When should you start feeding your baby? This is surely one of the most frequently asked questions when you become parents, and for which you still hear many different things.
Some healthcare professionals recommend introducing purees around 4 months of age. However, several recent studies show that a baby's digestive system is not yet mature enough at this age and cannot properly digest food.
After 6 months of age, a baby's nutritional needs change, and milk alone is no longer sufficient, even though it remains the basis of their diet.
But then, when is the right time ?
We can't stress this enough: every child is different ! Trust him and trust yourself, your little one will surely show you in his own way that he really wants to discover food.
Here are some criteria that will help you identify when your baby is ready to start BLW :
- Baby is 6 months old (corrected age, meaning 6 months if your baby was born at term)
- Baby can sit up straight when seated in their chair. (Note: this does not mean they can sit up on their own!)
- Baby can turn his head from left to right
- Your baby can hold and bring objects to their mouth: to taste the food you offer, your baby must be able to grasp it and bring it to their mouth independently. This means being able to grasp large pieces of food with their whole hand. (At this stage, your baby doesn't need to be able to use their pincer grasp to pick up small pieces; this will come with time.)
Photo: © Moon and the other
Don't rush
Introducing solid foods is a very exciting time for the whole family.
From four months onwards, family pressure to introduce your baby to "something other than milk" may shake your convictions and desire to wait until your baby is six months old. However, remember that your little one will have a lifetime to eat and discover new foods , so what's two months?
Beware of false alarms!
We may get the impression that babies are interested in food very early on, and we imagine "depriving" them of this discovery . However, if they are interested in your plate and what you are doing, it is more out of a desire to imitate than to taste the contents of your plate.
What can we put in place while we wait for the baby to be truly ready?
Your baby isn't quite ready to eat solids yet, but that doesn't mean you can't introduce them to the joys of family meals. Your baby is curious; they've been watching you eat for months and are starting to show interest. Don't hesitate to have them sit with you in their high chair at mealtimes. There are many ways to stimulate your baby during meals without them actually eating . You can offer rattles of different sizes and textures. This will allow your baby to explore their mouth . You can also offer pretend food, cutlery, plastic cups, and so on. This will allow your baby to become familiar with different kitchen utensils .
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