Weaning- A Few Questions...

[Jade&Evie]

I really am clueless Trying to get as much info as possible before D-Day

Rusks
I have some Farley's Rusks which says 4-6 months on. Do I let Evie suck on them or moosh it up with milk? Would it be ok to give her one after her lunchtime bottle?

Baby Rice VS. Baby 'Breakfast'
I don't like the look of baby rice but have some Cow and Gate Stage 1 'Fruity Breakfast'- am I ok to start her on that in the morning?

Bottles
If Evie has a spoonful of breakfast am I right in thinking I give her a bottle as well?

How Many Meals a Day?
I was going to do 1 week with just a spoonful of breakfast then perhaps introduce lunch (pureed up veggies/fruit) and then maybe after a few weeks of breakfast and lunch introduce dinner. Then a bottle at breakfast, a bottle at lunch, a bottle mid afternoon and a bottle before bedtime?

Veggies/Fruit
What are the best one's to start with- I know about only introducing one food every 3/4 days but I don't know if I should start with fruit or start with veg and which one's to try... any ideas? I have a load of recipes to follow once Eviehas got the taste of things but it's this first step I'm having problems getting my head around.

Meat
Am I right in thinking meat shouldn't be introduced until at least 6 months?

 

[Tillytots]

just wanted to say I tried James on baby rice and he hated it but C&G fruity breakfast he loves did you get the free sample?

 

[Jade&Evie]

just wanted to say I tried James on baby rice and he hated it but C&G fruity breakfast he loves did you get the free sample?

yeah- it's been sitting in my cupboard tempting me for weeks!

 

[BeckyJ]

what age did you introduce the rice/cereal?

 

[purple13]

hey hon

i can only reply from my POV having waited til last week to wean connor...

rusks - if you introduce them b4 6 months, i think you need to moosh up with milk. connor's had a couple of small pieces of rusk and i've let him suck on them - i've had to be a bit careful that he doesn't shove a large bit in his mouth all at once, and have been ready to fish any pieces back out of his mouth again. he's only had a bit of rusk twice as a little treat.

fruity breakfast - can't really comment as haven't even looked at the jars... but i'm planning on giving connor porridge / weetabix

bottles - again, can't comment, but connor has a boob feed before a meal so that he's chilled out and not screaming hungry. he also has another boob feed about 1/2 hour after his lunch - greedy boy

meals - i'm introducing meals in stages - so lunch was last week, this week we're adding dinner, and next week we'll start breakfast too.

veggies/fruit - connor had banana for his first solid food. since then, he's had carrot, broccoli, mango and plum. he LOVES broccoli & plum, but i'm doing mostly BLW and these are really easy for him to feed himself

meat - yup, 6 months i've been advised to start off with chicken and fish, and take it from there


i feel like i'm making things up a bit as i'm going along, but i'm feeling less scared already and have started to rather enjoy it all. its incredibly messy, and his poos are far more ickky now but he's loving it and i love watching him enjoy it. the BLW route was definitely right for us; connor's had a couple of puree meals and is fine with them, but adamant that he feeds himself with the spoon. he's great with feeding himself and my hope is that within a few weeks time, he'll be having what we have for dinner (without having to liquidise it first) which suits my lazy ass down to the ground!!!

 

[Jade&Evie]

what age did you introduce the rice/cereal?

Evie will be 17 weeks tomorrow and I am going to start on Monday when she will be 4 months and 2 days. They say not to wean before 17 weeks at the earliest but I have been advised by my HV and GP My bubby is growing up

 

[LilysMummy]

I got a box of rice to start with and used that one up and then moved onto the cereal. She loved it

 

[daftscotslass]

Haven't started yet but have been reading (mostly AK)! Becky is desperately hungry all of the time and HV thinks she's showing signs of being ready (watching us eat, sitting up with support etc) but seeing as I'm convinced she's in the middle of a growth spurt I might hold out. Dunno. Ack.

Rusks... they shouldn't be given as finger food until 6 months because it's a choking risk. You can mush them up with her milk.

Baby rice... you can mix this with fruit and veg purees so it's not as bland. Any cereals that say 4-6 months are fine - just make sure they don't contain gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats) until 6 months because of the risk of allergies.

AK suggests 1 meal for the first week, 2 for the second and so on. It's up to you if you want to introduce fruits or veggies first - some people think that introducing fruits first might be the starting point in getting a sweet tooth but I don't know if there's any truth in that. First veggies - carrot, parsnip, potato, sweet potato; First fruits - apple, pear, banana, papaya

Annabel Karmel has some charts in her books about how to introduce and balance out food and milk in the first weeks of weaning... gonna PM you about that one

 

[LisaJ1986]

I've just introduced Angel to Rusk the passed week. She has it just before bed and i find it mixes better with boiling water, rather than milk. She only has half or one that's it.

Thinking of trying rice tonight instead. Think i need to mix it with my milk though.

The rest i'm confused about so i'm pleased about this thread!

 

[Jen & Her Men]

I started James with some baby rice with his last feed of the day and kept his milk the same.

THen I introduced some mashed up banana which i mashed up with some milk from his lunchtime bottle so he was getting the same amount of milk but using some with the food iykwim.

Literally just 3 or 4 spoons at first.

Then upped the amount a bit.

THen instead of banana I gave him some pureed veggies (Sweet pot and carrot is a good one to start them on) and reduced the amount of milk i gave.

Then gradually introduced breakfast and reduced the amount of milk accordingly

Now he is on weetabix for brekkie with a bottle.
Lunch is meat and veggies with a yoghurt for pud and a bottle of juice
About 5 ish he has his tea so same as above but different food
Then 8ish he has a final milk bottle and thats him done for the day.

