Weaning queries

[FedUpEffedOff]

6 month DS has been weaning for a few weeks. At first he seemed to be loving it and was always really keen to feed himself with the spoon.

I've been going really slowly doing first tastes because he had a bad reaction to egg so we haven't done blends yet.

But in the last week he seems to have lost a bit of interest and seems more interested in gumming the spoon rather than tasting and swallowing what's on it.

Did some finger food (banana) this morning and he enjoyed it but obviously doesn't actually get very much in his system!

Is this normal? To lose interest a little? Should I be accelerating the blends and meals now to keep him interested? Is the gumming of the spoon common? I keep thinking he's teething but there's nothing there yet.

I've tried changing the times of the 2x meals a day in case he was a bit tired but response is the same.

I'm only concerned because since he's been weaning he's slept a lot better a night, being more full up maybe? But in the last two nights since the egg reaction he's back to waking at 3am which we'd managed to get him out of....

I'd just appreciate hearing anyone else's experiences. Weaning was the only thing I felt like I had been successful at since becoming a mother as he took to it really well at first. Now I feel like a failure again.

[Confusedbeetle]

What was the egg reaction? At this age the spoon is a toy. As he is already 6 months old the process can be faurly qik ove the next two months bu=y which time you should be offering him 3 meals a day ech on follwed straight away by breast of bottle, He will reduce the amounts himself depending how much he has eaten. The meals can nbe a a combination of rough mashed and finger foods, I would expect spoon use yet. Dont give milk feed between meals although uyo may need one very early morning and before bed. He will sleep better weaned, the 6 moth rule is outdated to start weaning. You should be spoon feeding him your self. Egg is unlikely to be a problem unless he had anaphalactic shock, a true allergy. Give lot s ao variety, mixed up is fine

[FedUpEffedOff]

Thanks. The egg reaction was red itchy skin and eyes within minutes of eating it. Like mild hives.

[mizzles]

DD was always much more difficult at tea time. The best advice I had with weaning was to make lunch the main meal and tea more of a 'high tea' with finger foods she could pick at. But I think it's just inevitable that there will be some fits and starts with something as new as solid food. Definitely doesn't make you a failure of any sort! Might be worth trying something new to see if it catches his interest - at that age DD loved ratatouille cooked until the veg was very soft and mashed a bit with a spoon, and lentil and spinach soup. But I honestly wouldn't worry about him messing around with the spoon. Lots of babies don't get the hang of feeding themselves until much later.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Totally agree that it's nothing to worry about. Have you ever met anyone who has said "really sorry, I can't come out for a meal, I just never got the hang of weaning?"

He'll get there eventually

My best advice is to give him a spoon to play with and to give him the finger foods at the same time so that he can mess about with eat them between spoonfuls if he wants to.

Have you checked out the Weaning Section yet too?

[FedUpEffedOff]

LOL! That last post made me laugh!! Thank you all for tips. This mothering stuff is so good at making you question everything and doubting yourself.

Tonight (in about 5 mins) it's turkey and broccoli mush which will be his first meat so let's see how things go....

I think this weekend I'll try a main lunch instead of dinner too.

[FedUpEffedOff]

Oh, and there's a weaning section?!!!! Sorry! That would be better!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Oh, and there's a weaning section?!!!! Sorry! That would be better. Don't apologise, lots of MNers miss that one

There's also a tonne of weaning recipes in the recipes sectionn* if that helps

[FedUpEffedOff]

Should just say - the weaning section doesn't seem to be working on the website? (On a mobile anyway?)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Should just say - the weaning section doesn't seem to be working on the website? (On a mobile anyway?

How odd. I've just checked and it's working for me. Weaning talk is under the heading of Feed the World. I don't know if that helps

[Pleasehelpimfreakingout]

Please don't feel like a failure

I remember thinking so often of my son "how is he ever going to eat? How will this actually happen?!" When now toddler ds would chew spoon, chew food then slowly let it dribble back out again, when he'd eat less for a few days. I could never imagine him picking up a little sandwich, taking a bite and swallowing.

Well, now he does. He feeds himself with a spoon. He loves food. It's just a long, non-linear journey, and feels a little intense when you're in the thick of it , watching everything they do. You'll get there, I promise