Lucy Upton, the Children’s Dietician, answers more questions about weaning

Finger foods 

Finger foods are a great way to support your baby’s independence with feeding. If you haven't started weaning with finger foods, then it’s great to start introducing some options from around 7 months of age onwards. 

First fingers foods  

When first starting out with finger foods, getting the shape and texture right will support your baby to bring these foods to their mouth and start munching. Aim for finger foods to be: 

• The right size – start with long strips of food which are roughly 1-2 adult finger size (around 2 inches tall). They should be wide enough for your baby to easily close their palm around, and tall enough that it pops out of the top of their fist. 
• The right texture  – starting with options which are initially very soft or cooked to be soft, or meltable, will mean these foods mash easily and collapse in your baby’s gums (they don’t need teeth to eat!). If you apply gentle pressure between your fingers and thumb they should mash easily (top tip: if foods are slippy, roll them in options like milled oats, ground seeds or breadcrumbs). 
• Great options for first finger foods include ripe soft fruit, such as pear, peach, plums, banana, avocado, or softly cooked vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, courgette, carrot and squash. 

As your baby progresses through weaning and develops their feeding skills there are a range of finger foods you can offer from across the food groups. Here are some examples: 

How much food should my baby be eating? 

The million-pound question when feeding babies and children!  

During weaning, there are no recommended portion sizes for babies, and we would expect the volumes or portions a baby consumes to vary, often from day to day and week to week. At the start of weaning, babies often do not take much at all (generally very small tastes), but as their skills and experience with food increases, they are likely to manage larger amounts.  

The best gauge of how much your baby should be eating is to follow their lead. Babies and children are great at listening to their bodies and following their appetites. How much a baby eats will also be easily impacted by factors such as teething or illness. 

If you are progressing towards 8-9 months of age, and don’t feel like your baby is making progress, it’s also worth checking in with their milk feeds to ensure milk volumes are not impacting their appetite. 

You can read more about responsive feeding and eating here. 

When can I introduce water? 

Water can be introduced to your baby at mealtimes when you start weaning. Tap water is ok to give to your baby after 6 months of age, but if offered before 6 months of age be sure to offer cooled boiled water instead. 

Which cup should we use? 

Cup drinking is another big skill for babies to learn during weaning, and it will take time. Expect lots of spillages and spluttering. To support skill development, dental care and move away from early drinking reflexes, such as sucking, it is recommended to introduce your baby to an open cup, or free-flow sippy cup. You may wish to try an option like a weighted straw cup once your baby is a little further on into weaning. Try to avoid any cups with valves that mimic sucking from a bottle. 

What is the difference between gagging and choking? 

One of parents' biggest worries when it comes to starting solids is about choking. This is completely understandable, as your baby transitions from just drinking milk to introducing a wide range of foods and getting to grips with how to eat these. Attending a First Aid course, which includes how to manage in the unlikely event of a choking incident, can be hugely supportive for parents, and worth considering if you are feeling nervous or worried. 

Understanding the difference between gagging and choking is, however, helpful before starting weaning. While choking is rare, it is very common to observe gagging when your baby is learning to eat. 

Gagging is a natural reflex that is present to actually help protect your baby’s airway. It typically reduces and moves further back in the mouth as your baby gets older and more experienced with solids. Gagging is very normal during weaning as your baby learns to manipulate and eat a wide range of textures, move food around their mouth and swallow.  Common signs your baby is gagging include: 

•  Going red in the face, eye-watering 
•  Coughing, spluttering and making noise (maybe ‘loud’ as well as red!) 
•  Thrusting of your baby's tongue forward or out of their mouth 

If your baby is gagging, it is highly recommended to leave them to work it out themselves and avoid intervening, for example, don’t try and remove the food from their mouth. While it can be distressing to watch as a parent, try to keep calm and provide reassurance to your baby. 

Choking occurs when a baby’s airway is blocked (occluded) or partially obstructed. When a baby is choking, they can lose colour from their face, skin and/or lips. They may look pale, grey or blue. They may also stare vacantly, or look scared (‘rabbit in headlights’), but be silent or not making much noise or sound at all. If your baby is choking you should perform First Aid immediately and seek emergency help. 

When and how should you give common food allergens to a baby? 

Introducing common food allergens, such as nuts, to babies is another aspect of weaning many parents find daunting. While advice used to suggest delaying the introduction of these foods to babies, we now have fantastic evidence that shows getting these foods early (for example, during weaning) and keeping them in a child’s diet actually helps to reduce the chances of developing food allergies. So, the key message here is, don’t delay! 

For most babies, it would be recommended to introduce common allergens in a safe and age-appropriate form, from the start of weaning onwards (~6 months+).   

Common food allergens include: 

• Cow’s milk 
• Eggs 
• Peanut 
• Wheat 
• Tree nuts, such as almond, cashew, hazelnut, coconut 
• Fish 
• Shellfish 
• Soya 
• Sesame  

Practical suggestions for introducing these foods during weaning include: 

• Introducing one allergen at a time 
• Offering earlier on in the day 
• Ensuring your baby is well before offering these foods for the first time 
• Starting with small amounts, and gradually increasing the amount offered
• Ensuring they are offered safely, so, peanut and nuts should be offered either well ground, or as a smooth nut butter (loosened with warm water if needed: 50/50) 
• If you have any concerns about possible reactions, please contact your GP  

For babies considered at a higher risk of developing food allergies, an even more proactive approach may be recommended. This can sometimes mean introducing some of the more common allergens like egg or peanut, prior to 6 months of age under the guidance of a health professional. Babies at higher risk of developing food allergy include: 

• Those who have a food allergy already, perhaps to cow’s milk protein allergy, and/or 
• Babies who have moderate or severe eczema   

If your baby falls into one or both of these categories, seek support from a healthcare professional.