Weaning

[lizziimayy]

I'm after some advice on weaning as a ftm who doesn't have a clue.

The hv recommended that I should get the Annabel Karmel book for weaning which is for purée and my PIL have told me that I should do purées at my baby's age (6 months). So she's been started off on purées and has been doing quite well. However, I've seen about BLW on Facebook groups and I like the idea of Gabriella discovering her food. I suggested to my PIL (I live with them) to give Gabriella some cooked carrot sticks instead of purée but they said that I shouldn't. I posted on a BLW group for advice and just got abused that my daughter has ever had purée and made me feel quite upset. As it's not my kitchen I generally don't feel like I can give my baby what I want and I'm just so confused. This group said that my baby can't have purée and finger food. As a ftm I just don't know what to do or what I'm doing so can someone people help

Please no abuse I'm just a ftm with no weaning experience and I want to know what's the best way to feed my baby!!

 

[Aimee84]

I'd say do what you want to do. I started with purees and given her things to try for herself and she's doing really well. I'm a ftm too and there is so much conflicting information that I'm just doing what I think is right for my child. You will feel happier doing what ever you want to do and what you think is right for ur child. Good luck and enjoy the mess

 

[lizziimayy]

Thanks for a lovely response! I'm seeing the health visitor tomorrow for baby weigh in so I'm going to ask her for some more advice and see what she says

 

[Colleen1988]

Aww sorry to hear you got abuse on another site... Ive bought the Anabel karmel book, my LO is only 3 month so im still a long way off weaning but I'll be following her book, im a first time mum too so because I have no idea what im doing im just going to foow her advice and see what happens try not to let your PIL tell you what to do, if they give you advice listen politely but still do your own thing. Ps the book is really useful xxx

 

[Orion]

In my opinion it's fine to mix and match. Why not spoon feed meals, and finger food snacks. That's what we do as adults.

But your HV should be giving you all the info you want, and if not, local HV run baby groups and clinics will have different HVs you can talk to for advice.

 

[littlemonkey]

I can't believe that you were given stick on the other sites! It's entirely up to you what you feed your child!

I weaned both my boys at four months so both started on purees. Once my eldest got to six months I started giving him bits of finger foods as well. I'm just starting this with my youngest now he's six months as well.

There's no right or wrong with weaning. I just kind of winged my way through it with my eldest. Around six months most of his meal were a combination of finger and spoon fed foods. So I'd do something like mushed up weetabix or porridge for breakfast that I'd feed him and sliced toast or fruit he could feed himself. Dinners would be something mushed up for him or a jar if we were out, with some bits on the side (usually veggies) for him to pick at.

He's two and a half now, not a fussy eater and eats every thing we give him so it obviously turned out ok. You do what you think is best.

 

[lizziimayy]

That's for all your responses. I just couldn't understand why people were telling me that I can't mix and match like it was the law or something... They've just made me feel so bad about myself as a mother. I'd like to do mashed food/purée and finger food so she gets the best of both as she's only just getting a taster of food at the moment. Then hopefully she can move onto more solid food when she's used to it!

 

[littlemonkey]

That's for all your responses. I just couldn't understand why people were telling me that I can't mix and match like it was the law or something... They've just made me feel so bad about myself as a mother. I'd like to do mashed food/purée and finger food so she gets the best of both as she's only just getting a taster of food at the moment. Then hopefully she can move onto more solid food when she's used to it!

That's why I did it how I did, it was the best of both worlds for me.

 

[lizziimayy]

I have found these Facebook groups to be rather nasty. Some people purposely post up things just to judge and abuse other mums for their own personal decisions, it's horrible!

 

[babyslog]

I did the same as the above posts.started with purees but added in finger foods from 6-7 months slowly x

 

[kumber]

We skipped purée and went straight onto mashed. I looked at Annabel Karmel (sp?) and I wasn't a massive fan. I just gave mashed versions of our dinners so potatoes, meat and veggies, smushed up bolagnase, etc. and then we did finger food snacks. I found starting on mashed meant we had no problems with lumps and I've seen someone on here mention problems with moving from purée to lumps? I'm not sure if that's everyone's experience but going straight into mash was easier for us. That was for all main meals and then he had finger food for snacks, again from day 1.

 

[Toni.C]

Same as Kumber.

I did thick purée and which made lumps a lot more bearable with finger food too.

I think a mix of the two is a better balance than doing one or the other. *personal opinion please don't shoot me down*

 

[Phoenix85]

I prefer skipping the purees and going straight to finger foods. If you do want to give some "purees" at 6 months it would be better mashed so that the texture is more 'lumpy'. The problem with purees is it needs no chewing so they swallow without attempting to chew, and then when they get lumpy food or "real food" they gag because they don't know to chew it up.

I like Annabel Karmel for some of the recipes, but didn't take much notice of the books etc other than for ideas for meals when weaning was well & truly underway.

 

[Lilmisshopeful]

I did a mix of the 2. He had cereal that I spoon fed and puree or mashed food at tea time. Lunch I always did finger foods. He is a great eater not at all fussy. Have fun with weaning and do it your way.
To make you feel better about it not being your kitchen go out and buy some special bits for baby yourself and have a play around its fun xxx

 

[can]

Hey please don't feel bad and take no notice of this other site. It's a learning curve for you and your baby but like above poster said its supposed to be fun!! Do what you feel comfortable with and take it from there! Weaning is sometimes so over complicated by people over thinking everything. You sound like your doing a great job, don't let other people away you from what you want to do, end of the day if your comfortable and relaxed your lo is more likely to be and have fun exploring food together.

