Your baby’s first year is filled with all kinds of exciting milestones. The first smile, the first explosive poop, the first time she reaches up with those beautifully chubby arms and gives you a cuddle. One of the milestones many parents look forward to is weaning. Those first few bites of solid food seem just as exciting to you as they are for your baby. All of a sudden, a whole new world of textures, tastes and aromas has opened up to your child.

Like any parent, you’ll want to give your child the best. Whether that means food from your own plate, homemade purees or professionally prepared jars will depend on what’s right for your family. There is no right or wrong way to do things. Here are five things it’s worth being mindful of when it comes to weaning your baby:

1. Sugar

Your baby doesn’t need sugar in her diet. Sugar is made up of empty calories that will fill your baby’s tummy without providing any nutritional benefits. It’s also bad news for those pearly whites your baby has been working on recently. If you’re eating out, check with the chef to make sure sugar isn’t being added to your baby’s food. Always check jars of pureed food for their sugar content. Sugar is used a preservative, so your baby might be consuming more sugar than you think. Avoid cordials and fruit juices and instead, stick with water for your baby’s mealtime drink.

2. Salt

Salt is another ingredient commonly used as a preservative in foods. It’s also used for flavor, many adults have fallen victim to the salt trap where food doesn’t taste right unless it’s flavored with salt. Your baby does need some salt in her diet, but only 1g a day. It is thought that most babies eat more than this thanks to processed foods such as bread and tinned foods. Too much salt can lead to kidney problems as well as encouraging your child to opt for salty foods in the future which could be bad for her health. Check the labels to see how much food your baby is eating and avoid adding salt to your baby’s food.

3. Additives

Additives and e-numbers are added to all sorts of foods. They are used as preservatives and often appear on the label in the form of an e-number, leaving many consumers unaware of what they’re eating. When it comes to your baby’s food, you probably want to be clued up about what’s in it, so keep an eye on those e-numbers. A quick Google search will reveal what each e-number means.

4. Allergens

Food intolerances are more common than you might think. Food intolerances can cause skin rashes, stomach cramps and nausea, amongst other symptoms. If you think your baby may have a food intolerance, keep a food diary for a couple of weeks until you can establish a pattern. Note down any symptoms as well as any foods eaten, your doctor will be able to analyse this information to spot potential causes of the intolerance. Animal milks, dairy products, wheat, gluten and eggs are some of the most common causes of food intolerances. Speak to your healthcare provider for advice if you think your baby may be suffering from a food intolerance.

5. Quantity

How much should your baby eat? That’s a tricky question to answer and something many parents worry about at night. You may worry that your child is eating too much or too little, but how do you know when she’s getting the right amount? There is no set amount that your child should be eating. The amount she needs will depend on her energy levels, how many calories she consumes through breast or formula milk and whether she is feeling 100%. The best thing to do is let your child determine how much she eats. Offer her a healthy, balanced diet and give her the freedom to choose how much she eats. Some days she will eat more than others, that’s totally normal and nothing to worry about. As long as your baby seems to be thriving, you can rest assured that she’s getting enough food.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

According to experts, breastmilk is all your baby needs for the first six months of life. From age 6 months to age 12 months, solids should be an experiment in taste and texture, while breastmilk remains the main source of baby’s calories.

Is my baby ready for solids?

You baby may be ready for solids if:

• He can sit on his own
• He has lost the tongue thrust reflex (he doesn’t immediately push food out of his mouth with his tongue)
• He has developed the “pincer grasp” (the ability to pick up small object with his thumb and forefinger)
• He is no longer satisfied even with more frequent breastfeeding

You may notice that your baby watches food move from your plate to your mouth, and he may reach for food anytime you have a meal or snack. You might even see him making chewing motions in imitation of you eating!

Many healthcare providers recommend starting with baby cereal and moving on to fruits and vegetables, then finally adding meat. But, there’s no reason to go in this order, especially if your baby is 6 months or older when starting solids.

When you start solids, offer them one or two times a day, while continuing to breastfeed on demand. Nurse your baby before feeding solids so that you can keep up your milk supply. You can slowly increase the amount of solids your baby gets over the next few months, but breastfeeding should still remain the main source of nourishment.

Feed only one type of food for several days, watching for any type of allergic reaction. If baby does fine with that food, add another. If your baby refuses the foods you’re trying to feed him, consider finger foods instead. If he’s still not interested, wait a week or so and try again.

Does my baby need water?

