You’ve finally done it you’re going to be a parent! Congratulations! You’re about to embark on the most amazing journey of your life. But before you do, there’s one more important decision you need to make: what kind of stroller are you going to use?
If you’re planning on having two kids or more, then a double stroller is a must. But with so many different options on the market, how do you know which is the best double stroller for your family? That’s where this article comes in. We’ll help you consider all the important factors, from budget to features, so that you can make the best possible choice for your little ones.
So whether you’re looking for the best double stroller for twins or the best double stroller for a toddler and baby, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about choosing the perfect double stroller for your family.
It’s already a familiar scenario: Mom or Dad delivering perfect potato purée into Baby’s open mouth with that special airplane spoon -filled with results and news from the cockpit- full of sound.
For parents practicing baby-led feeding, the picture of a baby’s meal is also different: the youngest family member sits in a high chair attempting to move food from tray to mouth all on their own, while the adult works at a computer or reads.
This method, which has been around for quite some time and is commonly utilized, is popular in the United States thanks to the publication of Baby-Led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. Now that interest in baby-led weaning is increasing in the United States, it has become increasingly popular worldwide.
It’s trendy among parents striving for a more natural and family-friendly way to feed their children.
Table of Contents
What is Baby-Led Weaning?
Infants start with pureed meals before progressing to prepared (and increasingly more difficult) stages of pre-made infant foods before graduating to solids as they learn how to feed themselves. Spoon feeding is focused on by parents until children are strong enough to eat independently.
To put it more bluntly, baby-led weaning flips the script, placing babies in charge of their own food.
Dr. Churbock advises that parents and caregivers follow an infant’s lead in the basic sense, as with baby-led weaning. “This implies anticipating signs of maturity and, when the time is right, allowing infants to self-feed,” he explains.”
Babies are also skipping large portions of typical baby foods such as purées, according to Dr. Churbock. “With baby-led weaning, rather than feeding or making particular meals for your kid, you’re preparing the same dinner for everyone in the house,” she adds.
This isn’t to imply that the babies are eating whole slices of pizza. “You begin including child nutrition into family meals from the start, allowing your baby to consume many of the same foods as the rest of the family,” she explains, “while remembering particular things for your tiniest eater, as well as what is most likely to be safe and appropriate for them.”
Benefits of Baby-Led Weaning
Encouraging babies to chew and swallow aids in developing good chewing and digestion skills. It also prevents parents from pushing food since infants are in command of just how much they put into their mouths.
However, there are additional advantages. According to supporters and some research, the following are some of the potential benefits of baby-led discouraging:
Encourages babies to discover a broader range of food.
This might encourage them to develop more diversified and nutritious eating habits. According to several studies, children who consume a wide range of foods (including peanut products and fish) are less likely to be allergic later in life.
Remember that nuts and seafood are two of the most popular irritants to babies, so always contact your child’s doctor to discover how to properly feed your baby these foods.
Reduce the chance of child obesity.
Spoon-feeding allows the mother and father to control their children (which may cause babies to consume faster and more than they need, resulting in a compulsive eating habit).
Baby-led weaning, like breastfeeding, allows a baby to self-regulate how much she eats based on her hunger levels. This may help minimize the chance of becoming overweight compared to children who are spoon-fed.
Helps in the development of muscular motor skills.
Sticking to finger foods helps children develop manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Children’s social interactions are good for them.
Baby-led family dinners offer everything that’s required for a developing infant: strong nurturing and connection and the cognitive stimulation of familiar routines. “Whenever feasible, families should eat together,” says Dr. Churbock. “Infants learn a lot by seeing us eat because they observe the example we set.”
Just How Safe is Baby-Led Weaning?
When children learn to feed themselves, they should generally be seated upright, adequately supported, and always managed. “Avoid eating while watching television whenever feasible,” Dr. Churbock advises.
While a baby’s gagging might be frightening, it is entirely natural. “It’s typical for a youngster to successfully utilize muscles as they grow,” Dr. Churbock points out.
Moms, dads, and caregivers may fear their child’s safety after undergoing a new skill or milestone. For reassurance, Dr. Churbock advises parents and caretakers to take a child infant mouth-to-mouth resuscitation training course that will discuss important issues like choking prevention.
It isn’t feasible for us to prevent all of the danger in our home since we have so many little children that may be harmed by something. However, we can avoid many of the hazards associated with these hazards. “We intend to make certain that any new skills learned by youngsters are as safe as possible.”
Nonetheless, if babies can’t rest upright with very little or no help, or if they aren’t yet able to grab items and bring them to the mouth, then baby-led weaning isn’t for them.
