You might be nervous starting your weaning journey with your baby when they reach six months. Especially if you see them gagging or choking on their food at first. But once you get started you soon realize its not that daunting. It’s such an exciting time watching your baby grow in confidence, whether its mastering the skill of using a spoon or becoming more dexterous with their fingers.

Start Small

In the beginning you just want to offer a few spoonful’s of solid food. More than anything you want to get your baby used to the concept of eating when they are used to just a bottle or breast. Start off with single flavours which can work well. Then build up the flavour combinations as you work through the weaning stages. By stage three babies will be ready for a variety of different foods.

Introduce Your Baby To A Variety Of Foods

Variety is so important on your weaning journey. However, remember you might have to introduce a certain food a number of times before it is liked. Don’t give up too early. It can take something like 21 introductions to a particular food for a baby to make an opinion on whether they like or dislike.

Set Them Up For A Lifetime Of Healthy Eating

Avoid salty foods as your babies kidneys are still developing. You will want to offer lots of different tastes and not just the sweeter flavours you might find your baby preferring. Stick to organic produce for the baby food you prepare or buy. Organic food means less pesticide residues which can only be a good thing for your babies health. Babease want to introduce babies to good wholesome food with their organic baby meals.  I love their enthusiasm for getting babies to enjoy veg!

Keep Mealtimes Happy

Even though it can be frustrating at times seeing your baby spit out a once favourite food or them seeming to throw more food on the floor than eat. Still try and keep mealtimes happy. Don’t take the food refusal personally and be prepared for a bit of mess.

Make sure you attempt weaning at a good time for your child, when they are not too tired or hungry. Be guided by their pace too, don’t try and rush them to eat their food too quick. Also look for cues that your baby is full. They might turn away or close their mouth. If they do its time to stop feeding them.

Give Up On The Guilt

Don’t feel guilty if you decide to buy packets of baby food rather than make your own from scratch. My boys had a fair few pouches of baby food in their time and do you what they are both tall for their age and doing great! So don’t be drawn into any feelings of guilt, as long as you feed your baby that’s all that really matters!

Plus, like I said before there are some great brands out there who are big on goodness but much more convenient. If you have a busy hectic lifestyle, you don’t need the extra stress of preparing all those meals from scratch. When you have a bit more time at the weekends there are some lovely weaning recipes you can follow. But otherwise do what suits you and your family, don’t worry about anyone else.