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It is estimated that there are 2.4 million cases of food-borne illness in the UK every year but it’s not just restaurants that cause food poisoning – cooking at home can also make you (or your family) sick. The good news is that there are so many things you can do whilst preparing food to prevent this happening. Below, we give our top tips for baby food safety.

Keep it clean

When it comes to food safety, keeping clean is so important. In reality, this doesn’t mean having a ‘spotless’ kitchen but instead, a clean environment where you prepare food, with clean hands, using clean equipment! Here are some top tips to help you organise your kitchen and help you safely prepare meals for your baby and the rest of the family:

• Wash your hands – always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing any food, and particularly after handling raw meat
• Clean work surfaces – disinfect food preparation surfaces using a clean dishcloth before starting any food prep. If you can, use a paper towel squirted with antibacterial spray to clean surfaces after preparing raw meat and poultry as this will help to make sure that you don’t pick up food poisoning germs and spread them around the kitchen
• Clean utensils – make sure equipment is clean before you start using it and if you can, opt for colour coded equipment to reduce the risk of cross contamination between raw and ready to eat foods. Never prepare ready to eat food such as salad on a board that was previously used to prepare raw meat
• Wash fruit and veg – they might be low risk foods, but bacteria can also be found on fruit and veggies too so don’t forget to wash these thoroughly under cold running water before serving to baby. If you’re using frozen veggies in baby’s food, make sure that these are cooked according to the back of pack information before serving to your baby.
• Don’t be tempted to wash raw chicken! – washing your chicken will not ‘wash off’ the bacteria (only cooking will make it safe to eat!). If you wash chicken, instead you are more likely to cause food poisoning by inadvertently spreading more bacteria around the kitchen.

Food Safety – Cooking food for your baby checklist!

Cooking veggies by steaming, boiling or roasting is pretty straightforward, but those first tastes don’t last for long and you’ll soon be branching out to more exciting foods for your baby to try, many of which may include meat or fish. Regardless of how you serve meat to your little one, it’s important to make sure that it is thoroughly cooked.

Remember – just because it’s cooked on the outside, doesn’t mean it’s cooked on the inside! Here’s how you can check that meat is safe for your baby to eat…

• Use a food probe ­­- checking the temperature of the thickest part of the meat is the most accurate way (and the way I would recommend) to check food is cooked, whilst also making sure it is not overcooked! If using a probe, make sure the probe is clean and the meat has a core temperature of 75C for at least 30 seconds.
• Cut into the thickest part of the meat to make sure there is no pink meat visible
• The meat must be steaming hot throughout
• Meat juices run clear

If you find your baby puree needs thinning after cooking, check out Jenna’s article Top tips for thinning baby purees

Cool foods quickly

I am a huge fan of keeping leftovers to use as an easy meal another day! After cooking, make sure you cool any leftovers and pop into the fridge or freezer as soon as possible. Never allow food to sit out on the side for more than 2 hours after cooking.

Be aware that simply putting your hot food in the fridge may not be enough to make sure it is cooled down quickly and safely. There are lots of things you can do to help speed up the cooling of food, such as dividing into smaller portions, using an ice bath or stirring regularly.

Keep leftovers for another day

Whatever your situation, whether you have children or not… reheating leftovers is always a good idea! As a rule of thumb, leftover food can be kept in the fridge and used within 2 days (1 day for rice) but if you want longer than this, then pop your leftovers in the freezer.

Even if you used raw meat or veg which was previously frozen, once cooked you can freeze the leftovers. Freezing “pauses” the growth of bacteria, locks in nutrients, prevents spoilage and ultimately helps reduce wastage!

Defrosting baby purees

If defrosting baby purees, the best way to do this would be overnight in the fridge and use within 24 hours. But, did you know that you can cook baby purees from frozen?!

Reheating baby purees

Baby purees are often best served at room temperature, but don’t be tempted to partially reheat food for your baby to avoid having to wait for it to cool. Unless served cold straight from the fridge, baby purees should always be reheated until piping hot, which means steaming throughout, to kill off bacteria.

The best ways to reheat baby purees are:

• On the hob
• In the microwave

If cooking a portion of baby puree from frozen, make sure you increase the cooking time and stir regularly (every 20 – 30 seconds) to ensure there are no hidden hot spots and that the puree is evenly heated so it is piping hot throughout.

