Feeding your baby under one, can be fun and rewarding. As long as things are going well.
But it’s not easy for everyone as recent research by the Infant and Toddler Forum highlights.
Today I've partnered with the Infant and Toddler Forum to bring you this article.
Problems with Feeding Your Baby
What do you do when they refuse a certain food?
Or fifty?
What do you do when you’re worried they aren’t eating enough?
What do you do when you see other babies tucking in while yours can’t get past throwing the spoon on the floor?
Or that oh-so-frustrating-I-want-to-scream-moment, when you cook them their favourite meal just to discover they now hate it.
But didn’t bother to send you a memo.
Not All Babies are Easy to Feed
Yep, feeding your baby CAN be fun but I had no idea before becoming a parent, just how complicated it could be.
According to a new survey by the Infant and Toddler Forum, I’m not alone.
Many Parents Find Feeding Babies Challenging
Many parents who are faced with the challenges of feeding their baby under one suffer too.
They suffer high levels of anxiety, feelings of guilt, and loneliness.
In short, they feel pressured to be a “natural” at parenting.
I totally get it! I felt like parenting “should be easy”. After all, you don’t need any qualifications to be a parent.
It should be one of those things that we just “know” how to do, right?
Except we set ourselves the high standard of “perfect parent” and then worry when things don’t go as we planned.
The Infant and Toddler Forum (ITF) Survey Results
The ITF surveyed 1000 UK parents with children under the age of three. They found that the majority (79%) found parenting more rewarding than they had expected.
However, 70% felt more pressure than they had anticipated.
More than 60% said they felt more anxious, judged, guilty and lonely (53%) than expected.
In fairness, who starts parenting thinking they’d feel any of those things?
Introducing Foods Is A Tricky Time
More than a third (38%) of parents felt anxious about introducing solids.
Parents Want Advice from Other Parents
In a world of Facebook and Instagram comparisons and advice from other parents can be helpful.
But on the other hand, it can just make you feel ten times worse when someone tells you their baby is perfect.
And your baby isn’t.
Except We Listen to Social Media more that Health Professionals
Over one third (35%) of parents said they often put more value on the feeding advice from online communities and social media than from healthcare professionals.
8% even felt judged because others suggested their baby should be making more progress.
Every Baby is Different!
Please remember that every baby is different and develops at their own pace.
(And to check the credentials of someone who tells you your baby should be making more progress than they are!)
Some Great Advice from the Infant and Toddler Forum
As you may know, the ITF is my “go to” for anything “baby food related”.
I love their simple and easy to follow (and well researched) advice.
10 Tips for Feeding Your Baby (0-12 Months)
The ITF have just put together a new advice sheet that is super easy to follow. (Plus there is a download-able version that you can print out and stick on your fridge.)
Check out the 10 Steps to Feeding Your Baby.
Feeding Toddlers.
Would you like your kids to eat more healthily? Check out the book!