Help with weaning please

[bigmol]

Can anyone offer me any advice on weaning please?

Dd is 5.5 months old. She has CMPA and has been on prescription formula since about 6 weeks old.

She is small for her age and isn't sitting unaided yet. I did try her with some baby rice last week but she didn't seem keen at all and was sick afterwards so I've left it for now. She's not a particularly hungry baby either, she has smaller bottles often rather than big feeds fewer times.

I think I need a routine where I feed her solids at the same time everyday. So im thinking of offering breakfast first (porridge/weetabix mixed with her formula) and then gradually introducing lunch and dinner later.

I don't really know what to offer though and im really worried with the CMPA that I'll give her something she's not allowed. Can you please describe your weaning journey? How you began, the signs your baby was ready and what sort of things you gave them. I feel really nervous about it.

My baby (now nearly 8 months) has cmpa and like yours only ever drank small bottles. On advice from our hospital’s infant feeding team we started weaning at 5.5 months to help with reflux. He loves food way more than he ever did his milk and it’s been a huge relief.
One of the main things is to try and make things with formula (porridge/mash/any veg or fruit puree). That way even if she doesn’t drink much you know she’s still getting the formula she needs. NHS say anything below 16-17 ounces a day and a multi vitamin is recommended.
We make ready brek for our baby often. It’s fortified, can be made with formula and then add in some fruit puree and a sprinkle of hemp for extra vitamins and protein.
Baby rice is fine but doesn’t actually have much nutrition wise.
veg either in finger food style or puree is a great starter food but try to move onto other things after a week or two as calorie wise they don’t have a lot and you want to try and make meals with as many as the different food groups as possible.
when we started he could sit up but not unaided but had good neck control, no more tongue thrust and showed a real interest in food so knew he was very nearly ready. Make sure you have a good high chair with a straight back so your baby isn’t leaning back.
starting with breakfast and then slowly introducing lunch etc is a great idea. Try to give her a milk feed first and then food an hour later. That way she won’t be starving but hungry enough to want to try food.
cmpa wise finding foods is much easier than you’d think. Most things will say if they have dairy in or specifically advertise that they are dairy free. Are you under a dietitian?
It’s entirely up to you whether you want to do puree or baby led weaning. We do both and started with purees as he was under 6 months. Solid Starts app is a great way to see how to prepare solid food that is age appropriate. If she doesn’t seem interested don’t worry. Have her sit at the table when you eat so she is included and can watch. Give her a stick of something like a cooked carrot and let her wave it about. Even if all she does is stick her hands in everything and make a mess that’s still learning and a good sensory experience.
quantity wise baby led weaning means they will decide when they’re full. With spoon feeding we started with 60-70g at 6 months and went from there and always make sure he gives us the signal he wants more. He’s like a little baby bird opening his mouth eagerly before we even get the next spoonful 😂.
here are some of the foods we give:
breakfasts:
ready brek with fruit puree
toast fingers with dairy free spread and some fruit either baked or fresh (see solid starts for way to cut up)
pancakes made with formula with fruit in
weetabix with formula

lunches and dinners: (we are very strapped for time so often use jars but with a finger food if possible for practice)
mashed potato made with formula
homemade chips/wedges
Roasted veg like carrots/courgettes/sweet potato all cooked in olive oil for added good fats
cooked pasta then use a puree jar as a sauce
home made “pizzas” made with dairy free yoghurt and flour then watered down tomato puree and dairy free cheese when we’re feeling fancy.

snacks:
baked fruit
dairy free yogurt
kiddilicious wafers
ellas kitchen melty puffs

otherwise you can pretty much choose anything you have the time for just make sure it doesn’t say milk on the back. Even Bird’s custard powder is dairy free!

This is so helpful thank you. When I tried last week she really didn't seem that interested. She sort of moved it around her mouth a bit looking disgusted lol. She gagged and spat a lot of it out so I left it. But with 6 months approaching we'll need to try again soon.

We have an ikea style high chair which she still seems so tiny for. Maybe need to rethink and get her another one or find another way to feed her until she's a bit bigger.