After a few weeks getting the hang of solid food, baby may be ready to move on to stage two weaning. At this stage, it is important to introduce new flavours to help avoid baby becoming a fussy eater! It is even more important to introduce lumpier textures to encourage chewing. Here are a few pointers to bring your baby safely in to the second stage of the weaning process.
- Gradually increase the amount of solid food from one to two then three feeds a day.
- As baby starts to move on to solid foods it is a good idea to start introducing a cup of water to accompany each meal. See our ‘when to give baby water section’ for more information.
- Remember that milk still plays an important part in your baby’s diet and he should still be having at least 500ml of formula or 5-6 good breastfeeds a day.
- Try and include your baby when the rest of the family are eating, so that mealtimes become a social occasion.
- Don’t worry if your baby has no teeth as babies will chew with their gums if required.
Foods to Consider
New foods to consider at this stage include the following:
- Mashed up lean meat or poultry
- Mashed lentils or chick peas
- Full fat milk products, such as fromage frais, yoghurt or cheese sauce
- Mashed up white (e.g. cod) or oily (e.g. fresh salmon) fish
- Well-cooked egg
Continue to avoid foods with sugars and salt, but food with gluten is acceptable for babies over six months old. While baby may not be too keen on many of these new foods, variety is important. Avoiding bitter foods now will only make introducing them later even harder.
Once baby has started to accept their new foods and grown in confidence, you will be ready to move on to stage 3 weaning.