It’s time to start solids in our household! I find starting solids with bub to be a very exciting, maybe a little terrifying, messy, adorable milestone to reach. I remember when I first started solids with our first bub, I felt like my days were already completely full. Between nappy changes, breastfeeding, naps (his and mine), getting out and about when I could and keeping on top of (our much smaller, mind you) Bubka workload, HOW was I going to fit in starting solids too?!  

As bub and I began to progress through our taste tests I realised how much fun starting solids can be. I don’t claim to know much about the process, just my own experience but as a mum with two kiddies, and if I can give you any tips, it’s this.

• Do what you’re comfortable with, but also trust that bub has got this and will tell you when they are ready. If bub isn’t so interested at first, that’s ok, keep at it, they will be soon. If Baby Led Weaning scares you and purees are your vibe, then do that, bub will get there in the end.
• Know the difference between choking vs. gagging and when you may need to step in. It’s important to know what to do if bub does start to choke so having some first aid training for you, your partner or anyone who will be feeding bub was so reassuring for us. We had a scare involving our bub and an apple and as terrifying as it was, I felt confident knowing what to do when it happened.
• Test for allergies properly and start the process as soon as you can- because it can be slloooowwwww. There’s a lot of advice out there to follow and I’m not the right person to share info on this but what I can say is that allergy testing needs to be done properly. There are some wonderful products out there to help you test for allergies, saving you on prep time, energy and money.
• Don’t get bogged down by what you see on social media. It’s very easy for you to think you aren’t doing enough if you see mums on Instagram and TikTok making full blown meals for their kids, it really lets the mum guilt creep in. Do what you can do- even if it means bub is eating eggs (after allergy testing, of course) twice in a day then do it. They won’t mind, or remember, I promise.
• If you are breastfeeding, follow the advice of a trusted lactation professional who can advise you on the best way to start solids without impacting your milk supply. I spoke to IBCLC and Paediatric Nurse Abi Barham to learn more about this and here are her incredibly valuable weaning tips.
  

Words by Abi Barham at Abi Barham Lactation Support:

Part of weaning will be a very gradual reduction of the milk bub will drink, however saying that, this reduction IS gradual, milk feeds are still super important, providing valuable nutrients as well as helping digest some of the new foods, protecting them from gastroenteritis with its antibodies and probiotics. Through breastfeeding they will already have been exposed to a broad variety of tastes through what you have eaten.  Keep an eye on nappies, sometimes too may solids and not enough milk can result in constipation. if this happens, increasing breastfeeds should help. They should still have at least 4-6 heavy wet nappies too.

As the weeks progress babies may start to lose interest in some feeds, this is not necessarily weaning, it’s quite unusual for a baby to self-wean before 12 months. Even if a baby goes through a period of refusing the breast this is most likely to be temporary. To maintain supply if this happens, you can add in a bit of pumping using a breast pump like the Bubka Move. Once the baby goes back to the breast, they will naturally drive supply again. sometimes teething or illness make a baby feed either much more or much less.

At this stage breasts can feel softer, and it can be harder to express except when you are away from the baby for a length of time. This again is normal; it doesn’t necessarily mean your supply is dropping. A baby is often more effective than any pump, even the very best of pumps!!! Remember to do some pre pump massage and hands on pumping if you are finding this an issue.

At 7+ months Bub is probably really starting to enjoy solids, but I would still offer a breast feed and then a gap of at least 30-60 mins, then solids and probably only 2 meals a day is all that is necessary for the next month. They may still feed 6+ times a day and still feeding overnight is normal too. Baby’s weight gain generally slows again after 6 months to more like 80-100g a week as they become more active.

By 9-12 months, they may well drop a breastfeed and up solids to 3 meals a day plus snacks. Your body will gently adjust, this is much better for your mood, sometimes as you wean breastfeeding you can feel some sadness and low mood as hormones adjust and this unique part of your life comes to an end.

There are huge benefits to feeding beyond 1 year too, if this is something you are thinking about, even a night and morning feed can provide lots of benefit and is manageable in a work schedule. We know that babies at this stage feed much less frequently, but the nutritional value of milk becomes more powerful.

All the other benefits of breastfeeding remain, it’s really soothing especially when a baby has a bump or a fall as they start to explore their environment. It is a great emotional regulator in times of “big feelings”! It’s also a great default in times of illness, sometimes even when they can’t tolerate food, breast milk is almost always tolerated.

Abi has SO much incredible advice to offer, not to mention she is one of the most gorgeous human beings on the planet, so if you want to reach out to her for some one-on-one advice, you won’t regret it and she can be reached here.