Transitions You Will Have to Guide Your Baby Through

Any parent will be able to tell you that babies grow quickly. Many will joke that all you have to do is blink and suddenly they’re grown adults, moving out, getting married, and having little ones of their own. While this is a slight exaggeration, it can often feel like changes are taking place at a rapid pace and it’s difficult to keep up. However, there are ways to make things a little more manageable. Everything becomes a whole lot more simple if you are prepared for the upcoming changes that your baby is going to go through. This allows you to tackle situations as they arise rather than slipping into panic and the situation passing before you have the chance to get to grips with it. So, to help you along the way, here are a few key stages and transitions that your little one will go through and how to help them through each.

Swaddling

Swaddling is an ancient practice that still proves extremely popular today. It involves snugly wrapping your baby in a thin blanket. This is said to help your baby to feel safe and secure, as they can’t move around excessively or roll over easily. It can help to soothe your baby and even reduce excessive crying (which will doubtless appeal to new parents who are desperate for a decent night’s sleep). However, a stage will come when your baby will need to start transitioning from swaddling. You will be able to tell that your kid is ready to give up swaddling by observing their behavior. If they seem desperate to escape their swaddle, fidgeting, and wiggling, it may be time to ditch the swaddling. But you should do this in stages rather than completely removing the swaddle from their routine all at once. Try leaving one arm out, then the other and slowly doing away with it.

Weaning

Weaning may prove to be a little harder than transitioning from swaddling. It’s the process in which a baby is weaned off milk and onto solid foods. Weaning generally starts when your baby reaches six months of age, and at this time it’s a good idea to introduce your baby to subtle new tastes and textures. Soft baby porridges are a good place to start. You can then start introducing foods that are specially formulated for babies, such as jarred baby food. These are easy for your little one to consume, but it helps to get them used to stronger flavors, such as apple, strawberry, carrot, and other vegetables. If you’re ever concerned about weaning, contact your doctor or your health visitor. They will be able to give you more in-depth information that is specifically tailored to your baby.

While helping your baby to transition from one habit into another may feel a little daunting or intimidating, they are essential processes that you will have to focus on at some point or another. These are just two examples. There are plenty of other transitions that you’ll face down the line!