Your Baby's Diet

6 Months+
the fun begins

Six months is the age that we should consider beginning the weaning process. Health professionals and your baby will help you determine the right time. Weaning is known to all of us and it means 'to accustom a baby to take food other than milk'.

Weaning is necessary for the very important reason that breast milk does not provide enough protein and calories for the growing infant. Weaning foods provide the extra calories and protein that your baby needs. At 6 months of age, your baby's requirements are now increasing due to growth and development. It is therefore important that the weaning diet provides extra protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. Iron stores begin to deplete after 6 months of age, therefore foods that are recommended to be high in iron or iron fortified gluten free cereals can be used.

Developmentally, weaning is necessary to help encourage oral motor skills such as chewing. It is also vital to introduce a wide variety of tastes, textures and flavours. Between the ages of 6 to 7 months is the age that health professionals call the ‘Window of Opportunity’. This is the time when your baby will be most receptive to new tastes and textures. Therefore it is essential to provide a wide variety of tastes and textures during weaning.

The most common question from mums is ‘How will I know my baby is ready for food?’ Each baby needs to be considered on an individual basis. Your doctor can help you ascertain the most appropriate time to start, although don't forget that your baby will give you signs when they are ready to start weaning. As the milk is simply not enough to satisfy their rapid growth requirements, they will be demanding more and you won't be able to sustain the demand. This is the time to consider introducing some other foods.

Baby Boost™ gives your baby the ideal start to life as there are no preservatives, colourings or additives for your baby’s digestive system to have to cope with. It is fresh, it is natural, and it is also easy to prepare. The perfect answer!

Key points to remember when weaning

• A minimum of 600 ml of milk (formula or breast) should be given daily in up to 5 to 6 feeds.
• The first foods that are offered to your baby should be gluten free and pureed, smooth and semi solid. This is to prevent choking as your baby has not yet learnt to mechanically process food.
• Pureed fruits and vegetables, or iron fortified rice cereal are excellent beginning foods.
• Start by offering your baby 1 to 2 teaspoons of one food at a time, once or twice daily and then gradually increase.
• Eventually you will be able to offer your baby a wider variety of pureed foods, home made and pouches, including pureed meat, pulses (lentils and split peas). By this time 6 to 12 baby teaspoons of food can be offered up to 3 times per day.
• It is necessary to supplement a baby with Vitamins A, C and D if baby is breast fed and mother's diet lacks variety or if his/her formula intake is less then 500 ml daily.
• It is important to avoid gluten and wheat products, whole eggs, cows milk, peanuts, sugar and salt.
• It is important to not add sugar or salt to any of your baby's food and do not put solid food into a bottle.