#1:Welcome to the Weaning Journey: When, Why, and How to Start Solids Confidently

Welcome to the first episode of the Introducing Solids with Weanish podcast. I'm your host, Rennae Hoare, children's nutritionist, mum to two, and founder of the infant and toddler feeding community, Weanish.

If you're a new mum and in the midst of milestones and mayhem, you are in the right place.

This podcast is all things feeding, delivered in bite-sized chunks from six months to school age. It has you covered. In today's episode, we're starting from the beginning.

So if you're feeling overwhelmed, unsure, or just plain confused about introducing your baby to solids, I've got you. I'll walk you through what you need to know before introducing first feeds, when to start, and what signs to look for in your baby before you begin. Basically, you'll walk away with the knowledge and confidence you'll need to make weaning easy and fun.

You'll also know what to do next to gain more confidence. So if your bub's asleep, grab a coffee, put your feet up, and start taking notes. Let's get into it.

I want to start this episode with a story. So 12 years ago, I found myself in New York with a five-month-old baby, no family around. My husband and I were Aussie expats living in Manhattan and having the time of our life, and we had just had our first baby.

And just like you, we had no idea what we were doing. So when we got to the weaning stage, it took a lot of time and talking with mum friends, pretty much trying to figure it out. I spent a lot of time reading books and researching as there wasn't one place to find the necessary information.

My paediatrician would tell me one thing, books would tell me another, and then mum friends had their own take. There was just so much noise, and it took me time and trial and error to figure it out. I mean, luckily for my son, I managed it, and luckily for me, he absolutely took to food like a duck to water.

He was a born foodie. His joy of food and mealtimes really changed the trajectory of my life. I know it sounds cliche, but honestly, as a mum, you know how all-consuming mothering can be, and when your baby finds joy in something, you sort of, you just go all in.

Well, that's what I did. I started blogging about baby-led weaning, and I started a business distributing baby-feeding products when we moved back to Australia. Then I studied children's nutrition, and then I launched Weanish, and here we are today, 12 years later, launching a podcast.

I mean, who would have thought that avocado on toast could lead me here? I certainly did not see this.

Since delving into the world of weaning, I have seen a huge shift in baby-feeding and the introduction of solids. I also see the overwhelm, fear, misinformation, and comparisonitis, and the pressure that parents put on themselves. So before we go any further, I want you to know that you and your baby are exactly where you need to be. There's no one right way to introduce solids.

There's no magic age or date. It's about finding what works best for you and your baby. So let's pause for a second and let that sink in.

You and your baby are exactly where you need to be.

Okay. Now let's get started with the basics of starting solids.

Why do babies need solid food? Let's just start there. Up until six months old, a baby's primary source of nutrients is milk, whether that be breast milk or formula, and it will continue to be the main source of nutrients until they are 12 months old.

From six months of age, a baby's iron stores start to deplete and breast milk or formula alone doesn't deliver the required nutritional needs for a growing baby. So this is when solids come in, specifically iron-rich solids.

The first two years of life are super important for setting healthy eating habits and supporting brain development.

Getting good nutrition throughout that period helps your little one grow strong, think clearly, and stay healthy long-term. While poor nutrition can cause serious problems like delayed development and health issues later in life. Let's have a look at when to introduce solids.

The World Health Organization, better known as WHO, recommends solids be introduced from six months, which is 180 days, alongside milk feeds and babies should be offered a diverse diet of meat, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. Paying particular attention to the nine high-allergen foods, and served in age-appropriate forms.

This recommendation sits alongside the other signs of readiness, and we'll touch on those soon.

So let's discuss why it's important to wait until six months. Studies have shown that introducing foods before six months of age has actually no increased effect on iron levels, but can affect the gastrointestinal tract and the gut negatively, resulting in gastrointestinal diseases, inferior nutritional quality of foods compared to breast milk, inadequate developmental readiness to consume said foods, and an increased risk of obesity in childhood and in later life.

These are just a few reasons why we should wait. And I think that they're quite valid. We, as carers, are looking at the health of our baby, and we want to do everything we can to maintain that health.

So let's have a look at the signs of readiness. There's no one size fits all answer for when to start solids. Just like how babies reach milestones like rolling, crawling, walking in their own time, their little digestive systems are ready at different times too.

So instead of focusing on a specific age or weight, it's about watching for signs that your baby is ready. These milestones are like your baby's way of giving you the green light, let's say, to start their weaning journey. So let's talk about those green lights that you need to look for when assessing if your baby is ready for food.

Number one, your baby should be able to sit up well without support. Sitting upright isn't just about posture, it's a developmental indication of the readiness of other important systems like digestion, immunity, and kidney function. Baby should be able to sit in a high chair without slouching or tilting to the side.

