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This information is about introducing your premature baby to more solid foods, and the steps you can follow as your baby moves from milk to eventually only eating solids. This is called weaning.

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What age can I give Weetabix or Ready brek to my child? - Weetabix Cereals

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Weetabix, Ready brek and Oatibix are not suitable for infants under six months, and are not produced specifically for infants or young children. The Department of Health recommends you use mashed up family foods when possible. Cow’s milk is not suitable until 12 months and sugar and salt are not to be added. Ready brek […]

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Best Iron-Rich Foods for Babies List - Solid Starts

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Iron is a crucial micronutrient for baby’s development. Make sure your baby is getting enough iron by checking out our list of the best high-iron foods for babies and toddlers.

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Babies have a sensitive gag reflex that helps to protect them from choking on food. Find out what gagging sounds and looks like in our baby-led weaning video, plus tips on keeping your baby safe during baby-led weaning.

For extra piece of mind, learn exactly what to do if your baby does choke with our first aid video.

Baby-led weaning: is gagging normal?

Baby-led weaning means your baby learns to feed herself.

It doesn't always go smoothly.

Sound of baby gagging

Babies have a sensitive gag reflex. It helps to protect them from choking. But you should still take care.

1. Make sure your baby is sitting upright in her highchair

2. Reduce distractions - turn off the TV

3. Don't cut food into small pieces. Chunky chip shapes are best.

4. Stay with your baby while she's eating

Track your baby's development

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Baby-led weaning: Is gagging normal? (Video)

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Babies have a sensitive gag reflex that helps to protect them from choking on food. Find out what gagging sounds and looks like in our baby-led weaning video, plus tips on keeping your baby safe during baby-led weaning. For extra piece of mind, learn exactly what to do if your baby does choke with our first aid video.

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Baby-led Weaning the theory and evidence

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Baby-led Weaning the theory and evidence

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The 'when, what and how' of introducing solids - so your baby grows up eating and enjoying healthy foods

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Infant Feeding & The Prevention of Allergies

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Infant Feeding & The Prevention of Allergies

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Infant Feeding & Preventing Allergies pdf

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Consider Higher Calorie Foods -    if your toddler is gaining weight slowly 

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Consider Higher Calorie Foods -    if your toddler is gaining weight slowly 

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Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) Marketed for Infants & Children

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Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) Marketed for Infants & Children

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Ultra-processed foods marketed for infants and young children in the UK — First Steps Nutrition Trust

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First Steps Nutrition Trust is a charity which provides clear, evidence-based and independent information and support for good nutrition from pre-conception to five years of age.

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Introducing Solid Foods to a Premature Baby

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Introducing Solid Foods to a Premature Baby

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This information is about introducing your premature baby to more solid foods, and the steps you can follow as your baby moves from milk to eventually only eating solids. This is called weaning.This information is also available as a PDF download at the bottom of this page.

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NCT Parent Hub - Pregnancy and parenting information exclusively for NCT Antenatal course attendees.

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Do you know ?             About Manufactured Baby Foods

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Do you know ?             About Manufactured Baby Foods

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In 1929 Gerber began an advertising campaign to convince dieticians and paediatricians that canned baby food was just as nutritious as homemade food, and even better because it was scientifically prepared.

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As part of the campaign, doctors received free Gerber products for patients.

Gerber also funded research touting the health benefits of their food. That research—vaguely worded and devoid of peer review—was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, positioning it as scientific fact.

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Alongside these efforts ...

Gerber stated that women who prepared their own baby food were neglecting their husbands—and babies. One 1933 advertisement read, “For Baby’s Sake, Stay Out of the Kitchen!”

Gerber advocated starting solids at 3 months old. And by the 1950’s—after 20 years of advertising—the average age of introducing solids fell to just 6 weeks old!!!

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Since then the medical community realised that the too-early introduction of solid foods displaced valuable nutrition from breast milk/formula.

Today the consensus among global medical institutions including WHO, NHS, and NICE is that it’s best to introduce solids at around 6 months old. It is at this time that most babies are developmentally ready to eat and need more iron. Conveniently, 6 months is also when babies are capable of feeding themselves.

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Baby food was invented > Mum guilt was marketed.

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There is no perfect order of introducing solid food types. No need for “stages” of consistency or thickness. These were all constructs in the name of profit.

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Convenience has its place, but the idea that real food has to be hard isn’t good or helpful to anyone. Babies don’t need banana pudding or pricey pouches — a banana is fine!

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There is a reason feeding feels complicated.

Corporations spent the last century telling your grandmothers and great-grandmothers that they would be bad mothers and wives if they didn’t buy manufactured baby food.

So the next time you feel a twinge of guilt for feeding your baby YOUR way, remember that it’s not you. It’s history.

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Paediatric First Aid Paediatric First Aid Information about our courses Learn more Dates of upcoming courses Learn more

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Introducing Solid Foods for South Asian Children

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Introducing Solid Foods for South Asian Children

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New research reveals that common UK food items contain PFAS pesticides ('forever chemicals'), including grapes, spinach, and strawberries.

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You may be worried about your baby and how coeliac disease may affect them.

First, it's important to understand that if you or a close family member has coeliac disease, there is an increased risk that your baby may have the condition - a 1 in 10 chance.

We have the following advice for parents on feeding and weaning babies who may be at risk of developing coeliac disease.

Feeding a new baby

Breast or formula milk will provide your child with all the nutrients they need for healthy development in the first stages of life.

All infant milk formulas are gluten free.

Weaning

Babies who have an increased risk of coeliac disease should be weaned in the same way as any other baby.

At around six months your baby will be ready to eat solid foods, as well as still needing breast or formula milk.

If, after checking with your health visitor or doctor you decide to start weaning before six months, you should avoid certain foods, including gluten and other foods which might trigger allergies such as eggs, cows' milk, fish, shellfish, nuts and seeds.

Introducing gluten

Gluten can be introduced from six months old - there are no benefits for delaying introducing gluten.

Once a baby is established on solid foods, gluten should be eaten regularly. Coeliac disease can only be diagnosed once gluten is in the diet. Don't guess, a diagnosis can be made quickly and easily if symptoms do start.

Your health visitor or dietitian can give you more advice. For more information on weaning, see the Department of Health's guide on weaning.

If your baby does go on to develop coeliac disease then we are here to help. You can call our helpline on 0333 332 2033 and speak to one of our dietitians.

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You may be worried about your baby and how coeliac disease may affect them. We have the following advice for parents on feeding and weaning babies who may be at risk of developing coeliac disease:

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SOS Approach to Feeding | Feeding Disorders in Children

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SOS Approach to Feeding

A transdisciplinary program for assessing and treating children with feeding difficulties

When Children Won't Eat

Sometimes, discerning the difference between a "picky eater" and a problem feeder can be difficult. Determining whether or not your child is even a "picky eater" to begin with isn't necessarily simple. It could just be a hiccup in their developing tastes, or a little phase they're going through. But if your child is a picky eater or a problem feeder, they will likely require support to learn how to eat a more varied diet. If you're concerned about a potentially "picky eater" in your life, read these common questions and learn whether SOS Approach to Feeding can help your child.

Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders

1. If you were to make a list of all of the foods that your child eats, how many foods would be on that list?

2. Does your child eat the same food over and over, then suddenly stop eating that food (Food Jag)? Will they accept that food again at some point in the future, or is that food typically lost?

3. What happens if you put a new food on their plate?

4. Do they eat at least one food from most nutrition (proteins, vegetables, etc.) and texture (purees, soft foods, chewy foods, etc.) categories?

5. What does their plate look like at meals compared to the rest of the family's?

6. How hard is it for them to learn about new foods?

7. How often has your child been reported as a "picky eater" at well-child check-ups?

Discover the differences between Picky Eaters vs Problem Feeders with the Picky Eaters vs Problem Feeders Questionnaire.

Read More

Parents & Caregivers

We know that each child and situation is unique, and we've seen the heartbreak and fear that can come when things aren't going well. We know it's much more than "just a phase," and that ensuring your child is getting the nutrients necessary to not just survive, but flourish, is no easy task. Let us help.

Start Here

Professionals

The SOS Approach is the only results-driven feeding program with 30 years of proven clinical experience helping children learn the skills they need to eat well. We've been training professionals in the field about feeding challenges and how to best utilize our approach in their practices for decades, and the results speak for themselves. If you're looking for ways to expand how you work with children with feeding problems, we can help revolutionize the way you look at assessment, what treatment strategies you use, and how to best improve your impact on parents and caregivers.

Start Here

Whether you're just starting out in treatment with your first child with a feeding disorder, or you have been doing this for years, SOS provides information and strategies to improve your skills to help even the most challenging children.

SOS Training Conferences

All training in the SOS Approach to Feeding begin by attending the Main Training Conference. This conference provides the foundational information in feeding development, assessments, and therapy using the SOS Approach to Feeding. View the SOS Conference Schedule

Advanced Workshops

After completing the SOS Approach to Feeding Main Training Conference, therapists can take our online, pre-recorded Advanced Workshops. These workshops provide advanced techniques that address special populations and specialized topics in feeding, allowing you to gain additional information relevant to your setting. View Topics and Register

SOS Mentorship

After completing the SOS Approach to Feeding Conference and taking selected Advanced Workshops based on your clinical population, you can join a Mentorship Course. Mentorship provides personalized guidance and feedback on the use of the SOS Approach in your setting and with your clinical caseload. View Upcoming Mentorship Courses

SOS Certification

After completing all of the above steps, you can take the Certification Course to become a Certified SOS Therapist. This course provides expert-level training for therapists who demonstrate mastery of the SOS Approach and to utilize the SOS Philosophies in treatment. SOS Certification is required for those who wish to do research on the SOS Approach to Feeding program. Learn More & Register

The Parent and Caregiver Workshop offers an introductory view of the SOS Approach to Feeding to help Parents and Caregivers understand how complicated feeding/eating is, why children may struggle to eat, and how to help children to eat better. This Workshop will teach Parents and Caregivers about the foundational skills needed for eating. Practical Strategies are discussed so Parents and Caregivers can help their children learn to have a lifelong healthy relationship with food. This Workshop will be addressing common feeding issues often seen in young children, to struggles that "picky eaters" may have, and the challenges of the "problem feeder".

Copyright SOS Approach to Feeding © 2024 | Web Design by Webolutions

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SOS Approach to Feeding | Feeding Disorders in Children

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The SOS Approach to Feeding provides information and strategies to improve your skills to help even the most challenging children learn to eat.

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What to feed around 6 months - Start for Life

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Find out what to feed your your baby if they’re around 6 months old and ready to wean, along with advice on texture, drinks and how to handle foods that can cause allergies.

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Allergy Management Information - BSACI (The British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology)

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Allergy Management Information - BSACI (The British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology)

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Food Allergy and Food Intolerance - BSACI

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Improving Allergy Care through education, training and research

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UPF (Ultra Processed Foods) marketed for infants and young children

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UPF (Ultra Processed Foods) marketed for infants and young children

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Ultra-processed foods marketed for infants and young children in the UK — First Steps Nutrition Trust

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First Steps Nutrition Trust is a charity which provides clear, evidence-based and independent information and support for good nutrition from pre-conception to five years of age.

