Weaning – From Breastfeeding To Solids At 6 months
When your baby was smaller and a few pounds lighter, you couldn’t wait to give your baby real, big kids food. Now that the time has come to introduce him to solids, you are hesitating, with concerns like, - I might do it wrong, my baby might not like the food, what do I do if he pushes the food away with his tongue, what do I give him when he doesn’t like it, etc. To wean from breastfeeding, one must know some basics in preparing your baby for weaning to solids.
Breastfeeding is still best for babies, even up to age 2. But when baby reaches the 6th month mark milk alone - whether breastmilk or formula - is no longer enough to satisfy all of your growing baby's nutritional needs. Hence, the need to introduce him to solid food.
Weaning before 6 months is discouraged. Studies have shown that babies who were given solids between 4 to 6 months were more likely to develop allergic reactions to certain foods – especially if there is a family history of asthma, allergies to substances (such as food and dust) or other respiratory ailments.
By the 6th month, your baby will have doubled his birth weight already. This is one of the main indicators that he is ready to try some solid food. (If your baby is a bit small for his age, you may want to wait it out a little more until he doubles his birth weight.)
Your baby’s curiosity also peaks at around this time. Therefore, in all likelihood, he will take to solid foods more now than when he was around 4 or 5 months. The fact that your baby may be eyeing your food already and trying to paw his way through it is testament to his readiness for solid food. Plus, his daily milk intake will not be enough to sustain him all throughout the day, especially through the night.
Aside from that, his body also changes in time for soft solid food weaning. His mouth will have lost most of its automatic gagging, and he may respond to food by swallowing a little at a time that it may seem like he is just swallowing his milk. Also, the emergence of teeth is also a factor in deciding to feed baby his solids.
Your baby should be able to sit and hold his head upright to facilitate better swallowing reflexes. And let him try soft solids first, once a day and increasing the volume and thickening the consistency in the following weeks.
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