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!

Has it been debunked? Have you got any sources?

Mine didn't put food in his mouth till 18 months and couldn't use a loaded spoon till he was 3 so couldn't have done blw. Turned into a completely unfussy eater.

My oldest had nan bread which had jalfrezi sauce on it after he grabbed it from my plate - at 10 weeks!! In my defence it was 1994 when the weaning age was 12 weeks and he helped himself when I turned my back!!

Glove this is what the WHO says about weaning :
"Complementary feeding should be timely, meaning that all infants should start receiving foods in addition to breast milk from 6 months onwards. It should be adequate, meaning that the complementary foods should be given in amounts, frequency, consistency and using a variety of foods to cover the nutritional needs of the growing child while maintaining breastfeeding."

Not quite the same as food before one is for fun.

Thanks.

What if you don't/didn't breastfeed?

What that says is a bit different to what unicorn said. Are there any sources to confirm what she said?

Not trying to be argumentative btw, I just like information that is backed up by fact not opinion.

Well he nicked a sandwich off DH's plate at a christening which was when we realised he was ready! Porridge and a slice of melon I think? Porridge off a spoon and a slice of melon to dribble and gum on. I did a mix of weaning styles. He basically weaned himself ha

Would also like to clarify. Is it because of the lack of iron in breast milk, because formula contains iron so that isn't an issue with formula fed babies.

Apple then avocado I think

Interesting. I will have to read up on the iron deficiency thing as I am bf'ing DS
And we were planning on bringing him up mostly veggie so will have to make sure we make up for lack of iron!

I weaned between 4-5 months on purée. I wasn't sure it was the right thing as surrounded by BLW wait til 6 months messages but went with my gut and I'm glad I did. He's now 10 months and can handle any food chopped and loves his veggies which I totally accredit to him getting the taste for them early. BLW or not I definitely recommend getting plenty of single veg flavours in from the off.

Also to those posting shitty sarky comments about 'force feeding mush': just fuck off and stop being so sanctimonious. I'm really sick of this kind of judgemental bollocks towards parents who aren't following whatever the latest fad is.

Glove - sources for what statement? That babies don't need food for nutrition before 12 months or that they do? I'm sure if you Google guidelines for weaning or introducing complementary foods you will find information from the NHS or paediatric associations on the importance of solids from 6 months.
The only difference between breastfeeding and formula feeding is there is some benefit to exclusively breastfeeding til 6 months. If you aren't exclusively breastfeeding there probably isn't a benefit to waiting til 6 months to introduce solids. All babies need solids from 6 months though.

Well unicorn said 'Food before 1 is just for fun’ has been thoroughly debunked.'
I asked, Has it?
I've not seen any sources to 'thoroughly debunk' it.

'Babies need nutrients, particularly iron from sources other than milk from 6 months old. Iron deficiencies can lead, in severe cases, to cognitive impairments.'
But this is in relation to breast feeding. Those that ff this isn't true as formula contains iron.

'Those who BLW in a purist way and declare it doesn’t matter if their child doesn’t swallow a thing until their 11 or 12 months are wrong and it’s a dangerous thing to push to other parents.'
Again, sources please.

The WHO say 'complementary' not primary which I think is important.

There are more differences in bf & ff, both of which have benefits. One of those for ff is that forumla contains iron.

I was under the impression that waiting until 6 months was so digestion systems were ready, nothing to do with bf or ff.

'All babies need solids from 6 months though.'
Do they? Introducing different food as 'complementary' is different to needing them else they are going to be deficient in something isn't it?

Like I said I would like to read factual sources rather than opinions put forward as factual.

ethelfleda
You might find this link interesting www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-rich-plant-foods#section3

I guess no evidence to support it is more accurate than 'debunked' as it was never official advice, just something said on Internet forums.

'Complementary feeding' is the technical term for introducing solids, as they complement the breast milk or substitute (formula/cows milk) that babies need until 2.

Yes, far more accurate. So it seems as though parents can do what they like and what works for them and their baby, no hard and fast evidence for either.

Well, there is evidence that milk is sufficient until 6 months, though exclusively breastfed babies are at slightly higher risk of iron deficiency, though no evidence for beyond 6 months. And guidance from the WHO is that babies need solid food from 6 months.

Interesting. It does seem that iron is a big issue. Maybe more awareness of that is necessary.

Can I just say Molly. it's been so refreshing having an actual discussion. MN is all too often RAH RAH RAH and confrontational if a poster asks for more information or doesn't immediately agree.
Thank you.

Rusks in orange juice. As an adult I shudder at the thought, but it was staple weaning food when I was a baby and when mine were weaning.

My DSis is a paediatrician and says that the iron in formula isn't absorbed very well which is why extra is needed from food. Breast milk is apparently low in iron but it's much more easily absorbed. However, with both methods you need iron-rich food from 6 months.

"In my defence it was 1994 when the weaning age was 12 weeks "

Weaning age was not 12 weeks in 1994. Unless it changed between then and 1995, when it was 4-6 months.

There was no Internet when I weaned Dd and my HV who tbf was shit pretty much made out it was something I had to do at 16 weeks.
It worked ok for us, but there was pretty much no other advice, no other opinions, nothing.
As I said up thread I started with baby rice, moved onto jars, and then homemade stuff which I did worry about at first, I'd never cooked before!
Things change so quickly, perhaps not officially but trends.

'Officially' it changed from 16 weeks to 4-6 months in 1994 (and was 16 weeks 10 years before that) but in pre-internet days official advice was harder to find and '12 weeks or 12lbs' was commonly given informally.

4-6 months in dd's red book. She was born in 1995. When people say "oh it's changing all the time" they are talking rubbish.

Puree Chantenay carrots, and yes I aware how pretentious that sounds
But to this day all mine like carrots