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Weaning can sometimes be overwhelming for your baby, and he’ll take comfort in his regular milk feeds. What’s more, the nutrients in his milk will support his growth and development while he gets to grips with the whole new world of tastes and textures.
| Q: |
My baby doesn’t seem remotely interested in anything but milk—how can I encourage her?
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At the outset of weaning, it is not crucial that your baby has
other fluids, as her usual milk will offer her plenty to keep her
hydrated. You can tempt her by offering her a new, brightly colored cup
and allowing her to help herself. You can also give her a cup of water
with every meal, so that she becomes used to seeing it there, and
considers it a normal part of her meal.
When she has reached
one year old and is drinking less milk, you can offer some water. If
she won’t drink water, you can offer some heavily diluted fruit juice (1
part juice to 10 parts water). Give this after the meal to avoid
filling her up, and to help her body absorb the iron from her food. Try
also offering her milk in a cup, and gradually diluting it with cooled,
boiled water, until there is virtually no milk remaining.
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| Q: |
My eight-month-old shows no interest in food; will he be getting enough from breast milk?
| | A: |
While some babies are ready for solids by six months or even a
little earlier, others take more time. If this is the case, it is
important that you see a healthcare professional; although breast milk
is extremely nutritious, it does not contain quite enough iron or
vitamin D for babies. It is important that your baby doesn’t become
deficient in these, and he may require a vitamin supplement.
Furthermore, there
is evidence to suggest that babies who are “late” weaners may not take
to solid food easily, and resist foods with strong tastes or unusual
textures. It’s also important to introduce solid food sooner rather than
later to give a non-allergic baby a chance to become used to
potentially allergenic foods .
Make
sure you seek advice from a healthcare professional, and continue to
offer your baby solid food once or twice a day. If he isn’t interested,
don’t make a fuss. You could try some finger foods, which may be more appealing, and which can be “gummed” or sucked until he’s ready to take his first bite.
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| Q: |
I’ve stopped breastfeeding my six-month-old; will she need formula now?
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Yes, until they reach the age of 12 months, babies need formula
milk or breast milk to ensure that they get all of the nutrients they
need for optimum growth and development.
“Follow-on” milk, which
is higher in iron, may be appropriate at this stage, especially if your
baby is a very fussy eater. Discuss this with your doctor or health
professional first.
You can offer solid
food, formula, and breast milk together, if that suits you. There is no
reason to give up breastfeeding at six months unless both you and your
baby are ready. Your baby will need several milk feeds a day until she
is a year old.
It’s also worth noting
that you can use full fat cow’s milk, as well as formula, in cooking for
your baby or with her cereal at this age.
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| Q: |
Do I need to use a bottle or can my seven-month-old drink from a cup?
| | A: |
If your baby can master a cup, and drinks his milk and any other
fluids, such as water or baby juice, happily, then there is no reason to
introduce a bottle. Many breastfed babies go straight to a cup from an
early age, and manage to get everything they need this way. Your baby
may miss the comfort of an evening or morning feed, since drinking from a
cup doesn’t require the same “sucking,” nor a cuddle with mom or dad,
so don’t rush to lose the bottle or to give up breastfeeding unless you
need to. While long-term bottle-feeding can potentially cause damage to
teeth, and become a habit, it is also very much a part of babyhood,
which is most certainly not over by nine months!
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| Q: |
Is it safe to mix breast milk with purées?
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You can use breast milk in much the same way as ordinary milk or
formula, and blend it into baby purées to add nutrition, and to make
them more palatable and “familiar.” It is important for babies to have
quite runny purées at the outset, as they will “suck” rather than use
their lips to remove food from the spoon, and it can take some time to
get used to dealing with the food in their mouths before swallowing.
Mixing her food with breast milk will ensure it is the right
consistency. Remember that, like purées, breast milk has a “shelf life”
of 48 hours, and should not be used after this time; add breast milk to
purées as and when you use them.
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| Q: |
My baby was interested in her new “diet” for a short time, but now wants only breast milk again. What should I do?
| | A: |
It’s not unusual for babies to regress during the weaning
process. It’s a big developmental leap to adjust to eating new and
different foods, and to give up the comfort of milk feeds. Some babies
may be slower to adjust to this change, and reluctant to carry on. Try
to make the process easier, by offering her plenty of milk after her
“meals.” If she knows that she’s still getting what she wants, and that
her comfort feeds have not been replaced by a hard spoon with unfamiliar
contents, she’ll be less likely to object. Don’t give up, though.
She’ll eventually become accustomed to the new routine, and look forward
to mealtimes, particularly if they are pleasant, and she is praised.
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| Q: |
My baby has gone off breastfeeding completely since I introduced solids; is there any way to encourage him to continue?
| | A: |
It is very important that your baby continues to have breast milk or formula until he is a year old . If he won’t take to your breast, then you will have to consider introducing a bottle.
Why not try
breastfeeding more during periods when your baby is looking for a cuddle
and some comfort, rather than something to eat? Bedtime, and first
thing in the morning, are ideal times to have a good, long feed, and
your baby will probably get most of what he needs from these two feeds.
You could also try offering your breast an hour or so before his meals,
so that he gets the foremilk, and a little of the nutritious hind milk
when he’s hungry enough to want it. He can then eat a little later, and
try different foods as you wean him.
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| Q: |
Can I use a little squash to get my baby to drink some water?
| | A: |
Even high-fruit squashes tend to contain high levels of sugar
and/or artificial sweeteners, which are not recommended for young
babies. Unless your baby has become accustomed to sweet drinks, such as
full-strength fruit juices, she should not be resistant to drinking
water, and introducing a sweetener will make the process of encouraging
her to drink more water in the future that much more difficult. Most
babies in this age group will be getting the fluids they need from their
normal milk feeds, and from their purées, and probably don’t need to
drink a lot more; however, if the only thing offered is fresh water,
this is what they will learn to drink, if and when they are thirsty.
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Offering other drinks
A little heavily diluted
juice or water with meals will do no harm, and accustom your baby to
drinking from a cup. In fact, a vitamin C-rich juice given at mealtimes
will help aid absorption of iron from your baby’s food. However,
remember that your baby’s tummy is very small, and it is easily filled
up by drinks, when food is what is really required. Just 1–2 fl oz
(30–60ml) of water or juice is fine with meals, preferably after he’s
eaten. He will likely get all the fluids he needs from milk and purées
until weaning is complete.
Diluting juice
It’s best to offer water to
your baby, but if she won’t drink water, offer heavily diluted fruit
juice (1 part juice to 10 parts water) after a meal. This is because
juice is full of calories, which can fill your baby’s tummy, without
offering her the range of nutrients that she needs. Also, some juices
can be quite acidic, and hard on your baby’s tummy. Finally, juice is
very high in natural fruit sugars, which can potentially cause tooth
decay and encourage a sweet tooth.
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