When is the best time to wean?

By Annie Seeley

Mums weaning their baby today have more food choices and abundance than ever before. They also have to contend with conflicting advice so it can be difficult to know what foods to introduce when.
Basic nutrition advice hasn't changed over the last 20 or 30 years, there is just more scientific evidence to support it. The recommendations on weaning are pretty much the same too though there is more information and advice available.

When to wean...

There has been one key change to advice recently: to wait until baby is about 6 month's old before weaning. This was issued by The World Health Organisation in 2005. The main reason it was introduced is that before 6 months babies get all the nutrients they need from milk. UK government advice (Department of Health and Food Standards Agency) is based on this, though they do recognise that all babies are different and many are ready to wean before 6 months.

Some of the signs that a baby is ready for solids are when they:

1. Can sit up assisted,
2. hold their head well,
3. hold objects and put them in their mouth,
4. chew on their hands (though this can be a sign of teething too) and other objects,
5. show an interest in food,
6. have been drinking the same amount of milk for a while and even if mum increases milk feeds over a few days they wake in the night or after naps,
7. hungry or are still hungry after feeds.

Weaning before 17 weeks (4 months) is can put a strain on a baby's digestive system because it's not fully developed and introducing solid food can lead to allergies.
If either mum or dad has an allergy then it's all the more important to delay solids before 6 months as baby will be more likely to develop an allergy. Mum's in this situation need to speak to their Health Visitor, GP, community dietician or nutritionist.

What to introduce when...

First food purees should be simple, smooth fruit, vegetable and baby rice purees. Babies weaned at 6 months can have soft lumps introduced after a couple of weeks, and the puree can be thicker too. For babies weaned before 6 months it's a more gradual process in terms of amount of food, thickness and also types of food.

Babies weaned at 6 months need to have first protein foods given after about a couple of weeks. The reason for this is that at 6 months they need more calories, protein and iron. First protein foods should ideally be beans or pulses, followed by chicken, lean meat and fish (including oily fish).

After 6 months, bread, pasta and other foods that contain gluten can be given as can eggs. Before this age these foods can increase baby's risk of developing an allergy.
Other foods that can be given from 6 months include citrus fruits, berries and vegetables like aubergines, onions and brassicas. Dairy foods such as cheese, yogurt and cows milk (only as an ingredient not a drink) can also be introduced.

From around 7 months when babies can sit unassisted and have good hand to mouth co-ordination, soft finger foods like melon, banana, pasta or cheese cubes can be given. Because babies can feed themselves with finger foods it gives them a great feeling of control and independence.
Introducing lumpier purees and finger foods at this age is an essential part of baby's development as it encourages chewing and develops mouth muscles. Babies that aren't given lumpy foods before 9 months may refuse them completely.
By the time babies reach a year, they should be eating chopped up family meals (with no added salt of course).

Water, water everywhere...

By 6 months babies need to be drinking from a cup. While there are lots of juice drinks available for babies, the best everyday drink to give them is water. Fruit juice, juice drinks and squashes, even if they are low sugar options are bad for teeth if they are drunk often between meals. Once mum has established water as the everyday drink watered down fruit juice can be given at meal times. The vitamin C in the juice will help increase iron absorption from food.

Organic vs "conventionally" farmed...

There is a lot of debate about whether organic is healthier than conventionally farmed foods. Organic farming has higher animal welfare standards compared to conventionally farmed meat and fish. Organic farmers use only a few benign pesticides and animal medicines. This is because they believe that these should only be used as a last resort. Organic foods are therefore less likely to contain pesticide or antibiotic residues compared to "conventionally" grown. Ready made baby foods do have to have low levels of pesticides by law.

There are some studies that have shown that organic fruit and vegetables can have higher levels of vitamin C and minerals such as calcium and iron. There is also evidence that organic milk contains more healthy omega 3 fats and vitamin E. Even this year studies have found that children who drink organic milk are less likely to get eczema.

Of course, organic food is really the conventionally grown food. Which is probably one of the reasons why people are reluctant to spend more money on it. There are ways to get organic food cheaper: grow your own, getting a veggie box or buying direct from farm shops (see bigbarn.co.uk).

Weaning should be an exciting new phase for mum and baby. However, mothers are biologically programmed to worry about babies and food. Granny can support and reassure her even by just by having a calm approach to feeding and giving helpful suggestions.

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