Infant and Newborn Care

Gift Ideas for New Born Babies

Baby led weaning thoughts

A couple of months back I was contacted by freelance writer Christina Hopkinson, who wanted to interview me for the Telegraph Magazine about baby-led weaning. Her article was published in last Saturday's issue of the magazine, and I was very pleased with what she had written both generally on the subject and based on our telephone conversation. I couldn't find the article (not a major piece, just 1-page column) on the Telegraph website, so I'm going to scan it or type it for you to read once I get the paper from Marian.

I never asked her how she found me, but I presume that she had come across the extremely uneventful BLWbaby blog I created last year when we started to wean Lukas onto solids. I was a big fan of baby-led weaning (and still am), and at the time there was very little information about the method. I wanted to put together a resource pack for other mothers like me, looking information about baby-led weaning or BLW. Good intentions and all that, my enthusiasm didn't last too long, because I only had a limited amount of time, I was working hard last summer and I wanted to dedicate my free time for this blog.

For those who have never heard the expression, baby-led weaning means skipping the purees and starting the weaning process with soft finger foods that the babies can manage to chew with their gums. Our experience started off extremely positive, but my arising post-natal depression prompted the healt visitor to advise us to quit BLW and start spooning it in, in order to reduce breastfeeding. Feeling a bit vulnerable, I took her advice but we were adamant that we'd still keep it baby-led and not force the food in.

After a couple of weeks of roughly-mushed dinners and a lot of tears (mostly mine), we decided to go back to the baby-led approach, and things immediately improved. Lukas preferred taking his time and choosing his bits, and I didn't need to worry about him eating enough or finishing his plate. He went back to his normal 3 dirty nappies a day, instead of the incredible 8-a-day routine he slipped into during spoon-feeding.

Anyway, ever since the short spout of spoon-feeding, baby food has not been an issue in our house, so there's very little to write about and that's probably why I haven't gotten round updating the blog. Also, Lukas was also such an easy child to feed that I wasn't sure if I wanted to 'brag' about how well he's eating, because some mothers might not have it so easy.

He's grown up (if you can say that of a 17-month old) to be an athletic, robust and beaming smiling boy. Dinner times are rarely a struggle, and I think we've found a good balance between healthy food and sneaky treats. He can have the occasional sip of juice and the odd chip of chocolate or ice cream (that's when I pretend I'm not looking), but generally he only eats "real" home-cooked food, 3-4 meals plus 2-3 fresh fruit and bread stick snacks a day.

I am convinced that Lukas' diet is in good balance and in line with the food pyramid recommendations. Ok, he's maybe getting slightly more dairy than his fair share, but I believe that cottage cheese and natural yoghurt are better options that having cow's milk straight in the glass.

In my personal life, I have tried to hold back when talking about baby-led weaning. I am worried I might come across too preaching, and besides, I hate when I feel people don't listen to me. Feeding purees to babies is just something too familiar, it's something more than the norm - for my generation of mothers, it's very close to the only option. To me personally BLW makes sense, but I know I don't have the power to convince anyone otherwise, if they don't see the issue in the same light.

I often think how can the same parents be happily feeding their kids baby rice or other starchy food at the tender age of 4 months, not really worried about the long-term damage it might cause to their little tummies, and yet be terrified when someone introduces the idea of giving 7-month-old babies soft-boiled vegetables cut in snack-sized pieces. Having said that, I'd have to concede that I'm the most incoherent of mothers and have nothing against others like me, but in terms of rhetorics I find that sort of argument a bit contradictory. I'm not a very good in voicing my opinions in a neutral way, and looks like my powers don't extend to converting people from purees to BLW, so I'll have to stick to spreading the gospel of breastfeeding.

Speaking of which, I'm breastfeeding Lukas who is now nearly 18 months. The feeding hasn't been dark and depressing for over a year for us, and as of yet we haven't set any definite weaning targets. Lukas gets milk when he indicates he would like some, although if we're out or if I'm doing something else, or if I'm just wearing clothes not very suitable for feeding, I may sometimes direct him to something else equally interesting.

He usually only nurses when he's going "night-night" or when he's terribly, utterly upset like for example after falling on his face, bumping his head or when stuck in heavy traffic for 2 hours, hungry, sweaty and bored. The falling asleep -feeds are only short and last around 10 minutes, the 1-2 night-time feeds usually last less than 2 minutes each, the same as the feeds prompted by something awful . The morning feed is usually the longest, around 20 minutes on-off nursing, depending on his level of alertness and his father's willingness to get up and play with him.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other professional groups concerned with the care of newborns advocate breastfeeding as best for your baby. Specifically, the AAP recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for about the first 6 months. Following the introduction of solid foods, breastfeeding should continue through the first year of life and beyond, if desired.

Breastfeeding may not be possible or preferable for all women. Deciding to breastfeed or bottle-feed a baby is usually based on the mother's comfort level with breastfeeding as well as her lifestyle, but breastfeeding may not be recommended for some mothers and babies. If you have any questions about whether to breastfeed your child, talk to your pediatrician.

Remember, your baby's nutritional and emotional needs will be met whether you choose to breastfeed or formula-feed.

Breastfeeding your newborn has many advantages. Perhaps most important, breast milk is the perfect food for a human baby's digestive system. It contains the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires, and all of its components - lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat - are easily digested by a newborn's immature system. Commercial formulas try to imitate breast milk, and come close, but the exact composition cannot be duplicated.

Also, breast milk contains antibodies that help protect infants from a wide variety of infectious diseases, including diarrhea. Studies suggest that breastfed babies are less likely to develop certain medical problems, including diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, and allergies. Breastfeeding may also decrease the chances that the child will become overweight or obese.

Breastfeeding is great for moms, too. It burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms get back into shape quicker. Breastfeeding may also protect mom from breast and ovarian cancer.

Some moms find breastfeeding easier and quicker than formula-feeding; it needs no preparation, and you don't run out of breast milk in the middle of the night. Also, breastfeeding costs little. Nursing mothers do need to eat more and may want to buy nursing bras and pads, a breast pump, or other equipment. But these expenses are generally less than the cost of formula.

Breastfeeding meets a variety of emotional needs for both moms and babies - the skin-to-skin contact can enhance the emotional connection, and providing complete nourishment can help a new mother feel confident in her ability to care for her newborn.

Nutritional Supplements

Breast milk contains the right combination of vitamins and easily absorbed iron that will be sufficient until your baby begins eating iron-rich cereals around 6 months of age. A healthy infant being nursed by a healthy mother does not need any additional vitamins or nutritional supplements, with the exception of vitamin D. Breast milk does contain some vitamin D, and vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. However, sun exposure increases the risk of skin damage, so parents are advised to minimize exposure. The AAP recommends that all breastfed babies begin receiving vitamin D supplements during the first 2 months and continuing until the infant consumes enough vitamin D-fortified formula or milk (after 1 year of age).

Formula contains the right blend of vitamins, including vitamin D, for a baby, so supplements are usually not necessary. Iron-fortified formula is recommended for a baby's first year and should contain up to 12 milligrams of iron per liter.

Water, juice, and other foods are usually unnecessary during a baby's first 6 months. Breast milk or formula provides everything babies need nutritionally until they start eating solid foods. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about feeding your newborn.