After Milk-Whats next v3 - NDR-UK

Thin down the puree with expressed breast milk or formula milk if necessary. It needs to be
quite runny if you start when your baby is just over 4 months. Older babies may manage a
thicker consistency - add baby rice or mashed potato to make solids thicker.
Start with 1 – 2 teaspoons at one feed. Use a plastic
How much should I give?
weaning spoon and half fill it. As your baby learns to take
food from the spoon they will take more. You can then begin to make the puree thicker or
introduce well-mashed foods. Never add solids to a bottle of milk.
Choose a time that is convenient to you and not rushed.
What time of day is best?
It may be best to give some breast milk or formula milk
first to settle your baby until they become used to the spoon.
Offer a second meal when your baby has
When should I begin a second meal?
learnt to feed from a spoon. This may
take a few days for older babies (or 1 –2 weeks if you start soon after 4 months).
Each baby is an individual – so each will be different
Remember
when it comes to feeding. The closer your baby is to
6 months when you begin, the more quickly you can progress to
thicker purees and finger foods than if you wean at an earlier age.
Be guided by your baby and if you need further help with feeding,
contact your health visitor.
Not before
Are there any foods I shouldn’t use?
6 months: foods
with gluten, including bread, pasta and rusks. Also avoid eggs, fish,
shellfish and liver.
Not before 12 months: honey, sugar and salt.
Limit liver to once a week and oily fish to twice a week. Make sure
eggs and shellfish are well cooked.
Until 6 months of age, breast milk or formula milk is
What other drinks can I give?
the only drink that babies need. In very hot weather
bottle fed babies may need a little cooled boiled water. Before weaning breastfeeding babies
do not need extra water, as they will demand more feeds if they are thirsty.
After 6 months and when solids are established, some water or dilute, unsweetened, pure fruit
juice can be given from a cup with meals. Tea reduces the absorption of iron and should not
be given to babies and young children.
Vitamins A and D are recommended from 6 months onwards
Should I give vitamins? for breast fed babies. Babies drinking formula milk should
have these vitamins when they are over 6 months old and taking less than 500mls of baby
milk per day. Most children should continue with these vitamins until 5 years old. Check with
your health visitor.
If you are giving your baby a vegetarian diet
Vegetarian or vegan weaning diet
you will need to make sure your baby gets all
the nutrients they need. Vegetarian diets can be high in fibre, and this can lead to low
energy (calorie) intake, and low absorption of some important minerals such
as iron and zinc. Give foods or a drink high in vitamin C with each meal
e.g. tomato, diluted orange juice. Ensure that you baby is growing well,
and having foods rich in iron such as fortified breakfast cereal, pulses (red
lentils, split peas, beans), tofu and green leafy vegetables. Make sure
that you offer at least 2 serving of these foods a day. It is important
that you give the vitamin A and D drops.
If you wish to wean your baby onto a vegan diet you need to take
extra care. A health visitor or paediatric dietitian can give specific
advice on weaning onto a vegan diet. Vegan babies and children may
need extra vitamins especially vitamin B12.
Look inside for examples of foods to give
your baby at each stage. Vegetarian choices
are included in these examples.
Sample
From 6 months you can use weaning foods that contain pasteurised cow’s milk e.g. yogurts,
custards and white sauce. When pasteurised cow’s milk is given, after your baby is 1 year old,
it should not be diluted. Use whole milk (or full fat milk) as it has more vitamins and calories
for your baby. Semi skimmed milk should not be given to children under 2 years of age.
Skimmed milk should not be given to children under 5 years of age.
Not before one year. Breast feed or
When can cows’ milk be given as a drink?
continue with formula milk until your
baby is 1 year old. Follow-on formula milk is not essential but can be given from 6 months if
you wish. Formula milk can be offered from a cup from 6 months.
Whole nuts, including peanuts, may cause choking in children under 5 years. If Mum, Dad,
brothers or sisters have allergy, eczema, asthma or hayfever do not give foods containing
peanuts until your child is 3 years old.
What should I do if my baby will not eat?
DO NOT WORRY. We all have our ‘off’ days and so do babies. Do not force your
baby to eat. If solids are refused, take the food away and give the usual milk feed.
Speak to your health visitor if you are concerned.
What should I do if my baby is constipated?
If your baby is suffering with constipation it is important to ensure that they are
drinking enough fluid. If you are formula feeding give some extra water. Take
care to make up formula feeds correctly. Breast fed babies are less likely to be
constipated if they are feeding well, but occasionally may need some extra water
if the weather is hot or they have a temperature. It is also important for babies to
have a varied diet, including fruit and vegetables, once they are weaned. If the
constipation does not improve, speak to your health visitor or GP.
What about food allergies?
Food allergy is an uncommon condition, but if you think your baby is reacting to
food, go to your doctor or health visitor. If you are advised to exclude some foods
from your baby’s diet, your doctor should refer you to a dietitian.
Contact Person:
Telephone:
The BDA Paediatric Group
is a Specialist Group of
The British Dietetic
Association
The British Dietetic Association,
5th Floor, Charles House,
148/9 Great Charles Street Queensway,
Birmingham B3 3HT.
Fax: 0121 200 8081
e-mail: info@bda.uk.com
www.bda.uk.com
March 2008
Try a little cereal mixed with breast milk or formula milk - if your
Which foods first? baby is under 6 months use gluten free cereals such as baby rice,
cornmeal or millet. You can also try some pureed vegetables or fruit e.g. potato, sweet potato,
carrot, apple or pear. Meat and fish may also form part of the early weaning diet.
Breastmilk or formula milk is all most babies need
When should I wean my child?
until 6 months of age. At 6 months of age, milk is
not enough and your baby will need solids too. The transition of moving from all milk feeds to
starting solid food is known as weaning. If you choose to begin earlier don’t start before your
baby is 4 months (or 17 weeks).
