Weaning is an exciting milestone in your baby’s development, but it can also be a time filled with questions and uncertainties. As a Baby & Child Nutritionist I offer parents tips on a daily basis, so I thought I would combine 10 of my top weaning tips for successful weaning into one blog post for anyone who is hoping to make the best from this exciting milestone!
Here are my invaluable tips and advice to help parents navigate this journey with confidence. Whether you’re starting solids for the first time or looking for ways to make the process smoother, these ten tips will provide practical and reassuring guidance to ensure a successful weaning experience.
Here are my top 10 weaning tips for successful weaning:
1. Eat with Your Baby
One of the best ways to teach your baby how to eat is by eating together. Babies learn by watching and imitating, so sharing meals can help them understand the process of eating. Make mealtimes a family affair as early as you can be such a positive experience for them.
2. Start with Veggies
Starting weaning with more bitter, savoury tastes such as a variety of savoury vegetables as I detail in my book How to Wean Your Baby can help your baby develop a taste for a more of a variety and learn to accept totally new flavours. Traditionally, babies’ first foods are sweeter, but introducing vegetables early on can be beneficial and has been backed by research.
3. Lower Your Expectations
Weaning is a gradual process, and it’s important to lower your expectations and go at your baby’s pace. Some days your baby might eat a lot, and other days they might not be interested at all. This is completely normal, so try to stay relaxed and patient. If you expect eating to be up and down, it can make this process so much easier!
4. Start in a Calm Environment
Creating a calm and stress-free environment for your baby’s first meals can make a big difference to how weaning progresses. This might just need a little forward planning to pick the right time of day and ensure you’re prepped and ready for them to try their first meal with you at their side.
Choose a quiet time of day and ensure there are minimal distractions. This will help your baby focus on the new experience of eating.
5. Offer a Variety Early On
Introducing your baby to a wide range of foods can help them develop a more diverse palate. Offer different textures, flavours, and colours to make mealtimes interesting and enjoyable. This also helps them learn to accept more of a variety as they get older and also helps them learn skills needed for eating by trying more of a variety of textures.
Variety during weaning is SO important and one of the reasons why I created my “30 Day Step by Step Guide” to weaning in my book “How to Wean Your Baby”. Remember, it can take multiple exposures to a new food before your baby actually accepts it.
6. Encourage Self-Feeding
Allowing your baby to explore and feed themselves can be messy, but it’s an important part of their development and can help them enjoy the process of weaning more too. Provide finger foods and let them practice picking up and eating on their own right from the start.
You can also offer them the spoon and encourage self-feeding this way from day one as well. This helps build their motor skills and independence around eating. If you struggle with the mess during weaning, see my blog on weaning mess to help you.
7. Make Mealtimes Fun
Turn mealtimes into a fun and positive experience – try to be calm yourself and avoid going into mealtimes too anxious as the baby will pick up on it. Remember this is a journey, not a destination and you’re not going to get it “wrong” at this stage.
Use my book as a confidence guide and try to enjoy the journey with your baby – I promise you they will explore weaning so much more readily if they see you’re calm and enjoying it too.
8. Respect Your Baby’s Appetite
Trust your baby’s appetite and avoid forcing them to eat. Babies are good at regulating their own intake – Responsive Feeding is key for this reason – so let them decide how much they want to eat. If they turn their head or push food away, it’s a sign they’ve had enough. See more information on signs of hunger and fullness in my blog.
9. Keep Portions Small
Start with small portions to avoid overwhelming your baby. A few spoonfuls or pieces of food are enough for their tiny tummies. You can always offer more if they show interest. Portion sizes during weaning can be a confusing topic for parents, luckily I’ve covered all you need to know in my portion sizes during weaning blog!
10. Stay Consistent
Consistency is key when it comes to weaning and even feeding kids in general. Try to establish a routine, building on regular mealtimes and stick to it as you go so your baby knows when to expect their meals and their milk. This helps your baby know what to expect and can make the transition to solid foods so much smoother.
Weaning is a journey that requires patience, flexibility, and a lot of consistency. By following these ten weaning tips, you can hopefully create a positive and successful weaning experience for your baby that’s enjoyable for you too. Remember, every baby is different, so trust your instincts and try to make the most of this short milestone together. For more detailed advice and support, visit my website and follow me on Instagram.
If you are overwhelmed by the thought of weaning then check out my online weaning course – From offering first tastes right through to weaning onto family meals, you’ll learn everything you need to know to feed your baby with confidence.