jars and sachets - MIL is disgusted

[Murphyslaw21]

Bit of a back story...

My house we bought before baby is very old, found out I was pregnant so did bedrooms, and living room. We have no heating or water, having run out of money we have had to put kitchen old hold.

House is warmed by a wood burner. Now my kitchen is disgusting. Mould, damp no water (outside tap only). We only use it as necessary. Pots and pans are washed in bucket with kettle water. Therefore I only give baby jars and sachets. Now I spend a fortune she has mango breakfast, porridge, roast dinners all fruit and veg. I wash her pots and sterilise them. I would not think of risking cooking as I'm not convinced pots and utensils are clean enough. We won't be doing kitchen until next year as we have to put in heating in this year. We don't have a dishwasher as no space for one.

My MIL has raised concerns and insults that it's because I can't be bothered to cook and that the jars are full of preservatives and additives. But I read them and they are 100% organic with nothing added. I'm so cross.

I give baby 3 good meals a day. I would love to cook but it's an awful kitchen. When we go out with her and I pull out a packet I get rolling eyes and sarcastic comments. The other day I said well buy me a kitchen then. And she moaned that I spent the money on doing bedrooms first. But my logic was baby needs a nice clean bedroom . We had been sleeping for six months on an air bed. Not fun whilst heavily pregnant.

I'm so angry but I'm wondering if the jars and sachets are bad.

How do you cook for yourselves? What do you eat? Why can't baby eat the same as you?

At the end of the day, it's up to you what you feed your child but surely you can do sandwiches, toast, soup etc?

I should say kitchen is more of an outbuilding not really attached to house. You go out of a lean too into it via a seperate door. Microwave and steriliser in living room. Wash bits in lean too never in the kitchen .

The whole house was damp and mouldy. Hence I made the rooms she was going to be in clean

Hmm. How old is baby and when are you expecting to have a kitchen? 3 times a day and like alot buyishardtojudge the context. Do you offer other food that don't need to be prepared in a kitchen? Toast/bananas/yoghurt that sort of thing

There's absolutely nothing wrong with jars, so don't worry about it. So long as your baby is getting fresh fruit too and a mix of jars and finger foods I wouldn't worry. If your MIL is that worried then go to hers for a home cooked dinner a couple of times a week.

You're not giving her 3 good meals if you're only feeding her from jars and sachets. You're just not. Also, you can't do that for another 12 months. She needs proper food! What's the plan before the kitchen is sorted?

Lanbro we eat mainly microwaved food. You would not want to eat food prepared in our kitchen. The shed is cleaner and that's not a joke. I don't have sandwiches as I have no cupboards for food.

There is nothing wrong with it it's absolute snobbery.

I do a mix of shop bought and home made.

Potterings post is a prime example of such snobbery

I would have done the kitchen before bedrooms tbh. Does the baby get 'real' foods too? Can't live on packets and jars forever.

Are you planning on feeding her that for another year though? You can't be, surely?

What do you eat?

But no finger food? No fresh food? That's not good for anyone, baby or adult. And certainly not sustainable until a baby is 18 months plus.

She has finger fruit. Kitchen won't happen till next year. I need to get hot water and heating. No hot water means bath is filled with kettle. That's fine whilst little but no good when bigger.

I just don't have money to put kitchen in as is basically a knockdown and rebuild was quoted £15k

I'd be worried too if i was close to you. It really doesn't sound ideal, any of it. I can't get my head round not having a kitchen in a family home, especially with children. How old is your baby?

It's hard to imagine a house where you have no space for a toaster or to keep a loaf of bread and some fruit...

I didn't do sachets or jars at all but as far as I know it's not that great to use them all the time and nothing else.

Any suggestions on finger food. That does not need preparing.

That's fine, but you've still not said how you plan to feed her! Purée out of a jar will not be suitable for another 12 months.

Sorry if I sound unsympathetic but your house seems uninhabitable for a young baby. Is there any way you could go and live with parents till the house is on better condition

7 months. She was a surprise was told couldn't have children. If I knew I was having her I would never of bought a project house

Could you not make the corner with the microwave a mini kitchen? You could microwave things like jacket potatoes.

And totally not what you asked but you can microwave normal porridge oats which would be cheaper than the mango baby ones. Then you can add different fruit etc to provide a wider range of flavours.

You can get microwave toddler meals when she is too big for jars.

Honestly, it might not be ideal but many children eat much worse food and are fine. If you don't have a kitchen, what else are you supposed to do?

Keep going with the fresh fruit and try to get some fresh, home cooked meals elsewhere every week too.

How about getting a little freezer too, batch cooking at your MIL's house and then you can reheat meals for her?

Do you have a microwave? You can make baked potatoes, cook other foods in that too. A slow cooker would also be useful as you only need a socket to plug it into.