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Choose reusable nappies

Number one on the list of most new parents' eco concerns is the amount of nappies they will use that will go into landfill (Which?, 2018). Parents throw away an estimated three billion disposable nappies each year in the UK, which is about 2% to 3% of all household waste (WRAP, 2018).

Reusable nappies are an expensive initial outlay but if you keep using them - and especially if you have more than one child - they are a long-term money saver. Most importantly though, reusable nappies are far, far kinder to the planet. If you avoid disposables, you'll use an estimated 2.7kg of raw materials instead of 120kg if you opt for reusable nappies (The Guardian, 2015). See our article about choosing the right nappies for you for more information - Reusable nappies or disposable nappies?

Ditch the car

This is not only about being green, there are strong links between the air pollution vehicles produce and low birthweight in babies whose mothers breath that air (NHS, 2013; Pederson et al, 2013). So why not ditch the car and find yourself low-pollution walking routes using phone apps or maps.

If you have a car, try to get used to taking babies out without it early on. That way you don't become dependent on it.

If you can, walking is obviously great for you both. If you're going further afield, pop them in the sling and hop on the bus or train instead (The Telegraph, 2017; Moral Fibres, 2018). Once babies are alert, they'll love looking around anyway and will probably find it much more exciting than the car seat.

Use homemade baby food

One way to immediately save on packaging and transportation of packaged baby food is to cook it from scratch instead (The Daily Meal, 2017). And if that makes you roll your eyes at the thought of getting in from work and whipping up a feast, then fair enough. A much better idea is to batch cook a load of meals so you always have stuff in the freezer ready to go. Check out the internet for homemade baby food ideas.

Alternatively, just mash up whatever you're eating (unless it's extremely salty or contains honey etc) and give your child that instead (Parents, 2010). Instead of feeding your baby a mashed version of whatever you're eating, you could offer them your food in a form they can choose and pick up by themself (baby-led weaning). Baby-led weaning can involve offering them super simple finger foods, like strips of toast or boiled parsnips and carrots.

Homemade baby food is much healthier than the packaged stuff too. That's because packaged baby food contains more sugar than home cooked food. Your baby will also need to eat twice as much packaged food to get the same protein and energy as homemade food (Garcia et al, 2013).

Buy second-hand

There is so much pressure for your child, nursery or life to look like they're straight from the grid of an Instagram influencer. But you know what? That doesn't mean a lot of it can't come from Freecycle, Ebay, friends or NCT Nearly New Sales.

Buying second hand will save you so much cash at an expensive time. It's also a good way to give your child a few plastic toys if you want to without bringing yet more plastic into the world (Female First, 2012; The Telegraph, 2017; PBS Parents, 2018).

Borrow maternity clothes from friends

Equally, you don't need to buy a pile of clothes that you can only wear for a few months when you're pregnant. It's much greener to increase the life of existing clothes (Female First, 2012).

Why not rummage around for your loosest items in the back of the wardrobe, check out your local charity shops, NCT Nearly New Sales or borrow a friend's maternity wardrobe. If she's not planning on more children, she'll probably be delighted to hand you her maternity clothes and save herself a trip to the charity shop.

Choose natural products

This is a good practice anyway considering how sensitive babies' skin is. Try to go for products that contain no potentially harmful man-made chemicals and are made from natural ingredients. You could check sites like the FDA website.

Grow houseplants

You could even try to clean the air in your house by keeping houseplants. Plants like peace lilies, spider plants and garden mums (yes, they are plants) can improve the air quality of your house. They do this by removing chemicals like formaldehyde from the air (NASA, 1989).

Breastfeed, if possible

As well as all the other benefits of breastfeeding, if you can do it and want to, you could add its green credentials to the list. By breastfeeding, you are reducing the packaging and plastic in bottles, as well as transportation of formula (Parents, 2010; Female First, 2012).

Use green cleaning products for the many spills

When you have kids, you go through a lot of cleaning products - especially when they start eating. Oh the mess... So it's a great idea to either switch to greener cleaning brands or to homemade cleaners. You could make up a batch of homemade cleaner using ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda (Parents, 2010).

Turn growing your own veggies into a family hobby

Ditch supermarket packaging and transport costs and dig a little veggie patch, or get yourself on the list for an allotment. Turn growing fruit and vegetables into a family hobby and you're winning all round (Female First, 2012).

Get crafty

Instead of buying them an extra plastic toy to amuse them, make something together using an old egg box or cardboard cereal box. Bonus: making it will entertain them for a while too... (The Telegraph, 2017)
This page was last reviewed in September 2018.
Further information

Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700.

You might find attending one of our Early Days groups helpful as they give you the opportunity to explore different approaches to important parenting issues with a qualified group leader and other new parents in your area.

Make friends with other parents-to-be and new parents in your local area for support and friendship by seeing what NCT activities are happening nearby.

Female First. (2012) Green parenting: top tips on being a 'green parent'. Available at: https://www.femalefirst.co.uk/parenting/green+parenting-260502.html [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

Garcia AL, Raza S, Parrett A, Wright CM. (2013) Nutritional content of infant commercial weaning foods in the UK. Arch Dis Child. 98(10):793-797. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/13/eco-guide-to-green-parenting-lucy-siegle [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

Moral fibres. (2018) Green parenting tips to help the environment. Available at: http://moralfibres.co.uk/how-to-be-a-green-parent-and-save-money/ [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

NASA (1989) Interior landscape plants for indoor air pollution abatement. Available at: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930073077.pdf [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

NHS. (2013) Air pollution associated with low birthweight. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/air-pollution-associated-wi... [Accessed 22nd May 2019].

Parents. (2010) The ultimate guide to green parenting. Available at: https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/green/the-ultimate-guide-to-green-parenting/ [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

PBS Parents. (2018) Ten tips for green parenting. Available at: http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/article-earthday-greenparenting.html [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

Pedersen M, Giorgis-Allemand L, Bernard C, Aguilera I, Andersen AM, Ballester F, et al. (2013) Ambient air pollution and low birthweight: a European cohort study (ESCAPE). Lancet Respir Med. 1(9):695-704. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24429273 [Accessed 22nd May 2019].

The Daily Meal. (2017) Healthy baby food is hurting the environment. Available at: https://www.thedailymeal.com/healthy-eating/healthy-baby-food-hurting-environment [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

The Guardian. (2015) The eco guide to green parenting. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/13/eco-guide-to-green-parenting-lucy-siegle [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

The Telegraph. (2017) At home with the nation's greenest family. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/home-nations-greenest-family/ [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

Which? (2018a) How to buy the best reusable nappies. Available at: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/nappies/article/how-to-buy-the-best-reusable-nappies [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). (2018) Real nappies. Overview. Available at: http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/real-nappies-overview [Accessed 22nd November 2018].

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Number one on the list of most new parents' eco concerns is the amount of nappies they will use that will go into landfill (Which?, 2018). Parents throw away an estimated three billion disposable nappies each year in the UK, which is about 2% to 3% of all household waste (WRAP, 2018).

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Scan foods to enable you to make healthy options

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NHS Food Scanner app - Healthier Families

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See healthier swaps and bring food labels to life with the NHS Food Scanner from Better Health. Click for download links or to find out more.

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BABY LED WEANING (BLW) Progression: 6-10 Months!

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This video has some graphics content of a baby gagging

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BABY LED WEANING (BLW) Progression: 6-10 Months!

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Animal milks

This paper outlines current dietary guidelines for milk consumption among young children in the UK, the contribution of animal milk to the dietary intakes of children aged 1-4 years, and revisits the recommendations on what types of animal milk children of different ages should drink and why, as well as how much.

Drinks marketed as growing-up and toddler milks

This paper focuses on infant milks labelled as stage 3 and stage 4 formulas, and marketed for use in the second and third year of life. It highlights the lack of compositional, marketing or labelling regulations for these unnecessary, ultra-processed drinks, and their high cost and high free sugar content.

Milk FAQs

Some common questions regarding milk and milk drinks for children aged 1-4.

Plant-based milk alternatives

This paper provides an overview of milk alternatives made from soya, oat, pea, hemp and different nuts. Information is provided on the nutritional composition of selected products compared to cows' milk, and on the potential health benefits and risks associated with their use for young children as alternatives to cows' milk.

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Milks marketed for children - First Steps Nutrition Trust

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This paper outlines current dietary guidelines for milk consumption among young children in the UK, the contribution of animal milk to the dietary intakes of children aged 1-4 years, and revisits the recommendations on what types of animal milk children of different ages should drink and why, as well as how much.

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INFANT MILK INFORMATION | Types of infant milks on the UK market

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we provide information about the types of infant milks on the UK market and for infant formula, follow-on formula and infant milks marketed

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To tackle this challenging topic, it's best to start with the basics. Below are a set of guidelines for nutrients critical to toddlers, a list of the foods that provide them, and-getting to the heart of the matter-ideas for how to get them to eat that food.

Daily requirements for a one-to-three-year-old:

1. Protein: A minimum of 16 grams a day. 16 ounces of milk plus one ounce of meat is ample protein for a toddler.

2. Fat: At least 30 percent of a toddler's calories should come from fat. Too little can result in "failure to thrive," where children do not get enough food to supply their energy and growth needs.

3. Calories: 40 calories/day/inch of height = 1000 to 1300 calories/day. Calorie distribution is apt to look like this:

16 g protein = 64 calories

44 g fat = 396 calories

210 g carbohydrate = 840 calories

Total = 1300 calories

4. Sodium: 325-1000 mg.

5. Vitamin C: 40 mg.

6. Vitamin A: 400 ug. RE

7. Calcium: 800 mg. Even if a child drinks the recommended two cups of milk a day, he still needs 200 more milligrams of calcium. Offer yogurt, cheese, tofu, and leafy greens.

8. Iron: 10 mg.

9. Zinc: 10 mg. A mild zinc deficiency in toddlers is more common than realized. Symptoms are poor appetite, sub-optimal growth and reduced sense of taste and smell. The best sources of zinc are meat, eggs and seafood.

10. Folate: 50 ug.

The last four are the ones most often deficient in toddlers.

How to Use the Guidelines

Each day, try to serve the following:

2 to 3 cups of milk. (Milk can take many forms, including yogurt, cheese, pudding.) Some children are not good milk drinkers and must rely on other foods for their protein. Conversely, other toddlers drink milk to the exclusion of other foods, resulting in deficiencies of iron or other nutrients.

4 servings of fruits and vegetables- (One tablespoon per year of age is the rule for serving size.) One serving should be high in vitamin C and another in vitamin A.

4 servings of bread and cereal- Toddlers are apt to eat more of these, which is okay as long as it's not to the exclusion of other food groups. One serving should be of an iron-fortified baby cereal. A serving size is about 1/4 to 1/3 an adult portion (for example, 1/4 slice toast, 1/4 cup pasta).

2 servings of meat, beans, eggs, tofu, or peanut butter- A good serving of protein should be served at every meal. A serving equals 1/2 ounce.

A meal should provide protein, bread or cereal, fruit or vegetable or both, and milk.