Exclusively breastfed babies don’t need extra water, even when it’s hot outside. Once your baby is no longer exclusively breastfeeding, though, you may want to give him a few sips of expressed breastmilk or water with solids to keep his digestive system working well. Most babies who continue to breastfeed on demand while solids are being introduced do not need extra fluids.

When can I start a sippy cup?

Around age 6 months, you can start teaching baby to use a cup. Give only few sips of water a couple of times a day (no more than 2 ounces in 24 hours). Don’t expect him to gulp down full glasses of fluids, or to be very neat about it. It’s mainly an experience in learning how to manipulate a cup. Sometimes older babies and toddlers prefer a straw to a cup. Many babies aren’t interested in a cup until closer to 12 months old.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

It’s exciting when your baby first tries solid foods for the first time. Many parents look forward to seeing how their baby reacts to the new flavors and textures of solid food. If you’re just starting this journey with your baby, you’re probably keen to discover the best way of doing things. If you’ve decided to feed your baby purees some or all of the time, you may be wondering which type is best. Should you be making your own purees at home or is it ok to buy ready made ones from the store?

Store bought purees

Store bought purees are convenient. You don’t need to spend time in the kitchen pureeing up a storm. You can also rely on the fact that the food will be available at supermarkets across the country, so there’s no need to panic about finding something your baby will eat. Store bought purees have long shelf lives and can be stored for a long time, meaning you don’t need to worry about running out.

There are some downsides with using store bought purees, however. They tend to include preservatives and may even include salt or sugar, things that you probably wouldn’t include when making your own purees at home. One research study found that store bought purees contained half as many nutrients as ones made at home. It’s also a lot pricier than creating your own purees at home.

Homemade purees

If you’re making the purees yourself at home, you know exactly what’s going into them. You can leave out any sugar and salt, and include only healthy, wholesome ingredients in your baby’s food. It also allows you to choose the produce going into the puree, so you’ll know that all of the ingredients were fresh at the time of cooking. Homemade purees are a lot cheaper because you simply buy the raw ingredients and can cook in batches and freeze. It also leaves you with more choice, there are only so many different flavors of store bought purees, but you can continue to experiment at home.

It’s not all good, you’ll need to consider the extra time it will take you to make purees at home. You might also need to purchase some new kitchen gadgets to begin with, pushing up your costs. Homemade purees don’t keep for as long, even if frozen.

There is no right answer

As with any parenting decision, there is no right decision here. How you decide to feed your baby is dependent on lots of things. You’ll need to consider time, convenience and cost. There isn’t a one size fits all approach to weaning because every baby, and every family, is different. You need to work out what works best for your family.

What are your baby’s favorite puree flavors?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Pretty soon, your baby is chomping down on strawberries, steamed carrots and sweet potato mash like there’s no tomorrow. Like many parents, you may be wondering how this will affect his milk intake. Should you offer fewer milk feeds throughout the day or do you continue to prioritize milk feeds? How can you make sure your baby is getting the right amount of both milk and solid food?

When your baby first starts enjoying solid food, he may not really be eating as much as you think. Ever wondered why there’s so much food smushed into the high chair and so much soup in his hair by the end of lunchtime? That’s because mealtimes at this age are more about playing than eating. Your baby is exploring food the only way he knows how – messy play!

Aside from the obvious problem of your food-covered dining room floor, this leaves many parents wondering whether their child has eaten enough. Remember, for the first year of your baby’s life, breast or formula milk is the most important part of your baby’s diet. Around the time of your child’s first birthday, he will start to rely on milk less and will be eating a greater variety of foods.

Breastfed babies

If your baby is breastfed, you should continue to offer feeds throughout the day. In fact, you should make sure your baby has been fed recently at each mealtime because this will mean he’s happy to play with his food for longer. It takes babies a while to understand that solid food can fill their tummies, so it’s best to introduce solid food to a baby who isn’t in the midst of a hangry rage.

As your baby consumes more solid food, you will probably notice that he asks for less frequent or shorter milk feeds throughout the day. Follow your baby’s lead on this one, remember your baby is the best judge of whether he has had too much or too little to eat.

Formula fed babies

Formula fed babies drink, on average, 900ml of formula milk a day at six months old. By the time your baby is eating a good mix of solid foods, his milk intake will probably decrease to around 600ml a day. These numbers are averages so don’t worry too much if your baby is consuming more or less than this.

Regardless of whether your baby is breast or formula fed, milk should still make up a decent chunk of his daily intake of calories. Breast and formula milk are specially formulated to meet your baby’s needs. Formula and breast milk are rich in nutrients and an essential part of your baby’s diet for at least the first year of his life.

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.