©Pregnancy bliss 2008
Continues from previous page
Weaning the baby
There is consensus among experts that, whenever possible, a mother should aim to
breast-
Even though the gut can handle "soft" solids at around 4 months of age, if milk production is adequate and the baby is thriving, there should be no rush to introduce these in the baby’s diet. Breast milk is more than adequate for the first four months of life and therefore the need to wean a baby before then is simply not there.
Some women will wean the baby off the breast completely at around six months, others at twelve months. The majority will have stopped by 18 to 24 months. Every individual should decide on the best arrangement in her case.
A baby is quite ready to be fed on full-cream cow's milk by the age of 12 months.
If the infant was not on it already, it is unwise to introduce formula milk at this
stage. Skimmed milk should never be used to feed a baby.
The foods to avoid for the baby
When starting to introduce solids in the baby’s diet, it is important to be aware
of food products which have a potential for causing harm and therefore avoid these.
This is particularly important if a mother is planning to prepare the food herself.
Even if buying ready-
The following items should never be included in the infant’s food:
§ Salt: The baby’s kidneys are not yet ready to handle this and it should never be added. Also beware of those foods that are high in salt and keep these to a minimum or avoid altogether.
§ Honey: this should be avoided at least until after the first birthday. There is a very small but serious risk of a condition called infant botulism
§ Sugar: This, too, should be kept to a minimum.
§ Some types of fish: Raw shellfish carries the risk of food poisoning which could be devastating for a baby. Swordfish, marlin as well as shark may have significant levels of mercury so should be avoided too.
§ Nuts: Risk of allergy
§ Raw or under-
Next section: Breast-
