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Food writer and Mum’s favourite Annabel Karmel spoke to us recently about weaning your little one. It can be a daunting experience for many parents but here Annabel offers some advice which could make the process happier all round.
How important is the weaning process?
Really important because babies grow so rapidly during the first year of their life and their organs like their brain are developing. They need certain nutrients – they need essential fatty acids, it’s very important for brain and visual development. If you’re going to bring your baby up on jars of baby food it’s really hard to find a jar which has salmon, which has essential fatty acids. You can really only get them if you cook yourself.
Is it time consuming to cook yourself?
To be honest it really doesn’t take very long and what you do is you cook more than you need and you just freeze it in trays. So you could cook one day a week and have enough for your baby for the entire week.
Many Mums say they find the weaning process daunting. What advice would you offer?
It’s very confusing. First of all, When do you start to wean? The new regulations are six months but you go to the supermarket and look at jars of baby food and it says suitable from four months. I think I agree that if you can wait until six months that’s probably the best but some babies just aren’t satisfied with milk alone and therefore you could introduce very simple purees like potato, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash. Babies need calories to grow so good fats like cheese, avocado or meat are foods that babies should be having more of earlier on.
Do we need to be aware of food allergies?
If there’s no history of allergy in your family I think the chances of your child developing a food allergy are quite small and if you think your child is allergic to a food you shouldn’t just take that food out of your child’s diet without getting proper medical advice because you may be doing them more harm than good.
When should we move from purees to more textured foods?
The muscles they use for chewing are the same muscles they use for their speech development and also if you continue to give very smooth purees for to long they get very lazy. I would start introducing texture from seven or eight months. One very good way is to take the child’s favourite vegetable puree and put tiny pasta shapes in it.
When would you expect a toddler to sit and enjoy a family meal?
From 18 months to 2 years you could be all eating the same food. Choose food that’s child friendly. It’s got to look reasonably attractive.
Make sure your baby is ready for solid food before you give it to her. Don’t rush her into eating solid food. Some babies are ready for it at four months. Some babies aren’t ready until they are older. Your baby’s weight or age alone does not determine her readiness for solid food.
Here are some signs to look for that will tell you if your baby is ready to try solid food:
• She holds her head steady and sits with support.
• She reaches for and shows interest in food.
• She opens her mouth when she sees food.
• She no longer thrusts her tongue out during feeding, so she’s able to keep food in her mouth and swallow it.
• She turns her head away when she is full.
Most babies are ready for baby cereal when they are between four and six months of age. Ask your doctor about the best time to start your baby on solid food. Rice, oatmeal or barley cereals are OK if they are finely ground. Use them one at a time.
Mix some infant cereal with breast milk in a bowl. You can also use formula instead of breast milk. Don’t use cow’s milk or any other kind of milk or other liquid. Hold your baby in a sitting position or put her in a child seat on the floor (Be sure she is strapped in.) so she doesn’t choke. Always use a spoon to feed solid foods to your baby.
See if your baby will take half of a very small spoonful. If she turns her head away or cries, she is not ready. Try again in a week or two.
When she is ready, she will take small, messy bites. She may roll the food around in her mouth or feel it repeatedly with her tongue. Making a mess is part of learning, so just have fun with her. At this age, your breast milk or infant formula provides all the nutrition your baby needs.
Give your baby only one new food at a time. You can then see if any one of the foods causes allergic reactions. Right now, only infant cereals are a good choice. If one of these types of cereals is a problem for her, she will vomit or get a rash. She may also have diarrhea. If this happens, call your doctor or go to your clinic.
Breastfeeding tips for new and expecting dads. Breastfeeding is natural and important for your newborn babies.
Breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do. It is one of the most important things that you can do to give your child the very best start in life and it is likely to be the first most important decision a mother and family will make about their baby’s health and upbringing.
We may all possibly be aware of the major benefits to mother and baby that breastfeeding confers.
But it does take commitment from both mother and family.
Possibly one of the biggest issues is that breastfed babies often spend more time ‘at the breast’ than formula fed children do whilst being fed; this is purely because bottle-feeding is functional (the activity only provides food).
Breastfeeding however provides food and nurturing. It is common for the baby to snuggle up to mother and fall asleep whilst feeding in this comfortable, secure environment (this intimacy leads to bonding which is a very important aspect of breastfeeding).
For this reason I personally thought for the first six months that our new baby did not have a face! I only ever saw the back of his head!
This leads on to more practical matters such as making sure mother and baby are comfortable for these periods and as happy and secure as you can make them both. Although this can mean a lot of ‘nurse-maiding’ it is wise for dads to remember that they are part of a team giving baby the best food, on tap, when he or she needs it. It comes out of the breast ‘ready to serve’ and is tailored to the baby’s age and nutritional needs. There are also no bottles to worry about, no formulas to mix, you don’t have to worry about sterilising everything, getting the temperature right, and, baby’s poo even smells better!!