As you can see, toddlers need remarkably little food. A typical meal may consist of 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/4 slice toast, a few bites of scrambled egg, and a tablespoon of applesauce. It's not surprising that the most common concern of a toddler's parents is that their toddler doesn't eat enough, especially vegetables. While what the eat may not look like much, keep in mind that toddlers are small and not growing too quickly.

There is, however, truth to the fact that toddlers notoriously favor a limited number of foods, making the second most common complaint, "My child is such a picky eater." Why is it that your toddler will eat only macaroni and cheese, and a two-year-old in Mexico will accept a tortilla wrapped around beans? Children learn to accept foods in a social and cultural context and are capable of learning to like and accept a wider variety than most people think.

Research shows that two factors chiefly determine a child's preference for food. Not surprisingly, one is an unlearned liking for sweet taste. The second is familiarity. Toddlers simply prefer the foods that are familiar to them, having nothing to do with their defining characteristics-smell, taste and texture-hence, beans and tortillas in Mexico, and macaroni and cheese in the US. "Neophobia" is the fear of the new and unknown, and for toddlers, that can translate into a reluctance to try new foods.

Neophobia makes sense when viewed as a normal, adaptive response, and rather than reflecting a lack of cooperation, it may be a young organism's mechanism for avoiding unfamiliar, potentially toxic foods. A "cave baby" might soon have died if she was willing to try every berry she could get her hands on. Likewise, your child may refuse the food gifts of a stranger -- a healthy response! Once you recognize food "negativity" as an adaptive response, you can take the necessary steps to get your toddler to accept new foods in spite of it. Increasing her variety of liked foods is your goal since a wider variety is more apt to ensure an adequate nutrient intake.

Nor should the initial rejection of a food be interpreted as a fixed and true dislike of it. Only after several exposures will he learn the food is safe to eat. After several occasions of tasting the food with no negative side effects, such as nausea or vomiting, he learns the food is okay. Even one experience of lousy gastrointestinal consequences, however, can cause a long-term rejection of a food.

Knowing this, the most successful tactic is to offer a couple opportunities a week to try a new food. Don't coerce your child to eat it, but make clear that you expect him to taste it. Always allow him to spit it out if he wants. It is important to establish a policy of at least tasting a new food in late infancy, before the strong sense of autonomy and independence takes hold. Never force a child to eat, though. That approach, sometimes successful in the short-term, will backfire later on.

Equally as important as offering the new food often is the atmosphere in which it is offered. Certain commonly accepted feeding practices have unintended effects on a toddler's food preferences. For example, dessert (usually sweet) comes at the end of a meal and is often used as a reward for "eating your vegetables," or is withheld as a punishment for not eating them. This has the effect of making the restricted food (in this case, dessert) more highly desired-they want what they can't have. According to Dr. Leann Birch, this strategy reduces a child's preference for the food he is forced to eat-all too often, the nutritious ones.

But you really don't want your toddler eating dessert if he hasn't eaten his dinner. What to do? First of all, rethink what you're serving for dessert. For most people, sweets are palatable even when they are full, which may be why a non-hungry toddler is still willing to eat a bowl of ice cream even though she wasn't hungry for dinner. Try offering desserts that make a positive nutritional contribution to the meal. For example, instead of ice cream, serve a pudding made with skim milk, such as rice pudding. Serve fruit salad or a fruit and yogurt 'sundae' instead of pie. If it's cookies, make them whole-grain oatmeal. That way, you can even allow toddlers to eat dessert first if they want!

Because of their small size and slow growth, toddlers' appetites are small. It's important not to make a fuss if they refuse to eat. They'll eat when they're hungry, and the more you force, the stronger they'll refuse. A toddler's eating is erratic and unpredictable, but viewed over several days, will balance out in terms of average daily needs. So don't worry if on some days she refuses to eat anything, because she will make up for it elsewhere.

Coping with picky, erratic eating can be exasperating, even in light of your intellectual approach to it. To help deal with it, understand your role well and know you have carried it out the best you can.

Tips for Encouraging Your Child to Eat

Present new foods at least twice a week.

Offer new foods along with old favorites.

Serve small, toddler-size portions. Too much on the plate can make them feel overwhelmed.

Foods should be easy to chew. Toddlers can't chew tough things.

Food should be bite-size.

Toddlers like colorful foods.

Try changing the venue of his meals-serve lunch in the playhouse, snack as an afternoon tea party.

Toddlers enjoy playing with their food. It is a part of learning about it, so, within reason, allow this to happen.

Let them help in food preparation.

Grow a vegetable garden.

Make food attractive-arrange it in the shape of an animal, a face, etc.

Offer limited choices. For example, ask "Do you want orange juice or apple juice?" instead of "What do you want to drink?"

Eat as a family as much as possible. Kids learn by imitating what they see.

Help ensure that they come to the table hungry.

Don't use food to cure boredom or as a pacifier.

Your job is to offer a wide variety of wholesome foods in a non-pressured, supportive setting, and according to a regular, predictable schedule. Try to:

Toddlers need snacks to get them through the day and because they eat so little, they have no room for calories without nutrients. To make sure the snacks you serve aren't "empty calories," keep your pantry full of healthful snacks and pack some along when you go out.

bananas

small boxes of favorite cereals

boxes of raisins

Fig Newtons

whole wheat, low-salt pretzels

homemade mini-muffins (Keep a supply in your freezer.)

peanut butter crackers (Make sandwiches out of whole grain crackers and natural peanut butter.)

mini-bagels

cheese cubes

rice cakes

small juice boxes

whole grain granola bars

zip lock bags of toddler-made gorp (Let him decide what to mix in!)

Please let us know if you found this article useful in your daily life. Thanks. A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.
Healthy Snack Ideas for the Toddler on the Go

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To tackle this challenging topic, it's best to start with the basics. Below are a set of guidelines for nutrients critical to toddlers, a list of the foods that provide them, and-getting to the heart of the matter-ideas for how to get them to eat that food.Daily requirements for a one-to-three-year-old:Protein: A minimum of 16 grams a day.

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https://cesafety.co.uk/news/choking-deaths-report-2019/

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STATISTICS ON CHOKING - It's quite difficult to find definitive numbers on how common it is for babies to choke on food. 

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STATISTICS ON CHOKING - It's quite difficult to find definitive numbers on how common it is for babies to choke on food. 

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The St John’s Ambulance has published a survey in which 40% of parents reported to have witnessed their baby having a choking episode.
However, the terms gagging and choking can be confused, and often the word “choking” is used to indicate a gagging episode.  As this was based on self-reporting, it can be difficult to determine if all the reported cases were effectively choking episodes. Also, there is no way to determine how many of these were caused by food, and how many by toys or other items.

The only definitive numbers are those released by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) on the deaths where choking has been determined to be the cause of death.
Between 2014 and 2018, each year between 1 and 9 children under 5 died in England and Wales because of choking.

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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28596930/

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Public Health England (PHE) has published a statement highlighting the importance of breastfeeding in protecting infant dental health.

The statement includes the current evidence and core messaging for dental teams and healthcare professionals, as well as a new infographic.

The key messages include:

Dental teams should continue to support and encourage mothers to breastfeed

Not being breastfed is associated with an increased risk of infectious morbidity (for example gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, middle-ear infections)

Breastfeeding up to 12 months of age is associated with a decreased risk of tooth decay

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for around the first 6 months of life − complementary foods should be introduced from around 6 months of age alongside continued breastfeeding

The prevalence of breastfeeding in UK is low, with 34% of mothers still breastfeeding their child at 6 months and only 1% exclusively breastfeeding.

Further advice for dental teams can be found in Health Matters: Child Dental Health and Delivering Better Oral Health (2014).

Health Matters: Child Dental Health (2017) states 5:

"Health professionals, such as midwives and health visitors, should support and encourage women to breastfeed. Creating the right environment to promote this is crucial. The Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative provides a robust evidence-based framework to develop a whole-systems approach to breastfeeding."

Read the full statement and infographic.

We welcome this statement and its recognition of the value of breastfeeding - a key part of our Call to Action campaign is urging UK governments to recognise breastfeeding in all relevant policies, from dental health to environmental sustainability. Find out more.

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PHE publishes statement on breastfeeding and dental health - Baby Friendly Initiative

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The statement includes the current evidence and core messaging for dental teams and healthcare professionals, as well as a new infographic.

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Foods and drinks aimed at infants and young children June 2019

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Find out the daily salt recommendations for adults, children and babies and learn how to use nutrition labels to spot the salt in food.
A diet high in salt (or sodium) can cause raised blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms, and many people who have high blood pressure do not know it.

For tips on how to cut down on salt, read Tips for a lower-salt diet.

How much salt?
Adults
Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium) - that's around 1 teaspoon.
Children
Children aged:

1 to 3 years should eat no more than 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)

4 to 6 years should eat no more than 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)

7 to 10 years should eat no more than 5g salt a day (2g sodium)

11 years and over should eat no more than 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Babies
Babies should not eat much salt, because their kidneys are not fully developed to process it.

Babies under 1 year old should have less than 1g of salt a day.

If a baby is breastfed, they will get the right amount of minerals, including sodium, from breast milk. Formula milk contains a similar amount of minerals to breast milk.

Do not add salt to your baby's milk or food and do not use stock cubes or gravy in meals for your baby as they're often high in salt and their kidneys cannot cope with it.

Remember this when you're cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby.

Avoid giving your baby salty foods such as bacon, sausages, crackers, crisps, ready meals or takeaways as these are often high in salt.

Food manufactured specifically for babies should meet the recommended levels. If in doubt, always check food labels.

Check salt on labels

In the UK labels on pre-packed food must say how much salt they contain. Look out for the salt content in the everyday foods you buy, and choose lower-salt options.

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging.

Many foods also display information about the salt content on the front of the packaging.

This may show the salt content as a percentage of your reference intake (RI), or have colour-coded nutrition information to show whether the salt content is:

green (low)

amber (medium)

red (high)

Try to eat high-salt foods only occasionally, or in small amounts, and aim to mainly eat foods that are green or amber.

If the label only gives sodium, you can work out the amount of salt in it by multiplying the total sodium by 2.5. For example, 1g of sodium per 100g is 2.5g of salt per 100g.

Foods that contain salt

Some foods are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made.

Other foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. But that's not because these foods are always high in salt - it's because we eat a lot of them.

High-salt foods

The following foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often and have smaller amounts:

anchovies

bacon

cheese

gravy granules

ham

olives

pickles

prawns

salami

salted and dry-roasted nuts

salt fish

smoked meat and fish

soy sauce

stock cubes

yeast extract

Foods that can be high in salt

In the following foods, the salt content can vary widely between different brands or varieties.

That means you can cut down on salt by comparing brands and choosing the one that is lower in salt. Nutrition labels can help you do this.

These foods include:

bread products such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta

pasta sauces

crisps

pizza

ready meals

soup

sandwiches

sausages

tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces

breakfast cereals

Soluble vitamin supplements and painkillers

If you routinely take an effervescent (dissolvable) vitamin supplement, or take effervescent painkillers when necessary, it's worth remembering that these can contain up to 1g salt per tablet. You may therefore wish to consider changing to a non-effervescent tablet, particularly if you have been advised to watch or reduce your salt intake. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before changing any medicine you take.

