We asked mums on our online platform and these are some of the ideas that were shared...

Mercy Daniel

“We've weaned for a month now started off with Famila- pure-wimbi-porridge. Then we moved to Famila-weaning-porridge mix which has several ingredients.
We did porridge and usual breastfeeding for a week then moved on to pumpkin and potatoes. After a few days I added peas, a few days later I added sweet potatoes, carrot and spinach to the mash.
We also do fruits, started with pawpaw, and then I added avocado and then banana-all mixed together. She loves it all! We take porridge at around 10-11am, lunch at around 1-2pm, fruits at around 4-5pm and dinner at around 8-9pm, breastfeeding in between the meals.

To her porridge, i don't add sugar but i add milk. To her food, i add a pinch of salt.
To her fruit mix, when the pawpaw does not produce enough juice and the mix is too thick, I squeeze in some Orange juice.”

Felly Koech

“I started with light uji plus water for 3days, then pumpkin plus melon in between, then matoke + potato + terere + carrots + tomatoes. Water is a must after every meal.”

Muendo F. Mbinya

“We are on the second week...giving baby rice porridge flour in the morning and evening. An Apple puree at lunchtime and at 10 a.m and 4 pm, 210 ml Formulae and 50ml of water any time of the day.”

Alice Kariuki

“Those who are about to start weaning instead of spinach, go for terere then avoid pawpaw”.

Anne Kinyanjui

“We started off with uji then 3weeks later introduced whatever we were eating to her n she likes it.”

Sheilah Jeremy

“We started with pumpkin plain – I blend and I don’t add salt then started adding spinach after a week and sometimes cereals. After 4 wks.’ i introduced uji.

The suggestions from mums online were many …..

... From the web we also found these useful weaning timetables

Week 1

• On waking: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Mid-morning: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Lunchtime: Baby rice or single fruit/veg puree
• Mid-afternoon: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Teatime: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Bedtime: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)

Weeks 2-3

• On waking: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Mid-morning: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Lunchtime: Fruit/veg puree
• Mid-afternoon: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Teatime: Baby rice or single fruit/veg puree, breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Bedtime: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)

Week 4

• On waking: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Breakfast: Baby rice or baby cereal
• Mid-morning: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Lunchtime: Fruit/veg/meat puree
• Mid-afternoon: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Tea time: Fruit/veg puree, breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)
• Bedtime: Breast or infant formula milk (around 4oz)

 

As you wean, what the experts recommend is ...

STEP 1 : START WITH VEGETABLES

Step 1 is about giving your baby a taste for veg – it might be a challenge, and it probably won’t be love at first bite, but keep going and they’ll learn to love veggies for life. Start with single savoury flavors and try to avoid sweeter veggies by sticking to things like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and peas.

Research has shown that giving your baby more veg flavors rather than sweet tastes can really help to shape their preferences, and teach them to love veggies for life. Although babies naturally love sweet tastes, getting them used to simple, single vegetable flavors now can train their taste buds to enjoy these foods in later life. For step one, remember to start with a single veggie, and then vary with different single veggies!

Do

• Give lots of smiles – if you’re happy, your baby’s happy!
• Begin weaning at home, or somewhere they know well
• Make sure there aren’t too many distractions
• Let them play with their food and/or spoon
• Keep trying – it can take 8-10 tries for your baby to like a new flavour.

Don't

• Attempt weaning before 17 weeks*
• Leave your baby alone when feeding
• Pick a time when your baby’s too tired, too full – or too hungry!
• Add salt or sugar to foods
• Offer sweet tastes, like fruit, too early as it’ll make it harder for them to learn to love vegetables

STEP 2 INTRODUCE NEW TASTES AND TEXTURES

Now your baby is enjoying their first veggies, its full steam ahead to step 2 – introducing a whole world of new tastes and textures!