Remember that foods can only be reheated once so make sure you divide your puree into baby friendly portions before storing in the fridge or freezer!

We hope these tips and tricks have helped you become more confident when it comes to food safety for your little ones!

Jenna is a fully qualified Environmental Health Practitioner specialising in food safety and public health.

She obtained a first-class Batchelor (BSc) degree in Environmental Health and has since qualified as an Environmental Health Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). Over the past 12 years she has worked in both the public and private sector advising businesses on all things food safety and public health.

Since becoming a Mum to her 2-year-old little girl Mia, she understands first-hand how much things change when you have a little one to think about too! She has always been passionate about food safety and her mission as Food Safety Mum is to help give parents confidence when cooking at home or when eating out and about!

For lots more food safety advice, follow Jenna on Instagram

@Foodsafetymum

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There are so many options available when thinning purees for babies over 6 months and rest assured you can use anything from tap water, cow’s milk or plant-based milks as well as a splash of your baby’s usual breast milk or formula milk; which will not only help loosen the consistency but also adds a familiar taste.

Whatever you choose to thin your baby’s puree, there are a couple of things you might need to keep in mind if you want to keep the puree for another day…

Top tips for thinning baby purees

Thinning baby purees with formula milk

Whilst you shouldn’t keep leftover bottles of formula milk, it IS perfectly fine to use freshly prepared formula milk as an ingredient within a meal or puree that you wish to keep and reheat another day! Just make sure that if you choose to use formula milk to thin your baby’s puree, you follow these simple guidelines to make sure the leftovers are safe:

1. Before adding to food, make up formula fresh – don’t use leftover milk from a previous feed
2. Make sure any leftovers are cooled quickly and put into the fridge or freezer as soon as possible; ideally within an hour and half but no more than 2 hours
3. Ensure you follow the shelf life guidance in the table below

Thinning baby purees with expressed breast milk

Breast milk is great for your baby for so many reasons, its ideal for thinning baby purees too, especially in the early days of weaning!

You can either….

• Add fresh breast milk – this is the best option if you’re adding to the puree when cooking as it means you can keep the leftovers in the fridge or freezer

• Add a small ice cube of frozen, or a splash of defrosted breastmilk – the most important thing to remember here is that breastmilk must never be refrozen. So, if you’re using previously frozen breast milk, it’s best to add just a splash to the portion you are serving so you don’t end up wasting more than you need to

Thinning baby purees using water or cow’s milk / plant-based milk

You can also thin baby purees using cow’s milk or plant-based milk. Using cow’s milk or plant based milk in cooking is absolutely fine for babies over 6 months. Just don’t substitute their usual milk (breast milk or formula) for any of these varieties until they are at least 1 year old.

Does the water need to be boiled?

No. Tap water is fine for babies over 6 months – although if you can, make use of the water you used to cook your veggies in as this will also help to sneak in an extra splash of nutrients that leached from the vegetables as they were cooked.

Here’s a quick summary of the guidelines…

See our next article for more advice on preparing, reheating and freezing food for baby.

Jenna is a fully qualified Environmental Health Practitioner specialising in food safety and public health.

She obtained a first-class Batchelor (BSc) degree in Environmental Health and has since qualified as an Environmental Health Practitioner with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). Over the past 12 years she has worked in both the public and private sector advising businesses on all things food safety and public health.

Since becoming a Mum to her 2-year-old little girl Mia, she understands first-hand how much things change when you have a little one to think about too! She has always been passionate about food safety and her mission as Food Safety Mum is to help give parents confidence when cooking at home or when eating out and about!

For lots more food safety advice, follow Jenna on Instagram

@Foodsafetymum

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It’s a common misperception that gagging and choking are the same thing and they are often confused… but they are most definitely not the same and it’s important to be able to recognise the difference between the two.

Is gagging normal when weaning my baby?

Think of gagging as your baby’s in-built protective mechanism against choking. Babies have highly sensitive gag reflexes that are triggered very close to the front of the tongue, especially at the start of weaning.

This means that your baby will often gag when they first start on solid foods and for the first few weeks of weaning. This might mean they simply push food out of their mouth with their tongue, or they may retch or look like they are about to be sick. They are rarely distressed by this and will often simply continue eating again straight after.