Breastfeeding is not just the best source of food but also a good source of comfort and security. Mother’s bonding with her child can start here, if it has not already happened during pregnancy; breastfeeding is the most natural way of bonding. The eye-to-eye and skin-to-skin contact that breastfeeding requires strengthens the attachment between mo1ther and child. Breastfeeding helps mother to get to know and understand her baby. It is an important step in building a trusting relationship that extends well beyond baby years; it is not just the best source of food for a growing baby but the ultimate in terms of safety and security.
There are some emotional adjustments to be made. Family members may become jealous of the intimacy and attachments that occur between mother and baby through breastfeeding. From a father’s perspective, one sometimes has to wrestle with one’s feelings for baby, as this new-comer muscles in on what was your sole territory. But this time is very important for mother and baby, and it is often easy to forget that a family’s job is to care for and support mother as well as baby.
The help required from family members is very important but the most important is the care and support from dad. He can provide physical and emotional reassurance, he can head off discouragement and negative criticisms from other family members, and he can make mother comfortable whilst breastfeeding with such simple things as providing food and drinks, or even helping with the household chores or with other siblings.
Sleeping can also be an awkward time. If you do not want to sleep with baby in the bed, the cot should be placed in close proximity so that mother can virtually ‘do it in her sleep’. But here breastfeeding can be a major benefit to other family members because they may not be woken in the middle of the night. Mother simply attaches the baby and satisfaction is guaranteed!
There are other lifestyle modifications that are required for breastfeeding:
There are many other reasons that breastfeeding should be the first choice food for babies.
Just remember breastfeeding can be good for baby, mother and family – breast milk is perfectly formulated to meet your baby’s nutritional needs and…
It’s what breasts were designed for!
Breast really is best.
While it is natural to divest some irrepressible cravings during pregnancy, your baby does not justify all excesses. Pounds made during these nine months are sometimes difficult to lose… Watching your diet is essential. By following these recommendations you give yourself the chance of having the most beautiful 9 months of your life.
Being pregnant produce many changes in the body. The nutritional needs have increased, to feed the baby future… but also the mother! Should you change your diet?
In your stomach, the future baby eats the same things as you! It is therefore essential to avoid deficiencies. But the meals of the mother not only cover needs. They are the source of tastes of the fetus and may even influence the sex of the child! What products are at risk What is the influence of diet during pregnancy?
It is important to provide baby everything it needs during these nine months, eating balanced and varied. But there are also foods to avoid during these nine months, if not they threaten the health of babies, starting with alcohol!
Alcohol is certainly with tobacco the sworn enemy of pregnant women. Today, we know that even one drink of alcohol can be harmful to the baby, especially if taken during certain development milestones. So remember: total abstinence for 9 months.
Some foodborne illness can have serious consequences in pregnant women: among the food-borne diseases, toxoplasmosis and listeriosis are particularly serious. Some tips:
-Eat very well cooked meat.
-Avoid consuming raw foods (smoked fish, and raw milk cheese from raw milk).
-Avoid deli-like rillettes, pies and frozen products Remove the cheese rind.
In all cases, try to take strict hygiene precautions for the preservation and handling of food.
During pregnancy, avoid excess calorie foods too. Indeed, maternal obesity increases the risks for mother and child: hypertension, toxaemia, diabetes, urinary tract infections, thromboembolic accidents.
The risks of childbirth are also increased, with a high percentage of Caesarean sections. Weight gain during pregnancy should be limited and warrants a very regular medical monitoring.
You’re in the family history of food allergy? If the father or the mother had a history of reaction to food, the baby allergic may be multiplied by two or three. And it is multiplied by 5 if both parents have experienced the problem.
Above all, always ask advice from your doctor to confirm the risk of allergy for your baby and what foods to avoid, for the mother and the baby. Keep baby in as long as possible prior to diversify food: six months before introducing the first food.
Do not give your baby eggs, wheat, fish, chocolate and citrus fruits before the age of one year (the doctor then to compose menus tailored to baby to avoid deficiencies). In case of ‘Allergic to cow’s milk, of course, avoid dairy products, but also those that contain lactose. In some cases, it should also outlaw beef and veal. Do not give the baby peanuts before the age of three.
Finally, in teenage pregnancy requires increased surveillance on nutrition: the specific needs of this age are combined with being pregnant.
Global baby food market is growing rapidly, particularly in the emerging economies. But still, North America and Europe account for the major share in total revenues. However, as for future, emerging countries like China, Russia, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia and Romania represents the most attractive markets for baby food industry.
Baby Food Market – Opportunities in Emerging Markets report has been made to help clients in analyzing the opportunities, challenges and drivers critical to the growth of the industry in the emerging economies.
Key Findings of the Report
Do you want a Gluten Free Baby?
Many people who are not coeliac/ celiac may wonder why people would consider restricting a baby’s diet from gluten or wheat, unless there is an obvious reaction. The following new research suggests some very good reasons to â
When your baby can sit with support, hold his head steady, and can take food off with his mouth from the spoon and swallow it easily, this is the right time to move to the next diet stage. This usually occurs when baby is 4 to 6 months old.
