Weaning issues

[Bethan2]

Evening all!

I'm a new mummy trying out weaning my 6 1/2 month old boy. It seems to be going well so far, he's having several spoonfuls of solids twice a day and seems to be slowly increasing the amounts.

However, I've got a couple of queries, if anyone could help I would be very grateful... Sorry if this is long!

1. Is it okay to heat up baby food in the microwave - my little fella loves his food hot but trying the "sticking it in a bowl of hot water" method takes ages and it doesn't end up very warm and he rejects it :( I see some baby food packaging saying "don't put in microwave" but wonder if anyone does it anyway? ;)

1. Why can't some baby food be frozen, ie yoghurts, chicken dinner? Again, anyone rebel and do this anyway or are there serious health risks? I hate throwing food away and he's eating so little of it at this stage :(

1. Should I be offering less milk? I'm just feeding on demand, so milk whenever he wants it and solid food as much as he wants. I'm hoping that he will gradually want more solid food and his milk intake will naturally decrease accordingly. However, a mummy friend offers her baby less milk and I wonder if I should be doing this too...

1. I'm not sure if I've got the timing right with the solid food... currently I feed him about 30 minutes after he wakes from his morning nap (around 10 am) and ditto in the afternoon (around 5 pm). He gets hungry for milk around an hour after waking and again 2 hours after waking (just before his next nap). Gina Ford recommends feeding solids an hour after milk, but this doesn't fit in with us as he wants milk again then!

Sorry this is so long and thanks for reading.

xx

Hey

1. I wonder if the advice is because the packaging isn't safe in teh microwave? The food itself is fine to microwave but make sure you stir well to distribute any 'hot spots' and check the temp by tasting a bit yourself

1. I wasn't aware of any advice specfically relating to baby food and freezing. I would have thought the same food hygiene principles that apply to any food would apply to baby food e.g. don't refreeze meat that has already been frozen.

1. Before the age of 1, milk is still a baby's primary source of nutrition. If you continue to feed on demand, you'll probably start to notice that your son will start to want less milk as he increases the amount of solid food. This process takes months.

1. I guess it depends on the type of person you are and whether you prefer a strict schedule or not. When we started weaning I just gave my DS food whenever it was convenient (and not consciously tied in with his milk feeds). So some days that might mean I gave him food once a day at breakfast time, other days I might have given him something a couple of times during the day. It was only towards 10-12 months that I gravitated towards 'mealtimes' which fit around his naps etc. His milk feeds has naturally dropped off at this point anyway.

1. As above, I'd think this is due to hot spots or making it too hot. A thorough stir and checking the temperature on your lip before serving will sort the problem.

2. Might it be because it's been frozen previously? If it says not to freeze then I wouldn't. If you want to reduce waste you could make up your own batches and freeze in small portions. Defrost as required, and if it's a day he's particularly hungry you can defrost another fairly quickly if the potion is small.

3. Feed as much milk as he wants if bf, or stick to your regular bottles if ff. It is the solids which are complimentary. He'll drop his milk intake naturally as he gets the hang of solids. You have the right idea.

4. I do BLW so offer solids when the rest of us are eating, then milk feeds are on demand (I bf 2 or 3 times during the day, with 2 bottles at night. She's 9mo). We have a loose schedule, but I can't abide rigid ones personally. In the very early days of weaning they don't need big or multiple meals a day, just tastes, so if she was sleeping/full from a milk feed when we ate that was fine, she just skipped that meal.
   Ignore Gina, and do what works for you.

Offer milk as normal and always 30 mins to an hour before foods.

If you are doing traditional purée with just veg and fruit then it is very low calorie and milk should remain their main source of nutrition.

If it's a pouch, they probably mean don't put the pouch itself in the microwave as it probably contains foil

I think you are over complicating this. Agree with pp about microwaving being more about packaging. If it's suitable for freezing then freeze and re-heat as you would food for an adult. Offer milk feeds on demand. Feed him at your regular family meal times. If he's willing then he'll eat if he's not it doesn't matter as he is still having milk on demand. I would recommend reading the BLW book by gill rapley. Not suggesting you do BLW over traditional weaning if that's what you want to do but it will give you some science behind weaning and will hopefully help you relax about it.

Oh and definitely ignore Gina as she is a bit of a dick

Thank you all so much for your help. It's going well now. Guess I needed more patience! And yes I am not reading Gina Ford anymore. My friend told me today she had lost count of the number of mums she had spoken to who have basically chucked her books out of the window!! 😲

Just wondered if you'd found the MN Weaning section yet Bethan?

I have now! Thanks so much! 👍