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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Weaning - how/where to start?!

10 replies

Bunny2021 · 10/01/2022 21:07

I’m sure this has been asked numerous times before but does anyone have any tips for starting weaning.

Our baby is 5.5mo and he’s ready - sitting up/bringing items to his mouth etc.

I’m suffering from post natal anxiety so am probably massively overthinking this but I’m finding the idea of weaning terrifying - whether I’m giving the right things/they’re getting the right nutrition etc. I also feel like I’m really far behind as babies that are younger than my DS are already weaning - despite reading advice of waiting until 6 months.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
IWasFunBeforeMum · 10/01/2022 21:14

Both of mine were 5ish months. Start yourself off easily, it's very daunting with your first (by the second you're giving it steak and chips by 8 months haha!).

Breakfasts we did toast fingers with avocado or butter or ready brek/Weetabix.

Lunch times started with snacks like mushed bananas, veggies etc in a literal mush. I let mine play with it with their and also helped with a spoon.

Teas more of the veg mush. You can eventually add meat. All these mushes can be frozen too to save yourself work each day.

I didn't do 3 meals to start with. I'd recommend the Ella Kitchen meal plans but don't buy the packets, they're so expensive!!! You can do your own healthy stuff so easily at home (nor saying this judgmentally at all, I fed packets to my first because I was so scared I couldn't do them myself and by the second I'd realise how easy it is).

Grab yourself annabel karmel book if you can too or just follow facebook/insta accounts for inspiration!

Good luck and take your time with meals because rushing it never works and just gets stressful! Make it fun where you can!

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 10/01/2022 21:26

Annabel Karmel for recipes is your friend here. I found Gina Ford a useful guide for portion sizes though my children generally ate more than she suggested.

Wean in 15 is recent. I like Joe Wicks approach to kids and food generally. He
Isn't a natural chef and he and his wife are busy, busy and it shows in a practical approach I think.

We steered clear of ready meals for kids and ours generally eat everything. We just didn't put salt in our own cooking and made double portions of anything kid friendly like spag bol sauce, fish pie, shepherds pie etc. and stuck it in the freezer. if you have a baking silicone muffin tray or large ice cube tray you can make and freeze portions of weaning food easily for the freezer. Just add another cube as the portions go up!

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 10/01/2022 21:29

We didn't wean until 6 months as history of allergies in the extended family. Didn't do eggs (on their own) or nuts until 12 months and introduced carefully. Same with shellfish.
A thick crust of nice bread sliced into fingers appears to be really nice if you are teething circa 6-12 months.

BertieBotts · 10/01/2022 21:38

You are definitely not behind, don't worry.

Would it be more helpful for you to follow a set plan? If so, I agree with getting something like the Annabel Carmel book or even the free weaning guides boots will give you for example. They have a really detailed set out plan with week 1 give 1 spoonful of carrots, day 2 3 spoonfuls of broccoli etc until you build up to full meals with recipes.

Or would you find reassurance that a wing it approach is ok more helpful? That's what I've done with my three. I mostly followed baby led weaning, so when the baby can sit with support, get items to mouth and shows interest in food, I have looked at what I'm eating that they are interested in and let them have some bits for themselves, but only to feed themselves. For example I have just started with my third baby and so far he has had

Steamed carrot stick
Lick of mashed potato
Rice - I just put it in clumps on his tray and let him squash it, not much got to his mouth but he enjoyed it
Cucumber, roughly peeled and cut into sticks
Banana broken into thirds
Orange segments with end bitten off (I did hold this to prevent him swallowing it)
A chip, no salt
Toast fingers or triangles, with butter
Pasta with butter (he just sucked the butter off)
Plain Greek yogurt - I dunked the spoon and let him hold it.

It's all about exploration and experiences at first, you don't need to worry about what they are eating as they still get 99% of their nutrition from milk. If you really want to you can get into looking at what nutrients are in different foods but I don't worry about that kind of thing, I just think about what is suitable in terms of is it possible for him to hold it in his fist with enough sticking out to get to his mouth, and is it fairly soft and not likely to hurt his mouth (like say a ryvita would be too hard and scratchy).

With the other two, it started off sporadic which is what I'm doing with DS3 now. Some days he'll eat twice in one day, sometimes it's 3 days between him being offered any food. It's really just a fun activity for him right now and I don't want to overload his system. In my experience they let you know very clearly when they are ready for something more regular, and at that point I'd start buying food with him in mind specifically and thinking about what I can give him. It's likely that one meal will fit best into your routine at that point so start with that one.

DS1 I did completely BLW until he was on normal food and then by the end of the first year I was a bit bored of the mess so spoon fed him anything like chili, stew, etc. DS2 never really liked BLW but I still started off that way and then moved to more spoon feeding once he was showing me signs he wanted to eat more regularly. He was keen for breakfast, so then had Weetabix every morning for ages. Breakfast is a nice easy one because you don't need it to be varied. I'm not sure which way DS3 will go, he loves the self feeding, but I did like the baby porridges and such so I'll probably try him with some things like that soon. However lunch seems to be the time he's most awake and eager so I think that might be the first regular meal he has.

Ultimately it doesn't really matter. Don't start before 17 weeks, don't wait longer than 8 months, limit salt and added sugar, avoid honey, avoid choking risks and whatever else you do within those guidelines is likely to be absolutely fine.

Dryshampoofordays · 10/01/2022 21:49

We start weaning next week, dd will be 6 months then. Have a look at baby led weaning, it’s the approach we are taking. I have bought a book to help get me started, the first 30 days are all mapped out to progress from tasting/exploration to full meals, including introducing allergens etc. The book is called “how to wean your baby” by Charlotte Stirling Reed, it talks about gagging vs choking and preventing picky eating as they get older as well. I’d recommend it, I feel less overwhelmed now I have a plan! Good luck!

Crispynoodle · 10/01/2022 21:54

Follow SR_Nutrition on Instagram maybe buy her book. She is fantastic and this is her field of expertise. She helped Joe Wicks and Stacey Solomon

Crispynoodle · 10/01/2022 21:55

@Dryshampoofordays

We start weaning next week, dd will be 6 months then. Have a look at baby led weaning, it’s the approach we are taking. I have bought a book to help get me started, the first 30 days are all mapped out to progress from tasting/exploration to full meals, including introducing allergens etc. The book is called “how to wean your baby” by Charlotte Stirling Reed, it talks about gagging vs choking and preventing picky eating as they get older as well. I’d recommend it, I feel less overwhelmed now I have a plan! Good luck!
Ha! You beat me to it! Charlotte is the weaning guru
Bunny2021 · 11/01/2022 12:58

Thank you everyone! Really appreciate the advice.

@BertieBotts - yes, I think I would cope better with a plan.

@Dryshampoofordays @Crispynoodle - a late night Amazon order was made and Charlotte’s book should be turning up any moment!

OP posts:
Bunny2021 · 29/01/2022 11:40

Hi everyone- me again!

We’re now a couple of weeks into weaning. DS has tried various single veggies - mostly they’re just spat out (avocado and green beans were the only ones he seemed to “enjoy-ish”).

According to Charlotte’s book we should be moving on to introduce mixed flavours but other books have suggested keep trying single veggies for a few weeks.

I’m not sure what to do – he doesn’t really swallow food so should I keep trying single veggies or just now try and mix flavours although it’ll probably just be spat out?

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 29/01/2022 12:36

I'd probably keep going slowly but yes try different flavours including mixed.

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