weaning-I've no idea where to start!

[cartoontrickster]

I plan to start weaning ds soon. but I'm unsure of what I should give and when. I have baby rice, how long before I introduce fruit and veg? how much variety should he have?
when do I try him with a cup?
thanks.

Started weaning our DD a couple of weeks ago (at 6months old). We introduced fruit and veg from the start. Sometimes cooked and mashed, sometimes whole. Have found that bananas, avacoda, roast sweet potato etc are really good in chunks because they are soft enough for her little gums to chew, but we also give her mashed carrot etc (mixed with baby rice sometimes) with a spoon.
I think the advice is to introduce allergy foods one at a time and to avoid adding salt and sugar to foods, but other than that lots of variety is good.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx#close

Maybe start by just giving him bits of whatever you're eating? He might not actually swallow much to begin with but he will enjoy playing with it!

thanks for the link .
I thought it all needed to be smooth at first or is that more if you start before 6months?
if I give him water in his cup does it need to be cooled boiled water?
so I can literally smash up a bananna and give that to him? no cooking and no need to add anything?
I know my questions are probably daft! I'm just completely lacking confidence about this.

I was basically you a year ago, in fact I started weaning at 5 1/2 months instead of 6 months as planned because I was so worried about it!!!
I tried dd on baby rice, and she hated it rightly so, everything about it is rank! she loved mashed banana (still her favourite food at 18mo..) mashed avocado, mashed carrot and swede, cauliflower cheese...... I found it really helpful to have a book, I used this one (see pic) and it actually gave me confidence that the food I was cooking for me and dp was suitable for her with minor adjustments... I can send you some pics of some of the recipes if that would help? Everything and anything is suitable!
We did spoon weaning (not the 'give them everything whole and let them throw it on the floor..) and I loved (and still use occasionally!) my tommee tippee baby blender, made life easier for me! Aha

Basically dumbed down fish pie (I made this first, then added the other bits to make a big one for us!)

The rice one is yummy as a quick meal for us as well, I add bacon to ours!

Also things like tomato pasta sauce( with veg) and you can get tiny pasta stars (buy from the pasta isle, not the baby food isle, same thing but much much cheaper!)

thanks beany I'm starting early due to nerves, I would start now (he is just 5months) but we are away for a long weekend on the 20th so don't want to be worrying about food for ds.
I can't get my head around what he can have when and what things would be suitable for us all. I think I will get a book!
sooo what about milk? he is bottle fed. do I reduce his feeds straight away?

hi trix we are about a month in. I waited till 6m as then you can try anything and move fast. started with fruit/veg purees sometimes with baby rice but I agree it's foul... then things like white yoghurt, pasta sauces, mashed potato with cheese, tuna, cauliflower cheese. she has things a bit bitty now but for a while I had to blend then sieve to make them smooth enough. for lunch and tea i give at least one savoury thing one sweet. I then tend to give some finger foods - bread, rice cake, cucumber stick etc. breakfast I do ready brek or weetabix she hated baby porridge. offer tap water in a tommee tippee cup with meals.

she sometimes doesn't eat much sometimes lots. I guess it's a combination of the food, if she's tired, had lots of milk etc. you have to just believe they'll take enough overall and not stress. also I always think those doing blw eat nothing much for ages...

it's fun and messy I also find it hard fitting in 3 meals 3 naps plus milk! guess she'll drop a nap and some milk soon

xx

oh, she also had the tongue thrust thing for a bit, where she'd push out food with her tongue trying to eat. normal as that's how they drink so just persevere.

if you start early avoid wheat and dairy. basically stick to fruit and veg. I think cool boiled water. follow his lead on milk but I wouldn't reduce before 6m. even then I think some days he will still want lots and it'll vary. but I bf so no clue what she drinks really.
BTW why start early if you're stressed about it? IMO it's a hassle, and easier at 6m as they're better at it all.

I can't advise on bottles tbh, I genuinely don't remember how it worked with dd! That's fine, just remember it's as hard as you make it I wish someone had told me that!!

With regards to 'baby' food, keep your sensible head on unlike me all of the breakfast cereals? Waste of time.. Have a look at the adult stuff and see what's similar, the Ella's kitchen 'hoops' are basically Cheerios (own brand are cheaper and have less crap in!) ready brek is Identical to baby porridge.. If you want to add fruit then buy it fresh, and whizz it in your blender and freeze them in ice cubes, so you can add an ice cube of mango or apple or strawberry into the bowl of ready brek or whatever before you microwave it then just stir it through! I still do this now for dd, it's so so much easier!
Also, invest in a few good ice cube trays, it means when you freeze leftovers you can 'portion' what your giving, so dd started on 1 ice cube per meal, she's now up to 6, but it's still easier than any other options I've come across!

ooooo I love ready brekk
hey keep lovely to see you! I guess its peer pressure, most of my new mum friends have started and some of them have said N would really benefit from it as he drinks 8oz of milk 5x a day.
he's 22wks now, so do you start at 26wks or go by their birth date to count the months.
ok so i need ice cube trays, I have spoons and a tippee cup what else do I need? plastic bowls I guess...

