Starting solids with twins or triplets is a exciting milestone. It is a time where you can start introducing your babies to different textures, flavours and help them to build different skills. Learning how to hold different foods, learn the skills around eating and give them some independence.
Deciding when to start solids can be a confusing time. There is a lot of different information and recommendations that you will see – some times it is hard to know what to follow.
Here are a few tips we have for starting solids with twins or triplets.
Speak to your health care professional before starting solids with twins or triplets
It is a good idea to firstly discuss your plans with your health care professional such as GP or community nurse. They will be able to talk to you about the recommendations and whether they think your babies might be ready to start solids. If your babies were born premature, it may be that they take a little bit longer to start solids.
With premature babies you will likely have both their actual age and their corrected age that you refer to. Some professionals recommend waiting until they have hit the 4 or 6 month corrected age before starting them on solids.
Try one food at a time
When you decide to start your twins or triplets on solids, it is a good idea to do one food at a time. With a few days between introducing a different food. This helps you to be able to recognise if there is any allergic reaction or intolerance to different foods.
If you give them multiple foods to multiple babies all at once, it can be difficult to determine which one which baby reacted to!
You can purchase a downloadable chart where you can record your babies first foods HERE.
Feed them at the same time
Keeping your babies in a routine is key during the first year. If they are already on a synced feeding schedule for their milk, try to keep their solids in a routine as well.
Feeding them at the same time each day will help them to understand when they are hungry and when to expect food.
Feeding all babies at the same time will also help save your sanity. One high chair per baby is a must! And most importantly, the babies need to be confortable in their high chair.
Get 10% off the portable high chair foot rest HERE.
Sit in front of them and alternate feeding them. This way you will not have a little one screaming at your feet wanting their share.
Look into Baby Led Weaning
Baby led weaning is a technique for feeding little ones. It involves them eating larger portions of food that they can hold themselves. This technique helps to develop hand eye coordination, independence and most of all – makes meal times fun.
A recommendation for baby led weaning – it is a time of experience and learning, which of course means a time of lots of mess. But don’t worry. Twinfo has some great suggestions that don’t involve getting a dog!
Don’t stress if they aren’t ready
If you try your twins or triplets on solids and they are not a fan of them – its okay. Try again another time. Not all babies are ready to start solids at the same time and not always when it is recommended that they start. Let them start when they are ready and want to.
If you have one twin that wants to start and the other that doesn’t, this is fine as well. Twins will still develop at different levels and not everything will happen in unison for them.
Starting solids with twins or triplets – be easy on yourself!
And most importantly, take it easy on yourself. Not everything needs to be done to a text book.
If your twins aren’t starting solids at the recommended age – don’t stress
If you forget a few days in between – no worries.
Starting solids should be a fun and exciting milestone for you all. Don’t get caught up in all the rules and stress yourself out. Your twins or triplets will be able to sense your stress and will mimic it.
You may decide to purchase pre-made foods from the grocery store. Or you may make your own at home. Either way, your multiples are getting fed.
Before 12 months, it is still recommended to give your babies milk before food as that is where they will get the bulk of their nutrition. But in between – have fun learning new experiences with your babies.
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