Introducing Finger Foods

 

Weaning a child from breastfeeding is a little difficult, especially if he doesn't want anything to do with a bottle of milk (even though it's breast milk) when he knows where his daily sustenance comes from. But as soon as you get him to taste that it's the same milk, he eventually gets used to it, therefore making the transition of weaning off of breastfeeding a little easier.

Personally, I don't recommend early weaning, especially if the child isn't ready yet (as per evidenced by the scenario mentioned above). To me, breast milk is still sacred and is still best for baby even up to age 2 - no other substance can replace that. But at around 9 months, your baby will begin to develop fine motor skills - enabling him to hold small things with his thumb and forefinger. This is also an indicator that he is now ready for solid food, specifically party finger foods, and that he is also ready to self-feed.

Finger foods give your baby control over what to eat, how many he should eat, and how to eat them. They need to go through this so that they can be able to tell whether they are still hungry or full. You can't do that for him forever, so it's high time he learns it.

So as soon as you determine if he already has teeth, then it may be time to do some food experimenting, with your little one as the tester. Before you let him test it though, you should be the master tester to be sure that what your child is about to eat is safe. Here are some question-guidelines you should keep in mind with regards to finger food:

- Is it cooked enough? Well-cooked veggies are not only bacteria-free, it also makes it easier for baby to chew a little then swallow. Keep in mind that babies are lazy chewers. Though they are curious of the world surrounding them, they still have no idea that they need to chew for them to eat real food. So start out with something mushy, but not too much so that they can still feel the texture of their food.

- Does it have that melt-in-your-mouth feel? Some cereal and crackers are light and flaky; therefore they are safe for baby to eat as it just almost melts in his mouth. But he tastes it so he knows that it's food too.

- Is it naturally soft? Cottage cheese, shredded cheese and small pieces of tofu are good examples of this. (It is strongly advised though, to lay off the tofu until baby reaches 12 months as this contains soy, which could be a possible allergen.)

- Is it small enough for baby to chew and swallow without choking? Baby's food should be cut into small pieces. As mentioned earlier, baby doesn't automatically chews food as they are still too young to realize why they were given teeth in the first place.

Small pieces of ripe banana, well cooked pasta, and small pieces of chicken are good and safe examples. Avoid raw vegetables, hard fruits, whole raisins/grapes/tomatoes (specifically cherry tomatoes), whole hotdogs, white bread, pieces of hard cheese. Sweets are a no-no as we want to introduce baby to a nutrient-rich diet instead of high-calorie and high-fat snacks such as cakes, cookies and the like.