To ask you what your baby's first food was??

[ethelfleda]

DS is 5mo and we are going to start weaning at 6mo. He is already showing a big interest in food and is showing all other signs of being ready so want to try as soon as he is old enough.

I like the sound of BLW and maybe a bit of spoon feeding as well but.. well where do I start? Offering food just once a day? And should I put a few different finger foods in front of him or let him try one at a time? How did you wean your baby?

As you can probably guess by my tone, I am a first time mum so I have no idea where to start!

You're right Scruffy, I think the difference is if you start at 4 months then weaning is just about introducing tastes and textures, whereas by 6 months babies need solids for nutritional value.

Mashed up banana
Baby rice puddings
Baby porridge

I am obviously so old..... I had to look up what the hell BLW was !!! I would never, ever, have allowed that. I started with rice (on a spoon) at 4 months, and then pretty quickly moved on to pureeing whatever veggies we were having for dinner, then peitit filous, then white fish, then on to pureeing full meals. Finally adding bits of veg, and pasta, when they are ready. I didn't allow them to feed themselves until they could handle a spoon well. Sorry, but I just can't abide children eating with their fists, makes me want to vom. The most important thing is eating together as a family, and all eating the same thing. My kids eat everything, and have done from a very early age, I never made anything different for a fussy child (or husband!!).

Roast pork.

Seems like a roast dinner is a popular first meal!

@GuildfordMum101 actually eating with their fists and getting to grips with chunky food from six months is now really recommended as important in developing jaw muscles for speech and as a big part of sensory play.
A bit of mess is just part of it.

Baby rice made with breastmilk, did that for a week or so, just a few spoons, then went to pureed veg and fruit, then jars, onto finger foods and whatever I had.
I took her to Indonesia for ten weeks the week after her fist birthday and she managed perfectly well with no jars or purees.

Baby rice was the done thing then, it isn't now, but it doesn't mean babies will never have anything else.
The way I gave it to Dd was just very slightly thicker breastmilk from a spoon, I didn't shovel in ladles full.

Probably toast, can't actually remember tbh. We just used to give them some of whatever we were having. Get a shower curtain to put under the highchair is the best advice I was given.

and we never bothered with mush, because well would you eat it?

The most important thing is eating together as a family, and all eating the same thing.
I agree. Did your whole family eat mush?

Also, I did not wait for 6 months exactly. NHS guidelines were at the time "around the middle of the first year" - I assume they are still similar.

BLW theory says that if a baby is developed enough outside to handle things like the physical dexterity to pick up, taste and swallow food then it is likely that their gut can handle things like gluten, dairy and so on - however, this is not proven, it's a theory. Therefore some people prefer to stick to fruit and veg until 6 months has passed. I felt it was plausible enough and went with it - sample size of one - DS is nine and doesn't have any allergies or sensitivities at all.

I liked the approach of letting the baby be part of the social bit of mealtimes and then letting them let me know when they wanted to be part of the tasting bit too!

The most important thing is eating together as a family, and all eating the same thing

And making sure your baby doesn't do anything horrid like getting food on their hands

Baby porridge then purée fruit and veg. Think carrot and sweet potato was the first one. Now I’m moving 7mo DS onto fingers foods, just basically little bits of whatever we’re having

bertiebots
Interesting, I wasn't aware of that theory. He seems so ready to try food now! But I figured we may as well wait another few weeks (on holiday for a week this month as well so thought we would start after)
DS is very much PFB though

Brocolli! I did baby led weaning and started with veggies instead of fruits to stop her preferring sweet stuff over savoury! She's 18 months and eats everything!

@GlitteryPoop me and DD have always are the same things from day one and no the whole family didn't eat mush, BLW doesn't involved pureeing or mush at all. If you force feed spoon food your child mush from day one they're more likely to struggle with textures or choke on lumps ..

@guildfordmum101 surely if a baby is being spoonfed purees, then the family ISN’T eating together and all eating the same thing (as presumably one person will have to be feeding the baby).

It is common in some cultures (including mine) to eat with ones hands, and as long as hands are clean and washed, there’s no need for it to be “vom” (charming).

There's also some evidence that introducing potential allergens between 4-6 months results in fewer allergies than waiting until 6 months.

The only clear evidence is some risks to introducing solids before 17 weeks. Beyond that, finger foods, purees, baby rice etc is just personal preference.

@GuildfordMum101 Have your children never eaten a sandwich? Visions of the little Guildfords trying to eat crisps with a knife and fork.....

Mine started having little sucks of soft Fruits at around 5 months.

Baby rice and rusks washed down with gripe water.

We also did the dreaded baby rice and she didn’t poo for 10 days after! I’d avoid it.

French fish soup (smooth) for DS. French baby food was a revelation for DD as well - pureed artichoke alongside usual stalwarts. Both adore all sorts of food to this day. But then so do I and I was weaned on porridge and rusks.

DC1 - Baby rice
DC2 - Chicken and rice soup

Avocado! he wasn’t interested until 7 months though aside from that one piece.

Older kids I can’t remember but they liked fingers of soft bread around that age.

@DwangelaForever I know. The mush thing just seems so unnatural and weird.
We had twins and were BLW the whole way. I just can't imagine a nice roast dinner full of flavors, shapes and textures for example and getting a blender and turning it into mush and eating it. You wouldn't eat it would you. So why force that on a baby.