Stressed with weaning. Help!

[Stressedaboutweaning]

As the title suggests, I'm getting really stressed about weaning my 6.5 month old DD. She will be 7 months on the 23rd August. I'm an anxious person anyway so it's just sent my anxiety through the roof for some reason.

She can only sit unaided for a few seconds so I'm unsure if she's ready for weaning. I've been giving her purees but she just spits it all back out and makes a face. I don't know whether this is normal or if I should have a break for a few weeks? If I did start again should I do lumpier food or continue with purees?

There's so much advice online that it all seems overwhelming. Any advice and reassurance would be greatly appreciated . Thank you.

we used joe wicks book ‘wean in 15’, but basically we just started giving little bits from our plate to baby, never used purées. The NHS website has a good page on weaning as well. Honestl I wouldn’t over think it!

I’m not a medical professional, but if I were you I’d wait a bit longer until she can sit up more and seems more interested in food. Then I would let her try baby friendly foods off your plate.
I think what you’re doing at the moment sounds like it’s worsening your anxiety and not doing anyone any good. So take a bit of time off from the weaning and enjoy your child x

I had a lot of stress with my little one weaning. He started off okay at 6 months, but then 6 weeks later he just started refusing for months on end. He's a great eater now, but it didn't really quick until he was 11 months old! I say this to reassure you that it's still so early. It's easy to say, but I don't think you're at the point of having to seriously worry, though I understand it's still incredibly frustrating and anxiety inducing!

I'd maybe take a break for a few weeks. Wait til they're sitting up properly. I'd do a mixture of smooth purees and BLW at this age, some prefer sucking and gnawing on cooked fruits and veg, whereas some like to be spoon fed. Porridge is a really good one to focus on and get them used to, as it's still very milky but gets them used to textures. Organix do one for 7 months and 10 months, so try them on the 7 month one first and once they've mastered that go on to the 10 month. Then after that they'll be ready for adults porridge! We still put a little puree in that to keep some sweetness. It was really nice seeing his progression with textures and the taste is so inoffensive!

@pippabg thanks so much. That is reassuring. I'm glad I'm not the only one that was anxious about it. I've been doing some reading and agree that puree and BLW is the way to go but I think I'm gonna take a break for a few weeks and start again when she's sitting better like you said.

I've started weaning DD again and gave her mashed up brocolli and a finger food of brocolli and she vomited a lot of milk when it was in her mouth. I know it's still early but she just doesn't seem to want/be able to eat anything which is worrying.

@Stressedaboutweaning please don't be so hard on yourself.
My dc is almost 8 mos and I have an older toddler. BLW for both. I started by touching a food to their mouth, ie a strawberry that I sliced the end off of so baby could taste the juice; same with orange segment. I did that 3-4x a day, different fruits , and then eventually baby opened mouth so I touched food inside. Baby would naturally suck on it. I progressed through the "allergy" foods at one p/week to baby's mouth, allowing sucking and chewing, ingesting as able, after the first 2-3 weeks of introducing food. I sit my baby on my lap holding the food and baby can eat from my hand or grab and try. I did this before baby was really able to sit alone. I now also put baby on the floor to sit and I sit there, too. Please don't delay. Early exposure is best regardless of the method/combo of methods you choose, especially for common allergy foods. There's an app and online resource called Solid Starts that is worth checking out.

Gently, you can't delay your baby's development for your own comfort. 🩷

I'm sorry about the vomiting. That can't have been pleasant.

Weaning isn't really a strict 6 months thing. If they were full term then they need to be showing these signs of readiness. Pre-term babies have slightly different rules for when to wean.

Some will show the signs a little earlier and some may be a little later.

Is your DD showing all of those signs?

@PolaroidPrincess she wasn't swallowing anything but since my post I've given her mashed and finger food avacado and egg fingers and she seems to enjoy chewing the finger food and possibly eating a bit of it so I'm hoping she's now ready and is making some progress 🤞 she seems to be sitting up more independently now and for longer periods. I feel a bit less stressed about it as I don't think she was ready before now. She's 7 months tomorrow.

It can be hard to tell if they're eating sometimes but the nappies don't lie

Sorry missed if a at the end of my last post.

I've been giving her purees but she just spits it all back out and makes a face. I don't know whether this is normal
That sounds quite normal.

Mine started on fruit purees, just tiny bits but yes, much of it ended up dribbled down their chins and their expressions were priceless 😁

Why do we worry?

She's doing well.