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Find out the daily salt recommendations for adults, children and babies and learn how to use nutrition labels to spot the salt in food. A diet high in salt (or sodium) can cause raised blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

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The age a baby is developmentally ready for solid foods will vary. Signs that your baby is ready for solid food include the ability to sit up, holding their head steady, an interest in food and being able to bring their hands to their mouth (1). If you are unsure whether your baby is developmentally ready, speak with your health visitor.

What foods should I start with?

First foods can include small amounts of:

Root vegetables e.g. carrot, swede, sweet potato, parsnip, butternut squash.

Spinach, broccoli, green beans, courgette, cauliflower.

Fruits e.g. apple, pear, banana, plum, peach, apricot, avocado

Potato, yam, green banana.

These should be offered pureed or mashed, depending on your baby's age and ability to manage textures. If your baby is six months old when they first start solid foods, they can move onto mashed textures more quickly. For more information on complementary feeding including stages and consistencies, please see this advice from the British Dietetic Association.
After a few weeks:

Rice e.g. baby rice, cooked flaked rice

Ground quinoa

Cornmeal, polenta (good for finger foods)

Breakfast cereals and pasta/ noodles based on rice, corn and quinoa

Red meats (lamb, beef), pork and poultry (pureed or finely shredded and chopped)

Lentils and pulses e.g. haricot beans, kidney beans, butter beans (mashed)

Any of the above in cooked tomato or fruit-based sauces.

Try later as finger foods:

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Other fruits including citrus, kiwi, berry fruits.

How should I introduce foods that commonly cause allergies?

Foods that are more commonly associated with food allergies include:

Cow's milk, egg*

Wheat, gluten, soya

Fish, shellfish

Sesame and other seeds

Peanuts* and tree nuts (for a list of tree nuts, see the Allergy UK Tree Nut Factsheet).

*There is more information in the next section about introducing egg and peanut to babies who are at 'higher risk' of allergy. There is no evidence to support delaying the introduction of these foods beyond six months of age. Delaying their introduction past 12 months may actually increase a child's risk of developing an allergy to that food.
You can include any of these foods that are a part of your family's diet alongside other foods you are feeding your baby during complementary feeding.

As a precaution, when you first introduce these foods, you should introduce them one at a time for three days and, if baby has no symptoms, the next new food can be introduced. In the rare case that an immediate or delayed type allergic reaction happens it will be easier to identify the suspected food. Once potential allergens, such as egg and peanut, have been introduced it is recommended that you continue to include them in your baby's diet, ideally at least twice a week, to ensure that your baby remains tolerant to that food.
See table on page 4 of the downloadable Factsheet for ideas of when and how to offer these foods to your baby.
When introducing these foods for the first time, make sure your baby is well and free from illness (such as a cold, cough or stomach upset) as this can place their immune system under stress and can also make it more difficult to identify whether any symptoms are due to their illness or because of an allergic reaction. It is a good idea to introduce a new food in the morning and on a day that your baby can be observed by their parent(s)/carer(s) and not going to childcare/nursery.
Children under five should never be given whole or coarsely chopped nuts or chunks of peanut butter because of the risk of choking on these foods. (2).
It is possible that some babies will have an allergic reaction after a new food is introduced and therefore it is important to be aware of the symptoms of an allergic reaction listed below. If you are concerned that your baby is reacting to a certain food, stop giving that food and seek medical advice from a health professional.

It is important to note that not all adverse reactions to foods are because of allergy; for example some foods e.g strawberries, tomatoes, citrus fruits can irritate the skin and cause a red rash around the mouth after eating. This is more common in babies with sensitive skin and eczema. This does not indicate a food allergy and avoiding the food is not needed. Applying an emollient moisturiser around the mouth before feeding can help prevent this type of contact reaction which can be misperceived as a sign of a food allergy.

Advice for babies who may be at 'higher risk' of food allergy

You may be worried about food allergy if there is a strong family history of atopy or allergy e.g. your baby has a sibling, a parent or another relative with a history of food allergy, eczema, hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. This does not always mean that your baby is at higher risk of food allergy. The most important factors to increase the risk of your baby developing a food allergy are whether they have developed eczema early in life especially in the first 3-4 months, if the eczema is persistent (i.e. lasting for many weeks) and problematic, and your baby already has a food allergy, such as cow's milk allergy.

Recent research has found that babies who are at a higher risk of food allergy may benefit from earlier introduction of egg and then peanut to prevent allergies to these foods developing. A discussion with a health professional (GP/Health Visitor/Dietitian) for further guidance is recommended. Further information is available here.

It is preferable to wait until eczema is under control before introducing allergenic foods. If it is not, speak to your GP about seeing a specialist for advice. Aside from allergic triggers eczema can also be problematic and persistent if it is not managed well with the right treatment/creams. Ensure that a suitable emollient (moisturiser) is used daily (minimum of three times per day) and that eczema flares are managed with the correct strength steroids.

Skin barrier and allergy prevention

If the skin barrier is not working well which happens in conditions like eczema where dry skin can become broken and damaged, there is a risk that allergens such as foods or allergens in the air we breathe can enter through the broken skin barrier. This may then be recognised as harmful by the immune system leading to the development of allergy antibodies (called 'sensitisation'). The risk of sensitisation to foods is lower if your baby is already eating that food.

Food-based emollients' such as oils, lotions and creams used on the skin before your baby has started eating the food allergen, can increase the risk of developing a food allergy . It is therefore very important to look after the skin barrier by keeping the skin well moisturised and avoiding any allergic triggers or irritants. More information on eczema in children can be found in the following here.

Allergy Insights Podcast: Weaning Babies with a Cow's Milk Allergy

Allergy UK's Clinical Dietetic Advisor, Laura Philips, is joined by acclaimed Paediatric Dietitian Lucy Upton, otherwise known on social media as The Children's Dietitian, for a discussion which aims to inform parents on how to identify, diagnose and manage cow's milk allergies when caring for their babies.

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This Factsheet has been written to provide information on introducing solid foods to babies.

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YRMC HealthConnect by Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center

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Five Myths About Babies and Food - Yavapai Regional Medical Center

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There are a lot of ideas on when and how to introduce your baby to solid foods. Before taking any well-intentioned advice, read these five common myths about babies and their transition to solid foods.

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Introducing Solid Foods to a Baby with Reflux - Blog

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Introducing Solid Foods to a Baby with Reflux - Blog

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Weaning a baby with reflux

For those of you who have been following me on Instagram for a while, you'll know that Ada was diagnosed with reflux by a GP earlier on in her life. Unfortunately, after trying everything, we had to put her on meds, which made a real difference.

Luckily at around 5 months of age, we successfully weaned her off these and her reflux symptoms seemed to improve. I know this isn't the case for many, many babies with reflux. So I wanted to share some information for any parents who are about to wean a reflux baby themselves.

Weaning a reflux baby

Because Ada's symptoms had subsided somewhat when we started weaning at 6 months, we didn't have much problem with her reflux getting worse. However, lots of people have asked if we were going to wean her early OR if there were any foods we should avoid when we start. I also had a few parents contact me and explain that cutting out some foods had really helped with their reflux symptoms.

As a result, I wanted to cover the evidence behind weaning a reflux baby in a bit more detail on my blog. Therefore, I enlisted the help of Charlotte Ockleton - Dietitian Lottie. Who, day to day in her work sees lots of babies with reflux who are about to start weaning.

Guidelines on weaning with reflux

Current guidance recommends starting complimentary feeding from 6 months of age. No earlier than 4 months of age (17 weeks). If starting before 6 months it is important to ensure your baby is developmentally ready. This is crucial for their safety, their overall development and also their nutritional needs. Starting solids too early can lead to nutritional deficiencies. It has also been associated with higher rates of infections.

This is of particular relevance to those with babies suffering from reflux. Currently, there is no robust evidence to support early (before 6 months) weaning to help alleviate symptoms of reflux in babies. Often, babies suffering from reflux are prescribed a thickener which helps their milk stay down. The theory that starting solids could help alleviate reflux is based on the texture of food typically being thicker than milk (particularly breast milk).

Whilst this is accurate, the reality is that the first few weeks of introducing solids is mainly about your baby exploring food (smells, tastes, textures). As opposed to eating large quantities of it. They are therefore still getting the majority of their nutrition from milk. It may also be that if your baby is having their milk thickened, the consistency is similar to your baby's first purée consistencies anyway.

The other thing to consider with introducing solids to your baby with reflux, is that some foods may actually worsen their reflux symptoms. Don't forget, once you start solids there are far more foods (variables) to consider in what's causing a symptom flare up! Unfortunately there isn't a set list of foods which worsen symptoms. It largely depends on your baby. So it's always useful to keep a "food and symptom diary". At the same time, in practice, I have seen and heard of a few babies with reflux improving once solids start.

Top tips

1. Ignore the myths! Start solids when your baby is developmentally ready, like you would for a baby without reflux. Seek advice from your health visitor if you're unsure.

2. Remember; there is no guarantee that starting solids will help your baby's reflux symptoms improve...

3. If you are starting solids and your baby has reflux, keep a food and symptom diary. Remember to keep calm and try to enjoy the experience! Your baby will benefit from having a positive atmosphere when eating.

4. Avoid changing too many things at once! For example, if you change their milk or change the amount of thickener added to their milk, or try and wean off a reflux medication all at the same time as starting solids, you won't know what's making their symptoms worse or better. Always speak to your GP or paediatrician before making changes with medication.

I hope this helps to make the evidence around weaning a baby with reflux a little clearer. Big thanks to Dietitian Lottie for writing this and for her expert advice.

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How to Wean a Reflux Baby - Weaning a Baby with Reflux - SR Nutrition

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For those of you who have been following me on Instagram for a while, you'll know that Ada was diagnosed with reflux by a GP earlier on in her life. Unfortunately, after trying everything, we had to put her on meds, which made a real difference.

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https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/first-aid-apps#baby

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Have first aid skills with you wherever you go with the British Red Cross apps.

With our British Red Cross apps you're only two taps away from learning how to help someone in a first aid emergency.

The apps allow you to learn simple first aid skills at a time to suit you and keep your knowledge refreshed.

The information is all on the apps themselves, meaning you don't need an internet connection and can access it on the go.

Baby and child first aid app

Our free baby and child first aid app helps you keep your little ones safe. The app is designed to support parents, grandparents and caregivers to learn 17 first aid skills to help in a first aid emergency.

You can also find tips on how to prepare for emergencies both at home or while out and about.

Key features:

Simple step-by-step skill guides

Videos

Animations

Interactive quizzes

Toolkit feature to record children's medical needs

Useful tips and signpost to further information

First aid course information

First aid app

Our free first aid app covers 19 first aid skills. Using a simple and easy to learn approach, the app is suitable for anyone looking to learn first aid to help others in an emergency.

You can also find tips on how to prepare for emergencies both at home or while out and about.

Key features:

Simple step-by-step guides

Videos

Interactive quizzes

Useful tips and signpost to further information

First aid course information

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British Red Cross mobile apps: First aid skills and techniques

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Have first aid skills with you wherever you go with the British Red Cross apps. With our British Red Cross apps you're only two taps away from learning how to help someone in a first aid emergency. The apps allow you to learn simple first aid skills at a time to suit you and keep your knowledge refreshed.