Gagging occurs because your baby needs to develop and mature their oral motor movements with time as they learn to eat. They don’t yet have the control to coordinate chewing and moving food to the back of their mouth to swallow, so they gag to stop food going down the wrong way. It’s quite clever really!

Therefore, don’t be put off if your baby gags during the early stages of weaning. They are simply learning to train their oral muscles to work in a new and different way and move food from the front of their mouth to the back in order to swallow.

As your baby continues on their weaning journey and practices eating, the gag reflex will move further back in their mouth and they will naturally gag less.

It’s important to note that some babies may have more pronounced gag reflexes, for example if they have suffered with reflux, vomiting, or had tubes for feeding for example. If you’re worried about your baby’s gag reflex always seek help from your GP who can then refer you to a specialist speech and language therapist.

What do I do if my baby gags during feeding?

Firstly, try not to panic and remain calm. This is easier said than done I know, but if you recognise that they are gagging (and not choking) it is important to let their body naturally sort it out for itself rather than intervening.

Try waiting a few seconds, maybe count to ten slowly in your head. It is very likely they will bring the offending food to the front of their mouth and spit it out or start to eat it again.

By stepping back and allowing them to gag, you are allowing them to learn how to coordinate their muscles and perfect this new skill.

It’s important to remember that you should never leave your baby alone whilst feeding and make sure that they are always well supported or able to sit in an upright position. This will significantly reduce the risk of choking as the gag reflex may not be as effective if they are leaning backwards.

How do I tell the difference between gagging and choking?

Choking is very different to gagging. This is when your baby’s airway becomes blocked. They may be coughing and trying to remove the offending obstacle, but they may also be unable to cry, cough or make any noise at all. They may be unable to breathe and you may see their lips or face turn blue.

This is a medical emergency and they will need immediate help.

What foods are a choking risk for my baby?

• Whole nuts – always give nuts ground or as a smooth nut butter
• Whole grapes, blueberries or cherry tomatoes – always serve them quartered
• Fruits with stones such as cherries – remove the stones and serve quartered
• Bony fish – check and remove all bones before offering to your baby
• Cook vegetables so that they are nice and soft for them to chew

What do I do if my baby chokes?

The NHS website, Resuscitation Council UK & the Red Cross websites all have great advice as well as step by step videos to teach you basic first aid and support. You may want to attend a local First Aid Course and your GP should be able to advise you about local courses to you.

If you baby is showing signs of choking, here are some simple steps you can take as advised by the NHS.

1. If you can see the object, try to remove it. Don’t poke blindly or repeatedly or you could push it further back and make things worse.
2. If your baby is coughing, encourage them to keep coughing, this might help to bring up what they are choking on. Don’t leave them.
3. If the coughing isn’t effective (its silent or they can’t breathe in properly) shout for help immediately.
4. If you baby is still conscious, but they are either not coughing or their coughing isn’t effective, use back blows.

Back blows for babies under 1 years old

• Sit down and lay you baby face down along your thighs, supporting their head with your hand.
• Give up to 5 sharp back blows, with the heel of one hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades.
• If back blows don’t relieve the choking and your baby is still conscious, give chest thrusts.

Chest Thrusts for babies under 1 year old:

• Lay your baby face up along the length of your thighs.
• Find the breastbone and place 2 fingers in the middle.
• Give 5 sharp chest thrusts (pushes) compressing the chest by about a third.

Following back blows and chest thrusts reassess your baby or child as follows:

• If the object still hasn’t dislodged and your child is still conscious, continue the sequence of back blows and chest thrusts.
• Call out or send for help if you’re still on your own. Don’t leave your child.

• Call 999 if the blockage doesn’t come out after trying back blows and chest thrusts. Keep trying this cycle until help arrives.
• Even if the object has come out, get medical help. Part of the object might have been left behind, or your child might have been affected by the procedure.

If your baby or becomes unconscious with choking:

• Put them on a firm flat surface and shout for help.
• Call 999, putting the phone on speakerphone so your hands are free.
• Don’t leave them at any stage.
• Open the their mouth. If the object is clearly visible and you can grasp it easily remove it.
• Start CPR

It is important to be able to recognise the difference between gagging and choking and the different ways you should treat both.

Remember, gagging is your baby’s natural in-built protective mechanism to prevent them choking as they learn to feed themselves. Choking however, is when their airway is blocked, and they will need immediate help and First Aid.

