Weaning: Creating a relationship with food

This is the phrase our doctor used in our very first meeting that we would be forming a relationship with food and our approach will decide what kind of relationship it is going to be. I never thought of it that way but I loved the idea.

Through introducing solids and respecting your little one's approach to food, you create a relationship between your baby and food.

Starting solids has been a bit scary for me. The main reason was that I, myself did not have the best relationship with food until later in life. Now I have a better one which I changed over the years but that change is hard. I did stress eat, binge eat and I ate more than my stomach was able to handle at times. I was never an overweight kid but after the age of 30, I started not feeling so well after my meals.

I was raised by a generation which believed in the idea of finishing the plate. There was an amount of food placed on the plate and we had to finish it. Did not matter whether I was full or not. I remember I had to drink a glass of milk after breakfast. I would end up in the bathroom every morning with a stomachache but I still had to drink it. I was clearly intolerant to milk, which was not diagnosed and caused me trouble at the time and later on my life.

I wanted my baby to have a good base for this relationship early on. Goal was to get her to have the habit of healthy eating and have an understanding of the place of food in her life. Achieving this goal requires huge amount of patience along the way yet it is worth the world to see the progress as she gets older. Of course you have to set some rules and also set her free in terms of how she eats and how much she eats. It is a journey much more than a process with lows and highs, good days and bad days. Bad days can really get ugly like you sitting down and thinking she was left in hunger. Good days can get really shiny like you sitting and admiring your baby while she eats.

I believe one of the best habits I help my baby have is eating mindfully and healthy. What helped me the most during this journey was getting support from a professional, observing her cues super closely, being super consistent with what I offer, and having faith in my baby.

Will write more about it in the weaning series.

p.s. Writing this piece on a good day:)