Importance Of Weaning for Indian Babies: Tips to Follow

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants should be breastfed for six months and then gradually introduced to other food.

Weaning is the process of introducing solid food into an infant’s diet during his/her first year of life. It is a gradual process during which the infant progresses from weaning breast milk or formula milk to a mixed diet of food with different tastes and textures.

Why is weaning important?

Weaning is important because eating solid foods helps your baby explore tongue, lip and jaw movements. Through the weaning process, babies learn to chew and swallow before the end of their first year. Your baby also learns to eat in a social setting, with other people around a table which is extremely important for their cognitive and social development.

Thus, it is essential for your baby to have adequate food with rich nutritional values to foster this growth.

Even though breast milk meets most of the nutritional requirements of an infant, it might not be just enough to meet the needs of a growing baby. Therefore, to support the growth and development of the baby, introduction to different kinds of solid food for 6 month baby is essential. Weaning also becomes the first step towards a toddler diet.

Benefits of weaning

Weaning is an important part of a baby’s development stage. When the baby is introduced to new food, the digestive system of the child develops because of the varied food intake. The importance of weaning at the right age can’t be stressed enough as it helps in the overall development of the baby.

1. Becoming more self-dependant

Most of us have noticed our little ones reaching out to food while in our arms. They start experimenting with the food they find within their reach. Though this might turn out to be a messy affair, it helps in promoting better hand-mouth coordination and has many sensory benefits. Hence, it is important to let your baby explore the textures and enjoy the burst of flavours.

2. Developing preferences:

During weaning, a baby is introduced to a whole new world of foods and this is the time when he/she starts developing likes and dislikes towards them. This, in turn, makes your baby more aware of his choices and his liking, which helps develop his personality.

3. Having a balanced diet

The main purpose of weaning is to introduce babies to food apart from breast milk. By introducing your baby to a whole new range of food products, you are boosting their intake of wholesome nutrients that are needed for growth and development. With the reduced dependency on breast milk, babies can have their share of iron, vitamins, and minerals from different types of food.

4. Building the baby’s developmental skills

Babies learn to coordinate their lips, tongue, and jaw movement, which contribute greatly towards speech development. They also learn to chew and swallow and overcome their gag reflexes. During infant weaning, babies build various important motor skills and developmental skills. Along with these, they learn hand-mouth and hand-eye coordination as they pick up food and start eating by themselves.

FAQs:

Q1. When is the right time to stop breastfeeding?

For those looking for how to wean from breastfeeding, there is no right or wrong time to stop breastfeeding. According to WHO, it is important to breastfeed until 6 months after birth. It is noteworthy that the why’s and hows of stopping breast milk is not set in stone and differed from one child to another.

Q2. What are the major advantages of weaning diet apart from building food habits?

Weaning helps in building motor skills and hand-eye and hand-mouth coordination. Biting and chewing also contribute to speech development.

Q3. Is weaning important?

Yes, weaning is extremely important and is one of the primary life skills, which helps to develop other skills in the child’s life. Apart from meeting the nutritional requirements of the baby, weaning helps in improving hand-eye coordination, hand-mouth coordination and helps in speech of the baby at a much younger age.

Q4. How is the baby’s personality developed during weaning?

The baby develops likes and dislikes towards newly introduced food while weaning, which in turn develops his/her personality. They also technically learn how to eat, which doubles up as table manners in the later years.

Q5. Can the infant be fed only breast milk till the age of 2 years?

No, giving only breast milk until the age of 2 won’t provide all the nutritional values to help with your child’s development. It is important to introduce solid food, like porridge, pureed vegetables and fruits, and baby biscuits, along with breast milk after the 6th month of the baby’s age.

Q6. What motor skills does the baby develop because of weaning?

Due to weaning, a child develops multiple motor skills like the movement of arms and legs, etc. It helps them develop hand-eye coordination, hand-mouth coordination, lip movements, and the habit of chewing and swallowing.