This article is written by Dr Chintal Patel.

Dr Chintal Patel is a NHS General Practitioner in London.  She works with families and children and specialises in women’s health.  She also writes a recipe blog sharing health and nutrition information and runs cookery classes for families.   

For more helpful advice visit Dr Chintal Patel’s website www.drchintalskitchen.com and Instagram account @drchintalskitchen

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Did you know that half of all the food bought by families in the UK is now ‘ultra-processed’ which means – made in a factory with endless lists of additives and preservatives,  bearing little resemblance to the fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken and fish you would cook at home. Good eating habits are formed from an early age so our role in helping children to make healthy food choices whilst at home, at school, or eating out is incredibly important. As parents we want our little ones to be fuelled on the right foods, however sometimes it’s one of those ‘easier said than done’ occasions, particularly when they insist on only liking a small handful of failsafe favourites – which are often less than healthy. Sometimes, all kids want is pizza, chips or chicken nuggets and I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of giving into these demands every now and then so as to avoid an ill-timed temper tantrum! I don’t think it’s about completely changing your routine or suddenly disallowing your family’s foodie favourites, but instead it’s more about making healthier versions of these favourites. I personally like the age-old saying of ‘everything in moderation’. Coming up with fun and healthy ways in which you can prepare your children’s food is a real winner rather than focusing on so-called ‘bad’ foods and denying these. Here are some of my top swaps for less ‘naughty’ and more nutritious mealtimes:    

   

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However, with slightly older children this advice changes slightly. Mealtimes with my picky son would always start the same way. I’d lift the spoon or fork to his lips or put something new in front of him to explore, and the battle would commence. He would squirm and shake his head and the floor would end up covered in dinner. In this case, it might not be because they’ve had enough but instead that they are simply trying to assert their independence. But don’t worry, it’s just a phase and soon you’ll start to work out the tricks of the trade to get them playing ball.

Whether you’ve been landed with a fussy eater or not, don’t insist on them eating a big portion as this can often be overwhelming for a small child. Instead, keep mealtimes calm and casual. Rather than portion size, focus more on introducing variety, encouraging curiosity and cultivating healthy eating. Eating a full plate isn’t important.  Instead, get them to try a few mouthfuls of everything and try not to make it into a big deal if they don’t.

Unfortunately, there is often no rhyme or reason as to why children go through picky phases.  I often say that a hungry child is a less fussy child. So, the best tip I would say is to try to avoid giving too many snacks close to mealtimes and if your child refuses the meals that you give them, it’s sometimes not such a bad thing to say ‘fine you are obviously not hungry’ and let them go and play. Long drawn out mealtimes where you are constantly looking for something to tempt your child can be stressful and very unenjoyable for everyone. For older children, try and make sure the snacks you give them when they come home from school are healthy ones as this is usually when they are at their most hungry,

Don’t spend hours doing so, but it is worth taking that extra step to try to make sure that your child’s food not only tastes good but looks good too. Make mini portions of fish pie or pasta bake in ramekins. Try to get creative and decorate their morning bowl of porridge with fun banana and berry faces. Threading colourful bite-sized pieces of fruit or veggies onto a straw is another tempting trick of mine – it not only makes it fun for children, it offers them a wide variety of nutritious foods too.

With my children, I would often offer them something new in the form of a ‘grown-up’ starter – a little teacup or mini saucer of vegetables or small piece of fish that they could try in addition to their main meal, which worked wonders. I would always ensure that I was joining in too, giving myself a portion to eat with them. Children follow by example and if you can eat with them too it can only be beneficial.

Whilst it may seem easier to get them trying new foods at home under the watchful eye of mum or dad, packed lunches provide a prime opportunity to get your little one exercising their independence and trying small bite-size portions for themselves. You can also use afterschool playdates to your advantage. Children are often influenced by others so try offering a tapas-style after school snack table with mini bites such as falafels, little veggie or chicken balls or some veggie batons and dips, for example sugar snap peas, carrot, pepper or cucumber sticks with hummus or guacamole. If they see their friends tucking in, they’ll soon want to part of the foodie-loving club.

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How much we should feed babies is a very important question. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a simple answer. We can’t say that the correct portion size for babies is a handful of this or 10 teaspoons of that.

Why do we use portions anyway?

