Feel guilty feeding my baby mainly food pouches

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I have a 3 year old energetic toddler and a 6 month old. Trying to keep them both happy and entertained can feel hard work at times. Baby in particular will often scream if I put him down for too long. The house is constantly a mess. I often feel conflicted/guilty whether I'm doing housework/ playing with kids I always feel I should be doing the other.
Now baby has started weaning 80% of his food is ellas kitchen pouches and mum guilt has kicked in further . I don't get the mixed veg/fruit ones as I know they are so high in sugar with low veg content. I just feel I don't have the time. Yet I see other mums with two children similar to me who have perfect houses and well fed children doing all fun activities.
This post was meant to just be asking how often others feed their babies pouches? Should they just be occasional? Sorry I've rambled on. I am also trying blw but he doesn't eat any of it yet just throws it around.

You are feeding your baby age appropriate food. You’re doing great.

Why are you feeling guilty about feeding your child good organic food? It's not like you're giving him a blended up mars bar!

Fed is best _

Also, feed the baby what the toddler is having :)

Also also.... Ignore the social media mums - they're talking bollocks and have tidied up for that photo (or at least shoved the pile of washing out of view!)

Both my DC (aged 4 & almost 2) were weaned with Ella's pouches 🤷‍♀️ life is difficult enough - especially at the moment - please don't beat yourself up over it. Besides, I could never really get the hang of pureeing stuff myself. As they got older (moved to lumpier / textured foods) I'd give them what DP & I were having if suitable (rice based or "softer" foods - veggies & fish, mashed potatoes. You get the idea)
I used more pouches with my youngest as I was busy enough with my eldest without making life harder for myself.

It’s fine, but why don’t you just cook a bit more of your food and blend it up? That’s all I did. Extra broccoli, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes - if you’re really on the ball then freeze into ice cube trays and microwave as needed.

Don’t feel guilty about the pouches, but do remember it’s not all or nothing when it comes to weaning! Do what works for you.

If you can afford it, your baby likes it and it makes life easier then carry on! My DD hated them and I tried several different ones. At 6 months her favourite things were cucumber sticks, chunks of bread to gnaw on and plain Greek yogurt which were cheaper, easier and always in the house. Each to their own

My baby is the same age. He has a mixture of pouches, pots, mashed veg/fruit that I do and I've now roped my mum into making purées and she drops them round for the freezer. It is difficult running a household, entertaining a baby and worrying about feeding them etc let alone with a three year old too. Mine screamed and cried at bread and cucumber the other day so blw isn't happening in this household either. Don't worry, you're doing great!

I would feel guilty using plastic pouches (they aren't recyclable) so I tend to use a little steamer machine that purées as well, but I have zero guilt buying a load of Hipp glass jars for emergencies or being out the house.
Yoi have two happy and cared for children so you're doing well.

Can you not give just the baby some of what the toddler is having, maybe a bit more finely chopped? It doesn't matter if a 6 month old doesn't eat any of it and just throws it around (except for the mess, obviously!): the point is just to get them used to food and let them start experimenting in their own time. They get pretty much all of their nutrition from milk at that age so you don't have to worry about how much they're getting, and they will copy the toddler soon enough.

*just give, not give just, obviously

It's only a short term thing, soon baby will be willing and able to eat more similar food to everyone else.

My 10 month old has quite a few pouches. We are both WFH full time and life is hectic enough so whatever makes it a bit easier is a good thing in my book. She also had chopped up fresh fruit and I do also giver her what we are having. As an example, today she had porridge fingers for breakfast, fusilli pasta with carrots, lentils and cheese as finger food for lunch and an Ella's Kitchen chicken casserole pouch for dinner, with Greek yoghurt for dessert.

If you are feeling guilty then don't do it.

It isn't difficult to batch cook for a small child but at six months the will be able to have mashed food not blended.

I used to make loads of foods and initially they were frozen in ice cube trays then into little pots before baby number two was able to eat the next stage and I would cook fresh most days for the kids then later for dh and I.

Try baby led weaning

you know what OP
food is food, pouch, mashed veg whatever do your best (try not to ) don't stress and somewhere along the line it will all work out

My son lived off those, especially as I was on the move a lot when he was little. He is now a teenager and devours his greens. If I ever have no idea for a meal then I steam broccoli, sprouts, beans, kale... not a stealth boast. I absolutely give all credit to the green Ella pouch (broccoli, peas and pears).

It will get easier as baby gets older.

I'm in the same boat, weaning is stressing me out! Lovely advice given. What a supportive place Mumsnet is.

I know loads of babies just fed pouches or jars, they're fine. I wouldn't bother with pouches as I'm lazy, I couldnt be arsed I just fed mine whatever we were having. No mushing- with later weaning puree just isn't necessary.

Just don’t do it then. Wouldn’t it be easier to just give baby what the toddler’s having?

I don’t know what food pouches some people have picked up that makes them think it’s the devils food - all the stuff I’ve ever seen in the shops literally just contains minimal, often organic ingredients - the same you would use to make a meal at home - and the only thing close to an additive is the occasional bit of added vitamin c. I used to add frozen veg, peas or spinach mostly, for a bit of added texture.

I found the pouches really useful as a FTM with no experience of babies and weaning! Now I mostly do BLW but she often still get a pouch at tea time especially if dads in charge! No problem with it at all IMO especially as your babies age!

My DS generally has at least one pouch a day. Sometimes two.

He always has "normal food" for breakfast. Porridge or weetabix with fruit. Sometimes he snaffles my toast.

We eat late, but if we're cooking something suitable I'll save him some for the following day. He loves Bolognese, fish and mash with veg etc. Otherwise he has a pouch. I always give him something as a finger food (peas are good. Take no time at all!). I can't be arsed batch cooking purees.

I have a tiny blender that is designed for making dips etc. That's really useful.

OP, ignore the 'just don't do it then' crowd You've been given some good suggestions if you want to try and use less pouches but really, don't feel too guilty about it.

Honestly I’ve shelved all guilt atm. What’s the point? Everything is mad and adding guilt on top of that is pointless.

Do what makes your life easier, it’s not forever

Oh my goodness, in normal times it's fine! But in these times? It's double fine!

You are juggling a toddler and a baby. The baby is being fed perfectly healthy age-appropriate food. Give yourself a break

Although, there's always something to feel guilty about as a mum at any age!