apart) or cut up soft fruits or slices of
bread. Once they seem comfortable
with this you can begin to let them
try whatever you’re eating – fried rice,
baked potatoes and spaghetti are
often popular. All of this can, of course,
be pureed or mashed if you prefer,
and there’s a good range of salt and
sugar-free baby cereals available which
contain a good balance of vitamins and
minerals. Don’t worry about confusing
your baby between spoon-feeding
and finger food – human beings are
perfectly adept at switching between
the two, so give them some credit
here. There is also debate as to when
to introduce certain foods (cow’s milk,
for example, isn’t recommended for
those under one) but if you’re aware
of what can commonly cause an
allergic reaction and keep in mind any
family histories, then you can let your
common sense prevail.
What will work for you?
When deciding how you’re going to
wean your baby, you need to consider
your lifestyle and preferences. Some
people find it easier to rely on fresh
food and cut it up as they need it,
while others prefer to puree, grab
and go. The former, of course, relies
on making sure there is plenty of
fresh produce in the house, while the
latter means you can have everything
planned in advance and a freezer full
of healthy combinations always on
hand. Think about how you (and your
helper) organise your time – do you
prefer to shop each day or stock up
in advance? If you’re on the move or
travelling, it can be difficult to keep
food fresh, so purees are often a more
convenient choice. There’s a huge
range of pre-packaged cartons and
jars available in most countries, which
are a great option in the short-term
even if you’d usually rather make your
own from fresh ingredients. Order of
birth can also come into play in making
your decision, as it may save time to
serve up the same to everyone and
younger siblings tend to want to copy
their elders. As a parent you may also
be more confident to let them feed
themselves if you’ve experienced these
stages before.
How will they cope?
The reality is that you won’t know this
until you try. It’s normal to be a bit
nervous as you take this step with your
tiny bundle of joy, but trust your instincts
and let them have a go. Advocates of
baby led weaning will assure you that
what we often mistake for choking is
actually the baby’s healthy gag reflex
helping them to move food around
their mouth. For anyone who’s ever
seen a seven-month-old throw up a
rice cracker after a violent coughing
fit, there’s little consolation in that! All
children are different and while one may
chomp down pretty much anything
with no issues at six months, another
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