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Being a parent isn’t always easy, at the best of times, so if you add a poorly baby with suspected allergy into the mix.  The Allergy Dietitian Service understand that family life can become complex and emotionally challenging.

It provides specialist allergy advice to help inform and guide parents of children from 0-5 years old who are presenting with symptoms of food allergy, and have not been referred to a dietitian.

They are committed to providing help and support to families with children with food a allergy, and have developed this service along with our other allergy resources to support parents looking for help.

Find out more

If you would like more information regarding the Allergy UK Dietitian Service, please contact our Helpline on 01322 619898 or info@allergyuk.org

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Most babies go through several growth spurts (also called frequency days) during the first 12 months.

What is a growth spurt?

During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual (sometimes as often as every hour) and often act fussier than usual.

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The increase in baby's milk intake during growth spurts is temporary. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months. As solids are gradually introduced after six months, baby's milk intake will gradually decrease.

Physical growth is not the only reason that babies may have a temporary need for increased nursing. Babies often exhibit the same type of behavior (increased nursing with or without increased fussiness) when they are working on developmental advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking. Mom's milk is for growing the brain as well as the body!

When do babies have growth spurts?

Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don't read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.

Growth spurts don't stop after the first year - most moms notice growth spurts every few months during the toddler years and periodically thereafter on through the teenage years.

How long do growth spurts last?

Growth spurts usually last 2-3 days, but sometimes last a week or so.

What is the best way to handle a growth spurt?

Follow your child's lead. Baby will automatically get more milk by nursing more frequently, and your milk supply will increase due to the increased nursing. It is not necessary (or advised) to supplement your baby with formula or expressed milk during a growth spurt. Supplementing (and/or scheduling feeds) interferes with the natural supply and demand of milk production and will prevent your body from getting the message to make more milk during the growth spurt.

Some nursing moms feel more hungry or thirsty when baby is going through a growth spurt. Listen to your body - you may need to eat or drink more during the time that baby is nursing more often.

See My baby is fussy! Is something wrong? for tips on comforting a fussy baby.

Additional Resources @ KellyMom

Additional Resources at other websites

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Most babies go through several growth spurts (also called frequency days) during the first 12 months. During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual (sometimes as often as every hour) and often act fussier than usual. The increase in baby's milk intake during growth spurts is temporary.

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Newborn baby hiccups could be key to brain development

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Each time a newborn baby hiccups, it triggers a large wave of brain signals which could help the baby learn how to regulate their breathing, finds a new UCL-led study. The study, published in Clinical Neurophysiology, was based on brain scans of newborn infants.

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The short answer is yes, you can get food poisoning from tofu.

But the real question is it likely?

And is there a way to prevent it?

A Quick Summary of Food Poisoning

Food poisoning comes from eating either spoiled or contaminated food.

It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

The consequences, of course, are vomiting, nausea, and a host of other unpleasant things.

So we need to look at 2 things:

1. Does tofu go bad (and how do you tell)?

2. Can tofu be contaminated?

Does Tofu Go Bad?

Tofu is often fine to eat after the expiration date (which usually applies to an opened package).

But it does go bad.

You can tell if your tofu might be turning by examining it before cooking:

Color - Moldy tofu is easy to spot (see picture above), it will be slightly blue or green.

Smell - The easiest way to tell your tofu is bad is to smell it before cooking it. It's usually obvious if it's bad, it will smell "weird."

Touch - Bad tofu is often slimy on the outside.

Taste - A good habit to get into when cooking with tofu is to eat a tiny piece of it "raw" before cooking. It'll be obvious if it's gone bad, and you can easily spit it out with minor or no consequence.

In rare cases, the bad tofu may also change color, but only in the worst cases of spoilage. The 3 methods above are the most reliable.

Considering tofu is fairly cheap, I wouldn't take a risk of getting sick if you're not quite sure if it's gone bad or not.

Is Tofu Often Contaminated?

All "raw" tofu comes already pre-cooked a bit, that's why it's okay to sample it before frying or baking it.

The pre-cooking kills most of germs, viruses, and bacteria that could be on it, although it is possible to get a bad batch which is contaminated.

The risk is also elevated if you buy sprouted tofu.

Keep in mind that cooking tofu will also kill off most contaminants if they are present. The more you cook it, the less likely it is to make you sick.

Overall, it is possible to get food poisoning from tofu, but it's not likely. There are a few cases reported here and there, but you're much less likely to get sick from tofu than other foods like meat.

What Happens If You Eat Bad Tofu?

The most common issues caused by eating bad tofu are ( 1):

If the tofu is really far gone, you might experience nausea, vomiting, and even a fever.

So if you're not sure about whether your tofu is bad or not, think about if the symptoms above are worth the $2-4 you paid for it. I'd recommend being on the safe side.

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Can You Get Food Poisoning From Tofu? (Will You Get Sick?)

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The short answer is yes, you can get food poisoning from tofu. But the real question is it likely? And is there a way to prevent it? A Quick Summary of Food Poisoning Food poisoning comes from eating either spoiled or contaminated food. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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CDC's milestones and parent tips have been updated and new checklist ages have been added (15 and 30 months). For more information about the recent updates to CDC's developmental milestones, please review the Pediatrics journal article and these important key points.

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child's development. Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by 2 years by completing a checklist with CDC's free Milestone Tracker mobile app, for iOS and Android devices, using the Digital Online Checklist, or by printing the checklist [1 MB, 2 Pages, Print Only] below.
"Learn the Signs. Act Early." materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools.
What most children do by this age:

Social/Emotional Milestones

Notices when others are hurt or upset, like pausing or looking sad when someone is crying

Looks at your face to see how to react in a new situation

Language/Communication Milestones

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

Tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy

Plays with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate

Movement/Physical Development Milestones

Kicks a ball

Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs with or without help

Eats with a spoon

Other important things to share with the doctor...

What are some things you and your baby do together?

What are some things your baby likes to do?

Is there anything your baby does or does not do that concerns you?

Has your baby lost any skills he/she once had?

Does your baby have any special healthcare needs or was he/she born prematurely?

Concerned About Your Child's Development?
Act Early.

You know your child best. Don't wait. If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early. Talk with your child's doctor, share your concerns, and ask about developmental screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern.
If you or the doctor are still concerned:

1. Ask for a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your child more; and

2. Call your state or territory's early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. Learn more and find the number at cdc.gov/FindEI.

For more on how to help your child, visit cdc.gov/Concerned.

As your child's first teacher, you can help his or her learning and brain development. Try these simple tips and activities in a safe way. Talk with your child's doctor and teachers if you have questions or for more ideas on how to help your child's development.

Help your child learn how words sound, even if he can't say them clearly yet. For example, if your child says, "or nana," say "You want more banana."

Watch your child closely during playdates. Children this age play next to each other, but do not know how to share and solve problems. Show your child how to deal with conflicts by helping her share, take turns, and use words when possible.

Have your child help you get ready for mealtime, by letting him carry things to the table, such as plastic cups or napkins. Thank your child for helping.

Click here for more tips and activities

Give your child balls to kick, roll, and throw.

Give toys that teach your child how to make things work and how to solve problems. For example, give her toys where she can push a button and something happens.

Let your child play dress up with grown-up clothes, such as shoes, hats, and shirts. This helps him begin to pretend play.

Allow your child to eat as much or as little as she wants at each meal. Toddlers don't always eat the same amount or type of food each day. Your job is to offer her healthy foods and it's your child's job to decide if and how much she needs to eat.

Have steady routines for sleeping and feeding. Create a calm, quiet bedtime for your child. Put on his pajamas, brush his teeth, and read 1 or 2 books to him. Children this age need 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day (including naps). Consistent sleep times make it easier.

Ask your child's doctor and/or teachers about toilet training to know if your child is ready to start. Most children are not able to toilet train until 2 to 3 years old. Starting too early can cause stress and setbacks, which can cause training to take longer.

Use positive words when your child is being a good helper. Let him help with simple chores, such as putting toys or laundry in a basket.

Play with your child outside, by playing "ready, set, go." For example, pull your child back in a swing. Say "Ready, set....", then wait and say "Go" when you push the swing.

Let your child create simple art projects with you. Give your child crayons or put some finger paint on paper and let her explore by spreading it around and making dots. Hang it on the wall or refrigerator so your child can see it.

Use positive words and give more attention to behaviors you want to see ("wanted behaviors"), than to those you don't want to see. For example, say "Look how well you're eating with your spoon."

Let your child play with sand toys or plastic containers, spoons, or a funnel in the tub or in a sandbox.

Help your child do simple puzzles with shapes, colors, or animals. Name each piece when your child puts it in place.

Encourage your child's curiosity and help her learn and explore new things. Take her to the park, take walks, or go on a bus ride.

Sing songs, such as "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," to teach names of body parts. After singing it a few times, see if your child sings some of the words when you touch a body part and wait.

Limit screen time (TV, tablets, phones, etc.) to no more than 1 hour a day of a children's program with an adult present. Children learn by talking, playing, and interacting with others.

Encourage your child to play with blocks. Take turns building towers and knocking them down.

Ask your child to help you open the drawer when you put away clothes or open the door when you go outside.

Special acknowledgments to the subject matter experts and others who contributed to the review of data and selection of developmental milestones, especially Paul H. Lipkin, MD, Michelle M. Macias, MD, Julie F. Pajek, PhD, Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, Karnesha Slaughter, MPH, Jane K. Squires, Sincere gratitude to Natalia Benza, MD and José O. Rodríguez, MD, MBA for their thoughtful review of the Spanish-language translation of these milestones. PhD, Toni M. Whitaker, MD, Lisa D. Wiggins, PhD, and Jennifer M. Zubler, MD.

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What developmental milestones is your 2-year-old reaching?

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Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 2 years. Take this checklist with you and talk with your child's doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.

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Have you started feeling their teeth when BF?

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Have you started feeling their teeth when BF?

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Milks marketed for children costs - First Steps Nutrition Trust

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Eating well in pregnancy Infants & new mums Eating well early years Composition, claims and costs Composition & ingredients in infant milks (Copy) Reviews of claims Working within the Who code What you can do Making infant milk safely Milks marketed for children Milks marketed for children - products Milks marketed for children costs Baby food composition Infant milks for health workers Infant milks for parents & carers Additives Additives - Flavourings Additives - Colourings Additives - Sweeteners Eating sustainably Conference 2016 Conference 2017 Conference 2018

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Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only-frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely.

Download Table as PDF

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Follow the guidelines below for storing food in the refrigerator and freezer. The short time limits for home-refrigerated foods will help keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat. The guidelines for freezer storage are for quality only-frozen foods stored continuously at 0 °F or below can be kept indefinitely.

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Are you getting frustrated with the endless stream of unwanted advice you get from other people about how to raise your child? You may love your friends and family, but how do you get them to stop dispensing all this unwanted advice?

The important place to start is to understand that just as your baby is an important part of your life, he is also important to others. People who care about your baby are bonded to you and your child in a special way that invites their counsel. Knowing this may give you a reason to handle the interference gently, in a way that leaves everyone's feelings intact.