Just take it really gradually and introduce new things one as a time and give them to her for a good few days / week or so before adding other things.

If you have any questions hun your welcome to PM me. I dont pretend to be an expert but i do actually really enjoy weaning James and cooking him stuff etc so i may be able to help with food ideas etc.

 

[LisaJ1986]

I started James with some baby rice with his last feed of the day and kept his milk the same.

THen I introduced some mashed up banana which i mashed up with some milk from his lunchtime bottle so he was getting the same amount of milk but using some with the food iykwim.

Literally just 3 or 4 spoons at first.

Then upped the amount a bit.

THen instead of banana I gave him some pureed veggies (Sweet pot and carrot is a good one to start them on) and reduced the amount of milk i gave.

Then gradually introduced breakfast and reduced the amount of milk accordingly

Now he is on weetabix for brekkie with a bottle.
Lunch is meat and veggies with a yoghurt for pud and a bottle of juice
About 5 ish he has his tea so same as above but different food
Then 8ish he has a final milk bottle and thats him done for the day.

Just take it really gradually and introduce new things one as a time and give them to her for a good few days / week or so before adding other things.

If you have any questions hun your welcome to PM me. I dont pretend to be an expert but i do actually really enjoy weaning James and cooking him stuff etc so i may be able to help with food ideas etc.

When you introduced the sweet pot and carrot does it puree well, or do you need to mix it with a bit of milk? I've never done anything like this before!
Think i may invest in a hand blender!

 

[Jen & Her Men]

It blends really well in a blender. I have never needed to add any milk. The only thing that can need a bit of milk adding imo is potato just to make it a bit creamier. Oh and broccoli.

THe best investment I have is a multi blender thingy. Cost about £50 but i use it every day and its fab.


called a magi mix from argos.

 

[Jade&Evie]

Think i may invest in a hand blender!

I bought one yesterday in Tesco for less than £5 and a steamer for £10! Bargain!

 

[Jen & Her Men]

that is a bargain! Esp for the steamer - thats a great buy.

 

[LisaJ1986]

Think i may invest in a hand blender!

I bought one yesterday in Tesco for less than £5 and a steamer for £10! Bargain!

I'll have to go get one. Been meaning to for ages. But didn't think she'd need it for a couple more months.

 

[Jade&Evie]

I really am clueless Trying to get as much info as possible before D-Day

Rusks
I have some Farley's Rusks which says 4-6 months on. Do I let Evie suck on them or moosh it up with milk? Would it be ok to give her one after her lunchtime bottle?

Baby Rice VS. Baby 'Breakfast'
I don't like the look of baby rice but have some Cow and Gate Stage 1 'Fruity Breakfast'- am I ok to start her on that in the morning?

Bottles
If Evie has a spoonful of breakfast am I right in thinking I give her a bottle as well?

How Many Meals a Day?
I was going to do 1 week with just a spoonful of breakfast then perhaps introduce lunch (pureed up veggies/fruit) and then maybe after a few weeks of breakfast and lunch introduce dinner. Then a bottle at breakfast, a bottle at lunch, a bottle mid afternoon and a bottle before bedtime?

Veggies/Fruit
What are the best one's to start with- I know about only introducing one food every 3/4 days but I don't know if I should start with fruit or start with veg and which one's to try... any ideas? I have a load of recipes to follow once Eviehas got the taste of things but it's this first step I'm having problems getting my head around.

Meat
Am I right in thinking meat shouldn't be introduced until at least 6 months?

 

[Tillytots]

just wanted to say I tried James on baby rice and he hated it but C&G fruity breakfast he loves did you get the free sample?

 

[Jade&Evie]

just wanted to say I tried James on baby rice and he hated it but C&G fruity breakfast he loves did you get the free sample?

yeah- it's been sitting in my cupboard tempting me for weeks!

 

[BeckyJ]

what age did you introduce the rice/cereal?

 

[purple13]

hey hon

i can only reply from my POV having waited til last week to wean connor...

rusks - if you introduce them b4 6 months, i think you need to moosh up with milk. connor's had a couple of small pieces of rusk and i've let him suck on them - i've had to be a bit careful that he doesn't shove a large bit in his mouth all at once, and have been ready to fish any pieces back out of his mouth again. he's only had a bit of rusk twice as a little treat.

fruity breakfast - can't really comment as haven't even looked at the jars... but i'm planning on giving connor porridge / weetabix

bottles - again, can't comment, but connor has a boob feed before a meal so that he's chilled out and not screaming hungry. he also has another boob feed about 1/2 hour after his lunch - greedy boy

meals - i'm introducing meals in stages - so lunch was last week, this week we're adding dinner, and next week we'll start breakfast too.

veggies/fruit - connor had banana for his first solid food. since then, he's had carrot, broccoli, mango and plum. he LOVES broccoli & plum, but i'm doing mostly BLW and these are really easy for him to feed himself

meat - yup, 6 months i've been advised to start off with chicken and fish, and take it from there


i feel like i'm making things up a bit as i'm going along, but i'm feeling less scared already and have started to rather enjoy it all. its incredibly messy, and his poos are far more ickky now but he's loving it and i love watching him enjoy it. the BLW route was definitely right for us; connor's had a couple of puree meals and is fine with them, but adamant that he feeds himself with the spoon. he's great with feeding himself and my hope is that within a few weeks time, he'll be having what we have for dinner (without having to liquidise it first) which suits my lazy ass down to the ground!!!