Your baby will begin to show signs that they are ready for solids. These may include:
● your baby can sit up supported
● your baby showing interest in other people’s eating
● your baby appears to be still hungry after increasing milk feeds for a few days.
After Milk
What’s next?
Sample
© The British Dietetic Association Paediatric Group 2008 • Design: Room At The Top Design/Illustrations: Jan Smith
Weaning guide for families

From
6
Months
Smooth first tastes
Ideally from 6 months (26 weeks) - BUT no earlier than
4 months (17 weeks)
Start with 1 – 2 teaspoons of food once a day and when your baby
is happy to take more, offer solids twice a day. This may take a few
days or even 1 –2 weeks if you start soon after 4 months. If you
wean closer to 6 months your baby will progress to the next stages
more quickly.
On Waking
Morning
Early Afternoon
Evening
Bed-time
Breast or bottle feed.
Baby cereal mixed with breast milk or
formula milk (gluten free baby cereal if
your baby is under 6 months). Finish with
a breast or bottle feed.
Breast or bottle feed.
Vegetable puree e.g. root vegetables:
potato, yam, carrot, parsnip, sweet potato,
broccoli, cauliflower OR fruit puree e.g.
cooked apple, ripe pear, peach, banana.
Finish with a breast or bottle feed.
Breast or bottle feed.
Always wash your hands before preparing
your baby’s meals and keep dishes and
spoons especially clean. Bottles need to be
sterilised.
Moving on to iron-containing foods
Foods high in iron are needed so it is important to move on quickly from
‘first tastes’. Iron-containing foods are meat, fish and pulses (dahl,
beans, lentils, peas). Make up meals with about 1/3 meat/pulses, 1/3
starchy food e.g. rice/pasta/potato and 1 /3 vegetables.
Make purees thicker and give a variety of flavours – savoury as well as
sweet. Use mild spices and herbs for flavour.
Offer 3 meals a day. Your baby will gradually want less milk as more
solids are taken. Start giving some drinks from a cup instead of a bottle.
On Waking
Morning
Lunch
Evening
Bed-time
Breast or bottle feed.
Baby cereal and fruit puree mixed with
breast milk or formula milk.
Breast or bottle feed.
Thicker purees of meat or fish or
pulses/dahl with mashed vegetables and
potato, rice or pasta.
Drink of water in a cup.
Finish with a breastfeed or formula milk in
a bottle or cup.
Sample
Full fat yogurt/milk pudding and fruit
puree.
Breast or bottle feed.
Breast or bottle feed.
Starting soft lumps and finger
foods to learn chewing
Offer finger foods and mashed foods with some lumps. Start with soft
finger foods such as fingers of toast, soft peeled fruits or soft cooked
vegetable sticks. Every baby is individual and some babies may be able
to manage these textures earlier than others. Do not leave your baby
alone in case of choking.
On Waking
Morning
Lunch
Evening
Bed-time
Breast or bottle feed.
Cereal with milk and pieces of soft fruit.
Breast or drink of formula milk.
Minced/pureed meat, flaked fish or
mashed pulses/dahl with mashed
vegetables and mashed potato, rice
or pasta.
Mashed fruit with yoghurt or milky
pudding.
Drink of cooled boiled water in a cup.
Well cooked scrambled egg with fingers
of toast.
OR Pasta with vegetable sauce and grated
cheese.
OR Flaked fish (bones carefully removed)
with mashed potato
and softly cooked
vegetable sticks.
OR Chapatti with
vegetable/dahl curry.
Fingers of soft peeled
fresh fruit for pudding.
Breast feed or drink of formula milk.
Breast or bottle feed.
Time for family meals
By about 9 months of age your baby should be eating mostly the same
foods as your family. Eat together as a family as often as possible. Let
your baby feed him or herself, with your help, even if it means messy
fingers! Offer a wide variety of different foods. Some days your baby
will eat more, some days less. Keep mealtimes fun and enjoyable.
If your baby is hungry between meals offer pieces of fresh fruit, cheese
fingers, crackers, bread or breadsticks. Sugary snacks and biscuits
damage teeth. Frequent drinks of fruit juice, squashes and fizzy drinks
between meals also cause tooth decay. Offer water instead.
Do not add salt to food for babies.
On Waking
Vitamin and iron rich cereals e.g.
Breakfast ideas
Shreddies, Cornflakes or Weetabix mixed
with milk and pieces of fruit.
Bread/toast/chapatti with butter/margarine and
jam/peanut butter.
Hard-boiled egg with toast/chapatti.
Breast feed or drink of formula milk.
Chopped/minced meat, flaked fish with
Evening Meal ideas
potato, rice, pasta and vegetables.
Vegetarian shepherd’s pie, mild curry and
rice/naan/chapatti or casseroles with added chickpeas
or kidney beans.
Pasta shapes with tomato sauce and grated cheese.
Lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise made with soya mince.
Pieces of fresh fruit/stewed fruit/tinned fruit/fruit
crumble and custard.
Drink of water or diluted juice in a cup.
Bed-time
Breast or bottle feed - only if needed.
Sandwich/pitta bread with ham, chicken,
Lunch ideas
tuna, cheese, egg mayonnaise or hummus
and salad.
Pasta with sauce and cheese.
Rice and dahl with vegetables.
Homemade vegetable soup with bread/naan bread.
Omelette with potato wedges and vegetable
slices/sticks.
Baked potato with cheese or baked beans.
Yogurt or milk pudding with pieces of fresh fruit.
Drink of water or diluted juice in a cup.
Sample
Breast feed or formula milk.