«An appropriate complementary diet and a transition to a balanced and nutritious family diet are important for the growth, development and health of the child up to three years: this is how Unicef ​​defines theautosvezzamento, a more free approach than the traditional onefood introduction in babies, after the six months of the newborn's life, without tables or excessive indications from the doctor. Recommended byWorld Health Organization, especially following 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding breastfeeding, autosvezzamento requires that the breast milk remains an important food for the baby for a long time. It is therefore a very personal choice on the part of the mum and in general of the family, and recommended especially to those who, already by habit, have a positive and varied approach to food. But let's find out something more.

Traditional weaning

In the scheme of weaning traditional, it usually starts around the fourth or fifth month, with thetasting of fruit, homogenized or grated, and one food at a time is introduced calmly, for fear that they develop allergies. Pediatricians usually provide parents with a precise pattern of quantities, ingredients and timing and proceed slowly.

Autosvezzamento is a natural passage

Autosvezzamento is seen as a natural transition to nutrition: there is not a precise moment in which to begin, it does not require fatigue and impositions on the part of the parents towards the baby, but only an accompaniment to the knowledge of food. It starts in fact basically after 6 months, but especially when the baby can sit alone, to coordinate the movement between hand and mouth – and then to use the food – and begins to show interest in what parents eat, which will always involve him during their meals.

The self-weaning child uses himself

It may seem difficult because it has no rules, but in self-weaning the child is left behind choice of foods that more intrigues him and so begins to manipulate them and to have experience in a natural way. The main concern of the parents is that the baby does not eat enough: in these cases, however, the mother will provide for the need by giving the breast on request. Warning! Obviously theoffer of ingredients it must be done with common senseIn fact, the whole family will adapt to self-weaning, giving a lot of space on the table fruits and vegetables, eliminating excessive seasonings and the salt, limiting i too fatty dishes. After all there is nothing new in self-delving, but it is almost a return to the origins: the children in the large families of farmers were not offered a dish different from that of other members, but they ate with the whole family what wax.

Autosvezzamento: how should parents behave?

Parents will have to meet the needs of the child, offering food within his reach, both in quality and in the size of the morsels, leaving that taste with your hands or helping him with the spoon if he shows he wants it. So discovering the food will become a 'all-round experience for the whole family and a rediscovery for adults too. Of course, before choosing or not a diet is important deal with your pediatrician or with the reference clinic: self-weaning is in fact mainly recommended for babies with parents who are not allergic and breast-fed.