Regardless of the advice, however, it is your baby, and in the end, you will raise your child the way that you think best. So it's rarely worth creating a war over a well-meaning person's comments. You can respond to unwanted advice in a variety of ways:

Listen first

It's natural to be defensive if you feel that someone is judging you; but chances are you are not being criticized; rather, the other person is sharing what they feel to be valuable insight. Try to listen - you may just learn something valuable.

Disregard

If you know that there is no convincing the other person to change her mind, simply smile, nod, and make a non-committal response, such as, "Interesting!" Then go about your own business...your way.

Agree

You might find one part of the advice that you agree with. If you can, provide wholehearted agreement on that topic.

Pick your battles

If your mother-in-law insists that Baby wear a hat on your walk to the park, go ahead and pop one on his head. This won't have any long-term effects except that of placating her. However, don't capitulate on issues that are important to you or the health or well-being of your child.

Steer clear of the topic

If your brother is pressuring you to let your baby cry to sleep, but you would never do that, then don't complain to him about your baby getting you up five times the night before. If he brings up the topic, then distraction is definitely in order, such as, " Would you like a cup of coffee? "

Educate the other person

If your "teacher" is imparting information that you know to be outdated or wrong, share what you've learned on the topic. You may be able to open the other person's mind. Refer to a study, book, or report that you have read.

Quote a doctor

Many people accept a point of view if a professional has validated it. If your own pediatrician agrees with your position, say, " My doctor said to wait until she's at least six months before starting solids. " If your own doctor doesn't back your view on that issue, then refer to another doctor - perhaps the author of a baby care book.

Be vague

You can avoid confrontation with an elusive response. For example, if your sister asks if you've started potty training yet (but you are many months away from even starting the process), you can answer with, " We're moving in that direction. "

Ask for advice!

Your friendly counselor is possibly an expert on a few issues that you can agree on. Search out these points and invite guidance. She'll be happy that she is helping you, and you'll be happy you have a way to avoid a showdown about topics that you don't agree on.

Memorize a standard response

Here's a comment that can be said in response to almost any piece of advice: " This may not be the right way for you, but it's the right way for me. "

Be honest

Try being honest about your feelings. Pick a time free of distractions and choose your words carefully, such as, " I know how much you love Harry, and I'm glad you spend so much time with him. I know you think you're helping me when you give me advice about this, but I'm comfortable with my own approach, and I'd really appreciate if you'd understand that. "

Find a mediator

If the situation is putting a strain on your relationship with the advice-giver, you may want to ask another person to step in for you.

Search out like-minded friends

Join a support group or on-line club with people who share your parenting philosophies. Talking with others who are raising their babies in a way that is similar to your own can give you the strength to face people who don't understand your viewpoints.
Ideas from The No-Cry Discipline Solution Follow Elizabeth Pantley: Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

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Handling Unwanted Advice - Elizabeth Pantley - The No-Cry Solution

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Are you getting frustrated with the endless stream of unwanted advice you get from other people about how to raise your child? You may love your friends and family, but how do you get them to stop dispensing all this unwanted advice?

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1. It's bland and tasteless, yet sweet - which may influence later food choices: Try it - whilst the texture may be a new experience for baby, there's certainly no flavour enjoyment. People mix things with it like apple or pear - why? Why not just give the fruit?

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When Tom and Elizabeth Flight were told their seven-month-old baby Arlo was in the 90th percentile for height, the 97th percentile for weight and the 99th for head circumference, they began to worry. How big can a baby get and still be considered normal, asks Jordan Dunbar.

"I'm worried he's one of the biggest babies in America," says his father Tom, a 6' 3" (191cm) Brit who moved to Texas to marry Elizabeth.

At birth, Arlo weighed seven-and-a-half pounds, but he grew rapidly over the next six months on a diet of breast milk alone.

For the last month he has been getting formula milk as well from time to time, and he's now more than three times his birth weight - 24lb (11kg). And 30in (76cm) tall.

The percentile figures come from a growth chart produced by America's Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Every five years the CDC measures hundreds of thousands of babies, children and young adults up to the age of 20, and the resulting charts allow doctors to assess what percentage of children of a given age group are taller or heavier than the patient in front of them.

"If you line up 100 babies of Arlo's age, from the shortest to the longest. Arlo would be 97," says Dr Joe Hagan from the American Academy of Pediatrics, explaining what it means to be in the 97th percentile.

"If you count head circumference he'd be 99."

So only one in 100 American babies aged seven months has a bigger head circumference than Arlo. Does this matter?

Hagan is completely relaxed about it. Head circumference helps doctors to judge whether a baby's brain is developing normally, he says, but the key thing is that the head is in proportion with the rest of the body, and Arlo's is.

"I would expect at Arlo's weight and height that his head circumference would be in the 99th percentile," says Hagan.

International comparisons

The charts produced by the CDC in the US are based on the measurements of real-life Americans. But over time, American children have been getting bigger, and an increasing number of American children are overweight.

By contrast the World Health Organization (WHO) has attempted to chart "optimal growth" for a child.

To do this, it measured growing children in six countries: Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the US. But not just any children. They had to be breast-fed from birth, and vaccinated early in life. Babies whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy were not counted.

Dr Mercedes De Onis, who helped to gather the data, says the WHO's work shows babies develop at a similar rate all over the world, "provided they are given proper care".

The WHO charts "describe healthy growth in optimal conditions and are therefore growth standards rather than growth references", says US paediatrician Joe Hagan.

He points out that in the US the CDC is now recommending that the WHO charts should be taken as the standard for children in the US between zero and two years old.

What about Arlo's weight? Is that a problem?

Once again, Hagan draws attention to Arlo's height. The key thing to look at is his body mass index, or BMI - his weight in relation to his height.

"So here's a guy who's tall, he's long. And longer children weigh more," says Hagan.

"Arlo probably has a BMI that is in the mid-80s to low 90s which would be considered overweight."

Overweight, but not obese. What's more, Hagan expects that as Arlo makes the transition from milk to solids, and starts moving more, he will even out a little.

So is there any cause for concern?

"No, not like this. Because I'm looking at Arlo's dad who's tall and Arlo's mom, who's probably tall, and I'm thinking: 'Gee, this is OK growth for Arlo.'"

Arlo is one of the biggest babies of his age in the US, and as American babies are bigger than the world average, it's also true to say he is one of the biggest in the world.

But it seems that's fine.

Find out more

More or Less is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service

Download the More or Less podcast

More stories from More or Less

"I spend a lot of my time in my day-to-day work as a paediatrician telling parents you really don't need to worry about this and about that," Hagan says.

Parents often compare the size of their child to others, he says, and very often it's his task to reassure them that even if their child is bigger or smaller, there is a "wide range of normal".

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When Tom and Elizabeth Flight were told their seven-month-old baby Arlo was in the 90th percentile for height, the 97th percentile for weight and the 99th for head circumference, they began to worry. How big can a baby get and still be considered normal, asks Jordan Dunbar.

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A normal gag response

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BLW Baby Yavor GAGGING (thank you for the correction - not choking) 2014 06 20

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Vitamins for babies

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Nutritional Info

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Drinks for babies

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Vegetarian / Vegan weaning

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Dairy-free weaning

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Fist Steps Nutrition Bookley

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Baby Led Weaning is the physical act of the baby feeding themselves.

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Baby Led Weaning is the physical act of the baby feeding themselves.

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It is not defined by how the food is prepared but is the physical act of how the food gets to the baby’s mouth, most frequently given in finger food form.
The baby is in control of what and how much they eat.

Babies that are baby led weaned start to be weaned when the three signs of readiness are established.

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Parent Led Weaning is the physical act of the parent/adult feeding the baby.

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Parent Led Weaning is the physical act of the parent/adult feeding the baby.

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This is how traditionally babies have been fed for the past 50+ years. It is not defined by how the food is prepared but is the physical act of how the food gets to the baby’s mouth, on a spoon held and offered by the parent/adult, most frequently given in purée form.

The parent/adult is in control of what and how much they eat.

Babies that are parent led weaned often start to be weaned before the three signs of readiness are established.

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Award-winning tools and support for

Our aim

To guide you towards happy mealtimes and healthy children.

Watch our video

How we can help

We have created this resource to share evidence-based information, tips and tools with parents and professionals to help establish healthy eating in children.
See how it works

Who we are

We are a group of academic psychologists who specialise in children's eating behaviour and parenting at mealtimes. Importantly, we are also mums.
Meet the team

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Award-winning tools and support to make mealtimes with children easier | Child Feeding Guide

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Effective strategies and information to tackle fussy eating and create happy mealtimes

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There are many reasons why parents might be vegetarians and choose this type of diet for their child. There is an important role for nurses, health visitors and midwives to help parents ensure the nutrient needs of their baby are met as they start weaning.

The UK Vegetarian Society defines a vegetarian as: 'Someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by-products of slaughter.' ¹
A vegetarian may be lacto-ovo-vegetarian (eating dairy products and eggs), lacto-vegetarian (dairy products, but not eggs) or vegan (excludes eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived foodstuffs).

Some religions call for dietary restrictions. Most practicing Hindus do not eat meat or fish, and none will eat meat from cows or buffalos. Rastafarians avoid all animal products as well as salt, canned and preserved foods. Jains have strict dietary restrictions, which excludes all animal products. Sikhs might be vegetarian and muslims do not eat pork. ²

Weaning advice

Weaning onto solid foods takes place when babies become developmentally ready to begin to eat the foods common to their family and culture, around six months of age. ³ By this age, babies are running low on nutrients, particularly iron, ⁴ and breast or formula milk is no longer enough

Please login or register to read the rest of the article and to have access to downloads and comments.

What do you think? Leave a comment below or tweet your views to @IndyNurseMag

This material is protected by MA Healthcare Ltd copyright.
See Terms and Conditions.

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There are many reasons why parents might be vegetarians and choose this type of diet for their child. There is an important role for nurses, health visitors and midwives to help parents ensure the nutrient needs of their baby are met as they start weaning.

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Well-planned vegan diets can meet the nutritional needs of every family member. You can give your child a great start in life by introducing them to a wide variety of plant foods, and teaching them to make compassionate choices.

Early days

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of your baby's life. It is also recommended that you continue to breastfeed until your baby is at least two years old. Please go here for more information about breastfeeding and plant-based nutrition.

If your baby is breastfed, it is recommended that you give them vitamin D drops from birth. Vitamin D2 is animal-free. Vitamin D3 usually comes from sheep's wool, but vitamin D3 from lichen is vegan-friendly.

If breastfeeding is not an option, infant formula is recommended. Soya-based infant formula can be fed to vegan infants when breastfeeding is not an option, but please speak to your health visitor or doctor before using it.

First foods

It is recommended that you wait until your baby is six months old before introducing food. However, every infant should be considered individually. If you are thinking about introducing food to your baby between four and six months, please speak to a health professional. Food should not be introduced before your baby is four months old.

Smooth or mashed foods can be fed to your baby using a spoon. Baby-led weaning is a different approach, which initially involves offering soft finger foods that your baby can hold in their fist, explore and chew. You may wish to use a combination of these two approaches. It is important that first foods include good sources of iron, such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and tofu. Avoid adding salt or sugar.

