During the first six months, the ideal first nutrition of an infant is mother’s milk.
Baby's second nutrition begins with small tastes of food, perhaps sharing at a family mealtime.
This awakens the touch, smell, taste sensations of licking and handling foods to enjoying a few teaspoons of mashed vegetables and other foods off the parents plate. Breastmilk consumption may naturally and gradually decrease to 50% of the diet by the age of one year.
Between one year and eighteen months, breastmilk is still of great value but many decrease to around 25% of the diet, depending on the baby.
At around eighteen months the first molar usually appears, signalling that the pancreatic enzymes are being manufactured more efficiently.
Over the next six months babies will usually desire less breastmilk and many wean themselves.
This two year schedule is only a general one, and the process will vary depending on the individual child’s rate of development.
Yours in health and happiness
Sandy B Simmons
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