Recommended food portion sizes for adults aren’t used to make sure we’ve eaten the right amount of food. They are there to help us eat the right amount of nutrients.

It’s much easier for us to understand that we have eaten 5 portions of varied fruit and veg that day and are therefore likely to have had enough milligrams of fibre, Vitamin A, protein, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin A, Iron, Potassium etc. Or that we have eaten 2 portions of oily fish rather than enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids. If we tried to calculate our nutritional intake in this way every day we wouldn’t get a lot else done!

Following portion guidelines we can assume, that on average, we are getting enough (but not too much!) of the vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients we need to be healthy.

Why portion sizes don’t work for babies

Unlike with adults, it’s very difficult to determine appropriate portion sizes for babies. This due to several reasons, including:

• • Babies have different metabolic rates and activity levels.
  • The food parents feed their babies varies wildly, even just day to day within the same household.
  • Foods such as meat and fish are more nutrient dense than foods such as apples.
  • A baby’s nutritional needs will vary with growth spurts.
  • Teething and illness can affect a baby’s appetite.

When babies are starting to wean they will show a lot of variation week on week as to how much they are eating. Rather than considering if a baby has eaten enough food, we can consider if the food that we are giving them is providing enough nutrition to allow them to grow and develop well.

How we can tell if babies are getting the right amount of nutrition?

Babies need the right nutrients to develop and grow. In the UK, this is tracked on Growth Charts in your little one’s Red Book. Your baby’s head, length and weight are measured and tracked on the chart which has curved lines. These curved, centile lines allow healthcare professionals to measure the growth of your baby in comparison to children of the same age who have shown optimum growth.

Most babies won’t follow these lines exactly, and a baby’s weight will likely fluctuate between two centile lines, known as a centile space. There may be a drop across a line if a baby gets ill but most babies will return to their normal centile within a few weeks. Sustained drops, where a child drops to a lower centile line and continues on that path can lead to abnormal growth and failure to fulfil their genetic potential. It is important to get your baby measured by your health visitor.

Nutrition in weaning

When you start weaning, it is very important to remember that breast/formula milk is still the most important source of nutrition for your baby. Between 6 an 12 months babies need 500-600ml of breast/formula milk each day. Cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk is not suitable as your baby’s main drink as it doesn’t contain enough iron and other nutrients that your baby needs.

When your baby first tries solid food, remember that trying and experiencing these foods for the first time will be more important than the quantity. Later, by seven months, babies should ideally be having 3 solid meals a day. When a baby moves on to solid food, it is important to understand which foods they can eat to provide a balanced diet which meets their nutritional requirements each week.

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1. The phrase “Don’t play with your food” loses all meaning

Whether you’re going down the baby-led weaning or traditional weaning route it’s time to start playing! As grown-ups, we know that it’s probably not acceptable to squish our entire hand into a bowl of mashed potato because it looks like it would feel nice. We also don’t put brand new iPhones in our mouths, as babies do with their toys, to find out what they are. But when babies are faced with something new they tend to use all their senses to explore their fascinating new find. Food shouldn’t be any different. Let your little ones play, engage, and enjoy their food (although maybe not in that lovely new outfit you just got them!).

2. You have never known mess like this

Who knew a tiny baby with a tiny bowl of food could cause so much destruction! They are coated in pasta sauce; it’s in their hair, their faces are smothered, it somehow got on the dog who’s trying to eat up the mess on the floor (which is actually quite helpful!), and once you’ve managed to clean it all up you’ve somehow found even more in their nappy! Prevention is definitely better than the cure in this case. Start by laying down a shower curtain or splash mat under the high chair to protect your floors, invest in a good bib, the ones with sleeves can spare an outfit, and think about the crockery you use- suction pads and non-slip mats can make a big difference. And don’t start cleaning until the meal’s over- it’s a battle you won’t win!

3. You might have to tell a few white lies

If you’re trying to move away from breastfeeding you may find yourself telling a little lie here and there- “The milk’s all gone” seems to be a common one!

4. Teething can make things a whole lot harder!

Most babies will cut their first tooth between 4 and 12 months. The pain can disrupt your new routine and your little one may lose interest in eating. But food can actually help when it comes to weaning. Cold foods, such as pieces of cucumber that have been cooled down in the freezer can soothe the gums, whilst hard foods such as xxxxlinkxxx can help relieve the pressure when your little one bites down hard.

