seem to be coming up than going
down, particularly if your baby is
“gumming” their food rather than
chewing it, but this is still a valuable
learning and tasting experience for
them. Obviously the more fresh foods
your child eats the better, but whether
you offer them whole or pureed is up to
you. While weaning guidelines continue
to change, it’s not an exact science,
so don’t be afraid to experiment and,
above all, be as flexible as possible
with the choices you make.
This is a wonderful time for you and
your little one, as they move along on
their journey to becoming a proper little
person. Go with your (and your baby’s)
gut and focus on giving them enjoyable
experiences to help them build a
lifelong love of food.
may not enjoy feeling texture in their
mouth until a lot later. If you’re buying
packaged snacks you can work off the
age guidelines, but be sure to watch
your baby carefully and don’t worry if
they’re not keen at first. The last thing
we want to do is to put our children
off their food before they’ve even got
started. As the person who knows their
baby best, you’re the only one qualified
to make the call whether to persevere,
try some purees or leave it until later.
Don’t be afraid to change your mind if
it isn’t going the way you’d hoped.
Will it be messy?
Quite simply, that’s up to you! Sitting
and spooning every mouthful of food
exactly where it needs to go can
certainly save a lot of cleaning up after
a meal and you may enjoy this time of
bonding with your baby. If, however,
you don’t mind the mess as baby flings
around whatever food they’re eating
and a bit of spaghetti bolognese in their
hair doesn’t bother you, then sit back
and let the chaos reign. Most of us are
somewhere in between in which case
why not mix it up a bit and see what
you and your baby prefer?
What’s best for baby?
At this stage, whatever complementary
foods you give to your baby should
be just that. It’s easy to get caught
up in whether they’re eating enough
and whether they’re getting the right
nutrients, but if they’re still having
their breastmilk or formula, then you
shouldn’t need to worry. More may
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