Take your own time to wean your baby. Stopping breastfeeding is called weaning. There is no ‘right’ time because it depends on when both you and your child are ready. Stopping breastfeeding all of a sudden might create problems for both of you.

Gradually introduce your babies to solid foods. Good food choices are like investments in a bank, they come in handy later. So, start feeding your little one good food early.

Exclusively breastfeeding your baby for the first six months is excellent. After that stage, an infant diet should include a variety of different tastes and textures. Have them sample a little bit of everything. This is the time when your baby starts developing a taste for different kinds of food. This can also help prevent allergies to the same food later on in life. You will be glad to have followed our advice when cooking for your child doesn’t give you a headache later 🙂

A balanced diet for infants should include vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy and protein. These will provide your baby with all the necessary nutrients to support their growth, learning and development. Here’s how to begin:

• When your baby is between 4-6 months of age, include some single- grain cereals in your infant diet. Make a porridge by mixing it with baby formula, breast milk or sometimes water. Your baby is born with a natural reserve of iron. This reserve of iron starts depleting around six months of age. Single- grain cereals are an excellent source of iron and easy to digest too!
• When your baby reaches 6-8 months of age, their digestive system becomes stronger and can take on pureed and strained fruits and vegetables. Wash the fruits or vegetables. Then steam, bake or boil them until they become soft and mushy. Use a food processor or blender to make a puree out of it. Add a little breast milk, baby formula or water to make the consistency a little watery. Keep adding less of whichever liquid you’re using as your baby becomes used to the solid food.
• Between months 8-10, your baby is ready to eat mashed fruits and vegetables. Follow the same steps as before, but skip blending or pureeing. You can also try giving your baby scrambled eggs.
• Once your baby has reached ten months of age, you can try giving them small bite- sized bits of fruits, vegetables, cheese, hard boiled eggs, etc. make sure the pieces are not too big or your baby might choke on them.
• By 10-12 months of age, your baby is old enough to eat everything that you have. There is no need to hold back on peanuts, wheat, egg or other allergens. Studies have proven that introducing your baby to allergens may in fact prevent allergies from developing in the future.

Wait for a few days between introducing new foods to your baby. This can help in monitoring allergic reactions that might happen. If you have any more concerns, comment with them down below and we’ll come up with a solution for you! 🙂