Q7. What is the WHO recommended age to start weaning?

WHO recommends to only breastfeed the child till the age of 6 months. Post the 6th month, external food can be introduced along with breast milk in the process of weaning. The intake of breast milk can gradually be reduced until the baby is completely dependent on solid food.

Q8. What does starting a baby on a solid chart mean?

It means starting to give an infant other types of food except for breast milk. This process is known as weaning. It is essentially done after the 6th month and is a gradual process to let the baby explore other tastes and textures of food and increase their nutritional intake as well.

One of the frequently asked questions that new moms have is:

When is the right time to start weaning?

The general rule is to breastfeed your baby upto 6 months and then slowly start introducing more solid foods. Breastfeeding for 6 months can help boost the babies immunity and offer protection from infections. 6 months is also an adequate amount of time for your baby to develop enough to fully digest solid food. However, this rule is not exclusive. A lot of factors like the health of the baby or the mother’s time to return to work or just the mother’s feelings can influence her decision to start weaning.

There are two main approaches to weaning – traditional weaning or baby-led weaning.

One needs to understand that there is no correct or right way of starting your baby on solid food. It is better to know the advantages and disadvantages of both along with the importance of weaning before arriving at a decision. Choose a way that best suits your child and you to start weaning. You can always mix up these two ways if you like.

Traditional weaning

In a traditional weaning process, the parents feed the baby and introduce him/her to different kinds of solid food. Its best to start with smooth pureed food and then move to mashed food and chopped food, followed by finger-sized food and then finally to small bites. When a mother chooses this approach, the time to start weaning depends on her. The baby also learns to swallow before chewing as the baby is first introduced to pureed food.

Here are some pros and cons of traditional weaning:

Pros

• One can easily monitor the amount of food eaten by the baby.
• With this approach, mothers can worry less about the mess.
• It’s easier to ensure that the baby gets the right amount of nutrients.

Cons

• It is very time-consuming as one has to prepare separate meals and feed it to the baby.
• There is a constant struggle of understanding if the baby is full and hence there is a higher risk of overfeeding.
• The transition from smooth puree to other texture can be difficult.

Baby-led weaning

Baby-led weaning, as the name suggests, simply means encouraging the baby from the start to feed themselves, unlike traditional weaning where the parent has to feed the child with a spoon or a weaning bottle.

Baby-led weaning can only start after the child is 6 months old, when she/he is capable enough to reach and pick up the food items.

To introduce solid foods, start with finger-sized food and allow the child to explore the food at their own pace and time. However, giving appropriate food is necessary to avoid the risk of choking.

Here are some pros and cons of baby-led weaning:

Pros

• Encourages babies to be more independent.
• As babies decide how they eat, the chances of being overfed are less, and the baby learns to decide whether they are full or not.
• There is no separate cooking involved as the meals prepared for the family can be eaten by the baby.
• Having meal times together.

Cons

• There is an increased concern around choking and gagging.
• It is super messy.
• There can be a lot of wastage of food.
• There is no control over the amount of food and the nutrients intake of the baby.
• It can be challenging to understand different food allergies a baby might have as multiple kinds of food are introduced at the same time.

FAQs:

Q1. What is the age to start baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning can be implemented once the baby can sit up without any support (i.e.) once his/her neck and back muscles are strong enough to help them sit up straight. Suitable food after 6 months for baby can be given during this period after consulting a pediatrician.

Q2. Which is better – traditional weaning or baby-led weaning?

Both have their pros and cons. The decision to choose between the two depends on the mother and the development of the baby. If you want to start weaning early, it is better to opt for the traditional method since it is going to be initiated by you. On the other hand, if your child shows signs of eating by themselves by grabbing the food you eat, you can let them do so and initiate baby-led weaning.

Q3. What are some of the benefits of traditional weaning?

