The intention of this process is that it is tailored to suit the individual baby and their personal development, and that the infant’s appetite is respected with regard to which foods are chosen, the pace of eating, and how much is eaten. Babies are typically able to begin self-feeding at around 6 months old, although some are ready and will reach for food as early as 5 months and some will wait until 7 or 8 months. Infants often begin by picking up and licking or sucking on the piece food, before progressing to eating. Ideally, these will be the same foods that the rest of the family is eating, provided these foods are suitable for the infant. Infants are offered a range of foods to provide a balanced diet from around 6 months.

Instead of the traditional method of spooning pureed food into the baby's mouth, the baby takes part in family mealtimes and is presented with a variety of foods in easy-to-grasp pieces, which he or she can freely choose and explore. By the 1930s, a variety of commercial purees were available for purchase, with Gerber leading the way.īaby-led weaning (term self-attributed to Michael Barrientos ) places the emphasis on exploring taste, texture, color and smell as the baby sets their own pace for the meal, choosing which foods to concentrate on. As a result, many mothers had low milk supply (as breast milk is a supply-demand phenomenon), and therefore their babies “failed to thrive.” Infant formula became increasingly accepted as a way to supplement or replace breastmilk but there was also a move to introduce strained or mashed “baby foods” from a younger age than is now known to be desirable. However, for much of the twentieth century, mothers were told to maintain a strict schedule for breast feeding, limiting the time at breast and the frequency of feeds. Current infant feeding recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics are that infants should be breast fed for the first 6 months, then be gradually introduced to solid food between the age of 6 months and 1 year.

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