Weaning - does this sound OK as a first food?

[sweetcorn6]

I will be starting my DD on solids next week as she’s now six months. I’m hoping to do a mix of baby led and traditional weaning, and was thinking of puréeing up some avocado to give her as her very first food - what do you think?

Also, what could I move on to after that - any ideas?

Thanks!

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

I totally agree. All feeding should be baby led; in fact I don't think you can force a child to eat anything.

It's just trial and error. Some babies suit things that others don't, just like everything in life.

I just feel so passionately that mums already have so much pressure on them that adding more expectations about charting/reading books/no sweet things first etc just adds unnecessarily.

For the first few weeks we just did things like puréed carrot, butternut squash, broccoli, peas, mashed sweet potato and banana etc.

I would steam an adult sized portion of vegetable, purée in blender and then freeze small portions in little pots. They don’t eat much to start with. I also gave natural full fat yoghurt. Some grated cheese or soft cheese can also be mixed into veg purées. I found the Ellas Kitchen pouches helped me see what kind of textures I was going for. Eventually I gave mashed avocado mixed with banana or yoghurt as DD wouldn’t eat avocado by itself.

I would say don’t feel forced to give more solid pieces of food until you’re ready. DD is now 10 months and we give things like toast and pancakes but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing that at the beginning. I don’t fault those who do but I found myself dreading mealtimes so I went back to what I was comfortable with until ready to try something else.

Avocado was ds1s first food. Just had a slice to chomp on! We did BLW which was great for us, our friend did purées and her lo really struggled to move on so it is purely what suits you and your family.

I loved our steamer. I would steam a few pieces of veg (sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash) and he would have those and maybe some softened apples or some banana, etc for pudding.

I got more adventurous as he got older and I got more confident.

I was very wary of adding salt or sugar to anything and definitely no honey.

Ds1 was a great eater. Did identical with ds2 and he was so fussy! Ds3 did similar but also the odd baby ready meal if we were out and about.

If you are relaxed about the whole thing it is usually easier, My health visitor said to look at their diet over a week rather than a meal or a day and go with the flow.

Didn't puree anything, couldn't be bothered and nor did I want a freezer full of 'cubes' of mush.

His first meal was christmas dinner. carrot sticks and a bit of turkey were explored.

He had the odd pouch later on of the textured stuff if we were having something spicy etc but really he's only ever had what we were or modification of. I once made some 'blw cakes'. He refused to eat them. But to be honest, they were bland and I don't blame him!

@ScarMatty I agree with you. But I also think some parents like to have something to use as a guide.
For me, it was the ella's kitchen book, but once DD got the hang of foods, it was then easier to navigate how we weaned.
I had no idea how or where to start with foods, so using a book I got for free definitely helped me.

But there is definitely to right or wrong to spoon feeding or blw, each baby is different and will show you what the want to do

We just gave family food (cooked with no salt). Whatever they could grab, they could eat.

Thanks everyone. I’m just feeling so daunted by weaning

Learn what is the difference between gagging and choking. Learn what to do if they are actually choking

Then just give it a go. Remember no whole nuts, no honey and minimal salt before 1. Probably as well to go easy on spices. But otherwise- anything stick shaped and soft enough to gum a bit off is fair game.

I love how all the feeding experts come out on threads like this

Yes, quite.

OP traditional weaning- purees and finger foods are absolutely fine to start on, you will hear all sorts of claims about how it will hinder their development if they don't do BLW, or that they'll be fussy eaters- there's no research to back that up. Do what you feel comfortable with. Personally I started with some ready brek (very low in salt) mixed with formula (or could be breastmilk) and just a few spoonfuls at breakfast. I would then do a puree for lunch (sometimes a pouch, the ones which aren't fruit based aren't too bad sugar wise, just check the ingredients) with a finger food on the side. It wasn't long before he was actually eating more of the finger food and the amount of puree reduced. I would say perhaps read up on the differences between gagging and choking in babies (their gag reflex is further forward in their mouth, so although it can sound worrying when they gag it is 'normal' whilst learning), and be mindful of salt content.

Also 'food before one is for fun' isn't strictly true, their iron levels start to drop at 6 months. Whilst it isn't something to worry about and spend hours monitoring their every bite and most of their nutrition will still be from milk, if you can get them to have some solids too (puree or finger food) then fab.

Mashed fruit or veg , weetabix, porridge dont be afraid to add butter ,cream or milk .oh and natural yoghurt
I found spoon feeding worked best for us until he was about 1
I loved those days , it's when I first really felt like a mum

@sweetcorn6

Thanks everyone. I’m just feeling so daunted by weaning

I know it's so very easy to say but you mustn't.

Like I said previously, babies are incredibly clever creatures.

Give a food a try... they might eat it all, they might eat it and then spit it back out, they might have one mouthful. All of these are fine.

The first few months of weaning are really just finding your feet

When you're having breakfast, just give baby some too.

