When baby starts on solids
Question
MY daughter started on solids at 6 months. I prepare a variety of pureed foods for her. She loves to eat but her milk consumption has reduced. How do I make sure she receives adequate nutrition?
Answer
WEANING foods should supply protein, vitamins and minerals, particularly iron. Grains and fruit are good sources of carbohydrates and calories. Good choices for protein are anchovies, beans, lentils or egg yolk.
Play around with her combination of foods as she widens the variety of foods that she can eat.
In the beginning of weaning your 6-month-old, introduce a little food with a small spoon when baby is hungry and alert before a milk feed.
Start with around a tablespoon of pureed food. Introducing purees at this stage is more to satisfy baby’s curiosity rather than for it to be her sole meal.
As weeks go by, she will naturally eat more and you may notice a drop in milk consumption.
What you can do is to add your breast milk to the pureed food that you are feeding her.
For example, when making cereal for her, you can always add in breast milk. Do check on her weight gain and growth when you periodically visit the paediatrician to gauge whether she is eating sufficiently.