The first food your baby can eat is baby cereals. After baby cereals, you can give your baby rice, then oatmeal. Later on, when he knows how to drink from a babies small cup, you can give him a freshly squeeze fruit juice for his vitamin C supplement.
Once your baby reached 6 to 8 months old, he can now hold and grab onto things. He can sit without support and he can begin to chew foods. The best foods that you can give him on his stage are pureed, mashed, and strained foods. You can try to boil a potato or a carrot and then mashed it. You can also give soft fruits for him to eat.
Later on, you can give him strained meat; cooked and mashed dry beans, and boned and cooked fish.
At the age of 8 to 10 months old, your baby can take a full bite of foods. He can pick up small pieces and he can feed himself. You can move to the next food level, which are cooked and mashed egg yolks, and Cottage cheese and yogurt. You can also give him crackers, small pieces of cooked vegetables and peeled soft fruits.
When your baby reaches age 10 to 12 months old, he can now chew and swallow mash food. You can give him soft foods that the rest of the family can eat like crackers, cereals, cooked meat, peas and lentils, and cooked egg yolks.
It is best to offer your baby 3 small amounts of foods everyday. Older babies can eat larger amount of solid foods in a day. It is best to allow your baby to choose how much he will eat. Never force nor encourage your baby to eat more than he wishes to eat.
Hosting a successful baby shower requires good planning and organization. Here’s a timeline and step-by-step planning guide that will help you organize and prepare a successful baby shower, stay in control during the baby shower party, All About Baby Showers and ensure the Mommy-to-Be has the time of her life.
Ten Weeks Before:
—– Decide on a general baby shower plan
—– Prepare a budget
—– Set the date of the baby shower
—– Select the location for the baby shower party
Eight Weeks Before:
—– Prepare guest list; ensure addresses are correct
—– Determine the baby shower theme
—– Choose the food for the baby shower
—– If catering, hire the caterer
—– Order personalized baby shower invitations with matching baby shower thank you cards
Six Weeks Before:
—– Ensure the printed baby shower invitations and matching baby shower thank you cards have arrived
—– Start addressing the custom baby shower invitations
—– Assign responsibilities for various duties for the baby shower
—– Delegate one guest to photograph and / or videotape the baby shower
Four Weeks Before:
—– Mail unique baby shower invitations to invited guests
—– Order baby shower party supplies
—– Book the entertainer if one is planned or budgeted for
Three Weeks Before:
—– Count the serving ware you have available
—– Conclude the baby shower menu
—– Start buying the nonperishable baby shower items
—– Select the baby shower games to be played at the baby shower party
Two Weeks Before:
—– Call invited guests who have not relied to the unique baby shower invitations
—– Verify all baby shower party favors and baby shower party supplies will arrive on time
—– Create seating arrangements for guests at the baby shower
—– Purchase beverages for the baby shower
—– Buy the present for the Mommy-to-Be
One Week Before:
—– Place order with the florist
—– Order baby shower cake, if you’re not baking it yourself
—– Order any prepared foods
—– Order baby shower balloons
—– Inventory household supplies
—– If it is a surprise baby shower, develop a plan for Mommy-to-Be to get to the baby shower party
—– Assemble the baby shower favors and baby shower decorations
—– Confirm rentals, entertainment and baby shower party site, if not at your home
One Day Before:
—– Clean house where baby shower will be held, if at a home
—– Cook dishes that can be prepared in advance
—– Bake the baby shower cake and refrigerate
—– Check in delivery of rentals
—– Buy perishable ingredients and ice
—– Wrap baby shower present to the Mommy-to-Be
—– Begin decorating
Day of the Party:
—– Get flowers from the florist, if ordered
—– Pick up cake or frost cake if baked at home
—– Get prepared foods, rolls and bread
—– Finish assembling homemade food and cooking
—– Set up the gift station for the baby shower gifts
—– Final cleanup of the bathroom or powder room
—– Set tables
—– Arrive early if baby shower party site is not at your home
During the Party:
—– Greet guests
—– Kick off the baby shower party
—– Coordinate with your guest video recorder and / or photographer
After the Party:
—– Gather all the baby shower presents
—– Pay balances and tips if baby shower is not at your home
—– Allow others to help you clean up
You can view lot of printable Baby Shower Announcements, Baby Shower Invitations and Baby Shower Cards, add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!
Just because you are a parent now does not mean you can’t occasionally dine out without feeling guilty about leaving the baby at home. The problem is that your baby, who may not find the prospect highly exciting, could end up feeling bored or neglected.
A little forethought and planning however can ensure that eating out will be as much fun for you as for your child. Here are some valuable tips to make dining out with your baby a pleasant experience for you:
Dine in a quiet and un-crowded eatery: Crowded restaurants will tend to make your baby restless and cranky.