Infants who still have a well-known tongue-thrust reflex, typically up until around 6 months old, are also not yet there.
When to Beginning Baby-Led Weaning?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that the ideal time to start solid foods is around 6 months. By that age, many youngsters can sit up and grab and hold things on their own.
They’ve also eliminated the tongue-thrust reflex (which expels foreign objects from their mouths) and made the needed digestive enzymes to absorb solid meals.
While baby-led weaning is gaining in popularity and has advantages, it differs from normal spoon-feeding of purées (the AAP recommends parent-initiated spoon-feeding). If you’re not sure if baby-led weaning is the best approach for your kid, consult with your child’s doctor.
While most babies will be encouraged, some (those who have special requirements and cannot grasp or chew foods on their own) may not be able to do baby-led weaning. Then it’s up to you: Some like taking the initiative, while others prefer to follow.
How to Start Baby-Led Weaning the Right Way
You might be hesitant that your 6-month-old will be able to eat solid food immediately, but you’ll be shocked at how quickly they can consume. If you’re starting your newborn on solids this way, stick to these fundamental principles:
- Continue to breast or bottle-feed
Maintain the same nursing schedule or bottle-feeding frequency that you had previously since children receive most of their calories from breast milk or formula during the first year.
- Consider skipping the schedule.
You may have heard that you should start your child on a feeding plan combining breast milk or formula with three solid meals daily. If you go with baby-led weaning, serve solids as snacks and let your kid decide if she is hungry enough to eat them.
- Only soft food
Whatever it is you eat, at first, the food’s appearance should be soft enough for you to crush or dissolve with your fingers—or your baby’s. Hard or crisp foods, like raw carrots or apple slices, must be avoided.
- Prepare meals according to your child’s age.
For 6-month-olds just starting solids, offer foods that can be cut into thick slices or sticks so your child can hold them in her fist and eat from the top down. After your kid has developed her pincer grip, you may begin cutting food into tiny pieces that she can quickly grab.
- Dine together.
No need to worry that your baby can’t join you for supper if it includes steamed cauliflower and salmon. There’s nothing your infant can’t eat if it’s prepared the same way as you. Consuming is a social activity, so let your kid observe what you do with food and offer her an opportunity to try it herself.
What will it be? Ask your baby if they want to be acknowledged or whether they are hungry for the banana you’re eating? Let her have a part (as long as it’s infant-size).
- Have a wide selection of food
Over time, expose her to a wide range of options so she can develop a bold palette and be far less likely to be a picky eater as an adult. Bake some tomatoes (which are great to be tied), bright green beans, and delectable potatoes. You must strive to offer at least one high-iron food in every course.
Is Baby-Led Weaning Safe?
When it comes to feeding your child solid foods, there’s a lot of concern about choking. However, as long as you offer safe meals, your infant’s dentitions are capable of chewing soft solids.
Although many parents believe that children are more prone to choking than adults due to their size or age, it is still critical to be aware of the warning signs and understand how choking differs from gagging. Gagging is most common, particularly in the first few weeks of baby-led weaning, as little one attempts to guide unfamiliar items in their mouth.
However, remember that gagging is a safety and security measure for food consumption, and it’s not the same as choking; however, it’s something to think about.
When children gag, they’re dealing with it on their own, so it’s best to remain calm (or at the very least appear tranquil) and wait until it passes. As an infant learns how to eat solid food, gagging should lessen. You’ll be able to detect the difference between gagging and choking, as well as how to respond if it’s the latter:
- A gagging baby coughs softly and makes a little noise.
- A choking baby will appear terrified, be unable to breathe, and make no noises or wheeze. They may have a worried appearance and a bluish tinge to their skin, and they might cough (in young children).
Simply worded, baby-led weaning is safe for babies if you take precautions and stick to a few basic sense feeding rules. Keep in mind the following points:
Never offer any food items that might cause choking.
Examples include nuts, whole grapes, cherries or cherry tomatoes, raw vegetables, uncooked apple slices, raw dried fruit, thick deposits of nut butter, hot dogs, and significant portions of meat or cheese for children under twelve months old.
Keep a close eye on your baby while they eat.
Never, ever, ever allow your baby to eat when you cannot closely monitor them.
While eating, keep the baby sitting upright in their high chair.
Don’t let them eat while crawling, playing, or reclining. Also, don’t offer food in the stroller or vehicle.
Monitor for allergy symptoms
The aim is no longer to avoid allergic responses by limiting oneself to particular meals: According to most experts, the more alternatives you offer, the more likely your novice foodie will accept other foods, resulting in fewer food fights.
