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.

What about a small bbq? Could you source a cheap one second hand? That would solve some of your space issue. Is there room for a cheapie table/desk from IKEA that you can do prep on/store a slow cooker on?

murphy don't be upset

" Now I spend a fortune she has mango breakfast, porridge, roast dinners all fruit and veg."

Will you be taking any note of the (nice) advice given?

Yes I will take notice of nice advice given as I have said many times

I'm going Aldi and getting slow cooker, and grill very helpful

Have you read the nasty ones ??

People saying neglected and squalid . Fear for baby

That's awful she is happy, her room and living room are beautiful she rolls around playing.

I was talking about kitchen

Considering this lady was asking for advice, which a lot of posters have given, there are an awful lot of people wearing their judgy pants today.

The Health Visitor is happy, the baby is happy. End of...

The lady wanted some suggestions for feeding her baby in less than ideal conditions and people have come up with some great suggestions.

Conjecture about a washing machine etc wasn't really asked for

As I said before, good luck with your new food suggestions and your house!

I'd get a camping stove, toaster and microwave set up in your lounge on a table with a small fridge freezer, then you have everything you need to make proper meals. That's what we did when we had no kitchen.

We bought a combi microwave oven for a few hundred. You can cook anything you would usually do in an oven. You'd save yourself the cost v quickly by reducing jars etc. I suspect you'll have a child who isn't used to varied flavours and texture soon if you don't introduce home cooked food.

I hope i didn't upset you with my posts OP. I can easily see how you could find yourself in that situation. It certainly doesn't sound like a lifestyle choice.

Can you take advantage of any govt schemes for fuel efficient heating? would certainly be a weight off your mind.

I think its really difficult - as a builder's wife i have the benefit of knowing what needs done first and i would have gone for heating and kitchen however, it isn't just the case of just doing a kitchen by the sounds of things.

It must be really difficult for YOU! to have to deal with this upheaval, the baby wont actually care - like you say, she has a nice room to play in and thats great. I can understand why you thought you'd do this first. It can be pretty overwhelming having to do up a house (trust me, i know!) with little cash-flow.

Hang in there, it will be worth it in the end.

Liking the idea of the halogen cooker/slow cookers.

Oh also get a rice cooker they just plug into a socket and are great, add in some veg as well as rice and you've got a stir fry

We were having our kitchen done when my son was 9 months. It was only a couple of weeks but it felt very restrictive! So feel your pain!

We set up baby's high chair in living room and gave him lots of finger food like toast, houmous and breadsticks, crackers, soft fruit like berries, jacket potato and beans done in microwave, cucumber stick, cherry toms, bit of cheese... You get my drift . We did give a few pouches but only the fruit ones or the Ella yoghurt ones. Sometimes we'd go down to the local cafe - new one that had opened so was clean and not greasy - and he would have scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, so he would have a hot meal.

Lots that can be done without relying on the jars and pouches. Good luck!

We did this (3 months during winter with no hot water/gch) but not with a baby - it's hard! Agree with other PPs to prioritise kitchen over heating - it's doable - we washed with buckets/kettle and used oil filled radiators in rooms needed. A mini kitchen corner in the living room (like a bedsit) is the way to go. If you're worried about baby next to cooking stuff etc you can get those stair gate type things that are longer and are for a fireplace/wide room (ebay are full of them). Also you can steam veggies in a steriliser - no need to but a separate steamer. Other PPs have gave brilliant recipes and links for microwave and slow cookers.

Please don't be disheartened - unless you have limitless pots of cash you sometimes have to make compromises and make do until you can afford to get work done even if it's far from ideal or stuff you hadn't planned on happening - like a baby!

Op- sorry you have to live in this condition- one day you will look back at this on your beautifully done house and feel proud of yourself and family
For what you have achieved.

As for the jars and sachets, they are not the most nutritious but you probably know that. They might contain meat and veg but a lot of the nutrients will have been lost in the processing - even without additives. Also, they contain a higher volume of water so less nutritious gram for gram.

No food cupboard- look at freecycle and get any cupboard with shelves to stick food in. You should be able to make sandwiches.

Get a slow cooker, camping stove/small electric cooker, a microwave steamer and you should be able to prepare lots of healthy meals.

Well this thread has attracted judgemental tossers

*Talzohi
*
Yes it has . It's upsetting and awful.

I asked for advice and suggestions and I have had really useful and helpful ones.

But lots of horrible nasty comments

It's my kitchen . The rest is being done and in the process of being done. Kitchen is a big project not easily remeded

Lightbulb I put my baby in their own room at 7 weeks, want me done for child neglect too? What about the people who let their kids watch TV? Or those -shudder- awful parents who let their kids use -gasp- tablets and screens?!

Stop pearl clutching and get over yourself.

Murphy ignore it, there are some nasty fuckers on here.

Kitchen is a big job, and you want to make sure it's done properly. I had a new kitchen built and fitted a couple of years before DS and it took ages.

Renovating a house is not child neglect.

Good grief, this thread certainly has attracted some judgemental posters who clearly cannot read what the OP has written. The baby is loved, cared for properly and is getting food. Her main source would be milk right now anyway. Second all suggestions of slow cooker etc and wish OP luck with the house - it must be an incredibly stressful time. Ignore the posters with no empathy who are hiding behind their keyboards and wouldn't dream of spouting this nonsense in real life.

OP hasn't talked about the state the bedrooms were in before (or if she has I've missed it), but if they were damp and mouldy then she was absolutely right to prioritise them imo

Murphy as you say you don't use the kitchen so it isn't relevant to your baby what condition it's in.
Just ignore the horrible posters, often it's just for attention.
You own your own home, I am assuming with no or low mortgage due to the work that is needed. Your baby is very lucky.

ignore the tossers murphy

if the kitchen was going to cost 15 grand and had to wait anyway it's pointless sitting in a house with none of the rooms done whilst saving it all for the big job. at least having areas like the bedrooms and living area done means the rest of it is at least more bearable.

by the time child is walking around and it's more of a problem.it will at least he spring/summer and the garden and outside can be used. plus it will become easier witg being able to serve picnic style dinners as it's warmer.

Dds love an "indoor picnic" as well as out door ones.