Week Fifty One
By Linda Drummond |
Week Fifty One

Becoming a fussy eater

After happily munching down on anything you put in front of him, you may be shocked to discover that your baby is becoming a (gasp) fussy eater! How did this happen? Why is he suddenly pushing away his favourite mashed banana, or turning his head to avoid that spoonful of pumpkin? Often, fussy eating at this age will have more to do with exerting his will when rejecting the food you give him than actually not enjoying the taste of the food itself. The best way to overcome this phase is to ensure you offer him a wide range of tasty foods at each meal. Taking the picnic approach by preparing a little of this and a little of that on plate so he can choose what he wants to eat himself, may make you less tense about his apparent fussiness. You'll be surprised how much he actually eats when he can choose what he wants.

Read more about dealing about a fussy eater

Introducing cow’s milk

You may have chosen to introduce small amounts of cow's milk into your baby's diet over the last month or so through the introduction of cheese, yoghurt or custard, but it isn't until your baby is twelve months old that you can begin to offer her cow's milk to drink. You can now make the transition from formula to cow's milk, or begin offering cow's milk with solids while still maintaining your usual routine of breast feeding.

Though it is fairly unusual, some babies do have an allergy to cow's milk (as opposed to being lactose intolerant). If you're at all concerned about your baby's ability to tolerate cow's milk, see your GP as soon as possible. The good news, though, is that children who are allergic to cow's milk generally outgrow this allergy by the time they're two years old.

Discover the symptoms of cow's milk allergy

Food allergies

If you've been concerned that your baby is having a reaction to the food he's eating, you may have had it investigated by a paediatrician or dietician already. But for many parents struggling to unearth potential food problems in their children, understanding the difference between an allergy and intolerance is problematic. As you will discover, allergies and intolerances are two quite different things; a food allergy is a reaction in the immune system to the proteins found in particular food, whereas food intolerance is a pharmacological reaction (much like the side effects of a drug) to the chemicals in a particular food.

Got more information about food allergies



Find more about your baby’s week by week development


More physical development articles:

blog comments powered by Disqus

Get weekly development
updates on your baby

  • Newborn care guide
  • Key milestones
  • Fuss-free parenting tips
  • Delivered straight to your inbox

Enter your child's birthday