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Foods for Weaning Your Baby is something every mother to be should have before going through the process of weaning. Focusing on healthy eating and limiting junk food and processed foods will help to make the weaning process a much easier and smoother one. It will also help to minimize the possible effects that can come from giving too much table food during this crucial time in a baby’s development.
Ideally, your baby should be eating three meals a day, but if you are having trouble with this, you may just want to feed them a little more often. Some women do well with four meals a day while others have trouble, especially as their babies get older. As your baby gets older, you can slowly move up to five meals a day or even six if you so desire, but three meals a day should be ideal for the majority of parents going through the weaning process.
Most doctors will recommend that you begin solids around four to six months of age, especially if your baby may have certain medical issues. A baby may begin to eat solid foods at six months, but most physicians will stick to three meals a day for the first month and then two for the next two months. At six months, your baby may be ready for solids in the form of rice cereal, veggies, and fruits. However, if your baby seems to be having trouble swallowing formula well, you may want to hold off on solid foods until they reach between one and three years of age.
If you think you may want to start weaning your baby, it is important to keep in mind the factors that influence baby’s development. Typically, these factors include nutrition, age, weight, breastfeeding, and size. Although it is best to start weaning around six months old, sometimes children start weaning later than this. It is a good idea to start your baby on solid food before they are old enough to start eating vegetables. They will grow into vegetables much faster when they are old enough.
When you decide to start weaning your baby, it is a good time to introduce solid foods. If you are not sure what is a good food to start with, ask others who are breastfeeding their babies. You may find that some of the foods your friend started with are very healthy for babies. You might also try making your own baby food. Even if it is not as tasty as store-bought brands, you can still adjust the nutritional content to meet the needs of your little one.
As your baby ages, he or she will begin to lose milk. This is when baby foods become more important, since protein helps to build up the baby’s muscles and strengthens his immune system. You should begin to introduce cereals and low fat yogurt to help replace the milk your baby used to have before six months of age.
Around four months of age, you can move on to six month old baby foods. At six months, your baby can eat fruits and veggies with cereals. Around six months of age, your baby can eat lean meats such as chicken, fish, turkey, and lamb. And, finally, at nine months of age your baby can begin to eat soft foods such as mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. You should keep in mind that your baby will probably want to eat the same things over again, so make sure your baby is happy and if he or she has any problems, talk to him or her immediately.
At some point during the first year of life, your baby may start to like some of the solid foods that you introduce. And, as long as it is something that your little one likes, you do not have to change the diet all together. You can simply add a few new things here and there to see how your little one reacts. While, at first, you may find that your baby does not react to some foods that you have introduced, keep at it and see what your baby’s response is over time.