Baby Weaning Dos And Donts

DOs and DON’Ts for Baby-Led Weaning

Do: If you have a family history of food intolerance or you are bottle feeding, or, allergic or digestive problems, discuss this method of weaning with pediatrics health advisers before you embark it.

Do:  Give your baby the chance and guide him/her to participate whenever anyone else in the family is eating. You can start doing this as soon as he/she develops an interest or is watching you eating.

Do: Make sure your baby is supported comfortably in an upright position while he/she is trying to eat food and experimenting with it. Initially may try making him/her sit on your lap, facing the table. He/She will begin to sit with his/her own initiative; will also try his/her skills to pick up the food all by their self. Slowly he/she will certainly be mature enough to sit, with minimal support, in a high chair.

Do: Make sure you offer lot of variety in foods. Your baby’s experience with food should be an exciting one like it is with his/her toys. They love variety!

DON’T: It’s very unlikely that they eat any food on the first few occasions. Once he/she has discovered that these new eatables taste nice, he will slowly begin to chew and later on swallow it.

DON’T: Expect that your baby should hurry and eat in haste. Sure you do not want to harm him/her, so allow him to eat at his/her pace. Especially, don’t be tempted to push by ‘helping’ him put the bytes in his mouth. That again haste. Be patient!

DON’T: He/She won’t yet have developed the ability to have all the food which is inside his fist, so don’t expect a little baby to eat all of each piece of food.

Do: Offer foods that are of the size of your baby’s fist, preferably size of a wafer. 

Do: Offer him the similar foods that you are eating, so that he feels as a part of what is going on, if that food suits your baby,

Do: If the baby rejects certain foods its mood or temptation to other attractive foods so don’t give up try giving it some other time later on, babies often have the play way habits moods and minds to accept foods they originally had turned down.

DON’T: Keep your baby on his own while eating. Leaving them with food may be dangerous.

DON’T: offer foods that are obvious dangers, like hard to eat foods such as a chicken piece, hard nuts like cashew, peanuts.

DON’T: offer any ‘fast’ foods, ready to eat meals as they all contain preservatives or even foods that have added spices, salt or sugar.

DO: Offer water in a cup, your baby may seldom show interest in it but no worry. A breastfed baby is likely to continue with the feed for some time to get all the drinks he/she needs from the breast.

DO: Surely… be prepared for the mess! A clean plastic sheet on the floor under the high chair will protect your carpet and make clearing up easier.

DONT:  Give back the food that has been dropped as it may not be hygienic for the baby, however it can be consumed by any family member, so that less is wasted. You will be surprised at how quickly your baby learns to eat with very little mess!

Do:  Give your baby a breastfeed whenever he/she demands, for as long as he wants. The set feeding pattern will change as he starts to eat more of the other foods.

Do:  Participate more and more as well as enjoy watching your baby learning lots of things about food – and develop his/her skills with his/her hands and mouth in the process in steps!

Please see our related article on Baby-Led Weaning.