Hints and tips for weaning (merged)

Karnam

or are these better? i do think lidded might be better for the freezer, since i live with my MIL, 2 BIL, OH and little one so the freezer is always stuffed and things go on thier side a lot to fit in!

Lillibet_2

I'v been weaning Spud over the last couple of weeks, he'll be 6 months next week. I started with baby rice, then pureed pumpkin then sweet potato then gradually introduced other veg, always introduced it to him mixed with either baby rice or baby porridge & breast milk. Today he had his first meat : chicken liver mixed with apple & pear! I got Annabel Karmel's book out of the libriary & have loosley been following that, first tastes & (when you start weaning at whatever age) then introducing other food groups in he recommened order.

The important things to remember are no gluten (flour, bread etc) or dairy until at least 6 monhs, no nuts, honey or added salt until at least 1 year & added sugar at a total minimum (Spud hasn't had any so far, easy to avoid if you are making your own food). I have found my hand blender invaluable, I tried pureeing a couple of things by pushing through the sieve : fine if you have someone else to take care of the baby all day whilst you grind your life away but in the real world...go with a blender! I just pack 2 teaspoons of puree into each ice cube compartment of a couple of cheapy ice cube trays then decant into zip loc bags when frozen. I stick a selection if cubes into one of those avent cups to defrost, then mix with baby rice or porridge if it's a bit light on the fillibng stuff, and we're away!

The official advice is to wait until the baby is 6 months but I saw signs in Spud at least 6 weeks ago that he needed more than milk : shorter times between feeds, hungary in the night, making chewing motions etc. I told my health visitor what I was doing, she repeated the official advice to me then said, he's your baby & you know what he's like. His weight gain has stayed on the same centile & at my last visit last week she said the continous weight gain proved I had been right to put him onto solids! That said, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't seen the signs or if he'd been bringing the food back up (his digestive system is a total one way street!)

I had to try 3 diffrent types of cups before I found one he would take, it's triasl & error with these & even then takes a while so be patient!

HTH;)

Karnam

ohh thanks so much. i know the official party line etc. etc. but my bambino tried to grab my food 3 times in the past 2 days! i know she prob doesnt know what shes doing but i think its good to prepare now in terms of buying little things and looking out for them on offer.

thats a really good idea with the avent via cups, constantly using food bags sounds like a waste. do ice cube trays need to be steralised? i had assumed so but the lidded ice cube trays from jojo mamane bebe cant be steam steralised does anyone know if you can get lidded ice cube trays elsewhere? i cant seem to find them anywhere but on jojo maman bebe...

leftieM

I weaned my first child at 18 weeks and my second at 24. If you can, it makes life easier to wean as close to 26 weeks as you can manage. Weaning is a hassle! It's definitely progressed more quickly with my second child and has been easier. Of course that could be because I'm more experienced!
Good luck!

finc

The pots in the photo above are also available in the Morrisons near me and are about £2 for 3. They also sell other small lidded plastic tubs (but not in the baby aisle) which are 4 for 99p and slightly smaller. I also used small freezer bags and stored them on the shelf bit of the freezer.

I wouldn't bother with a mini blender but would recommend a hand blender. These can be used more easily after you are no longer pureeing everything in sight! They can also be used in pans, cooking pots etc so less washing up and are great for soups.

I also bought the Annabel Karmel book, there are some great ideas in there for all stages of weaning and many of the older recipes are great for grown ups too. There's some really tasty ideas in there.

I found that neither of mine would eat baby rice on it's own and if you taste it you'll find out why! _pale_ I added bits of puree'd carrot, parsnip or butternut squash which they enjoyed.

I started with just one flavour at a time and gradually added 2 then 3 etc.

Also don't introduce anything too sweet until they get the hang of eating as this can help them develop a sweet tooth (gum) and are more likely to refuse the savoury stuff. They catch on quick .

Finally, enjoy it. Don't worry about the mess and if they refuse something one day just try another time or mix with something else you know they already like.

Good luck and have fun!

Karnam

finc wrote:

The pots in the photo above are also available in the Morrisons near me and are about £2 for 3.

:eek: from jojo they are £4 for 3 pots!! i did like the idea of a mini blender, but it sounds like a hand one might be easier.

Lillibet_2

Forgot to say I use an ordinary hand blender, not a special one. Mine died just before Xmas so had to get a new one : £4.99 in Tesco & has stood the test of weaning so far.

I just use ordinary ice cube trays, not special lidded ones & wash in boiling water between use as they won't fit in my steriliser anyway. I don't even try to sterilise the zip loc bags, just wash in hot (not boiling) water & washing up liquid & rinse.

Also the most important peices of equipment you will need : LOADS of bibs, muslins/tea towels & also an old shower curtain/plastic sheet if you are feeding in a carpeted room:D

Karnam

Lillibet wrote:

LOADS of bibs, muslins/tea towels & also an old shower curtain/plastic sheet if you are feeding in a carpeted room:D

i LOVE muslins! my little one is a dribbly breast feeder and dribbles spit when she gurgles. its so cute but so messy! my mum says i should try feeding her topless in a warm room rather than use a bib as food gets everywhere!!!!

lillibet - which annabel karmel book do you own? im so confused as she has so many!

finc

Also found these at toys r us . They're out of stock on the website but may have them instore. £1.49 for 4 is the cheapest I've seen.

I still use these pots for my 7 year old daughter's packed lunches for fruit or jelly so definitely get my moneys worth!

Lillibet_2

Karnam wrote:

ilillibet - which annabel karmel book do you own? im so confused as she has so many!

I've got her complete first year planner, gives recipes plus also development charts, advice on changing sleeping pattens etc. If you have a libriary near you have a browse & see if you can find one that appeals to you, even my tiny one has loads of her books so they must be popular!