This allows for a clear path from mouth to stomach and the ability to comfortably use their hands to reach for food.

Number two, your baby should have good head and neck control.

Head and neck control are important as this allows for your baby to remain in an upright position throughout the meal without slumping forward.

If slumping does occur, it can block the airway and increase the chance of choking.

Number three, your baby should have good hand-to-mouth coordination.

What does that mean?

Hand-to-mouth coordination means that your baby should be able to pick something up and bring it to their mouth easily and with control. It will also ensure that your baby will be able to self-feed more easily.

Number four, showing an interest in food.

If your baby is watching you eat, following your progress of lifting food from your plate to your mouth and reaching or grabbing food off your plate, this is a good indication that they are interested in food. We want this to happen. We want to see this.

And finally, number five, all of these signs of readiness should be shown as well as the six-month age milestone. So if all of those things are happening, it's time to start solids.

Now before you say, but Rennae, my baby is six months old and still doesn't show all the signs, don't worry, you know, as I said earlier, each baby is unique in its development and will get there in its own time.

So maybe just wait a week or maybe two, and just keep watching and your baby will get there eventually. In saying that, if your little one has hit seven months and some of the signs aren't being displayed, this is probably a good time to make an appointment with your doctor. You know your baby best, trust your instincts and go from there.

All right, now, if you're a more visual learner, I have something for you. I have a guide that you can download called The Weanish Guide to Introducing Solids. You'll find the link in the show notes, and this guide complements today's topic, and it gives you more in-depth information.

It also has a Preparing for Solids checklist that you can use to identify if you and your baby are ready.

We've discussed the signs of readiness and other signs you need to be aware of are the actions and behaviours your baby will display when they've had enough.

It's important to take note of these behaviours as we don't want bubs getting distressed at mealtimes, as this will give solids a negative association and could make mealtimes difficult in the future.

I really want you to think about these signs when you start introducing solids and take note.

The signs that you should be looking for if your baby is full include, your baby will turn their head away when you offer food, or your baby might use their arms to windscreen wipe food off the highchair tray. They could be picking up their food and dropping it on the floor, or they could just be throwing their food.

They could be arching their back and pulling away from the food or the spoon when offered. They could simply just start to cry. They could rub their face and eyes, and this is usually an indication of tiredness.

They could just literally stop being interested in the food, and they could just get distracted by anything else that's in the room.

Once you notice these signs, it's a good time to wrap up. Give your baby one firm wipe across the face with a face washer. And a good thing to be conscious of is to not constantly wipe your baby's face throughout the meal, as this can distress him or her, and it can again have a negative effect on meal times. One wipe at the end of the meal will get your baby clean, and it will also signal that the meal is over.

Once Bubby is clean, you can take off the bib and then take them out of the highchair. Babies can only really sit in a highchair attentively for a short time, so that's usually around 10 to 15 minutes. Try and resist the urge to put them in there while you're preparing their foods or leaving them in there after the meal is done. The aim is for them to want to go in the highchair because it's mealtime and mealtimes are fun. Not to want to resist the highchair because they're always in it.

Remember, sitting up for long periods of time for a six month old baby is hard work and it does tire them out.

We have covered a lot today and I hope that that's given you an overview of the basics.

But before you go, I really want to give you a quick summary of what we've discussed, so it's fresh in your mind.

We covered the basics of introducing solids, which is to start at six months old alongside milk feeds, ensuring your milk feeds are the primary source of nutrition. We touched on the readiness signs, which are sitting well without support, good head and neck control, bringing food from plate to mouth, and showing interest in food.

Remember, be sure all these signs have been reached, as well as the age milestone. And if you have any doubts or need reassurance, please consult with your doctor. I also wanted to add at this stage that some medical professionals are still recommending baby start solids from four months of age. This is outdated advice and does go against the WHO recommendations.

We also talked about how to recognise when your baby is full to keep mealtimes positive and stress free.

Now before you go, I just wanted to give you a final reminder that you can download the Weanish Guide to Introducing Solids.

It's packed with everything we talked about today, plus a handy checklist to make sure you and your baby are ready. You'll find the link in the show notes. Thanks so much for joining me today.

I want you to know that you are doing an amazing job, and I am so excited to be part of your feeding journey. See you next week, where we'll be discussing the three most common types of weaning methods.

Until next time, Weanish and I remain your partner in feeding adventures.

Happy weaning.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Introducing Solids with Weanish. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure to subscribe.

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From Introducing Solids with Weanish: Welcome to the Weaning Journey: When, Why, and How to Start Solids Confidently, 18 Oct 2024 https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/introducing-solids-with-weanish/id1774791058?i=1000673616286

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