How much food and which drinks to give your baby when weaning
When you are making the big leap from milk to solids, it can be hard to know how much your baby needs. Here is a guide to filling up that little tummy.
In the early stages of weaning, the main aim is to get your baby
used to taking food from a spoon, rather than to fill them up with
solids. They will still be getting most of their nutrition from
milk, so don't worry if they only manage small amounts of food at
first.
The first weeks of weaning
Start off by giving just one meal of solids a day. Before you offer
the solids, give your baby part or all of their normal milk feed.
They still need as much breast milk or formula as usual at this
stage.
To avoid waste, spoon out only a small amount of baby food to
start with. You can always heat up more if your baby is still
hungry afterwards. Go at your baby's pace and let them decide when
they have had enough.
Moving on
Over the next few weeks, you can gradually increase the amount of
solids you offer. Once your baby is used to eating from a spoon,
you can give them solids first and their milk feed second.
You can also move gradually from offering one meal of solids a
day to two and then three meals, but be guided by their appetite
and try not to rush them.
As your baby's appetite for solids increases, they will need
less milk. They will either have fewer feeds, or take less at each
feed, but they still need regular breast feeds or a minimum of
500-600ml of follow-on formula milk each day from six months of age
if you are bottle feeding.
Once weaning is established
With your baby now used to solids, aim to give them three meals a
day. As your baby gets older you might like to introduce some
healthy snacks. The variety of the foods you offer your baby is
more important than the quantity to ensure they get all their
essential nutrients.
At the same time, remember to keep offering your baby their
regular breast or formula feeds alongside solid foods. But make
sure your baby does not fill up on them before eating, as this will
spoil their appetite.
As a general rule, your baby will need no more than six to eight
drinks a day, including a drink with each meal or snack.