different.
COW’S MILK
Full-fat cow’s milk is fine to add to your baby’s food and cooking from around 6 months of age, but is not recommended as a main drink until your baby is 12 months old.
FINDING A ROUTINE
Babies’ appetites are all different, so the best thing to do is to find a routine that works for you and your family. Spreading out solids and milk intakes throughout the day and allowing enough time for your baby to build an appetite, as well as allowing them a routine so that they know when to expect solid food and when to expect their usual milk can really help. When we first started to introduce solid foods to Indie, her milk supply and feeds stayed pretty similar.
At around 7 months old your baby may start to gradually move on to three meals a day, and so a routine similar to this below may work for your family:
Be aware that milk is still a food and can fill your baby up, and so it’s good to try offering breast or formula milk after meals so that your baby has an opportunity to get all the nutrients they need as well as to be exposed to lots of tastes and textures too.
Indie’s feeds looked a lot like the routine opposite until 11 months, when she stopped having her milk feed after dinner. It was quite a gradual and easy transition. At 11 months, Indie’s feeds looked like this:
Your baby might eat the same amount of food and the same amount of milk or they might have less milk and loads more food. It’s also dependent on each baby’s appetite and what they’re like – Indie’s appetite is biggest in the morning. We found that if we gave her milk in the morning there was no point in taking her downstairs and giving her breakfast straight away – she needed an hour to play and work up an appetite, then I would sit down with her and feed her something like porridge with berries or a mixed veg and cheese omelette.
GETTING READY FOR MEALTIMES
Here are some ideas for setting the scene for a positive experience at mealtimes. Even if a parent follows all the ‘rules’ and does all the right things, their baby could still be naturally fussy or not that into food. However, this is a short summary of things that worked for us.
* Create a relaxed environment. Play calming music and turn off the TV so there are no distractions.
* Make sure your baby is sitting upright and not slouched. It’s best if they can have their feet supported in a high chair too, so that it’s more comfortable and they are more stable.
* Let them play with food a little. Let your baby feel and experience the food, telling them what’s coming rather than just sneaking it in their mouth when they are looking around you. Indie wants to look at her food and suss it out and play with it. For example, if we served her a spinach and broccoli puree, we often gave Indie a little bit of broccoli to hold so she could work out what she’s going to get and feel it. This all helps familiarize baby with food, what it looks and feels like and, eventually, what it tastes like too.
* Have fun with it and let them get stuck in. We love food and luckily Indie does too. We try to make mealtimes enjoyable by cooking together and letting her stir or mix stuff.
* Expect mess and embrace it. Weaning is a messy job. You’ll feel like you’re cleaning up all day and that your table, floors and walls will never be clean again. That’s probably true – but learning to let go and be calm is essential.
* Don’t assume your baby is a fussy eater. Sometimes they refuse a food and other times they accept it, it’s all part of the weaning journey and it’s similar to how we eat as adults – sometimes we just don’t feel like eating broccoli. Indie used to pull some disgusted faces when she tried new foods, but actually it’s normal behaviour as she worked out the new taste and texture. If you look at your own diet as an adult, you might realize you eat three or four things on repeat throughout the week as your go-to meals, but with a baby it’s important to introduce a range of nutrients if possible. Even if you don’t like asparagus or broccoli or spinach, try to offer them to your baby because if you leave it too late it might be difficult for your little one to get into them later on.
* Don’t put too much pressure on it. Sometimes this can backfire. It’s good to remember that babies’ appetites fluctuate all the time. Sometimes they are ravenous and other times they refuse the meal they gobbled up the day before. We found that if Indie’s ill or teething she often goes off food. If I’m sitting trying to feed her, rather than just forcing it I’ll take her away for an hour or two and when we come back she’s more likely to try it. Or we just give her a little bit of extra milk that day so she’s still getting her energy and nutrients. As long as we are offering three balanced meals each day, alongside her usual milk feeds, that’s all we can do. It’s never a good idea to force feed or coax a baby into eating.
*Get outside! If you are cooped up all the time it’s not good for the baby’s development. You can take your baby out and sit on a park bench for breakfast, giving them something like pancakes. I’ve found that’s been really beneficial for Indie’s mood and energy for the day. Go outside, get your toes in the grass and enjoy the fresh air. If there’s bad weather you could go to a cafe and take your baby’s food with you, or when you go out for lunch with friends you can have your baby’s lunch there too. If you only feed them in their high chair they might only want to eat in that environment.
ALLERGIES
Understandably, a lot of parents are cautious about giving their baby allergens. Advice around introducing foods that can trigger an allergic reaction has changed in recent years. Previously it was recommended that we should delay introducing certain alle
rgenic foods to a baby, but after further research in this area, the UK guidelines on introducing certain allergens have been adapted.
WHAT ARE THE COMMON ALLERGENS?
There are fourteen major allergens that are the most likely foods in the UK to trigger an allergic reaction. These include:
• cow’s milk
• eggs (eggs without a red lion stamp should not be eaten raw or lightly cooked for infants)
• foods containing gluten, including wheat, barley, oats and rye
• tree nuts (serve them crushed or ground for infants)
• peanuts (serve them crushed or ground for infants)
• sesame seeds (serve them crushed or ground for infants)
• soya
• shellfish (don’t serve raw or lightly cooked)
• fish
• molluscs (don’t serve raw or lightly cooked)
• mustard
• celery
• sulphur dioxide
• lupin (a type of flour and seeds that you might find in bread, pastries and even pasta)
The truth is, however, that many other foods can also trigger allergic reactions, but these are the most common ones in the UK.
INTRODUCING ALLERGENS