5. The contents of a nappy are really interesting

No one wants to be the parent who talks about poo all the time, but things just got interesting down there! It’s happening less frequently, the consistency is completely different and now you’ve found a who piece of broccoli! Don’t panic, undigested food is quite normal. Most babies don’t have very many, if any, teeth when they start weaning and so they don’t chew their food.

6. It can be an emotional time

Weaning can be a complicated time. If your baby has lost interest in breastfeeding and is looking to food you may feel rejected- even though you know it’s not personal! It can also cause hormonal changes that seem to come along with everything to do with pregnancy and babies! A change of routine and diet can be confusing for everyone at first and may mean that sleep schedules are affected. Try to stay positive and reach out to friends and family for support.

7. You used to cook with so much salt

It’s only when you become conscious of not giving salt to babies and start cooking without it that you realise just how much you used to use! There’ll likely be a few head scratching moments when you can’t figure out what’s missing from your sauce or work out why that avocado doesn’t taste as good as usual before you realise it’s the salt. Salt isn’t great for any of us but it’s really not good for babies- be careful with stock cubes and gravy powders too as these often have a high salt content.

8. You’ve got a bit more freedom

If you’ve been breastfeeding, this may be the first time in a few years that you don’t have to think as much about how the effects of what you eat (and drink!) can directly impact you’re baby. No one’s saying wash down an entire cake with two bottles of wine, but it can be a relief to some mums to be eating for one again. If you’ve been bottle feeding you may also find a greater sense of freedom as you can grab a pouch of baby food or some baby-led weaning staples and head out the door without wondering where and when you’ll be able to warm a bottle. You may feel that you’re more comfortable leaving your little one with friends and family as others can take on more feeding responsibilities.

9. Gagging and choking are two very different things!

Solid foods can be daunting but they’re usually more daunting for parents than they are for babies. Whether it’s a toy, their own fist or a finger of toast it’s going in their mouth and it may cause them to gag. The first time you heard this you may have panicked but by the 20th time you’ve started to realise it’s not so bad! Make sure you always supervise your baby when you’re feeding them and avoid foods with a high choking risk such as whole grapes, berries and nuts. Baby First Aid courses can be really valuable at putting your mind at ease and preparing you for if the worst happens.

10. Everyone has an opinion

As with a lot of aspects of motherhood, everyone has an opinion on weaning. From the obvious suspects (your mother never did it like that and you turned out fine!) to the man sat next to you on the bus you’ll be hearing conflicting and often unsolicited feedback on your feeding left, right and centre. There is no one-size-fits all approach to weaning, it varies between households and even between siblings. What’s important is that you and your baby are happy and healthy. Read up on traditional weaning and baby-led weaning from trusted sources so that you feel confident in your choices. And don’t worry about changing your mind or your plans, life with a baby is never predictable.

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When most babies start to wean the have few if any teeth and so you should start with soft finger foods such as soft ripe fruits such as bananas, steamed vegetables for example broccoli florets, cooked pasta and toast, which are also less of a choking hazard than hard foods. When babies get older, you can move on to harder foods such as oat cakes, raw vegetables, dried fruits, pieces of chicken and fish, wafer thin meat rolled in to cigar shapes, mini sandwiches and more.

This style of weaning is called Baby-Led Weaning and you can find out all about it here.

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Babies sometimes find the process of weaning a little clinical and miss the comfort of sucking milk. When offering your baby her very first taste or two you may find it easier to hold her on your lap so that she feels loved and secure. Babies are unable to lick food off a spoon with their tongues, so choose a small shallow plastic weaning spoon so she can take some food with her lips.

When babies feed from the breast or a bottle they instinctively push their tongue forwards – this is called the tongue-thrust reflex. Your baby needs to learn to swallow solids and not push her tongue forwards. If she can’t get on with a spoon, dip a clean finger into the puree and let her suck your finger for a few mouthfuls.

You don’t need to sterilise your baby’s spoons or bowls, simply wash them in a dishwasher. After all, your baby puts everything in reach into her mouth and none of these is sterilised. However, it’s important to sterilise your baby’s bottles and teats as warm milk is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.

You will find that your baby will let you know how much she needs to eat; some foods such as carbohydrates will fill her more quickly than fresh fruit and vegetables; when she appears to be full or resists your attempts to feed her, it’s time to stop.