Through traditional weaning, the mother has complete control over her child’s weaning age, diet, and process. You can keep a close eye on the nutritional requirements of the baby and create a daily food chart to follow.

Q4. What are some benefits of baby-led weaning?

It gives more independence to the child and helps them explore different food types by themselves. It also is a great sensory enhancer and helps develop the personality of the child and teaches them to learn how to chew and eat by watching people at the table during meals.

Q5. What are some disadvantages of traditional weaning?

One of the major disadvantages of traditional weaning is overfeeding the baby. Since the weaning is not baby-led, the mother has to keep track of the portions to check if the baby is full. It is also a little time-consuming and the meals need to be prepared exclusively for the baby.

Q6. What if the child does not respond to weaning?

Be patient and consistent with your efforts. It is completely normal for your child to not respond well to weaning in the initial weeks or months. Make the process gradual by introducing one meal per day while the baby is still breastfeeding.

Q7. Can baby-led weaning lead to any health hazard?

One needs to be careful when the baby is weaning by itself as babies have the tendency of putting things in their mouth. The baby needs to be monitored closely since there is a potential risk of choking. Ensure the food is also mashed well so the baby can easily swallow it.

Kids have their own way of showing us that they are ready to wean. This is known as baby led weaning. Some kids nurse indefinitely while some show various signs that they are ready. Some of these signs are:

• Not seeming interested or being fussy during nursing.
• Nursing sessions get shorter than before.
• Getting easily distracted while nursing.
• Constant pulling on and off or biting. If your child does this during nursing, you should immediately take them off and tell them firmly, but lovingly, to stop.
• Nursing for comfort (sucking at the breast but not drawing out the milk).
• Able to sit independently and can keep their head steady.
• Able to coordinate their eyes and hand.
• Can swallow food and not throw it out while feeding.

Approaches to  Baby led Weaning

It is important that the mother and the baby are physically and mentally adjusted to the new phase and the change that comes with weaning. Hence, weaning should be done gradually over a period of time.

The decision of which session to drop depends on the mother’s convenience. For working mothers, stopping the midday session is most convenient. Some mothers let their child decide when they want to wean. However, it is important to remember that babies who take two to three meals of solid food often tend to rely less on breast milk. At the same time, if the child is breastfeeding less, it is important to make sure that he/she consumes enough nutrients.

There isn’t one right or wrong way to approach weaning but mothers can make a breastfeeding weaning schedule to make the transition easier.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Every child is unique and different and so is his/her weaning process. Make sure that you look at the do’s and don’ts before starting.

• Do not force the food on the baby:The mother is the best judge to decide when to start giving her child solid food. Make sure that your child is ready. Do not try to push solid food on the child just because you are ready to give up breastfeeding.
• Do not rush the process:Weaning is not an overnight process, it is a gradual process that will take time. By rushing, not only will it frustrate your child, you will also develop breast infections like mastitis if you stop breastfeeding overnight. Try to ease your child into external food so they are less likely to become fussy eaters and more likely to develop a healthy relationship with food.
• Do not completely deprive:Never completely take off the child from breast milk. Make sure that you gradually reduce the amount of breast milk and increase the amount of solid food.
• Be aware of the allergies:Make sure that you take your child’s allergies into account. Introduce new foods and wait up to three days to see signs of allergies your child might show to a particular kind of food. Consult a doctor in case anything like this occurs. The most common food allergies are peanuts, seafood, diary and gluten.
• Do not ignore the emotional quotient:Babies tend to get attached to their mother’s breast and have an emotional connection to them. When the mother starts to wean, the child might feel neglected. Therefore, it is better to find substitutes especially when you are using breastfeeding for comfort. Take your emotional well being also into account when you start the weaning process. It is always said a healthy mother leads to a healthy child.
• Do not start when your child is feeling under the weather:Make sure that you do not start the weaning process when your child is ill. Start weaning only when the child is healthy and fit.
• Do not give up: Be persistent in your efforts. It is not that your child will be open to this experience on the first go. You will see the results eventually. Whenever one feels like it is a never-ending cycle, remind yourself of the importance of weaning for your child.
• Do not switch to other milk: Food items for 6 months baby should not include other milk. At the age of 6 months, the child’s digestive system would not be developed enough to break down complex protein in animal-based milk. However, such milk should only be introduced only after 1 year of age.
• Introduce one food at a time:Changes can be jarring to the baby; hence, introducing one food at a time would help with the smooth transitioning for the child and you. Also, it would help in understanding food allergies a little better for your little one.

