Till six months of age, medical experts recommend that babies be exclusively fed on breast milk or formula. As infants grow up, their nutritional needs change. Breast milk alone may not be sufficient to meet their requirements. Once they start to consume solids adequately, the process of breastfeeding or bottle feeding is slowly stopped. This process of transitioning babies who are completely dependent on milk to solid foods is known as the weaning process.
When babies reach a stage where breast milk or formula does not provide the nutrients required for growth and development, they need to be introduced to other foods. In addition to providing nutrition, the purpose of weaning and consuming different foods with varied tastes and textures is to help the baby to practice lip, tongue, and jaw movements. The weaning diet also tends to determine the kind of relationship the baby develops with food in the future.
The weaning process is also a great way for the baby to develop social skills as they get to eat with the other members of the family and share the food that others are eating. However, babies may crave the comfort that breastfeeding or bottle feeding offers them. Therefore, the process of baby weaning may cause emotional discomfort to some babies. This is why the weaning period could vary from just a few days to up to many months. Each baby is unique and its weaning journey will also be distinct.
Instead of seeking at what age weaning should be started, it is important to see the baby’s development. Some babies may not be ready for weaning even after they reach six months of age and may poke out their tongue or push the food out of their mouths when fed on weaning foods. This is a reflex action on their part to prevent choking and it means they are not yet ready for solids. On the other hand, some babies may be very interested in watching others eat and may hold their mouths open and imitate eating behaviour or indicate through sounds and gestures that they wish to eat what the others are eating. If the baby is able to sit without the need for head support, does not display tongue-thrust reflex and expresses interest in eating, the baby is ready for weaning off.
There are two types of weaning methods that are commonly used by parents – traditional weaning and baby-led weaning.
Traditional Weaning – As per the traditional method of weaning, parents or caregivers feed the baby the food using a spoon and gradually introduce them to more solid foods. This makes the weaning process less messy and easier to keep track of. It also becomes easier to identify any food allergies and reduce the baby’s tendency to choke on food.
Baby-led Weaning – Baby-led weaning is when the baby is encouraged to self-feed from 6 months of age with baby fist-sized pieces of solid food being offered from the beginning stages itself. The baby has meals with other members of the family and consumes mostly the same food as the others so preparation of food is less time consuming. Research has also shown that baby-led weaning helps to reduce food fussiness and excessive weight gain as the baby is in control of how much food it consumes.
As the baby transitions from breast milk or formula to other foods, it is better to start with foods that are smooth in texture and require less chewing in the initial weeks. The soft-textured foods are easier for the baby to swallow. The baby may spit out food in the beginning as its mouth gets used to the variety of tastes but may accept them if they are offered repeatedly over various meals. When weaning off breastfeeding, the feeds should be dropped one at a time over several days giving the baby time to adjust to the new tastes.
Babies can start the weaning process with soft-textured foods like pureed fruits (bananas, mangoes, apples and prunes), pureed vegetables, (carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, and sweet potato), and single-grain cereals mixed with breast milk or formula. Once the baby gets used to purees, added textures of mashed foods, small pieces of pasta and teething rusks can be introduced. As the baby’s teeth erupt and he / she is able to bite into foods with more confidence, solid foods can be added. When introducing solids, it is important to watch out for choking hazards, especially through foods like grapes, cherry tomatoes, or sausages.
There are three broad stages of weaning. All babies may not go through the different stages in the same order, especially when they are following baby-led weaning.
Stage 1 – From around six months of age, new foods are introduced in addition to breast milk or formula that help the baby to explore new tastes and textures. The foods are introduced in very small quantities and are often mixed with breast milk or formula to help the baby transition into the new tastes better. Often, the foods are part of just one the baby’s meals in a day. The intake of breast milk or formula is not reduced during this time. The stage may last from a few days to up to a month.
Stage 2 – Having grown accustomed to eating pureed and mashed foods, the baby is ready to graduate to lumpier and thicker textures and solid foods that require chewing. A good balance of iron rich foods, carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables and unsaturated fats can be included in the diet at this stage.
Stage 3 – Around the age of 9 months to one year, when the baby’s teeth have erupted, the variety of foods and textures provided to the baby can be further increased. Firmer, crunchier foods like carrot sticks, toast fingers, steamed vegetables and other foods that need to be bitten into and chewed well can be introduced in stage 3.
