Weaning is an important step in the development of children in the first months of life. Children sitting and eating well and accompanied by nutritious meals is always the vision that many parents desire when their children start eating solid foods . However, the harsh reality shows that parents will have to struggle because their children do not cooperate and do not know how to build a diet to ensure nutrition for their children. If you are learning about your baby’s solid meals , let’s find out with Autoru through the following article!  

1. Learn about weaning your baby 

Weaning is the stage when children begin to supplement nutrients from outside, lasting from the 6th to the 18th month in the first months of their development. At this time, breast milk will begin to dilute, no longer ensuring enough nutrients to provide for the child’s comprehensive development. Instead, the baby will begin to get used to the source of nutrition from outside foods to provide enough energy for the baby to grow and develop.

According to research from nutrition experts, breast milk can only meet half of the nutritional needs of babies between 6-12 months old. Depending on the conditions and development of each baby, mothers can create a menu, as well as apply appropriate weaning methods for the best development of the baby. 

Weaning is an important stage in your baby’s development in the early years.

2. When should I start feeding my baby solid foods? 

Entering the weaning stage marks a new milestone in the baby’s growth journey. Many mothers often mistakenly believe that 6 months of age is the mandatory time for babies to start weaning. However, this is only a recommended stage, not the only standard that mothers can apply in all cases. The time for babies to start weaning also depends on the physical condition of each baby and the development time of each child may be different. Therefore, mothers should determine the appropriate time for babies to start weaning through the following signs: 

• Baby can sit up and hold his head straight, open his mouth when food is brought close.
• Baby begins to show interest in surrounding foods.
• Know how to refuse food you don’t like and turn your head away if you don’t want to eat it.
• When your baby weighs 7.9kg for boys and 7.3kg for girls, you can start feeding them solid foods.
• The baby’s mouth began to move.
• Baby can drink 1000ml of milk per day.
• After the mother breastfed the baby, he still cried for food.

Determining the time to start weaning is very important because starting weaning too early or too late can cause problems that affect the baby’s digestive system. If you start weaning too early, especially before 5 months of age, your baby may have digestive problems or diarrhea. This is because the baby’s digestive system is still immature and not yet fully developed to handle the food introduced at this time. 

On the contrary, if the mother feeds the baby too late compared to the recommended time such as 8-9 months old, the baby may experience malnutrition, slow growth, poor development and underweight compared to age.

Depending on each baby’s physical development, the time to start eating solid foods will be different.

3. What do you need to prepare for your baby’s weaning journey?

Before starting your baby’s weaning journey, you need to prepare some of the following “equipment” to help your baby build good eating habits and be suitable for weaning methods such as:

• Food processing tools : Food blender, porridge sieve to filter porridge smoother, porridge pot and cup with measuring lines.
• High chair : Mothers should prepare a specialized high chair to train their baby to sit still and eat in the chair. A chair with adjustable height will help the baby join in family meals, while reducing the risk of choking when sitting for a short time eating in the chair.

H1 high chair is a great assistant to help your baby develop the habit of sitting and eating well, without running around. 

• Baby food utensils: Bowls, spoons, plates, cups, forks with a variety of colors and materials will help make your baby’s meals more lively and interesting. 
• Bib for weaning : in the early stages of weaning, your baby will need time to get used to each type of food, so the situation of sucking, spitting out food, and scattering food everywhere will happen frequently. Therefore, equipping your baby with a bib will help limit food from getting on their clothes. 
• Baby drinking cups: Mothers should prepare cups with small mouths to avoid the baby choking on water or water getting into the nose when drinking.
• Baby food storage tools: This is a very convenient tool for busy parents who do not have much time to cook for their babies every day. Preparing baby food in portions will help mothers save more time in the process of preparing food for their babies.

Unique eating utensils will make mealtimes more fun for your baby.

The first meal is always a worry for mothers because they do not know whether the baby will cooperate or will be a real “battle”. The baby needs time to adapt to new foods after a long time of being used to milk, so they often tend to “play” with the foods their mother gives them rather than eating seriously.

