First Bites

We are Kristin and Karen, PhD-qualified speech-language therapists and mums. Supporting parents with

24/02/2022

So you want baby to practice spoon-feeding herself, but you can’t get the spoon back from her? Maybe she’s doing great with getting the spoon into her mouth, but then claims the spoon as her property and refuses to relinquish it? How are you supposed to get more food on the spoon?

One thing I like to do, is get another spoon, and trade spoons! While baby is busy sucking food off the first spoon, you can load up the second spoon and have it all ready to go. Give her the second spoon and she’ll be much more likely to return the first one to you.

Get siblings involved in mealtimes as much as possible! It encourages communication, family bonding, and lets you sit back to enjoy your meal for about 0.01 seconds.

Do you have any tips for teaching baby to self-feed? Tell us in the comments!

07/02/2022

Did you know that introducing peanuts early to a baby can help to prevent peanut allergies? 🥜🥜🥜

We used to think that feeding peanuts to babies would cause allergies, and parents were told to hold off on introducing peanuts until after age 1. After decades of research however, we now know that including peanuts in babies' diets early actually prevents, not causes, peanut allergies.

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy recommends that babies have some peanut butter in their food before they hit 12 months of age. It's not just one and done though - babies should regularly have these foods, about twice a week. The change in these guidelines has meant that peanut allergies in babies have gone down by 16%! 🥳👏

But how do you feed peanuts to babies?
❌ Babies shouldn't be given whole or chopped peanuts, as they can't chew them and could choke.
❌ Big globs of peanut butter is also a no-no, as they're sticky and could get stuck in the airway.

Instead, try these options:
✅ Thin spread of peanut butter on toast or pancakes
✅ Peanut butter mixed into pureed foods
✅ Peanut sauce on noodles or finger food.
See our Instagram Story on how we made a tasty peanut noodle stir-fry that's delicious for the whole family!

If you have any concerns about allergies, please seek medical advice.

Is your baby nuts about peanuts? Tell us their favourite nut-containing recipe in the comments!

Sources
Soriano, Victoria, et al. "Has the prevalence of peanut allergy changed following earlier introduction of peanut? The EarlyNuts Study." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 147.2 (2021): AB236.

Du Toit, George, et al. "Randomized trial of peanut consumption in infants at risk for peanut allergy." N Engl J Med 372 (2015): 803-813.

04/02/2022

Check out Oscar eating this chicken drumstick 🍗 Going big is great for little foodies.

Soft cooked meat on the bone (or long thin strips of roast veg) are easy for little ones to grab to promote independent self feeding. Just check the bones aren't too brittle before serving.

Have you done this with your baby? Let us know your experience 👇

20/01/2022

You might have heard how great responsive feeding is, but what exactly is it? And how is it done?

Responsive feeding is being attuned to your baby’s hunger and fullness cues, and responding promptly and warmly. This allows your baby to learn how to self-regulate their own feeding and not over-eat. If they seem full, stop feeding and don’t force them to finish their plate. If they seem hungry, you can give them another bite. You provide, they decide!

What are some signs that your baby is full?
❌ Turning or shaking head
❌ Pushing food away
❌ Keeping mouth closed
❌ Looking away or getting distracted

What are some hunger cues?
✅ Getting excited and smiling
✅ Looking directly at you
✅ Banging on table or clapping hands
✅ Reaching for food
✅ Opening mouth when offered food

Of course, every baby is different and has their own unique communication style, which is why we always say that each parent is the expert of their own child. Tell us in the comments, what are some of your child’s hunger and fullness cues?

18/01/2022

As Ellyn Satter Institute says, "you provide, your child decides." This division of responsibility reminds us to trust our little ones to decide what they want to eat and how much. So here's a few tips on how to put the evidence into practice to support your child to be an adventurous eater 🥑 Questions? Let us know 👇

07/01/2022

New year, new cup 🥳 here's to using open cups at 6+ months!

Open cups help babies develop important fine motor skills as they transition from infancy to early childhood. We recommend skipping sippy cups and going straight to the cup or straw.

🥑 Get a small, soft silicone cup (or dust off some shot glasses) for your little one to practice drinking.
🥑 Use a small amount of liquid (saves from big spills) and fill the cup with breast milk or formula to start (or tiny amounts of water).
🥑Give frequent opportunities to practice with the cup and include this as part of mealtimes.
🥑Demonstrate yourself to give lots of examples for your little one.

We give tips about this and so much more in our local workshops - head to the link in our bio for more details 🍓

28/12/2021

Winner winner chicken dinner! Chicken is great for babies because it’s a fantastic source of iron and protein. It’s also something we commonly have on our own plates, so it’s a super easy way to cook one meal that you can tweak for the whole family (less work = happier parent).

Ideas for introducing chicken to your baby:
🍗steam/poach chicken and purée in a blender for spoon-feeding
🍗baked chicken, cut into finger-sized pieces or shredded into strips (tip: we like using thigh or leg meat for a more tender texture)
🍗chicken meatballs, also cut into finger-sized pieces

What are your favourite chicken recipes for baby? Tell us in the comments!

23/12/2021

Starting solids and brushing teeth go hand in hand, but how confident do you feel caring for your cuties' little chompers?

Research has shown that starting regular toothbrushing before 2 years is a major predictor of being dental-decay-free at 4 years old (Adair et al, 2004, Huebner et al, 2010).

So, there's no better day than today to start building toothbrushing into your little one's routine. Questions? Let us know 👇

17/12/2021

Oranges are a powerhouse of vitamin C, and are just plain yummy. But why don't we recommend them for your baby's first food?

It's all about the texture. Even though it's a solid on your cutting board, as soon as you bite into a juicy segment and chew it up, it becomes a mixed consistency - both a solid and a liquid in your mouth. For babies that are just learning to chew and swallow, trying to control both solids and liquids at the same time can be tricky.

So what to do?
🍊 Great first foods include kumara/sweet potato and avocado - foods that become a smooth and homogenous texture when mashed in the mouth or with a fork.
🍊 Oranges can be given after baby has had some experience with eating solid foods.
🍊 These were oranges I cut up into bite-sized pieces for Zoë when she was about 8 months.
🍊 Remember to remove any seeds, and you can also cut off the outer membrane/pith (white part) of the orange segments as well.

For more tips on what to serve your little eater, check out our Starting Solids workshop!

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