To give a pouch of baby food

[weaningtime]

Just that really. Shamelessly need validation. I am absolutely sweltering in this heatwave with a Velcro baby who only wants to contact nap. DD is nearly 8 months and I’ve watched the panorama on shop bought baby food so not fed her any shop bought jars or meal pouches. I try and be conscious with her food, she has a healthy homemade porridge for breakfast every day with nut butters, seeds and fresh fruit and then usually a BLW style tea or a recipe we’ve followed from a baby cookbook. She usually really enjoys her food. We are getting takeaway, so can’t share that. Last night I cooked a vegetable and cheese pasta for her and she had two mouthfuls and wasn’t bothered, probably the heat I’m guessing. I’m putting so much pressure on myself and have run out of ideas for tonight and food shop doesn’t come till tomorrow.

Would it be that bad nutritionally to just buy and give her a pouch tonight? I have seen people compare it to junk food and fast food so feel like I’m not doing good enough and not prioritising her if I default to that. Is it ok or any other food ideas that are very minimal prep?

No-one died from having a single pouch of food.

Ffs….

Oh dear lord. Once in a while is fine. Have a day off love.

I used to feed puree or what we were having with my first at home then Ella's pouches out and about. He's a 6ft 13yo now so I dont think it did him any harm.

DS2 couldn't stand mushy stuff or a spoon, used to make him gag so he mostly had finger foods. But he was partial to the fruit pouches he could suck

Thank you, I think I posted on the wrong place, I’m genuinely just feeling a bit like I’m not doing enough if I do that because of how frenzied everyone is about baby food and UPFs at the moment. I realise this is probably silly and that I’ll look back and think how PFB of me

Don't worry about it. You see so many things online it does make you question everything. She'll be grand 😊

It's totally natural especially at this age to want everything that goes in their mouth to be optimal.

A pouch once in a while is absolutely fine. It's repeated reliance on pouches/not being aware of their limitations that is the issue.

Don't beat yourself up. I do remember how it feels to be under the imagined pressure of being a perfect parent (I'm assuming to your first baby!)

You don't need to look back on this and be embarrassed or laugh at yourself but do recognise that you can give yourself a break and everything will still be ok!

You can give her porridge again for dinner. Or toast with a spread. Or yoghurt, some banana, and peanut butter. It doesn't have to be a cooked meal. She's a baby. She won't mind.

I'm guessing this is your first child. Don't make the mistake I made trying to be superMum, it is one day, she'll be absolutely fine!
Honestly, the Annabel Fing Karmel book still makes me shudder!

Edited to say, milk is still a core part of her nutrition at this age. Yes, weaning is important, but she'll be fine for the day op. The fact you're experimenting with different tastes and textures is great.

My finest pfb moment was DH not using the tongs to get the bottle and accoutrements out of the steriliser, can you imagine!

Sympathy, we are all heat addled. A pouch will be fine.

Have a hug.

Of course it's fine. Some people were using them every day in the mistaken belief that they were nutritionally complete and even better than real food. Obviously that's not the case. But a pouch now and then when it's convenient is not going to cause any problems.

Step away from social media. It's the algorithm telling you 'everyone' is frenzied about baby food and UPFs at the moment, because you keep clicking on related posts. I literally never see anything about baby food, because I have a six year old and the algorithm knows I'm not interested.

I used Ella's or similar a couple of times a week when my son was about 8-12 months, with some finger food like toast or veg bits. Very handy when you've been out all day and just need something quick before bedtime.

Occasional commercially prepared food is fine. The main issues are that the companies were making nutritional claims and that parents today use baby foods for a far more extended period than in the past (toddler foods and packaged snacks barely existed in the past apart from delicious rusks.).

my top tip is to freeze extra portions of suitable foods for such occasions

It's fine! They're not poison. Over reliance on them isn't great but the odd one here and there is definitely not an issue and is better than nothing if they're the only thing she'll eat right now.

Sums it up, I really wonder how people cope with actual parenting if they cannot even do this.

Give yourself a break and give the baby the odd pouch. The pressure on mums is real. If it makes your day a bit easier I’m all for it x

Really? I was fed on heinz glass jars of baby food, including chocolate pudding version for dessert, that I apparently loved.
It was a time when they weaned from 3 month old, (I'm guessing why a huge amount of people my age suffer from reflux). I'm pushing 40! Dm didn't prepare anything until I was past that stage, and formula was just a straight tap water shaking with the powder, microwave, wrist.
I honestly think there is actually much more pressure on Mums today!

I agree on toddler meals not being a thing.

No problem with a pouch.

You said you did BLW so no problem with a picky tea. Bit of protein, some carbs, some fruit.
Scrambled egg/grated cheese/blob of cream cheese
Toast fingers
Whatever fruit you have in - tinned, fresh, frozen

Completely fine. I've given an occasional one to my 10 month old. I did everything absolutely 'correct' with my 1st and now at nearly 3 he lives off bread!

My 10 month old usually had weetbix for breakfast, banana/ similar mid morning, lunch is a portion of what we had for dinner the night before, afternoon snack yoghurt and some fruit puree (I do make it myself because it's so much cheaper), dinner is either eggs or ready brek or both. Some cracker bread and peanut butter through the day.

Could you not just give a banana and a yogurt or something similarly easy to make. Banana as finger food or mashed.

No need to be snarky. Deciding what to feed your child is very much 'actual parenting' and it's not surprising parents sometimes feel overwhelmed and under pressure when there is so much information telling us everything we're doing is wrong all the time.

Pop the pouch in the fridge first so it's nice and cool for her, a cool fruit pouch will be perfect in this weather. I used them a fair bit, also gave home prepared food too. The kids weren't big fans of the full meal in a pouch ones but the fruit or veg ones they liked. Or as pp have said just give more porridge and toast, whatever she will eat is fine in this weather. Lots of milk too.

I wouldn’t go out to buy a pouch when I didn’t have any in just because it’d be less effort to feed them toast. Or cereal. My go to for my babies when I couldn’t be bothered was always avocado toast. But they also had plenty of pouches when we were out all day, on a plane etc. and it wasn’t possible to prep anything or keep something fresh for the required length of time. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using them occasionally.

My two healthy happy kids had pouches for probably 50 percent of all meals. Before there was thing about it
I doubt you will be able to tell pouch fed babies as adults. It's not like every one who ever had a pouch will get some sort of pouch disease.
We are quite relaxed about food though. Generally eat healthy meals but don't restrict anything apart from fast food.

I’ve got a cupboard full of baby food pouches, snacks and pots! She doesn’t have them often but they are so helpful for a quick meal! I do homemade purées and she normally eats what we do for dinner; I couldn’t get stressed about something baby likes and helps me!