Just as a contrast to other posters, you don't need to give purees at all. I did baby led weaning, which is where you give (appropriate) whole food from the start. Baby then learns to feed himself with his hands and then later on a spoon.

If you don't cook with added salt then you can just offer some of your meal. As with any method of weaning you should avoid honey (botulism risk) and whole nuts (choking risk). I would also avoid raw hard veg/fruit such as raw carrot or apple.

The guidance of 6 months means 26 weeks, and you can offer water in a sippy cup from then. Let your baby lead you on when to drop feeds.

I'm trying to delay it as long as possible as life is nice and easy with just milk!

but veggies won't fill him up as much as milk trix. I know what you mean all my Nct friends started early and their babies were munching away while dd turned her head away. it didn't last long though and at 7m she's doing great. like Brighton now I just whizz up what we are eating. much easier.

bibs. you'll need bibs.
a small blender if doing purees yourself. the tommee tippee was on offer in Asda at £10 recently but there's an exact same Asda version too. I'll use for garlic etc later.

some friends were all excited to start but then you realise it's a) a hassle and b) you'll have to do it forever anyway so what's the rush.

Omg trix, I can't believe we are at this point!

I joined HIPP for freebies and they sent a Fab booklet. I'm sure the info is on their website.

I weaned a few babies as a nanny. You'll need a shower curtain as floor cover, bibs, vanish and patience (and gin).

I'm going to start with carrots and add a new taste every three days.

Best tip I was given apart from the shower curtain is to always try a new taste at lunchtime so if there's reactions or discomfort it doesn't spoil the night!!

I also have the Annabel Karmel book which is my weaning Bible!!

Good luck xx

Something to put on the floor, depending on where you'll be feeding a small waterproof table cloth/ shower curtain does the job (aim for wipe clean!)
When starting to wean I bought one of the plastic scoop bibs, it means if when they spit it all out you can just wipe it down instead of having to wash it!
Once they are a bit more reliable some of those tug over the head big square looking bibs are good, I can get a few days out of one now (and still use the plastic one for new foods as it's easier!)
A few plastic bowls, anything small and microwaveable, also, I love mine- they have little handles at the sides, it takes forever to feed them, especially at the beginning and it makes holding the bowl easier!
A few spoons, try a few different types, babies seem to have preferences!
Lots of baby wipes to hand!

I know it's scary but it's also worth looking up some baby CPR/ how to make them stop choking. My dd started choking at about 8mo and I panicked, thankfully I just shook her upside down for a bit and it was fine, but I did then sign up at the local childrens centre to do a childrens first aid course which I found really beneficial.

Don't submit to peer pressure, my dd loved her milk and had more than yours a day at that age!! and it's so much easier when all you have to think about is bottles!!!!

hiya bumpie scary they are getting so big isn't it! I will have a look at hipp for some tips freebies then.
great I know how have my weaning essentials shopping list .
reckon I may aswell wait till 6months because its only another 2wks after we come back from Devon and I def don't want to start before. I worked it out he's 26wks on 8th july. i will start on the 7th as its a Monday. it works out almost exactly in July as he was born Jan 7th.
I think I will use a mixture of jars and home cooked. we rarely cook properly from scratch (use jars etc) mixture of lazyness and lack of time but if we do I don't add salt.

This is a great time to learn to cook some easy family friendly dishes. I'm not going to push BLW as I know some people like to do purees, but we haven't as I'm far too lazy. We started at 21 weeks when DD stole my food and managed to eat it, so we knew she was ready.

The Baby led Weaning Cookbook is great. It has a bit if the theory, then loads of recipes you can all eat together, and baby can eat with fingers or a spoon. Our favourite is veg and bean chilli.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0091935288?pc_redir=1402386109&robot_redir=1

Weaning feels like a lot of work to start with. You already have a packed schedule, and now you have to find time to have food and clear up afterwards too. My biggest tips are make sure they're ready (as per the NHS signs), stick to one meal a day as long as you can and increase gradually, don't purée anything- at 6 months most babies can handle texture - smooth purees are advised for younger babies, buy an antilop high chair and lots of long sleeved bibs, and don't expect food to solve any sleep issues

at dd stealing your food anything
I wonder if any of the books are available at the library before I decide which to go for, I will have a look.
this will be a good opportunity to brush up on my cooking skills and get us all eating healthily.
I'm just having whatevers easy at the moment as dh is on some weird crash diet but that's another thread!

It will get easier once you start. I didn't follow any plan I just started putting dc in high chair at the table while we are eating and just give a bit of what we were eating. Piece of carrot, broccoli either a chunk for them to crab and just explore ( might not eat much but they get used to textures) or mashed on a spoon. If we were eating something like chilli curry I would give some plain boiled rice and something that didn't need cooking like banana , or tomato to nibble at. I just gave a bottle as normal and they will just start to drink less as they eat more .