When should I start feeding my 8 month old finger food

[claire93]

My little girl is 8 months old she is on two 8 ounce bottles a day one in the morning and one in the evening she has breakfast dinner and tea and snacks in between. I'm not very confident in making meals myself as a first time mum so am using hienz or Ella's kitchen meals for age 7 months. But I'm aware the only finger food she has is
Baby crisp
Baby biscuits
Rasberries
Orange
I tear the rasberries up into pieces and RIP the skin of oranges and do the same to those I'm so terrified as never done it before I dont have a clue in what to give her any help would be so amazing. No judgement please as I'm already nervous in what or how to feed her. I'm only a forat time mum and am learning as I go along so advice only please x

I think you’d benefit from a book regime to follow Op

www.amazon.co.uk/Ellas-Kitchen-First-Foods-Purple/dp/0600629252/ref=asc_df_0600629252/?hvlocphy=9045997&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310842649900&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos=1o1&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-422310988499&hvrand=7017482433896091510

I found this brilliant - as for your original question your baby can try finger foods now- cook some veg/ pasta and lay it on a tray. As for food, I’d try And cut down the ready meals, feed your LO spoonfuls of what you eat, just don’t cook with salt

Boiled broccoli, carrot sticks, banana, bread sticks, toast, crumpets... anything! Long ish things that she can easily hold are good.

Just supervise her when she's eating, eat together so she can see how you do it, make it a social experience.

Be mindful of the sugar content in the pouches and jars (mainly the fruit ones) she's much better off just having an actual piece of fruit. Same for baby porridge, rusks etc.

Thanks I've just ordered the book I'll give it a whirl it's so hard when your learning yourself. I dont want to give her something I shouldn't without the knowledge of what she can and cant have x

My local children’s centre did a weaning course which was brilliant. You could see if there is something similar in your area that will give you confidence.

My DS eats anything now but the first finger foods he liked were pancakes made with mashed banana in, bread and butter fingers, cucumber and cheese chunks.

Avocado and banana make good first finger foods because they are so soft.

The main thing to remember is grapes and other small fruit need to be cut in half because of the choking risk.

Hi OP

From 6 months of age babies can eat pretty much anything, keeping an eye on salt and sugar levels, and avoiding choking hazards like whole grapes and whole nuts. Most people also avoid honey until 12 months due to a small risk from bacteria.

It's better to give you LO fist-sized pieces of food rather than cutting them up small. That will allow her to chomp, suck and bite off pieces herself - she's less likely to choke if she's in control.

If your LO gags and coughs sometimes try not to panic. This isn't choking. Choking is silent.

Great first solid foods are scrambled egg, cooked veg pieces, fruit pieces, plain yoghurt, soup, hummus, toast with spreads (peanut butter, cheese, avacado etc). I would just give her a little bit of what you're having and let her take control. At 8 months she will soon learn to hold and bite food, pick food up and even dip bread into soup and use a spoon.

Sprinkle a few cooked peas on the table/highchair tray for her - she will love learning to pick them up. You can also do this with raisins and cereal like rice crispies - it's good for keeping them entertained too.

Good luck :)

Just contact your hv and say you would like some support with weaning. They should be able to send a community nursery nurse out to give you some proper face to face advice.

Join the baby led weaning UK group. It's full of advice and meal ideas/nice easy recipes.