Pears and yogurt

• 4 ripe pears
• 200g Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 dessertspoon sugar
• 50g butter or margarine

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Peel pears, cut in half and remove cores.
3. Put the pears hollow side up in a baking dish, sprinkle over sugar and dot with butter or margarine.
4. Put a spoonful of yoghurt on top of each pear half.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Serve. Broccoli bake (serves four)

Chicken Curry

• 3 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs chopped garlic
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tbs mild curry powder (less if you wish the curry to be milder
• 2 bay leaves ( remember to remove after cooking)
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs ground coriander
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 peeled, chopped carrots
• 1 tomato, chopped ( or tin)
• 2 tbs tomato puree
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 pint chicken stock
• rice ( a cup per person)

1. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add garlic and chicken; saute over medium heat, till the chicken skin is browned.
2. Add curry, bay leaves, cumin, and coriander, stir a few minutes.
3. Add onion, carrot, tomato, tomato paste, lemon juice, and stock
4. Bring the mixture to boil.
5. Place a lid on the pan and simmer for 30-40 mins stiring occasionally.
6. Serve with warmed rice.

Try your child with this, some kids don't like it till they are a little older but you never know

Foods that should not be given to babies under 12 months

• Honey, this is due to a bacteria that can be present in honey that can cause Infant Botulism. After a baby is a year old, the intestine matures and the bacteria is unable to grow.
• Salt, you should never add salt to baby’s meals, it puts a strain on their kidneys and causes dehydration.
• Sugar, there is really little need to add sugar unless you are using a fruit that is very sour. Adding sugar can increases the risk of tooth decay when your baby’s teeth start to come through.
• Unpasteurized cheeses, as there is a risk of listeria infection.
  Fish and shellfish, many babies can have allergies to shell fish and there is a slight risk of food poisoning from fish so it is recommended that you do not give them before six months.
• Nuts and seeds, Peanut butter or any nut spreads should not be given to babies and in fact it is recommended that it is not given to children under three, provided there is no history nut allergy in the family. Nuts are not recommended before the age of five due to the risk of choking.

Weaning outline

This outline gives you a very basic idea of the types of things to give at the various ages, always remember every child is different, if you have any concerns speak to a medical professional.

• 0 - 5/6 months - Breast Milk or formula, the department of health suggests that babies should be fed milk exclusively till 6 months, but every child is different
• 5 - 6 months - baby rice, semi-liquid purees of things like apple, pear, carrot, potato etc.
• 6 - 7 months - chicken, dried fruit, apricot, melon, peas, leek, dairy products, peach etc.
• 7 - 8 months - minced or mashed foods which may include citrus, berries, sweetcorn
• 8 - 12 months - you can now introduce other meats and start varying things a bit more, its good to start giving your child a chunkier texture, by not mashing or puréeing as vigorously

Is your child ready for solids?

It can be difficult to know when to start feeding your baby solid food but in most cases your child will tell you that they need more to eat, the signs of this are that

• your child is still hungry after a full milk feed, often crying after a feed
• they start to demand feeds more often
• they start to wake up during the night for a feed when they would usually have slept straight through.

If you are in any way unsure about whether to introduce solids or not get advice from a medical professional.

Vegetable Pasties

• 100g dried brown lentils
• 275ml water for cooking lentils
• 3 medium carrots, diced1 stick celery, finely chopped
• 220g potatoes, diced
• 150g peas, tinned or fresh
• 2 tsp yeast extract
• 1 tbs tomato puree
• 450g shortcrust pastry (home-made or frozen)
• Milk to glaze

Wash the lentils and then boil them in water with the celery for approx 40 mins until tender, drain well.

Steam or boil peas, carrots and potatoes until tender 15 to 20 mins dependant on the size of the chuncks.

Place all ingredients except pastry in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool.

Roll out pastry and cut out rounds to make pasties, a small scone cutter is great for this but a small glass will do to cut round if you don't have one make sure they are small so the child can easily hold them.

Place spoonful of filling in middle of pastry round and moisten edges with milk. Bring edges together and press firmly to seal.

Brush with milk and poke holes with fork to allow hot air to escape.
Bake for 15-20 mins at 200C, 400F or gas mark 6. Remove from oven when brown on top.

