Weaning is the process of introducing solid foods into your baby's diet in order to fulfil their growing nutritional needs.



What does weaning involve?

Weaning normally begins with you introducing solid foods into your baby's diet alongside their usual milk feeds. As your baby grows you can gradually introduce your baby to minced or mashed foods and foods that need to be chewed. Of course, you may continue to breast or bottle-feed your baby alongside solid foods for as long as it is comfortable for you and your baby.

When should I start weaning?

All babies develop at different rates and for the first few months of life your baby will receive all the nutrition and energy his or her body needs from breast or formula milk

How will I know when my baby is ready for weaning?

It is important that you don't rush into weaning as a result of pressure from parents or friends and that you are guided by signals from your baby. These signals include:

Being unsatisfied after a full milk feed

Demanding increasing and more frequent milk feeds

He or she can control their head movements

Attempting to put things in his or her mouth

His or her weight gain slows or levels out without a period of illness to explain why.

After a period of sleeping through the night your baby begins waking in the night with hunger

If you are unsure or concerned about when your baby is ready to begin weaning you should talk to your health visitor.

Getting started

There is no right way to introduce your baby to solid foods. These tastes are more a learning experience and shouldn't replace any milk feeds. Choose a time that is convenient for you and when you are both relaxed. Try giving your baby three or four small teaspoonfuls of food only part way through or after their bottle feed. Don't be surprised if he or she doesn't seem to know what to do with the food and it comes back out of their mouth.

Next steps

Once your baby has become used to the tastes of different foods, you can gradually increase the amount you give your baby and introduce the food more often and earlier in a feed. Your baby will also need a drink during and after their food. This can be milk (breast or formula), boiled and cooled water or possibly diluted fruit juice and can be given from a bottle or a baby cup with a spout and two handles.

Are there foods I should avoid?

There are foods that you are advised to avoid for the first six to eight months, as they have been known to upset a baby or cause an allergic reaction.

These include:

1. Nuts and seed foods

2. Shellfish

3. Exotic or citrus fruits

4. Eggs and egg products such as custard

5. Cow's milk

6. Foods which contain gluten to bulk them out

Dealing with difficulties

One of the main causes of difficulties is weaning your baby too early. Always be prepared to continue breast or bottle feeding if your baby refuses any solid foods.

If your infant refuses to co-operate, putting them in situations where they will see other children their age eating solid foods may help them. If not, they are likely to tire of milk and bland foods quite quickly and will probably be happy to accept tasty finger foods before taking to solid meals again.