Mumsnet Talk

When dd1 was small I weaned early (just under 5 months) she was ready. Did whole baby rice thing and pureed veg etc. That was 9 years ago.
Now I understand advice has changed. Dd2 is 6 months and I was wondering whether to leave out baby rice stange.
Thank you.

Stage.

I'd leave out babyrice, its got a very low nutritional content and tastes like wallpaper paste, pretty pointless really.

You've done right in leaving it to 6 months. Now she's reached that age you can give her pretty much what you eat as long as you watch the salt levels. We just gave our dd what we were having, stuck a cheap shower curtain on the floor and a long sleeved bib on her and let her get on with it.

Some people prefer to do purees and finger food but my dd was a spoon refuser, so I didn't have that option with her.

Whichever way you decide its recommended to give the milk feed roughly an hour before solids until they are one.

If you want a bit more information on baby led weaning, have a look [[http://www.babyledweaning.com/ here].

And she can't have honey until one and whole nuts until three.

Sorry here's that link again

I thought is was whole nuts at 5 due to choking risk. Nut butters, etc are ok from 6 months

I stand corrected. I'm sure it used to be three but its definitely five now, here.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/foods-to-avoid-baby.aspx

I think it used to be to avoid them until the age of 3 if there was a history of asthma, eczema, etc but then guidance changed to say it was ok from 6 months instead.

No whole nuts, cut grapes in half and no honey until 1. Other than that, anything goes really.

The advice actually hasn't changed for ten years now. Weaning guidelines are quite helpful if you're really flummoxed. They are here. We just gave ours whatever we were having. No honey, easy on salt and sugar contents and let them help themselves. Both started out with a roast dinner and never looked back.

www.food.gov.uk/policy-advice/allergyintol/peanutspregnancy#.UUS5SBy9CSo - peanut guidance changed in 2009

I was going to put something rather trite about it being exactly the same, except that it's now acknowledged that the centuries old practice of mushing up food was invented by Annabel Karmel and giving finger food must be referred to as baby led weaning.

The posters who have referred to actual weaning guidelines are being infinitely more helpful and have actually answered your question. On a serious note, you say in your OP that you did what you did whenever you felt your child was ready. Trusting your instincts never goes out of fashion!!

It's not just the guidelines which haven't changed. Some people puree, some people give finger foods, some do both. And it's really just personal preference. OP, you do absolutely what you are most comfortable with.

I suspect babies haven't changed that much either. If your child is sitting up, able to pick items up accurately and putting them in their mouth and has lost the tongue thrust reflext (will chew and swallow instead of pushing food back out), then they're ready.

I liked waiting for 6 months as it was just so much more straightforward in terms of what they can have and in dd's case she wasn't ready until around 27 weeks. DS was ready at around 24 weeks but was quite unwell and in hospital so we held off anyway.

Don't forget the Mn pages on weaning too OP, they are fab.