Welcome to the wonderful world of weaning! Time is flying by and you might already be thinking about getting your little one started on solid foods. If you are, we've got recipes and hygiene tips to get you going.
You and your baby
6 months 1 week
And they're off! Some babies start moving around about now. It might be a bottom shuffle, or a commando crawl, or a puppyish roll, but off they go. Some won't move for months, so don't worry if yours isn't yet. They have a better focus now, so they'll be excited by seeing smaller items, like their teddy bear's nose.
Moving on to solid foods is an exciting stage for both you and your baby. There are lots of new flavours and textures for your little one to try, and it's important to make sure that baby gets food from all 5 food groups. To help you and your baby get the hang of it, our experts have compiled a guide to weaning, that includes recipes, tips and how tos.
When you're preparing food for you both, hygiene is really important. Make sure to always wash your hands, and always wash bowls, cutlery and high chairs with warm soapy water. Beakers should be sterilised. This is important because your little one's immune system is still developing.
You can talk about weaning or anything else that's on your mind with real mums with years of experience supporting parents. Our Careline team are available via our live chat line, by phone and by email. Remember, we're always on hand to help.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The best way to feed a baby is to breastfeed, as breast milk provides the ideal balanced diet and protection against illness for your baby and also many non-nutritional benefits for both baby and mother. We recommend that you speak to your healthcare professional when deciding on your choice of feeding your baby. Professional guidance should also be sought on the preparation for and maintenance of breastfeeding. If you do choose to breastfeed, it's important to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Infant formula is intended to replace breast milk when mothers choose not to breastfeed or if for some reason they are unable to do so. A decision not to breastfeed, or to introduce partial bottle-feeding, will reduce the supply of breast milk. If for any reason you choose not to breastfeed, do remember that such a decision can be difficult to reverse. Using infant formula also has social and financial implications which must be considered. Infant formula should always be prepared, used and stored as instructed on the label, in order to avoid risks to a baby's health.
