How and when to start weaning: advice from the nutritionist
Introduction
How and when to start weaning ? If there is a frequent question among new parents, it is precisely this.
To help you clarify your ideas, I have prepared this content. As you can see, there is an index.
I have inserted it to make reading easier and to give you the opportunity, if you wish, to delve deeper into the nuances of the topic discussed simply by clicking on the titles of the various paragraphs.
If you are interested in further information, you can find me on Instagram at @drsilva.com_official .
Now the time has come to take you by the hand and accompany you, with the help of the precious advice of Doctor Federica Dell'Oro , nutrition biologist and author of the video course on self-weaning that you can find at the end of the paragraph , to discover a topic of absolute centrality for the well-being of your little one.
Weaning: what is it?
Before getting into the heart of the advice on when to start weaning and how to do it, it is important to try to understand what is meant when the term is used.
This word describes the gradual process of transition from a diet consisting exclusively of breast milk or formula to one that also includes the intake of other solid, liquid or semi-solid foods.
When we talk about weaning - the term in question, I will explain why later, is generic - it is good to specify that the concept should not be considered a synonym for breastfeeding (Dr. Dell'Oro clearly underlines this in her video course).
You should absolutely not proceed with the aim of filling the baby with foods other than milk in order to eliminate a feeding from the daily routine.
Milk , in fact, is accompanied by other foods and both become protagonists of a path of maximum importance, capable of making the difference for the growth of the child not only in the nutritional field.
In light of this, the correct expression to use is “complementary feeding ”.
The adjective just mentioned makes sense because, starting from around six months onwards, solid foods come alongside breast milk or formula , which must remain the main food in the baby's diet.
In recent years, in fact, science has repeatedly demonstrated that milk, whether breast milk or formula, represents a healthy and safe source of nourishment even after 2 years of age.
