Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

Becles

Bear_family wrote: »

Of course, some foods depend on whether my son has teeth or not. You can't puree a sandwich, which is why I was after suggestions. Think I'll look in the library.
It's easy to see this is obviously a topic everyone has a different opinion on.

They manage fine with no teeth! My eldest two were both over a year old before they got any teeth at all, but were eating all sorts of food by then!

When my daughter was about 9 months old, we had my family over and had a curry. Charlotte wanted to sit on my knee and everyone was amazed as she sat happily dipping a bit of garlic naan in my jalfrezi and eating it

My HV did explain about the whole letting your baby touch food etc, but to me it did seem a little drastic to let them try and feed themselves when they are so young, plus I want to make this process as simple as possible for me..

I found it easier once they can feed themselves. Before that I'd cook something, then leave the meal keeping warm while I fed the baby, then hope they'd amuse themselves long enough for me to eat mine. Once they can feed themselves, everyone can be served at the same time at the table and I found that easier.

daska

Having weaned one baby on the traditional method and one on baby led weaning I can state categorically that BLW has the answer to your question. You don't have to think of special meals for your child as they eat what you eat. So if you have a humous sandwich, give them your child a soldier and a bowl of homous.

BTW picking up finger food is easier than getting pureed whatever out of hair, bibs, carpets, curtains, highchair seats etc. If you've never fed a baby before then take it from me, they spit, throw, smear, insist on feeding themselves even though it results in them throwing it over their shoulder etc.

A lot of people have taken time and effort to pass on the benefit of their experience in relation to your question. They have the advantage of having tried it out for real and I do think your response was quite rude given the practical advice volunteered. If your HV has suggested weaning earlier than government recommendations then, if it were me, I'd ask why and insist on an answer better than 'well, that's what we've done for years'.

But finally, listen to your child, as my dad says: I used to have theories and then I had children...

Iheart2poundcoins

I use jars and after making some food from scratch it was cheaper to buy jars!
Between 4-6 months my lo was having bits now and then, nothing substantial, just tastes really, savoury and puddings - very small amounts whenever she showed an interest in what I was eating, ( and what I eat wasnt appropriate.)
If you start with jars you'll find you can get 2 to 3 meals from one jar before 6 months.
Some health visitors will religiously quote government guidlines but some will go with not before 17 weeks, and you know your baby best and in the end it is your desician.
Most people, you will find, started between 4-6 months.
They do have a major growth spurt at 4 months, but I found mine was having them from 2 month and it just went on from there!

Just adding, mine has always been neat with being spoon fed. She can feed herself in a fashion now (she's only 6 months) and seems to want to be particular and not messy.. of course this could all change!

JBD

OP I started weaning all my children at 3-4 months. It has done them all no harm whatsoever and if I was having another one now I would do exactly the same thing.

PurpleJay

JBD wrote: »

OP I started weaning all my children at 3-4 months. It has done them all no harm whatsoever and if I was having another one now I would do exactly the same thing.

The number of people who say exactly this amazes me. The research suggests that waiting until half way through the first year is better for babies and weaning should never be done before 4 months so why risk it - the government are not saying it just because they like to tell people what to do, there is scientific evidence to back it up.

If babies weaned younger than 6 months are fine well that is great, maybe they have been lucky. If your baby wasn't you might wonder if early weaning contributed if you had done it.

Babies main food for the first year is still milk. A lot of mums mistake a growth spurt for their baby being ready for solids. My son was a frequent feeder. Those very hungry times were growth sputs, we worked through them by giving him more milk. Breastfeeding is sooooo much easier than having to prep real food!

skintchick

JBD wrote: »

OP I started weaning all my children at 3-4 months. It has done them all no harm whatsoever and if I was having another one now I would do exactly the same thing.

Hopefully it hasn;t (you wouldn;t necessarily attribute any problems that resulted to the weaning, as you wouldn;t think early weaning would cause them) but this kind of 'logic' is ludicrous. People used to say the same thing about smoking while pregnant. And even if your children are OK, others may suffer from being weaned onto solids when their delicate digestive systems aren;t ready for it, which could result in allergies, or digestive problems.

