Baby feeding
For the first few months, baby feeding is pretty straightforward because your little darling drinks her food, rather than eats it. But around 4 to 6 months of age, the next significant step in baby feeding takes place: eating solids. For first-time parents, this can be a big deal, as you probably don’t have a clue about what to feed your little one. Also, you may be worried about hygiene and all those food allergies that seem to be about these days. Thankfully, baby feeding is quite simple to start with, and you’ll get a real kick out of watching your baby experience their first mouthfuls of squished banana or stewed apple. Make sure you have the camera ready to capture the funny looks on his or her face – the expressions could range from astonishment to disgust to indignant to sheer delight!
Baby solids
Baby feeding is a big step because your baby is making the move to solid foods that he or she chews (or rather ‘gums’ until teeth come through!) and swallows. Find out how to tell if your baby is ready for baby solids. There are a number of signs to look for, some of which you may already have noticed. We’ll also tell you how to get started with baby solids. Because eating is a new experience, baby’s first solids need to be smooth and moist so they’re easy to swallow, yet interesting and tasty so they are eager for more. In this section we give you some great tips, meal ideas and advice on nutrition to help ensure baby feeding is a positive experience for you and your baby.
Baby allergy
Allergies are on the increase all over the world, with more and more children testing allergic to a wide variety of foods that were once considered harmless. Huggies defines baby food allergies and explains the difference between food intolerance and food allergy. Read about why it’s so important not to self-diagnose food allergies and to instead get your baby tested by a health care professional if you suspect they are suffering an allergic reaction to any of the foods or drinks you are giving them. Find out what the odds are of your little one having a food allergy, and check out the list of the top ten culprits for allergies in babies and children. Learn how allergies work, and read up about the coping strategies parents use when they discover their little one has an allergy.
Kid’s nutrition
Providing your baby with a healthy start in life in one of the best things you can do as a parent. As well as establishing good eating habits, knowing about kid’s nutrition could help you ensure your child doesn’t have weight problems and other health issues either early on or in adult life. A taste for healthy tucker can start with the first mouthfuls of dinner your baby takes during their transition from exclusively breast or bottle-fed to ‘proper’ food. Babies’ nutritional needs are different to adults, so it’s a very good idea to read up about what you should be feeding your baby.
In this section, our nutrition experts give you great advice on all aspects of baby feeding, from which cereal to choose – and avoid! – through to guidance on how much you should be feeding your baby at each meal. You’ll also find out all about food additives, the pros and cons of fruit juice, the value of real yoghurt, how to tempt picky eaters, and how to avoid tooth decay. You’ll probably have a million and one questions, so be sure to take a look at our experts’ answers to kid nutrition questions.