Allow to cool.
May be served hot or cold. Great for picnics

Fish Rissoles

• 500g (1lb) potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 30g (1oz) butter
• 200g (7oz) fresh white or pink fish such as cod or salmon, bones and skin removed, or a tin of salmon or tuna in oil or spring water, drained
• Milk for poaching
• 6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• Ground black pepper
• A little flour to prevent sticking
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp milk
• 90g (3oz) fresh breadcrumbs (stale bread works best or you can buy them ready made)
• 3 tbs vegetable oil

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water until soft, usually about 12-15 minutes depends on the size of chunks. Drain, and mash with lemon juice and half the butter.

If you are using fresh fish, poach it in a pan of milk; add enough milk to cover the fish, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the fish is no longer translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Drain the fish and chop into small pieces, check that there are no bones left.

In a separate pan, fry the spring onions in the remaining butter until soft. Add the spring onions, fish and pepper to the potato mixture and combine. Divide the mixture into 8, and pat into burger shapes with floured hands.

Beat the egg and milk together in a bowl. Coat each rissole first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs.

Heat half of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low and add 4 rissoles. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Drain on kitchen towel and keep warm. Add the rest of the oil and repeat the process with the remaining rissoles. Serve with salad if you like.

Makes 8, so you can feed the family or they can be frozen when cooled, but should be used within a week

Baby chicken

Makes 2 - 4 meals

• 100g skinless chicken fillet,


• ½ pepper (green, yellow or red)


• ¼ chopped avocado

Dice chicken and steam for 8-10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through thoroughly by cutting it in half. Add the chicken and 1-2 tbsps of stock (from steamer) or boiled water to the blender and puree until they are the consistancy you like. Add the avocado to the puree and blitz again, serve.

Nectarine & Pear Cream

• 1 nectarine
• 3 ripe pears
• 3-4 teaspoons baby rice
• 50ml baby milk
  

Peel, core and slice the pears, put in a microwaveable dish with a little water. Cover and microwave until tender, drain and cool.Peel the nectarine, remove the stone and chop into small pieces.Liquidise or mash the pear, nectarine, baby rice and milk together

Vegtable and lentil casserole

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 2oz lentils, cooked according to instructions on pack


• 4oz potatoes


• 2oz cauliflower


• 2 oz broccoli


• 2oz carrots


• 2oz parsnips


• 6 fl oz milk

Cook all vegtables in water without salt, once cooked put all the ingredients together in a blender or liquidiser and blend until consistancy that you want. Divide into portions and freeze when cool.

Vegtable mash

Makes 4 - 6 meals

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp peas, fresh or frozen
• 2 tbsp sweetcorn kernels, frozen or tinned (unsalted)
• 4 tbsp water

Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the carrot and fry until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potato, peas , sweetcorn and water and stir to mix. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Puree by pushing through a sieve or by using a liquidizer. Add a little more water if a thinner consistency is preferred.

Banana & avocado puree

This recipe makes 2-4 servings.

• ½ ripe banana, peeled and sliced
• ½ small avocado, peeled and sliced
• 4 tbsp full fat natural yoghurt
  
  

Mash the banana and avocado together with a fork or puree in a blender until soft. Stir in the yoghurt thoroughly.

Carrot and courgette rice

• 2 carrots
• 1 courgette
• Water
• 2 teaspoons baby rice
  

Peel and slice the carrot. Wash and slice the courgette. Boil the carrot and courgette together in a small amount of water until tender. Drain, retaining the cooking water. Liquidise the carrot and courgette with about 60mls of the cooking water then add the 2 teaspoons of baby rice and stir.

Great Combinations

At first, you will be feeding your baby single foods, but as they grow, you may want to try out some of these combinations

• pears and plums
• sweet potatoes and apples
• bananas and apples
• apples and pumpkin
• apples and blueberries
• banana and avocado
  

Its a case of trial and error, toddlers have no problem spitting out somthing they do not like so our tip is if you are trying something new for the first time stand well back after the first mouthful and prepare yourself for the change in the nappies content!

