baby food?

When my children were small, like Twinkle, I made my own baby food. I felt that it was much better for them and I felt happier knowing exactly what the ingredients were. Processed baby foods can taste very bland and then you have another job trying to wean them onto proper foods.

I used a hand blender like this onefor making food the right consistency. I basically gave my children more or less what we were eating (minus the salt and other nasty/spicy ingredients). Sometimes I prepared the food in batches and used ice cube trays to freeze it so that I could have easy access to the right amount as and when I needed it.

On the other hand, if baby food is more suitable for you and your son, I have friends who swear by Heinz, just check out your local supermarkets and chemists as the offers change regularly. It may be worth joining Tesco Mother and Baby Club as they regularly send out money-off coupons.

Pink

If you are looking for a convenient, but healthy option this might help
http://www.babylicious.co.uk/

Otherwise at 4 months you are only really looking at fruit and veg purees which are incredibly easy to make.

Soak all implements in cold water sterilising fluid and then just steam or boil the fruit or veg and puree with a blender or by pushing through a sieve.

Sweet Potato is incredibly easy as you just put the whole thing in the oven for an hour, peel off the skin and mash with a fork and pop into icecube trays and that is all you have to do!!

If you are looking at buying jars, at this age I would only really consider the organic jars of fruit puree, or Heinz do a great range of plastic containers with puree which are great, and you can also reuse the pots for freezing your home made purees.

If you are buying the food, look out for additives and sugar, it might say suitable for babies but that doesn't mean it is the best for them. Organix Goodies is a good range of food, my 17 month old has the munch bars and crisps and loves them, and before that had the purees in a yoghurt style pot and occasionally jars

the weaning guidlelines changed about six months ago, and they now recommend that babies should only have breast/infant milk as their only source for the 6 months.

i think only the not so hungry babies can actually last that long. I held out as long as i could.

With my first baby, i was really excited about making my own food, and he just wouldnt eat it, so that kinda made me upset, so he grew up on baby jars.

This time round, I started on baby jars, as having the two kids, i didnt think i'd have the time to make food from fresh. but shes get a skin reaction to the jar foods, must be the preservatives, so I have had to make all the foods from fresh. I usually, make a few batches in one night, but i'm also up till like 1am, mashing or blending the food.

I personally think whatever suits your circumstances, and whether you have the time to make. but as this is a Money Saving website, i think that most Mums on board will recommend making your own.

you can get 3 item cube trays for £1 in poundstretchers, anyone know anywhere cheaper?

I used only my own food for my two, and it was easy. Used the ice cube tray at first then increased it. I found that this rule about when to give baby solids is rubbish, my daughter would have been happy to have milk for ever with nothing else, but my son was crying with hunger at 8 weeks, so I started him on a farley's rusk in his bottle, and he was eating everything within a week! Hasn't done him any harm, he's now a strapping 15 year old!!