Breast is best
Breast milk is the best milk for babies. Breast milk provides the ideal balanced nutrition and protection for your baby. Maternal nutritional requirements increase during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Therefore mothers’ diets should include a wide variety of nutritious food and healthy snacks.
If you are considering bottle feeding, always seek professional advice as once bottle feeding has commenced it can be difficult to revert to breast feeding. Partial bottle feeding may also adversely affect breastfeeding by reducing the supply of breast milk. Always use and prepare infant formula as directed by the manufacturer; unnecessary or improper use of infant formula can be hazardous to the health of your baby.
Before using infant formula, always consider the social and financial implications, such as issues of convenience and cost to the household of using infant formula for at least 12 months. If you are considering using infant formula, it is important to discuss this with a health professional.
This information concerning the use of infant formula is provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. Please click “I accept” if you would like to proceed.
Finger foods: pick up a few of these
Eating finger foods can give your baby more independence at meal times. It’ll also help them to develop hand-eye co-ordination skills. Cut the pieces of food into finger sizes to make it easier for your toddler to pick up and hold. It also reduces the risk of choking. Remember that your toddler must always be supervised and sitting in an upright position to reduce the risk of choking.
- Sliced cooked egg – the white and yolk should both be firm and well cooked
- Soft cooked pieces of veges. Try sweet potato, green beans, cauliflower or broccoli
- Thin slices of nectarine, apple or pear (without skins or seeds)
- Small, well cooked pieces of meat – you can cut slices off the family roast
- Cooked pasta and noodles
- Small slices of cheese
- Crackers, rusks or plain biscuits
- Toast or bread fingers in thin slices or ‘soldiers’