Apple & Banana Bash

• 1 apple


• 1 Banana

Or as many as you like if you are making a batch to freeze

Peel, core and cut 1 apple into slices/chunks, place slices or chunks into a pan with just enough water to slightly cover apples. Boil until tender; be sure to check on the water level. Peel a ripe banana and mash in a bowl with a fork. Puree if necessary but mashing with a potato masher will get this mix smooth.

Apple & Carrot mix up

This is a great simple dish.

• 1/2 medium apple, cored and peeled
• 1/2 carrot, washed and peeled
• 2 Tablespoons fruit juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Puree all ingredients in blender. Or, grate apples and carrot and mix with juice before serving.

Banana Baby smoothie

Could not be simpler!

• 1 Banana
• Milk or water

Peel a ripe banana - do not cook. Place banana in a food processor/food mill or blender and puree. You can also mash the banana in a bowl using a fork

Add formula/breast milk, water to thin or add a little baby cereal to thicken up.

Done in a minute.

Basic Fruit recipe

Preparing fruit
When preparing fruits, wash, peel, remove all seeds, chop into chunks and place into a pot. Cover with just a small bit of water and boil until tender, usually about 10-15 minutes, depending on the type of fruit chosen and the size of the chunks. Once the fruit is fully cooked, puree and store. It is a good idea to label freezer bags with not only the contents, but also the date so that you use up the oldest batches first.

FRESH FRUIT

You can try different varieties of fruit in this recipe.

• 3/4 cup ripe fruit (uncooked peaches, nectarines, bananas, pears, apricots, apples)
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened fruit juice

Remove skin and seeds from fruit. Puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.

Basic Vegtable recipe

Preparing vegtables
The best way to prepare the vegtables is to wash them throughly, remove skins any bruised bits, cut them into chunks and then steam them but if you haven't got a steamer, boil them in a pan till soft. Once they are cooked put them in a blender or foodprocessor until they are pureed. Once you have the puree ready, you can store in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to two days or freeze for up to a month so date the packs

BASIC VEGETABLE RECIPE

This recipe applies to most vegtables, once you establish which your child likes then you can go on to be a bit more adventerous

Do not add salt, sugar, or fat.

• 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen vegetables without salt (use potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash)
• 4-8 Tablespoons cooking liquid, formula, or water

Puree vegetables and liquid in blender until smooth. Serve or freeze.

When to start feeding solids

It is always best to consult your baby's midwife or G.P. for advice on when to introduce solid foods if you are unsure or have any concerns.

Typically, babies are fed exclusively breast milk or infant formula for the first six months of life, but your doctor will have specific recommendations based on your baby's size and development. When you do begin feeding pureed foods, it is a good idea to introduce them one at a time, watching to be sure that your baby doesn't have an adverse reaction. If you see any reaction get medical advice straight away.

Warning: Never give honey to a child under 1 year. Honey sometimes contains botulism, which can be deadly to babies.

Weaning Chart

This chart gives a basic idea of the type of things to give at the various ages, remember every child is different if you have any concerns speak to a medical proffesional. No salt is needed to be added to a childs food until they are over 1 year

4 - 5 months - semi-liquid purees of things like apple, pear, carrot, potato etc.
5 - 6 months - chicken, dried fruit, apricot, melon, peas, leek, dairy products, peach etc.
6 - 7 months - minced or mashed foods which may include citrus,berries, sweetcorn
7 - 12 months - you can now introduce other meats and vary things a bit more with a chunkier texture.

Bottle Feeding

If you are going to use formula you first need to know a bit about it and then decide what type to use. Most formula milk is made from cow's milk and is designed to be as much like breast milk as possible. Formula contains elements essential to your baby's health such as fat, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Some also have long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) added which are believed to boost brain development. In today's market there is an enormous array of formulas to choose from and which you choose depend on you and your babies personal preference, each formula is slightly different and as a result tastes slightly different.

Formula tends to come in two stages, the first stage, made from whey, is most like breast milk, so best for newborns and young babies. Second stage milk, casing-based, is designed for hungrier babies and takes longer to digest. Although suitable from birth the protein isn't as close to breast milk as that found in first stage milk. If you choose to at a later stage you can also give follow on milk, this is given to babies six months and up it contains extra iron, which your baby will need by this age. Iron can be given in other ways, the choice is yours.

