Baby milk, weaning and boobs!
Mother and Baby Magazine asked me once again for some advice on weaning, breastfeeding and dairy free infant alternatives, so here’s the reader questions answered below.
You can read other Mother & Baby Mag q&a’s I’ve done here and here.
Click on the picture to go to the pdf of read my answers below.
My 30-month-old is intolerant to dairy. Can you suggest some good ice cream substitutes for him to enjoy this summer?
Thankfully the range of dairy free products on the market is increasing rapidly so if you look in the ice cream section of your local supermarket or health store you’ll almost certainly find dairy free ice creams. Small children shouldn’t be given too much sugar however so ice cream should still be seen as a treat. Alternatively a healthy alternative is ‘nice cream’; blend a chopped frozen banana in a high speed blender for a few seconds until it resembles ice cream! You can add flavours like cocoa powder or peanut butter to ring the changes too.
I am about to start weaning my six-month-old and my mum says to give him baby rice first. Is she right?
Ideally babies should be on milk only until six months and if parents do decide to wean earlier, simple foods like baby rice are best. But from six months babies can eat many adult foods if prepared appropriately. If you’re doing purees then most healthy meals can be blended, gradually leaving more lumps and texture until baby is eating the same meal chopped up. Alternatively baby led weaning is when finger foods are offered instead, such as breadsticks, boiled eggs, chopped fruit to dip in yoghurt, or hummus with a spoon or cucumber sticks to dip. Avoid whole nuts until 5 years old due to a choking hazard, and don’t add salt to meals. And breast or formula milk should still be given alongside solids until one years old to ensure they’re getting all the nutrition they need.
My baby is much more settled when he feeds from my left boob, than he is from my right. Why, and what should I do?
Your left breast may have a better milk supply, or a faster or slower let down of milk which he may prefer. If he’s more settled it’s likely he’s getting a fuller tummy from that side. You can increase the milk supply of your right breast by feeding on that side more often, or expressing, until supply catches up with the left. Of course there’s always a chance he simply feels more comfortable lying that way too, after all we all have our preferred positions to sleep!