INTRODUCING SOLIDS,..

Why, When, What and How!

Don’t fret, don’t panic, and most importantly, do not burst into tears. Yes, I understand you spent a good number of hours, steaming, pureeing, mixing the most delectable Michelin star dish for your baby to enjoy, just for them to find more satisfaction in spitting out food bubbles and eventually throwing the dish on the kitchen wall to resemble some expensive abstract piece of art ...like an edible Van Gogh. It’s not the end of the world if your weaning process does not go as smoothly as you anticipated. Having brought up four kids through the tumultuous years of diapers, weaning and potty training you would be correct in saying that I should be an old pro. But as reality is, parenting never gets any easier with the more children you have. Of course you might not stress over the same drawbacks as you did with the first, but it still proves to be quite a challenge. But challenges are the fodder to our parental determination to succeed and.. succeed we will. We will wean that baby right!

One of the most challenging milestones is the weaning process. Of course in typical Lankan fashion there will be a multitude of advisors from the family pediatrician down to the household cook. Everyone has an ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ of what is best for my baby. With the numerous advisors whispering in your ear when you should start the baby on solids to what is best, you will be left in a dizzy fit, feeling totally unsure about your mothering skills. In my case the unwelcome needling started, at four months, put this baby on solids, why isn’t she on solids. Once I geared myself up for the whole weaning process, it was then what should I feed the baby from watery kanji, to Farley rusks to over boiled red rice the list was endless. After several painful weeks of trying to feed my child a glutinous, mushy red rice concoction recommended by a well meaning family member just because it was calorific and good for the baby. I said enough was enough, this is my baby I wean it my way.