FAQs:

Q1. If a child is a fussy eater, is it okay to force feed?

No, please do not force feed your child. Trust your baby’s instinct to decide if he/she is full or not. This will help them develop a healthy relationship with food and take off unnecessary pressure around meal times.

Q2. What if my child does not eat solid food for 2 – 3 days?

The most common reason for babies to refuse food would be an illness or an upcoming illness or teething. For teething, switch to cold foods like yogurt or cold cucumber and watermelons. This will soothe the gums and eliminate any pain. For illness, kindly consult a top pediatrician or child specialist.

Q3. What are things to not do when weaning a baby?

Do not force the child, do not rush, and do not switch to other animal-based milk till 1 year of age. Also, do not introduce your baby to a variety of foods on the first go. Take it slow and be patient.

Q4. Can small pieces of vegetables be given to a child while introducing weaning?

Giving age appropriate food is extremely vital in the process of weaning. Make sure the vegetables are cut to finger length strips and are extremely soft to chew. The finger length strips make it easy for babies to hold and chew on. It is also important to learn the difference between gagging and choking. While choking needs immediate assistance, gagging is a baby’s natural reflex to swallowing. Staying calm and demonstrating how to chew and swallow will help the baby overcome his/her gag reflex.

Weaning is a gradual process. A baby goes through different stages of weaning during their first two years. There isn’t a rule book that one has to follow to feed solids to their child.  While you can refer this baby food chart to know more, one needs to remember that a balanced meal consists of one portion of vegetables or fruits, one portion of protein (i.e) meat, eggs, lentils or seafood, and one portion of high-calorie foods (i.e) cheese, nut butter, butter, and wholemeal foods. Here are some common recipes of baby weaning food to get you started:

FAQs:

Q1. What is the right time to switch to solid food completely?

Although external foods can be offered from 6 months of age, it is important to continue breastfeeding while gradually increasing the intake of solid foods. The complete transition from breastmilk to solid foods can be made after one year of age.

Q2. What is the one tip to keep in mind while weaning a child?

While weaning a child, consistency, patience and extra bonding and love to make up for the lost breastfeeding session will help your baby cope with the transition. This is the most important tip while transitioning from breastfeeding to solid food for a 6 month baby.

Q3. What baby food schedule for a 6 month old baby should be followed?

Breast milk along with pureed food or soft foods can be in the list of food items for 6 months baby.

Q4. What are the advantages of weaning diet?

Weaning diet helps in gradually progressing from liquid food (breast milk) to solids. Also, it adds to the nutritional requirement of a developing infant. Consult a pediatrician to get a personalized weaning diet chart for your child.

Q5. What is the best breastfeeding weaning schedule?

The schedule depends on the mother. One can start by switching the afternoon meal with solids. According to research, most mothers let go of the night feeding time at the last.

Q6. What vegetables for babies of 6 months can be given?

Vegetables like carrots and sweet potato can be given in a smooth paste form for the traditional weaning approach. Or you could offer steamed vegetables that are soft to touch for a baby-led weaning approach. Understand the importance of baby weaning foods and try to create a baby weaning chart if possible.

