Weaning is a topic that I absolutely LOVE to talk about. Throughout my career, one of my main goals has been to give parents the knowledge and the confidence to wean their babies. It can be quite daunting starting your baby on solid food and there is A LOT of information out there. This can make it quite difficult to know where to start and what advice to follow.
One of the main reasons I wrote my book, How to Wean Your Baby was to bring together all of the advice in one, super comprehensive guide. To give parents EVERYTHING they need for their weaning journey. It really does hold your hand through the entire weaning process and answer all the questions parents want to know.
I also wanted to challenge some of the traditional weaning advice with more recent research and show that feeding your baby can (and should!) be fun. But showing you can add plenty of flavour and variety!
5 Simple Weaning Tips
With this blog, I just want to give some really quick, simple tips for families starting their weaning journey. Below I’ve shared my five top tips for getting started with introducing solid foods. I’ve also linked to lots of my other blogs and resources you might find helpful if you’re looking for more detail!
Do your research
Start by doing some reading around the subject to build up your confidence and get an idea of what and how to get started. My blog and Instagram are a great place to start. It has LOTS of content covering just about everything you could want to know when weaning your baby! Before starting, check if your baby is ready for solid foods. If you’re wanting a bit more in-depth advice, then my weaning first steps, and next steps webinars should help. And don’t forget, everything you need to know is covered in my book, How to Wean Your Baby.
Get yourself prepped
You don’t need any really fancy equipment for weaning, but there are a few things that can really help. I’ve written all about what equipment you need for weaning your baby to help you figure out any extra bits you might need! Being prepared with anything you think you might need can help you feel calmer about getting started.
Expect ups and downs
If there’s ONE thing I wish I could reassure all parents about, it’s that weaning is definitely not a smooth journey! EVERY baby is different, and so no one weaning journey will be the same. And it’s perfectly normal for babies to take a while to get used to solid foods and for absolutely nothing to actually get eaten in the first few weeks. It’s also normal for babies’ appetites to go up and down (just like adults!) and so they may go through periods of eating more or less, depending on a number of factors including illness, teething or growth spurts. Read more about what to expect in the first month of weaning. You can also download my factsheet with loads of information on what to do if your baby isn’t taking to weaning.
Start with veggies
I’m a big fan of starting weaning with more bitter, savoury tastes such as green veg. Traditionally, babies’ first foods have been sweeter tasting foods like baby rice, porridge or fruits. However, there is growing evidence showing that starting with more savoury foods CAN help babies to become used to a wider variety of flavours later on. Read more about veg-led weaning for babies here.
Have fun!
Above all, weaning should be an enjoyable experience for both you and baby. It might not go how you expected it to and it might be a lot messier than you thought, but ultimately the goal is for your child to develop lifelong healthy eating patterns. Try to relax and not put too much pressure on yourself or baby and ENJOY the process!
And there you have it – my 5 Simple Tips To Start Weaning!
For the ultimate weaning handbook, you can buy my book How to Wean Your Baby.
It includes a 30-day step-by-step guide for exactly how to start!
Charlotte’s Book!