Offering your little one a wide range of veg when they’re small makes them more likely to eat their veg as they grow. Now they’re successfully munching on savoury food, you can carry on offering them single veg and begin to tempt them with some fruity flavors too! Try offering them little and often throughout the day.

  Do

• Keep up with the milk – from 6 months, your baby needs 500-600ml of milk a day to make sure they aren’t going hungry.
• Offer mini meals more than once a day
• Remember it can take 8-10 tries before your little one learns to love a new food
• Offer small amounts of food in your baby’s bowl and add more only if need be
• Keep feeding them what they love, as well as new foods
• Adapt existing recipes to make them lumpier
• Steam rather than boil veggies – it keeps the goodness in!
• Make sure finger foods are soft and well-cooked

 Don't

• Mask the veggie taste by adding fruit or other sweet things
• Mix savoury and sweet foods – let them understand the difference
• Leave your baby alone when feeding.
• Reuse leftovers from the bowl as their saliva will have added germs into the mix
• Worry if your baby is eating small amounts at first

STEP 3: REPEAT, MEAT FISH, CARBS

It’s time to start mixing things up! New food groups and new combinations will make sure your little one is getting a real balance.

Try to add iron, from red meat, beans and green leafy veg to support normal cognitive development and also dairy which is a source of calcium which supports normal bone development. Meat, fish, beans and eggs are good sources of protein, which is needed for normal growth and development of bone, and starchy carbohydrates like rice and potatoes provide energy and B vitamins.

  Do

• Set a good example and watch what you eat in front of your baby
• Smile as you eat – even if you don’t like something. They understand your facial expressions!
• Still repeat their old favorites, especially if they are struggling with new tastes and textures
• Keep trying – it can take 8-10 tries before they learn to like something
• Add spices and herbs for flavor, but go easy!
• Keep hands and surfaces clean when preparing food
• Cook all meat, fish and eggs thoroughly

 Don't

• Use processed meat like bacon, sausages or burgers – they could be full of preservatives and salt
• Add stock or gravy to meals – they are packed with salt
• Add salt, sugar or honey to your baby’s food (or let them see you adding it to yours!)
• Give them too much cheese – there’s salt hiding in this too!
• Worry if one day they accept something and the next they don’t – try something else and offer again in a few days.

 STEP 4: INTRODUCE MEALTIMES, STARTING WITH BREAKFAST

Your little one should be starting to eat more of what you offer, more frequently now, and a baby-friendly breakfast is the perfect way to introduce them to a mealtime routine.

Because your little one is raring to go in the morning, breakfast is the perfect time to try something new. Although they shouldn’t be eating family breakfast cereals because of the added sugar and salt, baby cereals provide the perfect texture with no added nasties.
 

Do

• Continue with their morning milk feed, so they’re not too hungry to enjoy breakfast*
• Use 2 spoons – one for you and one for them to practice with
• Try using their usual formula milk in cereals made with milk – they’ll love the reassuring taste*
• Give water in a beaker so they get used to having a drink with their meal

*From 6 months, your baby needs around 500-600ml of milk a day

Don't

• Worry if they only eat small amounts at first
• Give your baby peanut butter or foods containing gluten before they are 6 months old
• Give your little one soft-boiled eggs or runny yolks before they are 12 months old

STEP 5 ESTABLISH 3 MEALS A DAY

Congratulations – you’ve reached the final stage of weaning! Your baby’s come a long way from their first spoonful, and now they’re ready to start enjoying 3 regular meals a day. Establishing a routine will help your mini muncher enjoy new flavors and textures – the beginning of a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

By the end of this step, you’ll have given your baby an adventurous attitude towards food, and an eating routine that helps them understand the world around them. Try to eat together as much as possible so that your little one learns that mealtimes are sociable and fun.

ON A PARTING SHOT ….

What’s important for mums to note is that all babies are individuals, so try to adopt a feeding routine to suit your baby and it doesn’t hurt to check with a nutritionist or any other relevant expert if you have any concerns about a particular food item.