Weaning your baby chat

The author of various books on nutrition, including The Children's Food Bible, Judith Wills answers iVillagers' questions about weaning

Confused by guidelines
No more carrots please!
Only wants milk?
Not eating anything
Ready Brek and Weetabix
Nuts?
Weaning and allergies
Fussy toddler
Snacks for a 13-month-old
Recipe ideas
Diabetes and colitis in the family

Confused by guidelines
twirlydoughnut
I'm expecting my fourth child, but am confused about the guidelines for weaning as they have changed so much since my last baby was born (she is now four years old).

I'm planning to breastfeed, probably for about eight months, but am unclear as to when to start weaning. Is the right time based on the baby's weight or is it just age? I can't imagine trying to fill up a hungry five-month-old baby with milk alone if it needs something more.

We also have allergies in the family - all three of my children have eczema, and I am allergic to acidic fruit, such as oranges, strawberries, kiwi etc. Are there any foods I should avoid when weaning?

judith_wills
The UK Department of Health issued new guidelines in 2003 advising women that breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition is preferable for the first six months. However this advice isn't exactly set in stone. The British Nutrition Foundation suggests that it may be time to wean when the baby's weight reaches 7kg OR double the birth weight. So yes, weight does come into it. And these days with bigger and bigger birth weights this may be very relevant.

However, weaning before the age of four months has several negatives - baby's digestive system and kidneys may not be able to cope readily with solids; early weaning may encourage allergies especially if there is a family history of allergies (an important point in your case) and it may encourage obesity and other possible health problems later in life.

Having said that, late weaning can also bring problems so there is no great gain to be had in leaving weaning much after six months - indeed, breast milk alone is unlikely to provide all the nutrients needed after that time. So while you continue to breastfeed, begin introducing solids to your baby.

Regarding allergies - avoid those which you know you are allergic to while breastfeeding and follow the guidelines for infant feeding, avoiding known high-risk foods which may cause allergies, such as cow's milk, egg, soya and fish.

No more carrots please!
Jf2705
I'm confused about what meal plans to use for my seven-month-old. I'm embarrassed to say that I have resorted to using jars some of the time, and feel he is just 'carroted out' with all the orange food he has!

Can you give me some ideas, hopefully things that I can cook for everyone, adding the seasoning later. I'm keen to add as much lumpy food as possible, although the books I've read seem to imply that pasta is the only option here. Is that true?

judith_wills
From six to nine months there are all kinds of foods you can give an infant. While carrot and other orange veggies such as squash and sweet potatoes are often used as they are nice and palatable for most infants - and look pretty! - you can try parsnips, cauliflower, broccoli or well pureed peas for instance. All you need is a blender and you are away. By blending your own you can leave in as much or as little 'lump' as you like (making sure he doesn't choke of course).

You can try mixing in natural yogurt and you can feed well cooked lentils and other pulses such as butter beans and cannellini beans, lean poultry and red meat. You can try small quantities of hard cheese such as Cheddar, hard-boiled egg yolk. Fruits such as avocado, melon and peeled peaches may be thoroughly enjoyed.

For menu suggestions, there isn't really room or time here for me to give you a lot - but if you have a library nearby, you'll find many good books on feeding your infant there - or there are many tips here on the web. By the time they are nine months they will enjoy many of the meals you cook for your family - just blend to a suitable consistency and never add salt to a meal your infant is going to eat. Hope that helps!