Weaning Off Breastfeeding – Baby-Food from the 6th to 9th Month
For my first daughter, I gave her solid food very late – just after 9 months – because of my family’s advice on weaning. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, was stopped early due to medical problems (I developed mastitis – inflammation of the breasts via calcification of milk in the milk ducts – after my baby’s fourth month).
I realized that the problem of weaning baby late to solids was that the baby takes more time to adjust, has slower chewing capabilities and becomes more picky when she grows up (as my daughter is now). And while I love her to bits, the problem of feeding her now that she’s “grown-up” (she’s turning 9 years old this month) is a bit of a problem for me. So for my second child (another daughter), I made sure that once she developed teeth and as soon as she reached 6 months, I gradually introduced her to solid foods.
If you have the same problem, you need not worry. Start your child on pureed foods. For my second child, I gave her iron-fortified baby rice cereal on the 6th month. To test if she’s receptive to solids, I mixed 1 tablespoon of baby cereal with milk and water until I made it thin – something that resembled milk in a bowl. Made her sit on a high chair and fed her with a spoon. If she accepts it, then you continue feeding her. If she pushes the spoon and the food out of her mouth, it means she’s just not ready yet, so stop and try giving it to her again after a couple of days.
Once successful, you can gradually make the food mix thicker. You can also give her pureed fruits and vegetables. Once you reach a paste-like consistency, then you can now give her mashed vegetables or fruits.
In trying out new foods, give it to her using the 4-day rule. Once you introduce a new food, allow 4 days for the food to take effect and observe if she develops a rash or an allergy to the food. If she has a tummy ache, immediately stop giving her whatever food you have and get her back to milk for a day, then give her the food that she’s used to. You can try re-introducing the “trigger” food when she gets a bit older, say around 9 months.
When deciding what food to give to your baby, always make sure that it is safe and full of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your child needs.
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