Baby Led Weaning: Starting solids with My Baby Organics
Are you thinking of starting solids with your little one? This is an exciting time for you and your baby. We’ve asked Sarah from My Baby Organics to put together some helpful information for you around Baby Led Weaning and how to introduce solids.
Around the age of 6 months your baby may start showing signs they are ready to try solid foods. This is also known as weaning. You may feel overwhelmed or anxious, but please try to enjoy the ride. Bub will give you some tell-tale behavioural signs that they are ready to start solids and their Baby Led Weaning (BWL) journey.
Signs of readiness include:
Sitting up without support
Has lost the tongue-thrust reflex (this is the automatic pushing of solids out of mouth with tongue)
Has developed fine motor skills to self feed
Is willing to chew even if they have no teeth
Breast milk or formula will provide all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months. Breastfeeding or formula feeding should continue while weaning your baby. Milk is essential for the first 12 months of life. Remember food before 1 is just for fun!
My Baby Organics offers a range of nutritious, smooth and textured purees. We only use certified organic ingredients, sourced from Aussie farms and home delivered to families across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Our range is free from additives, preservatives, sugar, salt and dairy.
Choose a good time and place to start introducing solids. Mid morning at home is always a good idea. The familiar surroundings will make your baby feel relaxed and comfortable, it is always recommended to have bub in a highchair with a footrest to ensure the posture is in the optimal position for solids. This helps lower the risk of gagging and ensures bub is in control and comfortable.
Your baby is more likely to try solids after a feed of breast milk or formula. There will still be enough room in their tummy to try a new food. Start with a little pureed food on the end of a baby spoon and offer the spoon to bub. Allow bub to take the spoon and explore, it can be messy but mess is easy to clean!
We recommend 1-2 teaspoons a day to start with. Some babies will love it and want more and more. Others may be a little shocked wondering what this new experience is all about but it’s all about exposure and following their lead.
It is a great idea when weaning your baby, to only introduce one food at a time to check for allergies or reactions. This is why mid morning is preferable. If there are any allergies or reactions you will want to see them before bedtime. Please contact the hospital or doctor if you are at all worried.
My Baby Organics has a big selection of smooth purees that come in single ingredients, perfect for your baby’s first food. Once you’ve tried a variety of fruits and vegetables and checked there hasn't been any allergies, you can mix and match our pods. Experimenting with different flavours is fun.
Your baby will be able to chew bite sized pieces of food with the rest of the family even without teeth, their gums are incredibly strong and as long as they are showing all signs of readiness then they are fully capable of feeding themselves.
Gagging is a normal reflex and something you should encourage. This will allow bub to explore and learn to self manage intake. If bub is gagging and red let them go ahead - some positive words of encouragement help keeping things light and positive in these situations and it encourages bub to follow their body “cough it up bub, that's right keep coughing” whilst it can be scary for you in the moment, trust your baby. Don’t intervene, don't pat them on the back as this can cause the solid to go further down, just let bub cough it up on their own.
Solid food provides vitamins and minerals your baby needs to ensure their health and wellbeing. For the first 6 months of life babies get most of their iron from stores they’ve had since birth. Iron is also found in breast milk or formula. These iron stores deplete as they grow then your baby needs to replace these with iron rich foods.
Iron is a critical nutrient for babies. They need a lot more iron between 6 months and 2 years than any other time in their lives. Iron deficiency can be common among babies and toddlers. It’s essential for brain growth. Iron is not easily absorbed in your baby’s body. To encourage iron absorption pair with foods high in vitamin C. You will find vitamin C in a range of fruits and vegetables. Such as capsicum, broccoli, mango and apple, to name a few. It’s important to feed your baby iron rich foods twice daily from the age of 6 months. Some iron rich foods are legumes (lentils and beans), kale, spinach, tofu and dried apricots.
A lot of the foods mentioned above can be found in our range, starting solids is an extremely exciting time for all. Follow bubs lead, let them take charge if they are following all signs of readiness and trust your baby can self manage their intake. Remember, food before 1 is just for fun!
For further information please head to www.mybabyorganics.com.au
We are so excited to share in your journey and are here to offer guidance and support whenever you need it.