When to introduce meat?

[Gerty1002]

DS is 24 weeks and was weaned at 17 weeks due to reflux. He's been on veg and fruit purees with a few ofnthe same as finger food (has been showing all signs of readiness for a few weeks now). I know they can't have wheat/gluten before 26 weeks but does this apply to meat?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Don't know on that one gerty. My dd had it at 23 weeks but she demonstrated very clearly she was ready to eat by grabbing it and eating it before we could stop her

[AnythingNotEverything]

I think at 6 months they can have anything except honey, undercooked eggs and whole nuts (I think there's a fourth thing but I can't think of it!).

At 6 months you can pretty much just give them bits of dinner I believe.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

There are a couple more, you're right. The list of foods to avoid is here

[Gerty1002]

Thanks for your replies. Anything I know but he's a few weeks shy of 6 months yet but am keen for him to start eating bits of our dinner like you say. My DS can grab things off tray and eat them but I haven't offered
him meat yet as I wasn't sure on recommendations. I know some pre-bought jars etc have 4m+ on them and contain meat but they don't always follow recommendations.

[CornishYarg]

I don't think the advice on meat is very clear either. The NHS advice talks about introducing it from 6 months but doesn't include it in their list of foods to avoid before 6 months. Could you try offering it as finger food initially so he's in complete control of whether he eats it or not?

[Minnieisthedevilmouse]

Just hand a big piece to suck. Mine loved bones (really encouraged their chewing). And I loved everyone's shocked expressions too. Really funny!

[Gerty1002]

CornishaYarg I know it's very contradictory. We're almost two months into weaning and have completely exhausted all veg and fruit ideas. Besides a little constipation he has done very well with it and it has definitely helped the reflux symptoms.

[AnythingNotEverything]

CornishYarg - you are my favourite cheese!

[CornishYarg]

Why thank you,Anything!

[CornishYarg]

Bold fail! Turns out us cheeses aren't very good with technology...

[Gerty1002]

As much as I appreciate your answers (and learning that Cornish Yarg is a cheese...) I'm bumping this thread as I'm unfortunately no further forward :). Part of me thinks that as DS is showing signs of readiness I should just buckle up and offer him everything, maybe just hold off in gluten for a week or two. Such difficult decisions!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Just looked on the nhs website and they give a list of foods to avoid if you wean before 6 months, but no mention of meat apart from liver

[Gerty1002]

Yes I noticed that. I think after reading all the advice the consensus seems to be it's ok before six months but don't introduce it super early in the weaning process as I imagine it's pretty hard to digest. That's my interpretation anyway! Thanks for your help

[HavingAnOffDAy]

Hi

With DD I was advised to introduce fish & chicken first, as they're more easily digested. She was a few weeks shy of 6 months when I was told this.

No idea if it's true or not, but she's still fine

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Some recent thinking says that this is counterproductive and actually we should be introducing it earlier as it's very nutritious and particularly red meat is an excellent source of iron.

If your child is able to hold food and get it to their own mouth, strips of red meat like beef are fantastic - most of them gum away on it for ages, suck out all of the juices and the good stuff and spit out a lump of grey connective tissue (lovely!) DS was doing this the night before his first teeth came through.

Cut across the grain and it's easier for them to chew :) Chicken is good too but leg meat is better than breast because breast can be crumbly.

[Gerty1002]

Thank you. Bertie he can get it into his own mouth, though I'm nervous after a few gagging incidents that lasted longer than I was comfortable with! I have suspected for a while that he has a posterior tongue tie but HCPs said he gains weight so wouldn't do anything unless it affects weaning or speech. Obviously this now needs addressed but I have a suspicion that before 6 months they will simply say 'he's not ready' so am sticking with purees and sometimes things in his food chewer for the moment. It's a shame as he enjoyed finger food when I gave it to him, gagging aside.

[Gerty1002]

I have just stuck last night's Spanish chicken casserole in the food processor for a freezer batch to use maybe next week, surprised by how tasty it is even as mush! Hope DS feels the same :)

[confuddledDOTcom]

Just give him meat in sizes he can hold and see how he does. I have some amazing pictures of my kids holding a steak and having a good go at it. When they do it like that they tend to take the good stuff and leave a horrible stringy mess of stuff they can't manage.

[Gerty1002]

Thanks confuddled but as I said in pp I'm a bit nervous of gagging so think I might wait until i have possible tongue tue investigated before trying meat as finger food. I would just die if he started choking.

[Gerty1002]

tongue tie even

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Gagging is a good sign generally, it's worth knowing that the gag reflex in babies is really far forwards compared to an adult's, about halfway down the tongue rather than at the entrance to the throat. So as long as he's sitting straight up (not reclined) he should be fine as the gagged-on food will work its way out the front. But I appreciate it can be worrying to watch.

[confuddledDOTcom]

Gerty, do look into gagging and choking, it's actually almost impossible for a baby to choke because their gag reflex happens in their mouth rather than their throat like an adult. Giving them a big chunk of meat isn't likely to cause a choke risk because they can't bite bits off, they just suck the goodness out of it.

I do understand where you're coming from, my son who is 14 months was born at 29 weeks and his reflux was so bad he needed physio for torticollis so he was weaned at 4 months, barely 1 month old CGA! Despite being BLW with the girls it was nerve wracking and still is because he doesn't have a lot of mobility.

[Gerty1002]

It isn't just that he gagged, just seemed to be gagging for longer than I would like, as if he was still struggling to get the food out, then he vomited. I wouldn't be so worried if I didn't suspect tongue tie - just scared that he actually has a physiological reason for not being able to move the food round properly iyswim. He's also PFB (if that wasn't obvious ) and been in and out of hospital a lot. I may also be a worrier