Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there
you may be able to con her with butternut squash...or sweet potato...they are sooo sweet and you can hide stuff in there :-)
You can bake the sweet pot like a jaket pot and scoop it out and the squash, if you cut it in half, take out the seeds and but the cut sides down on a baking tray and bake until the kin goes wrinkled it will then just peel off and it is soooo squishy...
And i dont know how you feel about tinned foods, but what about tinned carrots..they are sweet and bash up well and you can get them without salt/sugar
if anything else comes to me i will be back..jill

Counting_Pennies_2

You are doing the right thing reducing the milk intake as this is one thing that really does help with the early days of feeding.

I would completely refuse to feed her any of the puddings, they just don't need them at this age, and she has probably started to learn that it is worth holding out for, so if they aren't on the menu at all she will soon learn to like the nutritious food you provide.

Keep going at it, as you know from your first two children, this is just the start of them asserting their authority on you. Get a copy of Annabel Karmel out of the library and try some her tasty recipes, there are some quick and easy ones there.

Good luck with it. Keep going. They will continue to back track. My son is 3 years now and just gone through his latest food fad!

heather38

try mixing sweet and savoury together, butternut squash and pear, chicken and grape etc.
my lo is the same age and can be really fussy if she wants. she doesn't have puddings, she gets a savoury meal followed by fruit, but if she doesn't half at least half of the savoury, she doesn't get the fruit.
also try moving when you give her milk feeds so that she doesn't have milk with her meal so that she is hungry for food.
my dd has porrige for breakfast at 9am and then a bottle at 10am, lunch is at 12 with water to drink, and a bottle at 1pm, bottle at 4pm and tea at 5pm last bottle at 7pm when she goes to bed.
good luck
edited to add apparently it can take something like 15 tries of a new food before baby will accept it so don't get upset or think that you have a fussy eater, it's normal!

brummiebabe

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

Keep going at it, as you know from your first two children, this is just the start of them asserting their authority on you. Get a copy of Annabel Karmel out of the library and try some her tasty recipes, there are some quick and easy ones there.

quote]

I have the Annabel Karmel book (well..2 of her books actually) and the Gina Ford one on weaning - which has actually been quite helpful as she seems to talk sense!! I also have various other books for ideas & I have been trying different foods etc from these...but she doesn't seem to like them..then, this gets me a little uptight as I've spent ages preparing the meals:mad: . I do freeze them..but think..what's the point, she isn't going to eat it anyway!!'

I don't give her lots of puddings..she's only had a couple..but obviously has a sweet tooth (like her mom )

My 2 Dss would eat anything as babies...especially veg!!! DS2 now won't touch a vegetable and DS1 only eats peas/sweetcorn!! I know they have these phases..but weaning at 6 months as opposed to at 4 months (as with DSs) is difficult - you're under pressure to get them onto a wider range of foods much faster!!!!! This is where I'm getting stressed - I'm sure my DSs were on fruit/veg purees for a long time. My problem with DD is that she won't even really try foods.

brummiebabe

heather38 wrote: »

try mixing sweet and savoury together, butternut squash and pear, chicken and grape etc.
my lo is the same age and can be really fussy if she wants. she doesn't have puddings, she gets a savoury meal followed by fruit, but if she doesn't half at least half of the savoury, she doesn't get the fruit.
also try moving when you give her milk feeds so that she doesn't have milk with her meal so that she is hungry for food.
my dd has porrige for breakfast at 9am and then a bottle at 10am, lunch is at 12 with water to drink, and a bottle at 1pm, bottle at 4pm and tea at 5pm last bottle at 7pm when she goes to bed.
good luck
edited to add apparently it can take something like 15 tries of a new food before baby will accept it so don't get upset or think that you have a fussy eater, it's normal!

Thanks for the advice...I have been mixing the fruit/veg - she loves sweet potato with pear or apple but has only just started to like a little bit of butternut squash.

I have been trying to juggle the milk feeds around. Like today..she had a feed at 6.30am, breakfast at 8am, a bottle at 11am, meal at 12 (refused this...but was very tired!!) bottle at 2.45pm, meal at 5.30pm (again refused, but was a new flavour) then bottle at 7pm when she went to bed. I should probably try to drop the 11am (ish) feed and perhaps give her lunch earlier????

pennypitstop_2

When my DD2 started on solids (about 5 months ago) I read somewhere that it takes up to 20 tries of any kind of food for baby to be sure that they like/dislike it... no idea if that's right or not, or how the experts figure it, but I guess it shows that perseverance is the key!

Annabel Karmel is great, I agree. Some of the recipes show how you can 'hide' extra veg - the butternut squash example is one, you can mix it in with the pear (I personally really like it myself!).:T

As for the iron stores disappearing at 6 months, kale, spinach and other iron-rich veg can be hidden in a parsnip and carrot combo. I also read that it doesn't really matter if a baby seems to have good and bad days with food - over the period of a week or so, the nutrients and vitamins etc work together and 'balance out', if you see what I mean. Both my DDs have taken a shine to the strangest combinations of foods and flavours, you'll get there eventually with your little one.

heather38

poor you, i think it's daughters!! have you thought about stopping weaning for a week and trying again from the beginning? it might be worth a go even if it just gives you a rest. and then start again next week with baby rice and build it up again.
it wont kill her and will give you both a rest.
my hv informed me that DD should be on finger foods by now and also eating lumps, she's only 7 months fgs!!

Counting_Pennies_2

[QUOTE=brummiebabe;5376307I_I_know_they_have_these_phases..but_weaning_at_6_months_as_opposed_to_at_4_months_(as_with_DSs)_is_difficult_-_you're_under_pressure_to_get_them_onto_a_wider_range_of_foods_much_faster!!!!!__This_is_where_I'm_getting_stressed_-_I'm_sure_my_DSs_were_on_fruit/veg_purees_for_a_long_time.__My_problem_with_DD_is_that_she_won't_even_really_try foods.[/QUOTE]

It is easier said than done, but don't get stressed as they pick this up as well and it makes them up tight and stop feeding.

Keep going at it, do freeze the food you are making, I am sure she will get round to eating them again soon. Keep going at it, and you will crack it.

Also don't worry about the pressure to get through the list in the shorter period of time we now have to introduce them to foods. My son didn't eat fish or meat until way after Annabel's timescales. Take it at your own pace. not sure when you can give the Butternut Squash Risotto but that goes down very well, even with me!

pennypitstop_2

just an extra - what formula is she on? I found that although my kids both needed the 'hungry baby milk', by the time weaning came round, it was too much alongside the food. Follow on milk followed:D

Or how about giving her a drink of water at one of her bottle times instead of milk? Could she be drinking so much because she's thirsty (and not really hungry) but the drink is curbing her appetite?

brummiebabe

heather38 wrote: »

my hv informed me that DD should be on finger foods by now and also eating lumps, she's only 7 months fgs!!

I think that's why I'm getting worked up...my 2 DSs were on finger foods at her age!!! Can't help but compare - although they had obviously been eating solids for 3 months by now!!!!!!

Good advice re: giving it a break for a week...may try this if things don't get much better. However, a friend suggested to stick with what she will eat for now, then gradually intoduce some other flavours into familiar dishes - so may give this a go for the rest of the week.