From the editor
Mention solids on social media or to friends and family, and you’ll get flooded with advice and opinions. Truth is, professional opinion changes from study to study. So, unless you’re a health practitioner working in the field of infant nutrition, you may not be up to date with the latest findings. Even your clinic sister or paed might be a bit behind the times.
The previous generation of moms were told to not even consider solids before six months and there was a list of potentially allergenic foods that were only supposed to be introduced much later, in the hope that this delay would
protect the baby against allergies. That advice is really outdated now, but you’ll still hear it repeated often.
If your head is starting to spin, take a deep breath, read our articles on baby led weaning on page 56 and the feeding dossier on page 35 and on how to make fast food healthier on page
78, and then gently remind yourself of the following: Yes, even though infant feeding is very important for health, eating is something your baby is going to do for the rest of his life and you really don’t have to be a scientist to get it right. To simplify: Definitely don’t start solids before 17 weeks, and not too long after six months either. Trust your instinct and knowledge of your own baby. There is very little that can go wrong if you give your baby the good wholesome meals that you enjoy yourself, if slightly adapted. Your common sense will tell you how to proceed; you really don’t need a text book to know what is bad for a baby or what poses a choking risk.
Also, keep on breastfeeding for as long as you can – there are only benefits for you and baby.
Once you do start on solids you’ll enjoy the recipe inspiration that our food editor Ziska Baumgarten provides in every issue. You’ll love the chicken recipes for baby on page 64 – so easy and nutritious.
That’s enough of me! Go and settle in somewhere cosy and read the rest of Your Baby. It’s packed with enough information to keep you busy until the next issue is on shelf on 21 October.