auzziekat
12-15-2005, 06:35 AM
Hi,
Here is Part 2 of the article that I wrote.
Enjoy
Kathy
STAGE 2
Learning to chew - soft lumps 7 months to 8-9 months
When to give
• Build up to three times a day. Towards the end of this stage you may like to give solids before milk and get into a routine of breakfast, lunch and tea.
• Milk is still very important though, and you may prefer to breastfeed (or give a bottle) when the baby first wakes in the morning or after a nap, then give solids later with the rest of the family.
• Bottle-fed babies usually have about 4 milk feeds a day at this age. This routine suits some breastfeeding couples as part of gradual weaning, but others will like to feed more often. This is fine as long as the baby is taking some solids. You can do whatever suits you and your family.
Foods to give
• Cereals - rice cereal and other baby cereals. You can mix them with fruit and milk. Keep giving baby cereals most days in the first year to be sure your baby gets enough iron. Do not mix baby cereals with other cereals, as this may stop iron being well absorbed.
• Other cereal foods - rice, pasta, oatmeal, bread (eg rusks).
• Vegetables - all sorts, cooked and mashed.
• Fruits- as in Stage 1. Add others if you haven't yet tried them (eg peaches, apricots, mango, papaya).
• Fish, meat, chicken - well cooked, moist, pureed to start with, then finely minced (or frozen and grated).
• Milk foods - as in Stage 1. Also try grated cheese, cheese sauces, milk puddings (eg semolina), cottage and cream cheese.
• Egg - well cooked. Try a small amount first. If there is a strong family history of allergies such as eczema or asthma, or if the baby has eczema, do not give egg, especially egg white, until 12 months.
Texture
Mashed (but moist) or soft lumps. Do not keep pureeing at this stage (except meat) as your baby may find it hard to learn to chew later. Don't be too alarmed if she gags a little at first, that is how she clears her throat. Just give small amounts of soft lumps until she gets used to them.
fruit and rice custard
blended meat casserole
mashed potato
mashed carrot
How much
Two tablespoons to half a cup or more if your baby wants it. You can offer two courses - a savory and a sweet, at some meals.
How to give
• By now your baby will enjoy sitting in a high chair at family meals, though you may find it easier to feed her first, then give her tastes of what the family is having.
• Your baby is the only one who knows when she has had enough. It is important that she learns to control her own eating if she is to avoid problems with weight now or later, so do not push her to take more than she wants.
This stage and the next are likely to be quite messy.
• Babies learn about food the same way they learn about other things, by touching, squashing, spreading or even throwing, as well as eating.
• Try to accept this exploring as normal, or take the plate away if it gets too much. Don't pay a lot of attention or it might be repeated to get your reaction.
• Use a big bib on the baby (plastic ones are good) and put newspaper or plastic on the floor under the chair.
Storing baby food
• Once food has been warmed and offered to the baby, throw out any left in the bowl.
• Freshly cooked food should be kept in the fridge and used within 48 hours.
• Food can be frozen to keep it longer. You may like to prepare a quantity of vegetables or fruit then freeze it in ice-cube trays. Store the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer then just reheat one or two when you want them.
Prepared baby foods (in cans or jars)
• These are quite alright for your baby if you want to use them.
• They provide good nutrition and are safe (free from germs).
• They are easy to use and convenient.
However, there are some good reasons for not using them all the time.
• They are more expensive than home-cooked foods.
• They don't help the baby get to know about normal foods. They look, taste and smell different.
• They have foods mixed together so the baby can't learn about each one.
• Some babies get so used to them that it is hard to change to normal foods later.
Here is Part 2 of the article that I wrote.
Enjoy
Kathy
STAGE 2
Learning to chew - soft lumps 7 months to 8-9 months
When to give
• Build up to three times a day. Towards the end of this stage you may like to give solids before milk and get into a routine of breakfast, lunch and tea.
• Milk is still very important though, and you may prefer to breastfeed (or give a bottle) when the baby first wakes in the morning or after a nap, then give solids later with the rest of the family.
• Bottle-fed babies usually have about 4 milk feeds a day at this age. This routine suits some breastfeeding couples as part of gradual weaning, but others will like to feed more often. This is fine as long as the baby is taking some solids. You can do whatever suits you and your family.
Foods to give
• Cereals - rice cereal and other baby cereals. You can mix them with fruit and milk. Keep giving baby cereals most days in the first year to be sure your baby gets enough iron. Do not mix baby cereals with other cereals, as this may stop iron being well absorbed.
• Other cereal foods - rice, pasta, oatmeal, bread (eg rusks).
• Vegetables - all sorts, cooked and mashed.
• Fruits- as in Stage 1. Add others if you haven't yet tried them (eg peaches, apricots, mango, papaya).
• Fish, meat, chicken - well cooked, moist, pureed to start with, then finely minced (or frozen and grated).
• Milk foods - as in Stage 1. Also try grated cheese, cheese sauces, milk puddings (eg semolina), cottage and cream cheese.
• Egg - well cooked. Try a small amount first. If there is a strong family history of allergies such as eczema or asthma, or if the baby has eczema, do not give egg, especially egg white, until 12 months.
Texture
Mashed (but moist) or soft lumps. Do not keep pureeing at this stage (except meat) as your baby may find it hard to learn to chew later. Don't be too alarmed if she gags a little at first, that is how she clears her throat. Just give small amounts of soft lumps until she gets used to them.
fruit and rice custard
blended meat casserole
mashed potato
mashed carrot
How much
Two tablespoons to half a cup or more if your baby wants it. You can offer two courses - a savory and a sweet, at some meals.
How to give
• By now your baby will enjoy sitting in a high chair at family meals, though you may find it easier to feed her first, then give her tastes of what the family is having.
• Your baby is the only one who knows when she has had enough. It is important that she learns to control her own eating if she is to avoid problems with weight now or later, so do not push her to take more than she wants.
This stage and the next are likely to be quite messy.
• Babies learn about food the same way they learn about other things, by touching, squashing, spreading or even throwing, as well as eating.
• Try to accept this exploring as normal, or take the plate away if it gets too much. Don't pay a lot of attention or it might be repeated to get your reaction.
• Use a big bib on the baby (plastic ones are good) and put newspaper or plastic on the floor under the chair.
Storing baby food
• Once food has been warmed and offered to the baby, throw out any left in the bowl.
• Freshly cooked food should be kept in the fridge and used within 48 hours.
• Food can be frozen to keep it longer. You may like to prepare a quantity of vegetables or fruit then freeze it in ice-cube trays. Store the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer then just reheat one or two when you want them.
Prepared baby foods (in cans or jars)
• These are quite alright for your baby if you want to use them.
• They provide good nutrition and are safe (free from germs).
• They are easy to use and convenient.
However, there are some good reasons for not using them all the time.
• They are more expensive than home-cooked foods.
• They don't help the baby get to know about normal foods. They look, taste and smell different.
• They have foods mixed together so the baby can't learn about each one.
• Some babies get so used to them that it is hard to change to normal foods later.