Start Your Child’s Weaning Journey with Mothercare

Weaning your toddler off milk and introducing solid foods to their diet can be a stressful but essential step to take during their early years. The techniques and methods used during weaning are vital to help your child establish a healthy relationship with food at a young age and can reduce the chances of fussy eating and food allergies in future. Find out what are the must-have weaning essentials that all parents in Singapore should have from Mothercare.

Ways to Encourage Weaning

There are many ways and weaning products that can be used to encourage your child to take their first bites of solid foods from a weaning bowl. Let’s take a look at some useful methods.

Reduce Nursing Time

Let your child know in advance that you are only going to nurse for a certain amount of time. Give them a verbal reminder so they won’t be caught off guard when the nursing period comes to an end.

Provide Distractions

Breastfeeding is likely to be part of a daily routine for you and your child. During the period of weaning, replace breastfeeding time with fun activities so they will not ask to be nursed.

Use a Weaning Kit

Weaning kits come with essential weaning products such as colourful weaning bowls, feeding spoons and non-spill sippy cups with handles that your child can learn to maneuver as they start learning how to feed themselves. Allow your boys and girls to practice their motor skills by using the plastic cutlery as they get used to having their meals from a weaning bowl.

Frequently asked questions about weaning

1. What is baby-led weaning?

Baby-led weaning (BLW) involves no feeding from parent to baby. The baby has to use his or her hands or grippy feeding spoons to get food into their mouth. BLW is usually messy, but long-term benefits include a sharp development of hand-eye coordination, chewing skills and healthy eating habits.

2. When to start baby-led weaning?

6 months old is a good age to start BLW as your baby will be able to sit up unassisted and have strong neck control, which allows them to push foreign objects out of their mouth.

3. Are weaning kits absolutely essential?

Weaning kits or sets are necessary as it can save busy parents a lot of time by keeping the baby clean during mealtimes. The bib catches food droplets and weaning bowls with suction can prevent spills. You can introduce the use of weaning products by first encouraging them to grab their snacks from a snack pod during snack time.