Salt:

Having salt in your baby’s meal can be dangerous for his/her kidneys. Try to completely avoid salt in your child’s meal up to the age of 1. If you are feeding your child the same meal as your family, try to take out some amount for the baby before adding salt in the meal. Having salt in your baby’s meal can be dangerous for his/her kidneys. Try to completely avoid salt in your child’s meal up to the age of 1. If you are feeding your child the same meal as your family, try to take out some amount for the baby before adding salt in the meal.

Sugar:

Offering sugar to babies may seem like a harmless thing to do but sugar greatly contributes to heart diseases, obesity, and high blood pressure at the later stage of the baby’s life. Babies should not be given any sugar at least till 2 years of age. This includes chocolates, candy, fizzy drinks, sugary drinks and any sugar substitute like maple syrup or honey. Sugar can also lead to tooth decay and may cause an unhealthy weight gain in children. You can, however, give diluted fresh fruit juice (without sugar) with one part fruit juice and two parts water (1:2 ratio).

Honey:

From the popular opinion, honey actually contains bacteria that can cause botulism in infants and should be avoided until 1 year of age.

Undercooked eggs:

Eggs are a great source of protein and should absolutely be added to your baby’s meal. However, undercooked eggs carry salmonella and should be avoided at all costs. Offer mashed hard boiled eggs to the baby to eliminate the risk of salmonella.

Grapes, raisins, and peas

Small foods like grapes, raisins, and peas can pose a choking hazard to babies. It is extremely important to cut or mash these foods before offering to a baby.

Along with the list of food that needs to be avoided one can follow the below timeline for introducing the food to the infant.

4 to 6 months: Cereals (single grain)

The baby reaches its lowest level of iron since birth at around 9 months. Hence, including fortified cereals in meals serves as a good source of iron. Adding a spoonful of single-grain cereal with breast milk at the start of weaning could be extremely beneficial. Single grain cereals can be part of a 5-month baby diet or even a 4-month baby diet depending on the infant’s weaning diet.

4 to 8 months: Pureed food (vegetables, fruits, and meat)

Pureed food is one of the best ways to start weaning, especially when one prefers traditional weaning over child-led weaning. It also broadens the taste palate of the child and gives him exposure to whole different kinds of nutrients. The good thing about a smooth pureed food is that it could be included in a 5-month baby food chart and even sometimes in a 4-month baby food chart.

6 to 8 months: Baby finger foods with a single ingredient

The next stage after puree is starting with finger food. It is also a really good way of experimenting with self-feeding for babies. Make sure that you do not offer hard, raw food as it might cause a choking hazard. Boiled vegetables and fruits cut into small finger-sized pieces which could be mashed using hands can be given to babies in this age group. Baby finger foods for 6 months weaning infants can include some boiled vegetables or fruits at the start.

9 to 12 months: Mashed, ground, or chopped foods

As the baby transitions from pureed food, incorporate finger food with different textures like yoghurt, banana, cottage cheese, mashed sweet potato and scrambled eggs.

FAQs:

Q1. What can a baby eat at 6 months?

The baby can start eating pureed fruits and vegetables or soft to touch steamed foods. You may start from pureed food, move to mashed and then to finger food and small pieces when the baby is around 9-12 months old.

Q2. What are the foods to avoid in a baby’s weaning diet chart?

Sugar, salt, honey, undercooked eggs and uncut foods that are choking hazards are some foods that need to be avoided or be mindful about.

Q3. Can we add salt into a child’s food?

No, salt can damage the kidney of a baby and should be avoided till 1 year of age.

Q4. What is the ideal weaning period?

There isn’t an ideal period, but babies can wean until the age of 2.

Q5. What is the food chart for a 7-month baby?

The food chart for a 7-month baby can contain a variety of soft fruits and vegetables, mashed hard boiled eggs or fully cooked scrambled eggs, cheese, oats and minced meats.

Q6. Can a 6 month baby food chart include fruits, vegetables, and grains?

Yes, pureed form of vegetables, fruits, and single grain cereal can be included in a 6 month baby food chart.

