Weaning HELP SERVICE
Weaning can be an anxious time for some mums and dads, especially if you have encountered problems before. Nutrition is such a vital part of caring for your child that the pressure to do everything right can feel intense. Scary gagging episodes, tactile aversions…the concerns and questions can mount up.
Uncertainty when weaning can easily be transmitted to your baby and cause wariness; reflux in early infancy may create food aversion that can be challenging to overcome, and it can feel like some babies never want to leave purees behind and move on to ‘big kid food’. When a parent’s first instinct is to feed and nurture their child, it can be confusing or worrying if things aren’t going entirely to plan.
I’m here to answer your questions and to give you the confidence that you and your child need to establish and continue a healthy relationship with food. I can advise on foods and weaning practices by phone, or as a more popular option, during a friendly home visit, demonstrating and advising on site.
Find out more here.
For more firmly entrenched issues I am able to work with you and your child one-to-one in a fun and enjoyable way over a time frame that suits you (1-5 days typically). During this time I will restore confidence, make eating and meal time a pleasure, develop healthy habits and give you a clear plan for the future. As an optional part of this process I’m happy to stock your freezer with the yummy new meals your child has learned to enjoy, and to get older children involved in the cooking process. When handled properly, being a safe part of a meal’s creation means a child is far more likely to actively engage in eating it!
Some of the many questions I am asked are:
- Will weaning on fruit purees lead to refusal of savoury foods?
- How do I do baby led weaning?
- How do I know when my baby is ready for solids?
- How do I wean off breast feeding/the bottle?
- Follow-on formula or cows' milk?
- Weaning after reflux
- I'm not very good with mess, how can I avoid conveying this to my baby?
- Can a baby develop a sweet tooth?
- Why is my baby gagging so much?
- How much food is enough and when do I cut down on milk?
- Solids then milk at mealtimes or the reverse?
- Why are some foods refused without tasting?
- How can I get my child to eat vegetables?
- How can we move from baby food pouches to proper solids?
- Why has my toddler started narrowing down the foods they will accept?
Weaning work is undertaken and priced on a case-by-case basis as every baby and child is unique. Please feel free to give me a call or drop me an email to discuss your particular needs.
Please note that I am not an eating disorder or allergies specialist and am therefore not qualified to deal with serious medical issues such as childhood anorexia nervosa.