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Rachel from Mumma Hub

Weaning is one of those things that I started to think about way before the six-month mark, It’s a big deal; you want to get it right, you want a healthy baby with a healthy appetite. I have three children and have taken a different approach with each of them…read more

Kayley from Friendly First Foods

When I was pregnant with Harry I had all these grand ideas of what kind of parent I would be and what our feeding journey would look like. What I didn’t count on was Harry having his own ideas about this and that, as parents, we would end up following his lead, rather than the other way around. None of our plans came out exactly as we had hoped…read more

Nicola from Mummy To Dex

We started our baby led weaning journey at six months. I could lie and say it wasn’t the scariest period of my life, but aside from those first few days of Dexter’s existence, it really was. It was important to me to start with something that was soft; I really didn’t want to dive in with a full roast dinner or something equally as complex to begin with…read more

Annabel’s new Baby-Led Weaning Recipe Book gives you the tools and inspiration to incorporate baby-led weaning into your baby’s routine. This book can be used on its own for exclusive baby-led weaning. Or it can be used as a companion cookbook to Annabel’s original feeding guide, the New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner, which is filled with her popular puree recipes.

As well as being packed with useful advice and top tips, the book is filled with 120 recipes which the whole family can enjoy together – from breakfast and snacks, to vegetables, poultry, fish, meat and more.

The post Mums share their baby-led weaning stories appeared first on Annabel Karmel.

We started our baby led weaning journey at six months. I could lie and say it wasn’t the scariest period of my life, but aside from those first few days of Dexter’s existence, it really was.

Choking was a big fear, but it’s uncommon

We began by trying banana pancakes for lunch one Thursday afternoon. It was important to me to start with something that was soft; I really didn’t want to dive in with a full roast dinner or something equally as complex to begin with. My husband works full time and I was very much alone in starting this journey. Aside from the vast amount of online research I had done and joining a few baby led weaning Facebook groups, I had virtually no support. My biggest fear as I am sure you will identify with was choking.

I can assure you now, four months in, Dexter has never had a choking incident; indeed they are very rarely mentioned on the support groups which have tens of thousands of members. Choking is uncommon. The important thing is that you gain the skills required to know what to do if a choking incident were to occur. Knowledge is power, as they say.

Spices in Baby Led Weaning

The first few weeks we tried a vast range of foods: various fruits and vegetables, pancakes, muffins, pasta dishes and curries. It is essential that I impart my love for food onto Dexter. My husband and I are avid travellers who love sampling food from all over the world. We wish to continue our travels with Dexter as our mini companion, and want him to enjoy food from Italy to Thailand to Morocco. For this reason, I gave Dexter a wide range of herbs and spices from day one. Offering some piri piri hummus alongside a piece of baguette two weeks in was probably a bit bold; he went bright red in the face and began to cry; but I learnt from that. I slowly introduced spice week by week until he built up a tolerance. Mums shouldn’t be afraid of a little spice; it is eaten and enjoyed by babies all over the world.

Going out to eat is straightforward

Baby led weaning has been the most incredible journey we have undertaken. At ten months he eats all of our meals and tackles them with enthusiasm and determination. Going out to eat is straightforward because he either has a child’s meal or little bits from my plate. I often take a packed lunch out with us which includes items you would expect to find in a schoolboy’s lunch box, not that of a ten month old baby.

He will try anything and loves to eat. We eat three meals a day alongside two snacks, plus three small milk feeds. He understands the concept of chewing, pushing food towards the back of his mouth where his molars haven’t yet formed and grinding. We recently introduced cutlery which is another exciting development in our journey to him being fully weaned.

For baby led weaning start with the soft foods and gradually build up

If you are thinking about baby led weaning, my advice is to go for it. There’s nothing to stop you doing it at your own pace; start with soft foods and build up gradually if that makes you feel happier. Remember that the weaning process is a journey and you have a good six months to get things right. I don’t believe that ‘food before one is just for fun’ because babies do get a lot of their nutrition including iron from the food you offer, however I do believe it should be a fun process with lots of different tastes and textures and lots of encouragement and support.

Nicola is new mum to Dexter James, blogging from Liverpool about her parenting experience at MummyToDex.com.

The post Nicola’s baby led weaning story appeared first on Annabel Karmel.