 

[kitten2014]

Lizzimay, defo do what you decide and take other people's opinions with a pinch of salt, you and your baby will work out what works best for you....i started our lil miss on purees first then finger food and like Phoenix said if you mix and match with puree and mashed they can get confused...the first time I gave our lil miss mashed mince, the table and floor got covered as she wasnt used to it, strangely enough she was fine with tuna and chicken no gagging but lil balls of mince floew straight back out to begin with lol...now she's on third try and loads better...I found purees useful for new flavours and identifying allergies, now Im working on mashing/blending my own starting with fruit and a bit of our meals when its suitable for her...fruit is fun, bought a load of fresh fruit and just made different 2 or 3 combo's and blended in mini food processor...so far its a hit...I will probably continue using jars for a bit of variety every now and again (our meals are reasonably varied but similar items every few days) but she had started eating two jars a day and gets expensive then lol..

On a side note related to weaning, how did everyone find the impact on weaning to bottle qts? we've been on 2 meals per day for almost 3 months and 3 meals for a month, a week after introducing the third meal found could drop from 5 to 4 bottles...she now drinks most of her 3/4 8oz bottles which I serve as follows:

7ish 8oz bottle 9 7-8oz drunk
8ish brekkie, porridge, fruit
11ish 8oz bottle (7-8oz drunk)
12ish lunch meat/veg & fruit
2ish 8oz bottle (7-8oz drunk)
3.30/4ish tea veg and fruit
5.30 final 8oz bottle (takes usually 5-6oz)

She is therefore taking between 600-800ml per day and she has once gone thru the night on 500ml, at what point did people find they dropped another bottle? Just curious as dropping the 5th bottle (was around 4ish) was guesswork and just trial and error but I find so long as she has her first and last bottles, the qts in between vary depending on how much she eats for meals...

 

[Nutsyputs]

I did both with my son. He started on purées but very quickly got fed up with them so we started blw. Ignore negative comments and do what you feel is best.

 

[Robyner]

I havent read the whole of the thread, but just wanted to say i am passionate about baby led weaning. Its been amazing! My dd is 2 and a half now. She took to it straight away. She has an amazing appetite and shes very petite for her age. For breakfast she eats an adult sized bowl of porridge with a whole serving of fruit in it. She has decided from the word go how much she wants and needs. She loves curry, olives all kinds of foods that ive known other parents never attempt to give their babies because they assume they wouldnt like them.
It has its downsides, its messy and i got stick from people who thought i was mad, but i stuck to it.
She chewed and swallowed even with only two teeth as they have hard gums and a well designed gag reflex.
I read the baby led weaning book by Gill rapley and then the cook book by her also which was fab and inworked my way through. Everything served me, my dh and dd very generously.
Now the people that were unsupportive to start with think its the best thing theyve ever seen and they reccomend it to everyone!!
Im not decrying traditional weaning, as i hate it when people did it to me, just wanted to encourage you.
The baby led weaning forum was brilliant too, very friendly. I remember the baby led weaning facebook page was quite bitchy but i loved posting pics of dd covered in spag bol lol x

 

[JD.Deedee]

I can't elaborate too much on my own experience as we're currently waiting to be referred to a paediatrician to see why my son had been so sick during his first year which made weaning really hard as this did not stop him being sick.

However, my sister in law introduced purreed meals prior to 6 months, she did however wait a little longer than the 17w-4 month mark due to updated guidelines in comparison to her two older children. So after the first tastes and meals she also gave certain foods and treats in a BLW manner. He is now one has been eating three meals a day for a while and has no issues being either helped being fed with a spoon or eating himself.


I think when your child responds well to being fed solids in general opposed to my son who didn't, it's a good way to go, mixing the both. I can imagine that going full on BLW can be tough challenge and you want your child to be ready to lessen bottles by the age of one by having full meals during the day feeling like it's a battle against time.

Why on earth someone would go off on you about giving purreed food, as adults we eat things like yoghurt and soup as if they're never going to resort to using a spoon for these type of meals and they're just adult only..

I would've responded to that women saying that to you with something like "bla bla bla, yes bye."
So don't let that bring you down, neither be too influenced by the choices the in laws have made in the past that has nothing to do with the present and what you want to do

 

[Rooster30]

I am on my second child and still don't have a clue really. I am mixing it up. Baby rice in the morning (until I finish the pack then will go to weetabix), then finger food at lunch time - sandwich, cucumber, banana, avocado (none of it mashed) that sort of thing. Then whatever I'm cooking at the time for main meal. I have done both sticks of carrots and mashed carrots. I've skipped pureeing and left all blended food reasonably lumpy.

I am winging it a bit. But I have avoided doing what I did for my son where I largely used Ella's kitchen pouches as I found him such hard work to wean, plus I was not confident in the kitchen. Subsequently I have a fussy dinner time eater - but then he was fussy anyway.

As other have said, just do it your way. I'm still unsure as to when to give my 6 month out proper meals... so far she is just on veg, but then we only started weaning two weeks ago so still very early days for us.

Good luck