Slowly but surely they'll decrease their milk and increase their food

But I cannot cannot cannot stress enough how important it is to not compare yourself or your baby to others

DS loved food and was on 3 meals a day very quickly, his friend was the opposite and took a while to enjoy food but they're exactly the same now because it all levels out

Just offer food and then top up with milk if needed.

Of any good purée up too thick you can add babies milk.. or cows milk actually to loosen it. :)

I did carrot and broccoli as first foods.

Pumpkin or butternut squash 😊

I highly recommend the book Baby Food Matters: What Science Says about how to Give Your Child Healthy Eating Habits for Life by Clare Llewellyn and Hayley Syrad.

We followed the book's advice and started with bitter vegetables for the first 2 weeks (brocolli, courgette, spinach etc) - the look on his face when he first tried the broccoli was priceless! It was surprisingly easy for him to hold and munch the florets and after the third time trying it he started to really like it. He's now 2 and is such an amazing eater, loves his veg, tries everything.

I found the river cottage cook book for toddlers was helpful. It provided an introduction on both baby led and traditional weaning and recipes for both. Where possible I would try and give them whatever you are having, puréed if you prefer.

Hard boiled egg yolk mashed with breastmilk
Banana
Avocado
Greek yogurt

Mashed avocado (and/or banana) are my baby ‘cheat’ meals. Super quick and easy to prepare and always a winner. With my two, anyway.

I felt so daunted by weaning too. In the end I just threw all the books out and gave her a little bit of whatever we had the night before (unless it was spicy in which case she had steamed veg, fruit, pitta bread etc). Easy peasy and she ate everything!

We’re 2 months in to weakening, for the first two weeks I did a single veg purée each day and I started with greens & less sweet veg a broccoli, courgette, aubergine etc. All very watery so when you purée they’ll be perfect for baby. The theory is that babies are used to sweet (milk) so if you start with the more bitter veg then they will be more likely to accept it in the long run - worked for us, my baby loves his veg now, more than any of the sweeter and creamier foods I’ve made him.

There’s many different ways to do it but it’s what you feel is best for you and baby. I started giving him some steamed broccoli pieces a few days in so he could have a feel, and we went from there.

I bought the Ella’s kitchen book & the weanin15 book too, both helped me as a clueless first time mum as they’ve got recipes for you from day 1! You don’t need them though, I just wanted the reassurance I was “doing it right.”

@sweetcorn6

I will be starting my DD on solids next week as she’s now six months. I’m hoping to do a mix of baby led and traditional weaning, and was thinking of puréeing up some avocado to give her as her very first food - what do you think?

Also, what could I move on to after that - any ideas?

Thanks!

I gave DS a slice of ripe Avocado just before 6 months. Don’t worry about mashing it.

OP can mash it if she wants. I do hate the way BLW is pushed on here.

@sweetcorn6 don’t over complicate it and don’t focus on e mean by which a food is delivered, the spoon vs the finger, but on what and how you would like your child to eat and start there. You have the fantastic opportunity to build and shape food preferences and you should embrace it. You want you to DD to develop a love of veggies, start with that, at first single flavour, so in a small pot put 2 cm of water, slice a carrot in it and let it simmer for 20 min, making sure you still have water as you will be blending the whole lot , the little water left water and carrot.
First foods need to be simple, wet and possibly pleasant.
You need to be aware that sucking and chewing are two different processes. When sucking the tongue squeezes the liquid towards the palate, when chewing, the tongue pushes the food at the back of the mouth, so if the first time food comes out it’s normal.
Make the first purées not too thick and just fill a quarter of thE spoon . There are a lot of new things happening, food, texture , flavour and so on.
The PP is right BLW is really pushed here but I would encourage you to consider soups which gradually can become thicker and richer.
I would strongly advise against pouches, first because eating is a 5 senses discovery. You see the food, you smell it, you hear it getting prepared when the knife hits the chopping board or a sizzling pan, and you touch it. Second pouches are extremely sweet and build a preference for sweetness, third you suck and don’t chew.

There is no religion or one rule for all. Think about how you would like your DD to eat and can I suggest a book called first bite by Bee Wilson. It is not a cooking book but a journey through how children eat and how this will last for all their life. Very nicely written.

Just to add my tuppence worth, go with whatever approach you prefer but I would try to: 1) give lots of flavour and avoid bland foods so that the baby develops a good palate. If mashing maybe add some herbs or spices to liven up eg nutmeg with pear, cinnamon with apple, cumin with sweet potato; 2) don’t just give sweet tasting things - make sure they have things like broccoli, cauliflower etc.; 3) avoid too many binding foods like egg and banana to avoid constipation. They need carbs but we’ll balanced with roughage.

It’s always a bit daunting at first and you’ll wish you’d never started but after a few weeks they get the hang of it and it’s really satisfying seeing them eat lots of different things.

Absolutely what TheChineseChicken says. Make it tasty (not salty) and nice. My French paediatrician told me to never give my children something I wouldn't eat myself.