Milk allegy
It seems to be more and more common that babies are having problems with cow's milk product, if this is the case with yours there is a Soya based formula which maybe tolerated better. But before you change to it is best to speak to a medical professional as it is high in sugar and is not suitable for all babies. There are other alternatives that they can suggest that can be given on prescription. There are many deals to be had online for buying formula so once you have made your decision which to use check it out to see if you can get it at a better price.

How often to feed
As we mentioned earlier with breast feeding most experts i.e. mums would seem to agree that you shouldn't follow a rigid schedules in the early weeks, though you may be able to work out an approximate pattern within a month or two. Offer the bottle every two to three hours at first or as your baby seems hungry. Until the baby reaches about 10 pounds, they will probably take one to three ounces per feeding. Try not to force more than they are ready to eat. Your mid wife should advise you about suitable amounts for your baby as they grow.

Sterilizing the bottles
You can buy a sterilizer at any baby store, we have found in talking to mothers that many didn't use conventional sterilizers they simply used boiling water this is up to you but it is recomendanded that newborns bottles are sterilized.Before using bottles, nipples, and rings, you should submerge them in a pot of boiling water for at least five minutes. Then allow them to dry on a clean towel. After about 6 month it is ok just to give bottles etc a good cleaning in hot, soapy water, a cycle through the dishwasher should be enough. The choice of how to clean them is yours it is just important that they are cleaned thoroughly.

Warming a bottle
There is no health reason to feed a baby warmed milk it is a matter of what your baby prefers or gets used to. If your baby is accustomed to drinking bottles at room temperature or cold you save yourself the time and hassle of preheating bottles, especially when they are crying to be fed, or your somewhere where you can't warm the milk. If you choose to warm then when you're ready to feed your baby, you can warm a bottle in a pan of hot but not boiling water, or by running it under the tap, you can also buy a bottle warmer designed for this purpose, it is not a good idea to warm bottles in the microwave as it can destroy the nutrients and it is suggested that there could be pockets of heat.

Positions to feed in
It takes a while to feed your baby so it is important that you are both in a comfortable position. Your baby will tell you if they are not in the right position and you can move them, remember to do yourself the same courtesy, many mums just suffer in silence with aching arms and backs; there is no need for that experiment till you find a way that you are comfortable. It is worth telling you to not prop a bottle up to feed your child, not that we think you would be just in case don't as there is a risk that the child will choke.

Problems Breast Feeding

There are some things that can cause problems with breast feeding such as, worry, pain, mastitus,engorgement, thrush, we have described these problems below and suggested a few tips from other mums that may help.

Worry
Its easy for new mum's to get discouraged when you are first trying to breastfeed, if you feel you are not doing it right or you are worried your child is not getting enough milk. But it is really important not to stress about your performance, it is believed that stress of any form can hinder breast milk flow. If the babies weight isn't rising quite as quickly as it should it is not the end of the world if your milk has to be supplemented with bottle milk. Breast feeding should be a bonding exercise as well as its health benefits so if it’s too stressful its time to get medical advice and if you have to stop for any reason, then do not berate yourself that is just the way it is. Millions of children grow up on formula and are perfectly happy and healthy. The most important thing for a baby is to have a calm and happy mum.

Being in pain
Having painful cracked or swollen nipples and then having a baby sucking on them can be very uncomfortable to say the least, it is a common cause of women stopping breast feeding but in most cases it is not serious or long-lasting. It can be caused by the baby is only sucking on the nipple and not on the areola the dark area behind. There are several creams on the market that can alleviate the soreness and applying cold compresses can help but if the problems persist it is better to get medical advice as it is possible that you have mastitus.

Mastitus
Mastitis is a relatively common condition and it can occur at any time during breast feeding. The symptoms are a red, hot, painful area on the affected breast, or a lump in the breast, or pain and flu-like symptoms i.e. feeling hot and cold, exhausted, nauseous and shivery. It is thought to be caused by breast milk leaking into the breast tissue. This may be due to infection or blocked ducts

Blocked ducts may be caused by engorgement, the breast not emptying during as feed or sometimes it can happen as a result of pressure from clothing such as an ill fitting bra. It is best to try to feed, the breast will be painful and may be engorged, but try to feed on that side and massage any lump whilst feeding. If you cannot feed your baby you could try to express from the affected side, neither is pleasant but they do help.