Besides the tools mentioned above, another important thing that mothers need to prepare is patience and a ready mood to receive. The baby may be fussy about food at the beginning, but do not scold the baby, this will make the baby afraid of eating. Instead, the mother patiently accompanies the baby, diversifying the weaning menu every day to create excitement for the baby in each meal, mother!

4. How should I feed my baby?

Weaning your baby will not be like eating a daily meal, this needs to be built slowly so that your baby can adapt to the new changes. Milk is still the main source of nutrition and mothers should start inserting solid meals for their baby in between milk feedings during the day.

4.1 Meals have all 4 food groups

• Fat group: Babies need to be supplemented with both types of fat, animal fat and vegetable oil, in a ratio of 6:4, alternating between meals. Mothers can supplement vegetable oil for their babies through foods such as salmon oil, sesame oil, soybean oil or olive oil… However, with gac oil, mothers should note that they should only feed their babies 1-2 times/week because babies can have excess vitamin A and cause jaundice.
• Starchy food group: This nutritional group is often found in foods such as potatoes, flour, rice, etc. When the child is over 1 year old, the mother can vary the weaning menu with many different foods such as rice paper, vermicelli, pho, potato soup, etc.
• Foods rich in vitamins and fiber: These two nutrients are abundant in foods such as tubers and green vegetables. Fiber is very good for the digestive system, helping to reduce constipation in babies. However, vegetables and fruits do not contain much energy, mothers should not add too much to their baby’s meals because it can cause the baby to gain weight slowly. For babies who are just starting to eat solid foods , mothers should choose soft vegetables, remove the stems and leaves to make it easier for the baby’s stomach to digest.
•  Protein group: This is a food group rich in energy and nutrients, recommended for babies in the early stages of weaning. Protein is found in many types of meat such as fish, pork, chicken, beef, etc.

Babies need to be supplemented with all 4 groups of nutrients when eating solid foods.

4.2 Eat from thin to thick, from little to much

To help your baby’s digestive system get used to food, you should feed your baby a small amount of food, preferably in a liquid form, to start adapting. When your baby is used to the new diet, you can gradually increase the amount and density of food. You should also note that you should only use a soft plastic or rubber spoon when feeding your baby to limit damage to the gums.

4.3 Introduce new foods to your baby every 3-5 days.

This is the right time for mothers to observe their baby’s reactions to food. If the baby shows signs of allergy, mothers need to take the baby to the doctor immediately for examination and treatment. Mothers should listen to the wishes and understand the preferences through the baby’s expressions about food, which foods the baby does not like, mothers can stop for a few days and start feeding the baby again.

4.4 Feed your baby from sweet to salty foods gradually.

For babies starting to eat solid foods, mothers should use foods with a sweet taste such as sweet potatoes, bananas or apples… During the stage when babies are getting used to the taste of different foods, mothers should let them get used to the first sweet taste because it is easy to eat and similar to breast milk, babies will not feel sudden changes and react.

Mom can grind the tubers or fruits and mix them with powdered milk or breast milk so that the baby has a familiar taste in the first weaning meal. Mom can gradually add other nutrients in foods such as vegetables, meat, and fish to the baby’s later meals. In particular, mom should not add spices, MSG, or seasoning powder to the baby’s weaning food in the beginning! 

Mothers should use foods with a sweet taste so that babies can gradually get used to them.

5. Principles for first-time weaning that mothers need to keep in mind

5.1 Create a specific schedule for your baby’s meals

Building a weaning schedule for your baby is something nutritionists recommend during the early stages of your baby’s weaning period. In addition to the menu, mothers need to have a detailed chart to track their baby’s weight and height by month so that they can flexibly change the menu to suit their baby. With your baby’s schedule, mothers should have detailed information such as: foods that should be prioritized and limited for your baby, nutritional content of each type of food, etc.

5.2 Balance the amount of complementary foods and breast milk for your baby

During the first years of life, breast milk is still the best source of nutrition for infants and young children. The immune system of children at this stage is still very weak and breast milk is the most effective source of antibodies for the baby. 