Following on from the recommendation about vitamin D drops for breastfed babies from birth, the Department of Health recommends daily vitamin A, C and D supplementation for all children aged six months to five years (unless they are drinking more than 500ml of infant formula daily). It is important to include a reliable source of vitamin B12 in your baby's plant-based diet, such as fortified foods. Unsweetened fortified soya milk can be used in cooking, and plain fortified soya yoghurt can be offered at mealtimes. As your baby's intake of breastmilk or formula decreases, the need to consider iodine supplementation increases. You may also wish to consider a supplement of long chain omega-3 fats from microalgae, although there is a need for research into how these supplements affect the health of vegans. Your child's daily diet should include a good source of essential omega-3 fat, such as ground chia seeds, ground linseed, ground hemp seeds or ground walnuts.

Please read our PDF for more information about introducing food to your baby.

One to four years old

During this period of your child's life, you will gradually adjust their diet so that it is balanced in a similar way to your diet by the time they are five years old. Young children need meals and snacks that provide lots of nutrients for growth, but sometimes have small appetites. Here are some tips about making the most of their food:

Lower fibre starchy foods may be useful sources of energy, such as white rice and pasta

Quinoa contains more protein than rice, pasta or potato

Add energy to meals and snacks by adding ground nuts* and seeds, nut* and seed butters, vegetable oil and vegan spread

Lower fat options are not recommended

*If your child already has a diagnosed food allergy, or there's a history of allergy in their immediate family (such as asthma, eczema or hay fever), talk to a health professional before giving them food containing peanuts for the first time.

Calcium is important for teeth and bones. Breastfeeding your child until they are at least two years old will help them to get enough. 300ml of unsweetened fortified soya milk provides a good daily intake of calcium. Plain fortified soya yoghurt and calcium-set tofu are also valuable sources. Other sources include kale, pak choi, okra, dried figs, chia seeds and almonds (ground or butter).

It's also important to make sure that your child's daily diet contains plenty of foods that are rich in iron. Beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, cashew nuts (ground or butter), ground chia seeds, ground linseed, ground hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (ground or butter), quinoa, kale, raisins, dried figs, dried apricots and fortified breakfast cereals provide good amounts of iron. Adding vitamin C-rich food to meals helps with iron absorption. Good sources of vitamin C include pepper, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwi fruits, oranges, strawberries and pineapple.

In the UK, the Department of Health recommends vitamin supplements for under-fives (see first foods section). Every vegan needs to obtain vitamin B12 from fortified foods or a supplement. A reliable source of iodine is also important, and a supplement is recommended. You may also wish to consider giving your child a supplement of long chain omega-3 fats from microalgae, although there is a need for research into how these supplements affect the health of vegans. Your child's daily diet should include a good source of essential omega-3 fat, such as ground chia seeds, ground linseed, ground hemp seeds or ground walnuts.

Please read our PDF for more information about plant-based nutrition for children aged one to four years.

Further information

Click here to read a nutritional guide for vegan infants written by Dietitian Dr Helen Crawley

Try Cooking Vegan by Dietitian Vesanto Melina and Chef Joseph Forest for nutritionally analysed recipes for all ages

Please talk to a health professional about supplements to ensure that they are suitable for your child.

If you have any concerns about your child's diet, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian.
Thanks to Children's Dietitian Angharad Banner for her expertise and support.

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Well-planned vegan diets can meet the nutritional needs of every family member. You can give your child a great start in life by introducing them to a wide variety of plant foods, and teaching them to make compassionate choices. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of your baby's life.

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FIRST STEPS NUTRITION - ‘Eating well: the first year. A guide to introducing solids and eating well up to baby's first birthday’. 

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FIRST STEPS NUTRITION - ‘Eating well: the first year. A guide to introducing solids and eating well up to baby's first birthday’. 

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The 150pg booklet I showed you

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Breastmilk is the bespoke food for a human infant. Breastfeeding ensures all the infants' nutrient needs are met, encourages optimum infant development, facilitates mother and child bonding, and protects the infants' and mothers' health in the short and long term.
In order to protect breastfeeding and support families who use formula it is important that all those who offer advice to families have accurate and unbiased information about infant feeding, including clear information about infant formula.

We also provide information and advice on eating well for new mothers, particularly those who are breastfeeding, and information and practical advice on introducing solid foods to babies, with recipes and photos to show the sorts of foods, and amounts of foods, that will give them a good start to their eating journey. On this webpage you can also find our eating well guide for vegan infants and under 5s, a recipe book with simple, cost-effective ideas for the whole family and a poster which provides a simple guide to eating well for infants.

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Eating Well resources - First Steps Nutrition Trust

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The resources produced by First Steps Nutrition Trust provide help and support for pregnancy, infants and new mums, and young children up to five years.

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Read this step-by-step guide of what to do if a child is choking.

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Billie is 3 years old. She breastfeeds in the morning, at bedtime and usually once during the night. Bob is 18 months. He is breastfeeding on demand. This usually means breastfeeding at least 6 times in 24 hours.
Let's imagine you are Bob or Billie's mum and you want to end breastfeeding.

First, let's take a moment to check this is a decision you are happy about. Am I going to try to talk you out of it? Nope.

I breastfed both my children until they self-weaned and I speak to mothers breastfeeding toddlers every day. I know it isn't for everyone.
You get to choose when you stop.
If you are in the tiny minority of mothers breastfeeding well into the second year and beyond, that is something to be celebrated and praised and baton-twirled.

The job of the breastfeeding support community is to enable each mother to reach her own breastfeeding goals. When it comes to breastfeeding an older child, we are allowed to listen to our own maternal instincts. Not everyone's maternal instincts tell them the same thing.

However this is an important decision so let's do a few checks.
Are you ending breastfeeding because you want to conceive again and you believe weaning will be necessary?
If you are 100% confident with your decision, feel free to skip to the row of asterisks.

Every woman's fertility responds differently to breastfeeding. To conceive, we need oestrogen levels to rise again and ovulation to occur and then we need the womb to receive a fertilised egg and give it enough chance to hang around and implant properly. Most women do not need breastfeeding to end completely for this to happen. However most of us do need at least one gap of 5-6 hours without any breastfeeding in 24 hours.

It might be worth experimenting with night weaning or extending intervals in order to trigger your period before ending breastfeeding entirely if you'd rather not. Get familiar with your cervical fluid (or as my friend Sarah Panzetta, a fertility expert, calls it, 'your lady liquid') and get a sense of what it's likely to look like when you ovulating (stretchy and egg-whitey). Some people are told they need to wean from breastfeeding in order to start another round of IVF. That is a very difficult and personal decision.
Are you ending breastfeeding because you need to take medication and the doctor says you have to?
We can probably say that is likely that you would be maximising your chances of conceiving by ending breastfeeding. You may still decide you'd rather continue breastfeeding.
Are you ending breastfeeding because someone else is putting pressure on you?
Check. Many many women are told this inaccurately. In the UK, the Breastfeeding Network is a great source of information - both their medication factsheets and the 'drugs in breastmilk' helpline. You can also check with LactMed or the resources (book and website) of Dr. Thomas Hale. There are many lactation consultants available through Twitter who would be happy to check for you.

Is this someone who you feel has a right to comment on your body and what you choose to do with it? Is it someone who you feel has as much right to make decisions about your child's health and happiness as you do? If you answer yes to both of those questions, then you may feel you want to listen.

However, you should also feel you have the right to explain very clearly why this matters to you and carry on. You have the right to continue even though other adults in your life are uncomfortable. Just because we live in a society which squirms at the idea of breastfeeding older children, it doesn't mean a push into unhappy weaning is the 'right' opinion. You have science on your side.

This is a decision you will live with for a very long time. You have invested a huge amount in making breastfeeding work up until now. For many women, it has taken literal blood, sweat and tears. You have spent hours and hours and hours breastfeeding. One day, decades from now, you may be a grandmother and breastfeeding will be part in your world again. Wouldn't it be great to look back with no regrets and know that you stopped breastfeeding at a time that was absolutely right for you?
Are you ending breastfeeding because you aren't getting enough sleep?
Your nursling can't speak up. If you are being pressured to wean when you don't want to, you may need to be brave and speak up for them.

One possibility is to night wean and see how that feels. It may enable you to continue breastfeeding for longer than you imagined you would. You can follow the suggestions below and pause at any point in the process.

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So we're going to try and wean Bob. He's breastfeeding a lot. He breastfeeds in the morning and at naptime. He falls asleep breastfeeding at the beginning of the night and breastfeeds during the night several times. He uses the breast for comfort when he feels sad or shy. It's the first thing he wants when he falls over. When you sit together on the sofa, he wiggles over and lifts your shirt with a big smile on his face. He loves it all.

Have you done anything wrong by parenting this way up until now? No, you have not. You have followed your instincts and met his needs and what a lucky little bloke Bob is.

This is clearly going to be tough and Bob may be sad but YOU ARE STILL ALLOWED TO WEAN. This is your choice and you will be able to make it happen with the minimum amount of upset if you are sensitive and careful.

Some things to bear in mind before we start:

This is not about milk - completely. This is about YOU. Bob is connecting with you and being as close to you as he possibly can. He is feeling safe and loved and cosy and warm. Your milk still contains immunological properties and Vitamin A and protein and all the other useful things. However Bob's breastfeeding behaviour is about security and love and not much about Vitamin A.

So don't offer milk in a bottle or sippy cup instead and not in response to a request to breastfeed. Don't offer milk in a cup at bedtime instead of that connection with you. That's like you asking a loved one for a hug and he gives you a sausage roll. You may be a big fan of sausage rolls but right then, in that context, that's a rejection.

We need to talk about ways of trying to avoid the 'rejections'. It may not be entirely possible but we want to minimise them as much as possible.

Don't offer another person instead. Does it seem entirely logical that at the moment we are pulling bits of ourselves away from our nursling, we pull our entire self away?

Does it seem logical to leave your toddler for a night or longer just to wean from breastfeeding when breastfeeding was about connecting with you as much as the milk?

We need to show that you are still there and you are still very much there for connecting - just not at the nipply bits.

You will still be there at bedtime when he feels scared and vulnerable. You will still be there for comfort. You will be there for him when he's going through this really tough transition of losing breastfeeding. Does it seem sensible to pull yourself away when he's potentially going to be losing something that really matters? You are the person he really needs to help him through this.

Of course partners and dads are a key part of this process but in addition to mum - not instead of. I hope daddy/partner is part of the bedtime process and able to comfort your child. I'm just not sure it's brilliantly sensible for you to be stepping away and leaving them entirely to it.

Together - all 3 of you (mum, partner and nursling) - you will be making new routines and patterns and developing a new parenting language.
First steps:
That doesn't take a night and it probably doesn't take a week. It might take a week for the 18 month old who is only breastfeeding a couple of times in 24 hours and falls asleep without the breast in his mouth - but that isn't Bob.

While it's true that this isn't simply about milk, Bob has been having quite a lot of milk which have met a lot of his nutritional demands and provided a portion of his hydration through the day. We need to look at his diet. Is Bob confidently using a cup? Would he be able to indicate if he was thirsty? Can he help himself?

