Tag: responsive feeding

Child Nutrition

What Is Baby-Led-Weaning?| Why To Consider It & Things To Watch For

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Picture via Pinecones & Pacifiers

Baby Led Weaning Is a modern approach to the tradition of feeding purées or specially made food for babies. It was first introduced in 2005 by Gill Rapley.

What is Baby led weaning (BLW)?

It is a process of introducing solids to babies as a complementary meal with breastfeeding or formula feeding at appropriate age. Which is 6 months, recommended by World Health Organization.

(For more details read When To Introduce Solids)

Process starts with finger foods or hand mashed food, Allowing baby to SELF FEED right from start. No spoon feeding.

Why you should consider BLW?

1. Baby can explore new textures, color, taste and colors.

2. Good for babies motor development like eye-hand-mouth coordinations

3. Baby can eat from family pot, no special food

4. Teaches baby how much to eat and when to stop according to their needs, which encourage Responsive Feeding.

5. BLW suggests to have meals together as a family, which helps baby to understand the routine and customs which family follows.

Things to watch for!

1. While offering finger food make sure its right shape and size, or it could be a CHOCKING HAZARD.

2. Food offered should be cooked and soft, easy to chew even with gums.

3. Always watch baby while he/she is self feeding and try to encourage them to eat.

4. Make sure your are offering right amount of nutrients.

Baby can reject the food at first, but it’s ok! Keep offering new textures later again. Give plenty of time for them to explore, do not hurry. They will eventually learn how to use spoon by watching you, that’s why it is advisable to eat together.

Risk Factors

• Baby not eating enough, as at first it’s a learning process for them, it’s hard for them to get food into their mouth

• Not getting enough of iron intake

• High sodium food, as baby is gonna eat what family eats

• Choking, if not offered appropriate size and shape of the food or raw foods like whole grape or an apple

You have to be little confident if you are considering to go with BLW, make sure YOU are also ready for the process with your baby.

If you are not comfortable enough, go slow!

You can actually practice both ways, the traditional way of offering purées and BLW, like I did. Just make sure the consistency of puréed or hand mashed food is thick enough, not runny. And follow Responsive feeding.

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Early Brain Development
Child Care

Early Brain Development

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Early Brain Development

First 1000 days which starts right from conception plays a very significant role in your babies life! This is when their brain goes through rapid growth & development. This is the time when they start knowing the world!!!

It’s our duty as a parent to make their surroundings filled with positive energy and loving interaction!!

Cause this is when they are going to develop their social skills, emotions,language, learn to interact with new people & new environment!

According to the campaign #EarlyMomentsMatter by UNICEF, early brain development depends on these 3 elements

• Nutrition

• Protection

• Stimulation

Nutrition

In early childhood your kid needs proper nutrition.Make sure you are giving them enough amount of protein, fatty acids and micronutrients such as zinc, calcium, iron, iodine and more which plays very important roles in Brain Development.

Before 6 month when baby is on breast feed make sure mother is eating healthy and rich food.

If a child is not getting enough nutrients, this may result into Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).

Undernourished child may not have enough energy to explore and play. This May result into getting irritated and getting infected or ill more often. They could be very picky eaters and if lack of nutrition is going on for longer period, they may lose and show no interest in food.

Protection

Kids need protection in many ways like from increasing Air pollution. At this stage their lungs are not developed fully, make sure you are taking them some where, where they can breathe fresh air time to time!

Protecting them from Negative experiences which can scar them for life. Making sure you have good & nurturing environment at home.

Abuse & Neglecting a child can lead to some serious conditions & can affect their developing brain for life!

Stimulation

Playing with your child and baby talk may sound silly but it plays an important role in brain development. Specially pretend plays, they actually help your child to have a positive view for the world which is waiting out there!

Talk to your child as much as possible, this will help them develop their language and they will start recognizing things, colors and shapes around them.

Keep in mind that an individual learns better by experiencing things rather than by just telling or giving instructions! Show them get involved. When they are trying to tell you something by their actions respond to them!

Meal time is very important for a child and Responsive Feeding can help you with all three elements above. For more details check my blog Responsive Feeding And It’s Benefits.

Source

  • Early childhood development (UNICEF)
  • Giving Children the Best Start in Life: Integrating Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Programming within the First 1,000 Days (USAID, FANTA , Fhi360)
Child Nutrition

Responsive feeding and it’s benefits

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Every parent want their baby to be happy and healthy, and the first thing comes to our mind is, Are we providing our baby enough nutrition!!!!

Every Mother complains and I quote “kya karu thik se khana hi nai khati!!” So often parents end up with force feeding and add up distractions like watching tv, which is not a healthy option!

Responsive feeding will help your baby for better growth and development.

What is Responsive Feeding?

It means communicating with your baby, Responding to their actions. Understanding when they are hungry and when they are full.

Basically you feed baby when he is giving you hunger cues and stop feeding when baby is giving you cues that he/she is full. Babies have their own way to communicate, try to understand them! Please don’t say, “just one last bite!” and end up feeding them more & more.

If you think your child is not eating enough and rejecting food, stop the feeding session right there and offer again after some time! This time try different food with different texture.

Remember it’s not just about what are you feeding your kid, it’s also about how and when are you feeding them! Make sure of the surroundings, be gentle and talk to them lovingly while offering them food.

Benefits Of Responsive Feeding

1. Helps to Build good relationship with your baby

2. Lower chances of getting over weight now and in future

3. Healthy habits

4. Makes meal time easy

5. Helps you to interact with baby even better

Responsive feeding helps you understand their needs. Let them tell you what they like, what they don’t!!! How much they would like to eat, and when to stop.

Lets Make Meal Time Fun And Allow Our Babies To Explore New Tastes. Keep in Mind,

“ Even Your Baby’s Choice Matters!”

Introducing solid foods ( UNICEF United Kingdom)

IYCF (UNICEF New York)

Is Your Baby Hungry or Full? Responsive Feeding Explained (American Academy of Pediatrics)