It is possible to take pain relief, breastfeeding-safe painkillers such a paracetamol, however if you are trying to avoid taking drugs whilst breast feeding it can help apply something cold to the red area. Some people swear by frozen cabbage leaves, but most people don't have them hanging around, frozen peas are great wrapped in a cloth, or if you have a wheat bag they can go in the freezer for a few hours.

If you are worried go to see a medical professional so they can reassure you and if you have repeated bouts of mastitis definitely visit your midwife, health visitor or doctor to discuss whether there is an infection. You may need a course of antibiotics.

Engorgement
About four days after birth, a mother's breasts can become big, hard and painful. This is called "engorgement". It occurs in the when too much breast milk is contained within them. It is caused by insufficient breastfeeding and/or blocked milk ducts.

When engorged the breasts may swell, throb, and cause mild to extreme pain. The position of the baby and how they are attached should be checked to ensure it is correct. Perseverance is so important when breastfeeding. Just offer the breast when baby wants to suckle, stay confident, and let the baby suck when it wants to.

Have fun !

How often should I breast feed?

There are varying schools of thought on how often to feed, on demand or at a set time usually evey four hours, this is your baby and the choice is yours.

If you choose to feed on demand there are signs to pick up on before they cry with hunger. Look out for them putting a finger in the mouth, and turning the head from side to side looking for the breast, sucking through jumpers or at other peoples breasts. You will soon see the signs and avoid the tears. It can be very tiring to feed on demand many women say they now know how a cow feels but some people feel it is beneficial as it keeps milk supplies strong. But expressing milk and storing it in the fridge for some one else to feed can help to alleviate this feeling and allow you the freedom to get on with other things in you life.

Expressing the milk is a great idea and it has saved many a frantic mum who wants to leave the baby either to go out or to go back to work, or just have a break. It is best to avoid too much alcohol when you are brest feeding as it may affect the babies feeding,sleeping or digestion.

How to breast feed

During the first few days the nipple is getting used to being taken into baby's mouth and baby is learning how to feed from the nipple. It's important for both of you to be relaxed and comfortable; you may be feeding for an hour or so, so propyourself up before you start cause even small babies can scream if you take away their dinner. At this age a baby may not yet know how to open his or her mouth widely enough. If this happens, you can squeeze out a little milk from your breast, open baby's mouth with your clean finger, and put a little milk in to start baby off. Wait for the baby's mouth to open, then guide the breast in - not just the nipple.

Most people don't realise but in order for a baby to suck properly, the baby squeezes the area behind the nipple with his or her whole mouth. When the baby finishes sucking the first breast, put your finger into the baby's mouth to release the sucking, and offer the other breast. At the next feed, start the other way round. When the baby has had enough, he or she will just usually fall asleep.

It is important to use both breast equally as the child’s sucking stimulate the milk production. Each time you feed, you should stay on one breast until it feels empty that is usually at least ten to fifteen minutes. This is because the milk that comes at the end of a feed is much richer and more satisfying.

Breast feeding - why do it?

Health profesionals recommend that women who don't have any health
problems should try to give their babies breast milk for at least the first six months of life. Many woman breast feed for longer but most stop when baby starts biting!!

Breast feeding offers many benefits to the baby; breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help your infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect your infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections.

One of the main benefits for the mother is that breast feeding helps you to loose that pregnancy jelly belly, a good enough reason to try for us, even if there were no health benefits for the baby.

The most important period in establishing breastfeeding is the first week. The earliest days are the hardest, but with a little knowledge you can do it! The earlier you put the baby to the breast, the earlier the breast milk should come. Your breasts work on the simple principle of supply and demand.

In the first few hours and days your breasts produce a thin, cloudy, yellow substance called colostrum and it is of enormous value to your baby. There is absolutely no substitute for colostrum in doing good for your baby. It gives him or her protection against disease that will last for several months. Don't let it go to waste!