FAQs and Helpful Information

How much should my baby be eating?

There is no set portion size that your baby must be eating by a set age. The amount each baby eats varies a lot, from baby to baby and even from day to day. Particularly when you are first starting out, your baby may eat very little which is fine, they are just getting used to new tastes and textures.

Lots of different things impact how much our babies eat:

• How much milk they have.
• Timing – whether they are tired, hungry, distracted, close to when they would expect a milk feed etc.
• The weather – this impacts our babies appetites just as it affects our own.
• Teething or illness.
• Appetite, some babies will naturally eat more than others.

How do I know when they have had enough to want more to eat?

There is no set amount that your baby must eat at each meal, so we want to watch for signs they have had enough or if they would like some more to eat.

If they have finished eating then they will likely communicate this to you in a few different ways. They may moan or cry, gesture for you to get them out of their highchair, push food away, refuse to open their mouth for a spoon, be distracted and lose interest in their food or show signs of frustration or boredom. When they show you they are finished then clean them up and get them out of their highchair, and try not to worry even if you feel they haven’t eaten much or less than normal.

If they want more then they might try to pick at small amounts dropped on their tray, look around for more food, lean towards you and open their mouth for more, be upset when you start to clean up or they have eaten all their food, look around for more food or point to where they see more food. If they want more then you can offer more to them and be guided by them on how much more they want to eat.

I’m nervous about my baby choking, what can I do?

It is very normal to feel anxious when introducing your baby to solid foods. Remember it is a new experience for you as well as for your baby and do your best to remain relaxed so your baby feels at ease too. Always stay with your baby while they are eating and make sure you test the straps on the highchair so you know they can get them out quickly if need be. If you feel very nervous then you can start with smooth purees and build up to introducing finger food.

Take the time to look at the choking hazards section of the course so you feel confident in the signs of gagging and choking, and find first aid resources to help you feel prepared.

My baby doesn’t seem interested in food, does this mean they aren’t ready?

Look for signs of readiness that your baby is ready to start weaning (you can find these in this section of the course), if you feel that they aren’t quite ready then you can stop and try again a little later.

However, not all babies will eat lots of food or show a lot of enthusiasm at the start of their weaning journey. If you think they are showing signs of readiness but aren’t eating a lot then try not to worry. It is a new experience and babies all progress at their own rate.

Continue to offer the opportunity to try food, and even if they don’t enjoy a particular food straight away keep offering it regularly. It can take repeated exposure to new foods before they are enjoyed.

There are some other factors that influence your baby’s interest in food:

• Timing. If they are tired, not hungry, very hungry and expecting a milk feed etc. then this can impact how interested they are in eating. You can experiment with your meal timings.
• Environment. Help them feel calm and relaxed and eat with them so they can watch you and learn.
• Familiarity. At first, mealtimes will feel a little strange, but as it becomes part of a predictable routine your baby will feel more prepared for their meal.