Unorthodox weaning...

[dinny]

DS is 6.5 months and have exc bf'd him till now. Tried him on baby rice and apple/pear last week and he just wasn't interested. BUT he is suddenly completely able to feed himself finger food and goes MAD for our food. Yesterday was having a picnic and he ate some of dd's cream cheese s/wich, grabbed half her Mr Kipling sponge slice, then had penne smeared with a bit of dh's bolognaise sauce and loads of broccoli florets for dinner, toast for brekkie today... It is so amazing - you kind of forget along the way that they are their own person. I'm quite shocked. And feeling a bit weird about him eating so many new things at once. Should I let him continue with this finger food experimenting (and also get him to eat veggie/fruit purees)?

[SoupDragon]

If he's happy, leave him.

[TracyK]

I wouldn't bother with the purees - just be led by him. My HV said that if you are waiting till 6mo before weaning rather than 4mo - you can progress from purees much faster. Your ds must be reading the same book!
Just lock your choclate away - you don't want hat to go missing!!

[NotQuiteCockney]

dinny, I'm almost in the same place. DS2 is 25 weeks, and I've just started with weaning. I've made the obligatory sweet potato and breastmilk puree mix. Not interested, although he found taking it and dribbling it out to be an interesting game. But a big piece of chicken went down well. Bits of a bagel with cream cheese was popular, too.

I think this is the best way to do it, honestly. I'm being nervous about sugar, but I'm like that with DS1 anyway. And I'll watch salt, some. And I'll probably try to avoid nuts and seafood for a few months. But otherwise, if they can cope, why not?

He can't do toast yet, though - he ended up gagging and throwing up when he tried.

A friend who has four did all hers this way. Up to 6 months, exclusive breastfed, and after that, table scraps. They seem to have done well with it.

[dinny]

think it's ok re allergies and stuff? he is soo good at shoving food in his cakehole - and grins and laughs as he swallows it. just feels so different from weaning dd at 4 months....

[NotQuiteCockney]

Well, most of the big allergens are things you try to hold of on until 6 months, right? (Dairy, eggs, gluten) And you've done that. If he seems to react to something, you'll have to back up and work out what it was, but is that likely, really?

[Newbarnsleygirl]

If he's good with the finger foods try him with a puree again but give him his own spoon. I know he probably won't be able to feed himself but if he has a go at it you might be able to feed him while he's entertaining himself with the spoon.

[NotQuiteCockney]

It sounds like he's much more competant than DS2 ... he does like chicken, I couldn't really pry his fist full of chicken away from his mouth to see how it was going down.

Tbe area in which I can't really move him onto our diet is red meat, at least not beef or lamb. We always have them grilled, and generally pretty rare, which isn't safe for a baby is it? I remember DS1 with blood dribbling down his chin from eating my steak, but I'm sure that wasn't at 6 months ... (And well-done grilled red meat is too hard to chew, I'd think.)

[dinny]

Newbarnsleygirl, was trying some sweet potato puree this pm and the only way he'd eat it was if I loaded the spoon, gave him it and then he just put it in his mouth and ate it. he seems to suddenly be expert at eating! and drinking from a cup - think he has been studying big sis intently

[aloha]

I think your way sounds fantastic Dinny. I hope to achieve something similar myself - if I'm brave enough! he sounds like he's doing amazingly well, your little gourmet

[HUNKERMUNKER]

Leave him, Dinny! He'll do fine - DS is just the same with food - and let's sort out meeting up soon! (Just in the process of changing my email over to gmail - but will email you soon - know I've been saying this for ages now!)

[dinny]

Thanks, Aloha . Not brave though, he is just very bossy and feisty. Was so scared when e rammed blooming Mr Kipling cake into his mouth! He LOVED it though. In fact, only wasn't terrified cos Lockets was there saying "It's FINE, he know what to do!! Anyway, how is your little one doing?
HM - hello! Still can't work out who you mean we should meet up with in SE London - give me initials, it's driving me mad! ps. Any news on sale at work? xx

[HUNKERMUNKER]

AC

[dinny]

ah! what did she have??? was wondering. think Jo said it was a boy....

[milward]

Go with it - I've always just mashed what we're having. Tastier than baby foods. Plus they are happy as they're having the same as everyone else.

[wheresmyfroggy]

Hey dinny i heard some cracking stories about your picnic

[dinny]

Milward, you can just give whatever you're all having?

Wheresmyfroggy, had a fab day. How was your night out

[wheresmyfroggy]

The only other person from my company going to the wrap party blew it out so i just went to soho instead and it was absulotely crazy, one bit of warm weather and every pub was at least five people deep out on the pavements, you'd think prohibition had just ended

[milward]

Dinny - yes!! When we had pasta I mashed some in the sauce. Or mixed some curry with rice to a sort of paste. Couscous with sauce went down well. advocado was great as well. I'm not sure on allergies but dds were fine. Veg I just squashed with a fork. Soup was another good one. Porridge was a good standby & I used water plus some danone bio yogurt to mix in it. Gave cottage cheese as easy to eat as well. dds all ate lots of natural type yogurts. I don't use salt in cooking so this was ok. Sometimes I have used babyfood jars - but they're not half as tasty as 'real' food.

[HUNKERMUNKER]

She had a gorgeous little boy! Will do the decent thing and email you both asap (got to stop arsing around on MN first...!)

[dinny]

fab Milward. made dd (nearly 3) her fave fish, rice, peas tonight and ds was longingly staring at it. nearly gave him some but thought, oooh, can't. wish I had - would you have?
HM - definitely meet up. is she back at work?
WMF - oh, Soho on a summy evening is a bygone life for me....

[wheresmyfroggy]

And it's a very occasional life for me now dinny

[HUNKERMUNKER]

Not back at work yet. No real news on the sale either - just been put up for sale and are inviting bids. Will know more in the next month or so I think (hope!). Have emailed you both

[Prufrock]

Dinny my ds did this as well. I sill have a full pack of baby rice because he never ate it. So for the first few weeks he had finger food only. We eat very little processed food so I just gave him bits of whatever we were having. The only things I don't feed him now are prawns and nuts.

He is now 10 months and is happy to eat off a spoon, as long as he has a few things to pick up himself. So he will eat stews, rice etc, but I pick out some bigger bits of meat, or give him some peas and corn to feed himself. I do shred the meat for him, and mash things up a bit, but the only puree he ever has is apple in his morning porridge.

[milward]

Dinny - I would have mashed some peas & rice & if suitable (checking for bones & bits) would have mashed some fish. It would be ok for my little ones but just go with how you feel - always check with your doc for allergies question

[Clayhead]

I weaned ds onto finger food at about 6.5 months, after exclusice bf. No pureeing at all. It was a total success, he is now 18 months and we never looked back.