Weaning is the time when infants evolve/her food habits from breastfeeding or infant formula to solid foods. The baby-led weaning process is not immediate, but gradual. It’s a significant time in the development of a baby’s food preferences which influences a baby’s eating behaviors and body weight.
Conventional weaning comprises introducing solid foods to babies via spoon-feeding. In recent years, the idea of an alternative method to bringing up complementary foods to the infant has progressed extensively. That is baby-led weaning.
Things to maintain before starting the weaning process
You may be skeptical that your 6-month-old will be able to handle solids by himself. But your baby’s proficiency and skills to chow down will likely amaze you.
To introduce your baby to solids in a baby-led-weaning way, follow these basic principles:
Continue to nurse or bottle-feed
Carry on the same nursing frequency or bottle-feeding frequency, since babies get the plurality of their nourishment from breast milk or formula throughout most of the first year.
Skip the schedule
Often it is suggested that you should put your baby on a feeding schedule that incorporates breast milk or formula plus three meals of solid food a day. But in the baby-led weaning process, infants are simply offered solids at mealtime, and it's the baby who decides if she’s up for eating them.
Keep it soft.
The food’s texture should be soft enough whatever the menu, to smush with the fingers of the baby and easily dissolve. So that the baby will easily be able to gum or chew it. Restrain giving hard or crunchy food, like raw carrot or apple slices.
Prepare food according to the child's age.
When starting solids in around 6 months, offer foods that can be sliced into thick strips or sticks so your baby can hold them in her fist and chew from the top down. Once your child has mastered her pincer grasp, usually around 9 months or so, you can offer food cut into tiny bite-sized pieces that can be easily picked up.
Dine together.
Eating is an enjoyable social activity, so let your little one watch what you do with food and give her a chance to mimic you. Baby got attracted and wants your food? It's a good time to offer her a portion (as long as it’s baby-appropriate).
Offer a variety of foods.
Over time, introduce your baby to a broad range of choices to help her explore an adventurous palate and make her less likely to be a picky eater later in life. Serve up foods of different colors (roasted tomatoes, steamed green beans, and sweet potatoes) cut in different shapes and different textures (smooth avocados, juicy watermelon, and even tender cooked pasta). Only try to offer at least one high-iron food per meal on the weaning palate.
When to start baby-led weaning
A baby is ready to start solids with baby-led weaning when:
● They’ve at least doubled their birth weight.
● They can keep their head up well and are starting to sit up unsupported.
● They show indications of being interested in food.
● When you feed them, they can move the food around in their mouths—rather than spit it right out.
Author's bio: The author of this article works as a mental health professional and Specialist in the fields of Holistic Health, Lactation, Maternal Health Wellness, Child Nutrition, and Children's Milestone Development with effective and well-structured maternity wellness programs.
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