Breastfeeding and Weaning: A guide to Nurturing your baby's Nutrition

 

Breastfeeding is a beautiful and natural way to provide babies with the essential nutrition they need for healthy growth and development. Experience and expertise in breastfeeding play an important role in nurturing the child's well-being. However, there comes a time when weaning becomes a necessary transition. This is the reason that mothers should try to consume a healthy balanced diet, to ensure that the baby is receiving as much nutrients as possible to have the best start on their journey.

It is essential to include a variety of foods in the diet. This should include:

Five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day (fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or a glass of juice)

Starchy foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes for energy.

Plenty of fibre, found in wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, pulses (such as beans and lentils) and fruit and vegetables. Fibre helps with constipation, which can be especially painful post-childbirth.

Protein such as lean meat and chicken, fish, eggs and pulses.

Fish at least twice a week, including some oily fish.

Dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt, which contain calcium and are a good source of protein.

Drinking at least six to eight glasses of fluid per day.

Vitamins are also important when breastfeeding. Supplements should be taken containing 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D each day. Other vitamins and minerals should come from a balanced diet.

Consuming fish is beneficial for health and the development of the baby, but no more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout. Avoid eating more than one portion of shark, swordfish or marlin a week due to the levels of mercury in these fish. This advice is the same for all adults, except women who are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant, who should avoid these types of fish altogether.
If you think certain foods are affecting your baby, do not stop eating them without talking to your GP or health visitor first.

 Breastfeeding is best for babies and provides all the nutrients they need for healthy development in the first six months of life. After six months, when the baby is ready to start eating solid foods,  breastfeeding can continue alongside introducing solid foods. Breast milk provides essential nutrients and helps protect against infection. The longer breastfeeding is given, the greater the benefits. There is mounting evidence that, in the long term, breastfed babies have several advantages in terms of health and development. Current advice is to continue exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

When the baby is around six months old, solid foods can be introduced. In recent years, the advice on when to start babies on solid foods has changed as we now know more about when babies are ready for starting solid foods and the effects of giving solid foods too early. It is usually best to wait until six months, but all babies are different, so it is best to check with a Health Visitor or GP for advice about when is best for the baby. It is advised not to give any solid foods to the baby before four months old (17 weeks), as this can increase the risk of infection and allergies. By six months, babies are physically ready to start eating solid foods as they can sit up with support and swallow food without choking.

When selecting a time to feed the baby, it is best to choose a period when both the mother and the baby are relaxed. Encourage baby to help with the feeding process by providing them with their own spoon and allowing them to try to self-feed. This is a great way to get them familiarised with the process and is often a messy task, but it is important to not let this be discouraged. In addition, provide a wide variety of foods for them to try. This will help to prevent the same foods in later years and it is important to avoid providing them with high salt, high sugar or processed foods that are not specifically designed for babies. It is best to offer a variety of family foods and adapt to the family's eating pattern. It is best to use mashed-up family foods. This can help to identify the ingredients and support the baby to become accustomed to eating what the family is eating.  Commercial baby foods can be a useful option, but not as a substitute for family foods. Finally, it is important to remember that cows' milk is not suitable for babies under one year old.

When providing the baby solid foods, mix a teaspoon of a smooth vegetable purée, a fruit purée, or a cereal with the baby's usual milk. Be patient when teaching them to eat from a spoon and make sure that if the food is hot, it is stirred and cooled before serving. The baby will adjust to the idea of solid foods over time and then can gradually increase the amount being fed to them each day.  Milk products, such as yoghurt and cheese sauce, can also be offered as solid foods. Lastly, make sure salt, sugar or honey are not added to the food.

As the baby becomes more comfortable with eating solid foods, they should begin to become accustomed to the family routine by eating three minced or chopped meals per day, plus breast milk or formula (at least 500 - 600ml daily). Provide the baby with healthy snacks such as fruit between meals.

If they start to become more active (e.g. crawling), they may need to increase the amount of food given. Babies have small stomachs and require energy to grow, so it is important to ensure to give them full-fat dairy products. Reducing fat intake is sensible for adults, however not for babies or young children. Provide them with three to four servings of starchy foods and fruit and vegetables per day. Avoid giving them baby sweets such as biscuits and cakes, as these foods will fill them up without providing the correct nutrients. If they have decided not to give the  baby meat or fish, give them two servings a day of pulses (such as red lentils, beans or chickpeas) or tofu to ensure they are receiving all the energy and nutrients they need. The vitamin C in fruit and vegetables may assist in the absorption of iron, thus remember to give them baby fruit and vegetables at mealtimes. It is especially important to give vitamin drops to babies that follow a vegetarian diet.

Vegan diets, which consist of no animal products, cannot easily provide babies with all the nutrients and energy they need. Thus, vegan diets are not recommended for infants. Contact a Registered Nutritionist or Dietitian for more support and information into vegan options for babies.

Registered Nutritionist

Dietitian

High-fibre foods, including wholegrain cereals, are not suitable until the baby is nine months old. For babies it is important to avoid certain items, such as salt, sugar, honey, and nuts. Salt should not be added to any foods given to a baby as their kidneys are not yet developed enough to process it. Cheese, sausages, and bacon are high in salt and should be limited. Baby foods are not allowed to contain added salt, but sauces and ready-made porridge can be, so always check the label before giving it to a baby. To discourage a liking for salt, it should be left out of family meals. Most of our salt intake comes from food products, so check food labels to compare products. Babies under one should have no more than 1g salt per day, which is less than 0.4g sodium. Sugary foods and drinks should be avoided to prevent tooth decay, and honey should not be given until the baby is one year old as it can contain a bacteria that causes serious illness. Nuts should not be given to children under 5 as they can cause choking.