Weaning - clueless please help!

[chargedproton]

I know that this topic has been done to death but I can’t find a thread that can answer all my questions.

1. What’s the best plates, bowls and spoon to use? Bamboo etc?

1. I want to start purée for one week and then straight to finger foods.

www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CHEW-1stYearLifePracticalGuide.pdf

Is this a good guide?

1. Do I only give 1 tbsp to begin with or can I give more if he wants more? He’s chunky!

1. Do I only start with one meal a day and then gradually work it up?

1. When can I start giving those packet finger foods eg Ella’s Kitchen Melty Sticks...or shall I avoid finger food like this? (more for pram or snacks etc)

1. What do I use for water? Is that tommee tippee first cup good enough?

1. When do I start weaning from teats and bottles? I use MAM bottles. Do I start using their training bottles?

Thank you!

There's a whole weaning section elsewhere on the forum. The NHS have just launched a new weaning guide so that might be worth a look.
In response to your question, imo:

1. Waste of money unless you're Instagramming every meal. Just put the food on the tray.
2. Traditional weaning is purees that you spoon feed with finger food introduced alongside. Baby led weaning is where you give "normal food" and let them have a go. If you are TW then they are spoon fed puree and you gradually make it lumpier over time. Baby might not grasp the concept if you give them one thing for a week and then just change.
3. Size of baby does not equate to food eaten. They only have little stomachs and will still be having their milk feeds as well as food.
4. Up to you
5. Up to you. I find them great for placating annoyed toddler though.
6. Sippy cup is recommended. We had no luck using one though so just used an open cup or a 360 cup.
7. Bottles will decrease as food increases so I would worry about that too much now. Weaning is hard enough without switching bottles as well.

Hiya! I've just started weaning!! Started slightly earlier on HV advice so am using purées and the odd bit of finger food (which he doesn't really eat but is good for his coordination I guess).

Have given up on plates already and just use a bowl with suction base and any of the million weaning spoons I was given at baby shows etc.

I started one meal a day about a tbsp- at lunch time so I could keep an eye on him incase anything disagreed with him.

Water in a sippy cup. He wasn't very good with the one I initially got so now have a tommee Tippy one with handles and a bottle teat (£3 in Asda).

He has the odd melty puff but no chance he's having food in his pram and wrecking it just yet 😂

I was advised to start with veg before introducing sweet stuff

You don’t say how old he is. I’m guessing 6 months?
Try not to worry about how much he eats at first. There will be some days when your he eats more and others when he eats less, and he may reject some foods completely. Don't be put off. All babies are different, and some learn to accept new foods and textures more quickly than others. When he’s had enough, he’ll let you know by firmly closing his mouth or turning his head away!
A cup or a beaker with a free-flow lid (without a non-spill valve) is better than a bottle or beaker with a teat as it will help him to learn how to sip rather than suck. Also, drinks flow very slowly through a teat, which means the sugars in the milk will be in contact with their teeth for longer.
It’s advised to start with solids once a day, but I wanted to get weaning done as quickly as possible, so was offering solids with all three meals within a couple of weeks. Never had a problem with any of my dc.
Packaged baby food snacks are convenient, but not environmentally friendly and can add £££ to your weekly shop! I’d tried to keep them at a minimum which I found easier with dc1 because I had more time to prepare my own alternatives.

1. What’s the best plates, bowls and spoon to use? Bamboo etc?

• straight in tray is best at first. We liked IKEA plates, bowls and cutlery.

1. I want to start purée for one week and then straight to finger foods.

www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/CHEW-1stYearLifePracticalGuide.pdf

Is this a good guide?

• sorry we just did blw so I have no idea.

1. Do I only give 1 tbsp to begin with or can I give more if he wants more? He’s chunky!

• again blw but food is a bit of a shock to their systems so I won’t give too much at first.

1. Do I only start with one meal a day and then gradually work it up?

• when you are doing blw I would give him food if he is awake at meal times and don’t worry if he is a sleep and misses a meal.

1. When can I start giving those packet finger foods eg Ella’s Kitchen Melty Sticks...or shall I avoid finger food like this? (more for pram or snacks etc)

• generally avoid as they are expensive and not the most nutritious but there not poison and they have their place.

1. What do I use for water? Is that tommee tippee first cup good enough?

• we used the Tommee tippee one.

1. When do I start weaning from teats and bottles? I use MAM bottles. Do I start using their training bottles?

• Keep using bottles until 12 months.

Remember to give food 30 to 60 mins after milk

The spotty bibs with arms from IKEA are great too.