Therefore, to ensure the amount of nutrients and antibodies for the baby during the weaning period, mothers should balance the amount of breast milk and supplementary weaning foods for the baby. Mothers should continue to maintain the habit of breastfeeding until the baby is 1 year old and should consult more information about the appropriate amount of milk to provide for the baby at this stage. 

Balance the amount of breast milk and solid foods to ensure enough nutrients for your baby’s development.

5.3 You should stop weaning when your baby shows signs of not cooperating.

The digestive system of a baby in the early stages of weaning is still very weak, so mothers should monitor and observe their baby’s reaction to food. If the baby starts to not cooperate during the weaning process, such as covering his mouth with his hand, spitting out food, or avoiding eating, the mother should agree and temporarily stop feeding the baby.

To make each meal a joy for your baby, you should listen to your baby’s wishes and not put pressure on him by forcing him to eat. This will make your baby feel afraid when eating. At the same time, if you detect signs of an allergy to solid foods such as diarrhea, vomiting or rash, you should immediately stop feeding your baby and take him to a medical facility for examination.  

Mothers should stop feeding their babies whenever they show signs of being uncooperative.

5.4 Prioritize natural flavors in your baby’s meals

Weaning is the stage when babies begin to get used to the natural flavors of foods. Adding spices such as MSG, sugar or salt can destroy the natural flavors of weaning foods and negatively affect the health of children if mothers overuse them. 

5.5 Patience with your baby is essential

According to statistics from child nutrition experts, mothers need to let their babies try an average of 5-10 times before they can get used to the taste of new foods. Therefore, it is completely normal for babies to spit out food the first time they eat solid foods. Parents should try to be patient and try feeding their babies many times so that they have time to get used to the new taste. This is the foundation for building good eating habits for babies and limiting the situation of picky eating later on.

5.6 Do not force your baby to eat when he/she does not want to.

To avoid causing fear and obsession for your baby in the following meals, mothers should learn to listen and respect their eating preferences. Do not force or raise your voice when your baby refuses to eat, but instead, mothers should temporarily stop and try to feed this food again after 1-2 weeks. 

Mothers should only start feeding their babies solid foods when they show signs of hunger and can sit up.

5.7 Only start weaning when your baby needs it.

Mothers should start giving their baby the first solid food if they detect some signs of hunger such as:

• Mouth smacking at the sight of food.
• Look at the food every time mom brings it closer.
• The baby can sit up.

6. Some types of weaning help babies eat well and are nutritious

6.1 Baby-Led Weaning

This is a method that helps the baby to be completely proactive in the weaning meals, thereby creating interest and not having the fear of being forced to eat. The mother will start the self-directed weaning style by cutting the food into small pieces, placing it on a food tray, letting the baby sit in a chair and letting the baby use his hands to get the food he wants to eat. With this method, the baby may be more interested in eating, but the baby will not eat much and will mainly play with the food. 

Baby-led weaning helps babies take initiative and feel excited about every meal.

6.2 Japanese weaning method

For the Japanese weaning method, mothers will cook 4 dishes containing 4 groups of essential nutrients for the baby and divide each nutritional group into a small bowl. This helps the baby to be fully supplemented with nutrients and tasting each nutritional group separately also helps the baby not get bored and clearly feel the taste of each type of food. The Japanese weaning method brings high nutritional efficiency but is quite complicated and takes a lot of time to prepare, so mothers can consider it.

Dishes containing each nutritional group will be divided into small bowls so that your baby can clearly feel each flavor.

6.3 Traditional weaning methods

This is a very popular weaning method and is applied by many Vietnamese parents because of its convenience and complete nutrition. Mothers only need to prepare the foods needed for their babies, puree them, cook them in porridge or powder form and use a spoon to feed the baby. 

Traditional weaning method is preferred by many parents. 

The first weaning is an important milestone in the first years of a child’s life. A suitable diet with full nutrition will help your baby develop comprehensively both physically and mentally. Mothers should combine a variety of weaning methods, not only to help your baby supplement all the necessary nutrients but also to help your baby increase interest in weaning meals. The journey with your baby growing up is full of hardships, but try hard for a healthy future, a good eater, Mom!