Q7. Is finger food the right 5 month baby food?

It is better to wait for the child to show readiness to start external foods. Being able to sit up for long periods of time without any support is a good sign to offer external foods. This usually happens after 6 months of age. Soft to touch steamed vegetables and fruits may be offered during this time.

Here are a few tips mothers and fathers can follow to successfully wean babies and introduce them to solid foods:

• Eating is not just chewing or swallowing your food. It requires a lot more than that. For babies, it is something completely new. It is not necessary that all babies will accept all kinds of new food and textures. Some kids might be quicker than the others. But do not give up and keep trying.
• Keep your child motivated and encouraged. Even infants understand the value of a reward. Whenever your child tries on a new food, encourage him or her to try more things by rewarding them.
• Give it as much time as possible.
• Read your baby’s signals. Let him/her tell you when they are hungry and when they are full. Do not force your baby to eat. Wait it out and do not force-feed your child.
• Follow the 4 month baby food diet, 5 month baby food diet, and 6 months baby food diet for your child. Following the weaning diet consistently is important.
• Let the baby enjoy the food, let him/her play with food (figuratively) by touching and holding it. Once they show some signs (like touching or holding the food), they are showing their interest in the food.
• While using a spoon or a weaning bottle with a spoon at the tip, let the baby hold it.
• Make sure your television or stereo is not on when you are feeding your child. Keep the distractions to the minimum.
• Babies can excellently mimic. They often try to copy their parents and hence demonstrating how to eat would be really helpful and would help them with mimicking the same.

FAQs:

Q1. What are some tips about babies who fidget with food?

Let the baby enjoy the food, let him/her play with food (figuratively) by touching and holding it. It is a great sensory experience and helps develop a healthy relationship with food.

Q2. What distractions should I avoid while weaning?

Make sure your television or stereo is not on when you are feeding your child. Keep the distractions to the minimum.

Q3. What is the importance of weaning food?

Weaning food is essential to give necessary nutrients to the baby that is not sufficient in breastmilk. It is also essential since it gets the child accustomed to solid food.

Q4. What are the principles of weaning?

The principles of weaning are to be consistent, flexible, keep calm, show tolerance, and offer a variety of food.

Q5. Can cow’s milk be part of 4-month baby food?

No other milk apart from breast milk should be fed to a 4-month baby. Animal-based milk can be introduced only after 1 year of age.

The process of weaning does not have any health hazard but the food that is fed during the process of weaning might lead to some. Some of the common health hazards include allergies and choking.

Allergies

Babies over the age of six months are most likely to have an allergic reaction to the food they consume during weaning. If the child has a family with a history of food allergies or conditions like eczema, asthma, hay fever, etc., it increases the risk and the chance of having an allergic reaction to food. So it is better to be cautious when you are introducing new food to your child.

The food that can potentially cause some kind of allergic reaction is listed below.

Choking

Choking can be really dangerous. It is absolutely necessary to keep an eye on children around food that could cause choking hazards. Anything that is bite-size can be a choking hazard and absolutely needs to be cut into smaller pieces or mashed before serving.
Here is a list of food that could cause choking hazards in kids.

FAQs:

Q1. What allergies could a child have while weaning?

A child could have a variety of food allergies. Some common food allergies are peanuts, eggs, dairy and gluten.

Q2. How likely is it that a child will get a food allergy?

Babies usually do not get allergies to food. If there are preconditions in the family or the family has a history of food allergies, then the chances are more likely. According to a study, early introduction of weaning foods may prevent the chances of food allergies greatly.

Q3. Can babies be allergic to nuts?

Yes, there is a chance that there might be some allergic reaction. It is best to avoid using nuts in weaning food and introduce it in your child’s diet when your child can communicate back to you.

Q4. Can we introduce fish during the weaning period?

Fish can be introduced into the diet chart for 6 month baby, without any spice or salt.