What will be Bob's sources of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals and good quality fats? It might be that Bob enjoys drinking cow's milk but he also might really not. Does he eat dairy? He would ideally get around 300ml of full-fat cow's milk a day. If he won't drink milk, he can eat cheese and yoghurt and you can use cream and butter in cooking. He might like a yoghurt-based fruit smoothie or a milkshake. There are other sources of calcium and other minerals like green leafy vegetables, nuts and tofu. Bob doesn't need to drink a commercial formula. Full-fat cow's milk is the recommendation.

Take a moment to reflect on what his nutritional sources will be. Do some research. He's been taking a significant portion of his calories overnight so you will need to look at extra snacks and opportunities to offer food once that's gone.

Now it's time to look at sleep skills. This may be the most difficult aspect of the process so we need to address it from the beginning because it could take the longest.
Night weaning
Bob right now has a prop dependency - a loving and comforting prop dependency. He's using the breast to aid his drop-off to sleep and he's using it to transition between sleep cycles at night. As he moves between sleep cycles, he fully rouses and seeks the breast to help him move on to the next sleep cycle. Some babies need dummies replugged or a pat. Bob has a breast as his sleep prop. For lots of mums, this is not really something that bothers them and it can continue until it naturally fades. But if you want to wean from breastfeeding, it's a problem for you.

You can't end breastfeeding until you have helped Bob find a new way to sleep. If we just take breastfeeding away suddenly, it's really not very fair. This has been the way Bob has fallen asleep for a very long time. Sleep time is often when we feel the most vulnerable and when we can really get into habits.

Imagine you'd always fallen asleep by putting your head on a pillow and turning out the light and thinking peaceful thoughts and someone suddenly announces sleep isn't allowed to happen this way anymore and you have to touch your nose with your thumb while whistling the star-spangled banner. You'd quickly become distressed and angry and think the whole thing was entirely unreasonable. You literally wouldn't know how to do it.

You would probably prefer to make any transition gradually and with the support of someone you love.

A really good resource for this stage is 'The No-cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers' by Elizabeth Pantley. You may already have read about her 'pull-off' method in her book aimed at babies. You would start a feed as normal but then resist the temptation to feed right to the end when your toddler is in a deep sleep and absolutely out for the count. You would use your little finger and break the latch just before they completely fall asleep. The first time, it really would only be seconds before. You want them to do the final drop-off from drowsy to deep sleep without the breast actually being in their mouth. You are right there but the breast has been removed. If your nursling fully rouses at this point and searches for the breast, you may gently place your hand on their chin to see if they might still settle. If not, and they wake further, you latch them back on again and try a few moments later. Then, over several nights, you would gradually detach them earlier and earlier in the process. After a while, you may feed them and after the feed they may still pretty much be awake. It has been a gentle and slow process. They learn how to fall asleep without actually sucking. What then often starts to happen is the nursling who can do the final drop-off without the breast being in their mouth is less likely to rouse between sleep cycles during the night. They semi-wake (as we all do between sleep cycles at night) but feel safe about moving onto the next sleep cycle without needing their prop.

At the same time as working on the pull-off technique, you can work on introducing a different structure for bedtime. Before you even start, you could introduce a lovey - a comfort object that could become associated with sleep and bedtime. It could be cuddled between you during night time breastfeeds. Then as the feeds start to change, the lovey is still there. You could also think about singing a little song that is your 'bedtime song'. This is a song that you initially sing during the breastfeed and as the breastfeed fades, it's a new part of your routine. It might happen during the final cuddle or if they appear to rouse and be looking for comfort. It's calm and soothing and - this is the important bit - you don't mind singing it every night for a while. If you are feeling very creative, choose a tune you know well and write your own lyrics about your day and your loved ones. Or choose a little poem and phrase that says, 'this is sleep time now'.

As the breastfeeds end, the song or the poem is still there. It remains consistent. It's the sign that it's sleep time now. You are still there and we're just removing the prop of the breast.

As your nursling finishes a breastfeed more and more awake, you've got the chance to insert other things as your new 'final stage'. You could read a story. It is sometimes said that sharing a book with your toddler is more similar to breastfeeding than offering a cup or bottle of milk. You are devoting yourself to your child. You are sharing a connection. They have your attention and a cuddle.

There are even some books on the process of weaning and night weaning that you might find useful. I don't mean books for you about technique but picture books for both of you that will usually have illustrations of jolly toddlers and rested mothers greeting the sunrise. 'Nursies when the sun shines' is a classic example.

You could also make your own book. Make a photo book using one of the online photo companies about your night weaning journey. Toddlers at this age love seeing photos of themselves and their friends and family. It could just be something as simple as saying 'goodnight' to all the things he loves. And I dare you to have 'good night mummy's boobs' on the last page. 'See you in the morning!'

So the breastfeeding moves back further. After it comes the story and the song (bored of it yet?). Then one day, breastfeeding happens in a different room and then before bath and one day, it gets dropped. Perhaps that night something exciting happens instead - a new toy in the bath, some ice cubes to play with. The breastfeed is something that he will want to get out of the way to get onto the fun stuff.

Some people prefer to leave the bedtime breastfeed as the very last one that gets dropped when full weaning happens. You may have been working on daytime feeding while this whole process was going on. The point is though that we may need to start AND finish with the weaning the bedtime feed because the process of setting up a new routine could take a while.

When a nursling wakes up in the middle of the night, we can hopefully develop new techniques that help them transition without using breastfeeding. Ideally now that we've done the pull-off, we are getting fewer night wakings but we may still see some. What else will make your toddler feel calm and safe? You may be able to use some of those techniques from bedtime. The lovey is there. You can sing your special song and use your special phrases. You may stroke and pat. You may put on a gentle piece of music or white noise. You're going to be finding your own strategies.

There may be tears. It may be tempting to offer the breast because this is too difficult to manage. You have to follow your instincts. You may discover you are not ready to wean and you can cope with just one feed at night. You may decide that some tears of frustration are going to have to happen because you are absolutely ready to end this stage of motherhood. Try and be consistent.

Daddy/partner can be a great help but you also need to develop your boob alternatives now - the way you will show physical love and give your mothering comfort.
What about weaning breastfeeds in the daytime?
Some 18 month olds are verbal enough that they can understand that milkies are sleeping now and they will be awake in the morning - cuddles instead.

Once you have broken the sleep prop, the process will get easier. You will need to ensure of course that naps can happen without breastfeeding. Now the rest of the weaning is about distraction.

We are trying to avoid the need for refusal. This is a key aspect of weaning all older nurslings. You sometimes hear the phrase ' Don't offer, Don't refuse' used as a weaning technique. It will work for everyone in the end but sometimes we need to jiggle our day around so we don't actually get to the point of being asked if we want weaning to happen more quickly.

Once we get to the point of being asked, refusal means rejection. Not just a missing out on milk but a rejection from mummy. The request and breastfeed was a way that toddler communicated with you. He asked and it happened and it was magic. It was a dialogue between you that made him feel empowered and special. Really not just about the milk.

What other things can be ask for? Make a special box of books he can request. Make a snuggly book nest with pillows and beanbags. Instead of asking for a breastfeed, he could lead you by the hand and ask for a 'book cuddle'. Or a dance? Or a big squeezy cuddle with a raspberry on his neck?

You may need to restructure your day for a while - more time outside or at activities. Perhaps meals as a picnic if he normally asks for feed at the dinner table and climbs onto your lap. Perhaps moving the special chair where he normally asks for a feed. In the morning, it's a big hug and a scoop out of bed and a race downstairs to find the little ice cube tray full of fun snacks to avoid the morning feed. Or Thomas The tank Engine says good morning in a silly voice before mummy says a word. Distraction.

You may need to get up a little earlier for a while so you've got the energy to think ahead before he wakes and starts asking.

When you see the glint in his eye that indicates an 'ask' is on its way, think imaginatively. It's really not about offering a cup of cow's milk instead.
Pre-schooler Billie
Some toddlers will do really well with limits. Some are starting to become fascinated by counting. If you've not managed to avoid 'the ask', how about? "We'll have milkies for as long as it takes mummy to count to ten". Count as fast or as slow as you like. You are in control. Talk about what you will be doing next. If there's a big protest at the end of a feed? "OK, one more. Do you want 'count to ten' or 'count to eleven'?" He is control too.

A lot of the techniques will be the same for three-year-old Billie. She'll also need to learn how to drop to sleep without the breast and transition between sleep cycles in another way. It's likely she'll have a much greater understanding of what's going on and you can talk about your plans together.

You may decide to use a token system. Each morning you could give her 2 or 3 (or however many) tokens and she can swap them for breastfeeds at any time but she won't get new tokens until tomorrow. The tokens may be plastic gold coins (that one seems a bit too 'Wolf of Wall Street' for some) or perhaps little stretchy bracelets that she wears in the day and takes off each time she wants to 'buy' a breastfeed.

Again - you are both in control. She gets to decide whether to hold on to her tokens. When she requests a feed you might talk through her decision: "Are you sure? Because that means you only have one left for tonight? It's up to you but maybe check you're really sure." You may well find she gains comfort from keeping that last one 'just in case' and it never gets used. Gradually there are fewer tokens given.

She would also be old enough to talk about a weaning party or special treat. We don't want too much emphasis on the 'you're a big girl now' stuff because that sounds pretty scary. Big girls want cuddles and mummy too - but she might be ready for something new that celebrates her moving on.

It's OK to talk about what's happening. This is her first intimate relationship and you are teaching important lessons about empathy and understanding. Mummy's milkies are getting ready to stop breastfeeding soon. We will find new ways to give cuddles and be close. A three year old may also have ideas about a cosy reading corner and a new bedtime routine.

This might not be easy but you are allowed to stop. You have given such a magical gift to your child but that doesn't mean you have to continue breastfeeding beyond a point that feels right for you. I once heard a mother of a toddler say she simply couldn't 'bear' breastfeeding anymore. She counted the seconds in her head until each feed finished and felt physically uncomfortable. Is it in that toddler's interest for his mother to carry on?

If we say mothers of older nurslings are not allowed to wean, we will be frightening people of younger children who will feel stuck on a path. We do not want a world where mothers of nine month olds are ending breastfeeding because 'it's easier when they're younger'.

Breastfeeding can continue when it's right for toddler AND mother. It can also end when it feels right.

There are forums and Facebook pages with other mums in your situation who you may be able to share your decision and your journey with. You can make up your own rules. You may decide to pause along the way. Perhaps when you have finished night-weaning, it will suddenly seem more manageable for a while. Just see how you feel.

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Weaning toddler Bob and pre-schooler Billie: how do you stop breastfeeding an older child?

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Billie is 3 years old. She breastfeeds in the morning, at bedtime and usually once during the night. Bob is 18 months. He is breastfeeding on demand. This usually means breastfeeding at least 6 times in 24 hours. Let's imagine you are Bob or Billie's mum and you want to end breastfeeding.

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7 ideas to encourage your child to eat new foods

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Speech, language and feeding expert, Stacey Zimmels shares these top tips to encourage your picky eater to try new foods to reduce stress around mealtimes.

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These cups can be introduced from an early age

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These cups can be introduced from an early age

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They sometimes work when a bf babies that won't take a bottle