If good research shows you should wait until 6 months, then you should wait! Do you know better than experts? Why rush it anyway?

tandraig

er - I am sure I have said this before! what do you think babies ate before heinz brainwashed all the mums (and medical staff)! no reason why you cant start with rice mixed with baby milk but the cost of the boxes of rice! extortionate! use ordinary rice blitzed up! cooked of course! babies can eat what you eat as long as you dont overdo the salt or seasonings and puree it well - you can mix it with some bottle feed if you think its too dry. roast dinners are great - just use mash some veg and some gravy - as long as its home made and not the instant (that is too high in salt).common sense is called for here. no junk food just good home cooking!
for the weaning stage meals can be frozen in sterilized ice cube trays and you can defrost one or two cubes at a time. I have done my grandkids meals for them for years until they really start to eat family style. they eat mostly anything but favourites are - cauli cheese - cheese and potato pie - corned beef hash - sausage mash and gravy - pasta bakes - spag bol - chicken and leek pasta - and chicken curry to which i add some natural yoghurt to make it milder - but from six months or so they have loved it!
I put a child sized portion in a freezer bag and label it then freeze and give to parents. they are so grateful - it has saved them a fortune and they know the baby is gettin good home cooking and.........will be eating similar meals to them! important for avoiding food faddiness!

JBD

skintchick wrote: »

Hopefully it hasn;t (you wouldn;t necessarily attribute any problems that resulted to the weaning, as you wouldn;t think early weaning would cause them) but this kind of 'logic' is ludicrous. People used to say the same thing about smoking while pregnant. And even if your children are OK, others may suffer from being weaned onto solids when their delicate digestive systems aren;t ready for it, which could result in allergies, or digestive problems.

If good research shows you should wait until 6 months, then you should wait! Do you know better than experts? Why rush it anyway?

It was certainly very common to wean babies at this age.And no have certainly never heard of any babies having digestive problems due to be waned at age 3-4 months. As I said if I was having another baby I would go on my experience, my mothers experience and my common sense rather than what socalled experts say or whatever I had read on the internet. Why would I want to rush it? Why would I let my baby go hungry?

shirlgirl2004

I'm another that has done the traditional weaning and babyled weaning routes. For us BLW wins hands down. The main advantage being that we can eat together as a family without one of us having to feed DD at the same time whilst our food goes cold. It is just a more natural and less comlpicated way of doing it. However I'm sure lots of people like to do what they'e always done and if they don't mind spending the time pureeing and mashing then that's fine too but you can't have it both ways.

Having a quick think the choice is to puree and mash food (either your dinner or specially prepared). This is the only choice if you are going to wean at 4 or 5 months)
or
Give finger foods (babyled weaning).

If you want to go down the traditional route there are plenty of books in the library that give menu plans (I kid u not!) on how to wean. However take much of this at face value as I believe Annabel Karmel advises Cheerios as a healthy treat. I hate to see what she suggests as unhealthy.

tandraig

if you went by government guidelines (or as i call it - the latest medical fad) you could still be laying babies on tummies or sides or taking thalidomide for morning sickness. government/medical guidelines are only valid until the next 'expert' comes along.
ok - I have 3 children and 6 grandchildren and we started weaning when the baby seemed to want to eat what we were eating or were hungry between feeds and sorry - gov experts- that was in nearly all cases at about 4 to 6 months! last grandson was interested at 3 months! if you ate while holding him he would try to guide your hand to his mouth! so I dont listen to so-called experts - if I had my son would be dead now - as at six months I knew his formula was making him ill - and had to fight HVs, GPs, dieticians, consultants etc who didnt believe me that his formula was causing asthma attacks. took nearly 5 years and I had to go out on a limb and source soya products (which were damn near unknown in this country then), but i was right!
Old wives are often right - so says THIS old wife, mother, grandmother!