Mixed Feeding

Mixed feeding

Making a good start

Don’t be in a hurry to start if your baby is thriving and gaining weight on milk from the breast or bottle and is under 5 months old, she probably doesn’t need anything else.

Don’t imagine that solid food will mean more sleep. Feeding cereal at teatime will not make your baby sleep longer at night. If she wants more food, give her more milk. If she doesn’t want more food it should not be forced on her.

 Don’t ever put cereals in her bottle. That is forced feeding: making her take cereal she may not want in order to get the milk (and water) she does want. 

Don’t confuse mixed feeding with weaning. Even when she does start to take some solid foods they are not meant to be instead of any of her milk but in addition to it.

Don’t try to make her eat it’s your job to offer and to help but it’s never sensible to try to force food on her.

Do realize that your baby has to learn that things that aren’t milk can be food. So far she only knows about sucking milk to deal with hunger: it will take her a while to realize that what you offer from a spoon can be an alternative.

Do make use of her desire to explore everything with her mouth. If you hand her a rattle, she sucks it. If you hand her a crust or a spoon she will do the same. Doing it her  self is the best way for her to enjoy the whole business.

Do make use of her sociability and dawning desire to imitate. Sitting with you and “sharing” your meal is the natural way to start eating.

Do remember that her taste buds are different from your. Some thing will taste very strong to her because her palate has not yet been assaulted by adult flavors; some tastes she will not yet distinguish, as far as we know. Keep her early foods very bland. Don’t try to force anything she dislikes but don’t be surprised if she suddenly refuses something she accepted yesterday.