Weaning: From Breastfeeding
To Baby’s First Solid Food
The common concern for mothers with babies nearing the 6-month-old mark is not really on how to stop breastfeeding, but on what food should be fed to baby. This mostly wouldn’t be a problem for 2nd or 3rd time moms. But first timers are usually protective of their children so they research and ask around as to what the best food to feed would be.
Now, don’t retort, I had been a first time mom too. Actually, I feel I am worse than most mothers because I have two kids, and I am overly protective of both of them when they were babies. So I’m guilty of all the research and the information gathering too.
When you wean off of breastfeeding, you are taking him off of his source for most of his daily nutritional needs. While it is recommended that the baby be breastfed for as long as 2 years (and beyond), sometimes specific circumstances doesn't allow the breastfeeding relationship to last that long. When this happens, you can check with your pediatrician to find out what formula you can use as a substitute.
When introducing baby to solids, one tip would be to introduce each new food four days apart from each other. This is to give your baby time to react to the new food – either in a good way (that he really, really likes it) or in a bad way (he develops a rash or an allergy to it).
To help you out, here are some foods which are recommended for baby's first food:
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Iron-enriched infant rice cereal or dry baby rice. Dry cereal should be mixed with breast milk or formula to make a runny solution. About one to two teaspoons would do for the very first feeding; you can lessen the milk after a couple of days for the mixture to become thicker and for the baby to feel some texture in his mouth. This would allow baby to practice getting food off a spoon, which involves a different reflex from drinking milk from the breast or the bottle.
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Pureed vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, courgettes and squash are great for pureeing. Plus, it introduces baby to the wonderful world of new tastes. When baby is used to the baby rice mix, you can give him a new way of enjoyment by adding this puree to the mix for added flavor.
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Pureed fruits. These can be served on a bowl with accompanying rubber tipped spoon, or you can give this as a juice. Apples, pears, mangoes, papayas or mashed bananas are some safe fruits to give.
Feeding your baby will be another fun activity you can do with your growing baby.
Happy weaning!
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