Weaning Guidelines

Weaning Guidelines

- at mealtime, feed solid foods first, milk last, so your baby can eat while he or she is hungry and drink afterward to relieve thirst.

- introduce a new food by giving your child 1 to 2 tsp at each meal.
- gradually increase this to 3 to 5 tsp.

- always feed solid food from a bowl or plate; never put cereal and breast milk or formula together in the baby's bottle for feeding.
- babies need to differentiate between what they eat and what they drink.
- a bottle is designed for liquids, not for semisolid foods.

- do not add sugar, salt, or other seasonings to your baby's food.
- do not warm your baby's food in a microwave oven; the heating is uneven and creates hot spots.

- pay attention to your baby's signals.
- some babies will let you know if they want more food by opening the mouth & leaning forward.
- if not interested/ no longer hungry, your child may lean back and turn away from the food.

- never force-feed your baby.
- once you have begun to wean your baby, feed him or her at approximately the same times every day.

- be patient with your child when introducing foods.
- sometimes it takes a while for children to get accustomed to the new experience of eating.