However, understanding the symptoms of a food allergy is critical, which can include hives, skin swelling, tongue swelling, sneezing, hissing, throat tightness, regurgitation, difficulties swallowing, and stomach aches.
Discuss the subject with their doctor if you are concerned about your child’s allergies. Additionally, if you and your child’s physician agree that these irritants should be introduced at specific ages and in certain amounts, do it!
Everyone who deals with your kid should be informed of baby-led weaning.
It’s critical to ensure that all caregivers follow the same safety and security procedures as you.
Tips for Effective Baby-Led Weaning
Even if it appears a little overwhelming initially, you’ll grasp baby-led weaning quickly with your brand-new toddler (even if it doesn’t seem like much). Keep these strategies of the trade-in in mind for a quick, low-stress start:
Consider using mixed methods.
Spoon-feeding may be most comfortable for you and your child, but there’s no need to entirely abandon it before beginning finger foods. Your kid will do a lot of licking, tasting, and exploring initially in the first month or more of self-feeding, but little actual eating.
Purees may also be used to make meals more filling and nutritious. For example, some infants don’t like finger foods at 6 months old. “I am in favor of combining methods since they help to expose youngsters to finger foods while also reducing the chance of nutritional gaps in the diet,” explains Stasenko.
She notes that finger foods should be given straight before or after purées and that purées should be finely textured to help develop your child’s chewing abilities.
Accept the messiness
The objective of baby-led weaning is for your toddler to learn about food at their own pace, which means breaking it, smearing it, dropping it, and most likely making a big old mess at every meal. “The act of getting messy is part of the feeding process,” according to Harrison. “It’s a vital milestone in learning to appreciate a variety of nutritious foods.”
It will probably end up on your floor. Place a trash can or a plastic tablecloth beneath the high chair for easy cleaning, change your child’s bib with an art smock, and balance messy foods with less-messy alternatives (such as completely dry cereal or toast).
Dining as a family
“Allow the youngster to eat at the table while eating family meals,” suggests Harrison. Also preferable: Give your child many of the same active components that make up your dish.
Allow your infant to use secure utensils.
It’s critical, according to Harrison, for you to encourage your youngster to get involved with the food delivery early. “Allow your youngster to grab the spoon and put it in his mouth himself or if he needs help,” she advises. “Make sure the child is in charge of things.” Avoid using toothpicks or other skewers.
You can relax and know that your infant is receiving enough nutrients.
Your toddler is still getting a significant portion of their nutrition from breast milk or formula, so don’t worry if they don’t eat any solid foods. Take a look at adding purees to finger foods until your child learns to feed themselves.
Don’t overheat or become stressed.
Eating should be an entirely natural and anticipated component of the day. “Don’t compliment, pressure, or scold your child regarding eating,” advises Harrison.
Think big bib
Consider dressing your youngster in only a baby diaper and a huge bib or smock, as well as placing a drop cloth or paper on the floor beneath the high chair.
When you’re just getting started, start slowly.
You should start by placing a few of the food in front of your child at mealtimes right away, and more options may confuse your youngster.
Don’t worry about plates and bowls while you’re doing this.
She’ll throw them on the floor anyhow, so it’s no big deal. Simply set the food on the table or high-chair tray and let the party begin.
They should be able to grab slippery food.
Are those delectable soft finger foods (avocado, tofu) slipping out of your baby’s chubby hands? Powder grind Cheerios or other whole-grain cereal, wheat germ, or whole-grain biscuits into a fine powder and then layer the items with the “dirt.” It will make it simpler for your child to grab and bite.
Make it a fun and pleasant atmosphere.
Consider a full meal as play when the kid discovers various structures and explores tasting and eating. Baby-led weaning is all about getting comfortable with a variety of foods.
Do not force the situation; let it develop naturally.
Given that your infant gets all her nutrition from formula or breast milk during the first year, don’t be shocked if she consumes little. Allow her to control the speed. She’ll gradually eat less breast milk or formula for the savory foods she’s discovering to enjoy as she gets better and more efficient.
Be adaptable.
Remember that baby-led weaning, like all other parenting strategies, isn’t a one-or-the-other proposition. You can combine spoon-feeding and baby-led weaning (infant eats a portion of banana before spooning in some yogurt).
Final Thought — Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-led weaning may help your kid develop greater self-reliance and confidence in feeding. It’s also possible that baby-led weaning will encourage her to be a more daring eater. Simply make sure you have your cam with you: the photos of those smelly early meals might be handy.