Weaning stress - help!

[2020newmum]

My baby is almost 8 months old. I started weaning very gradually from 6 months with tastes of purée and finger foods, and we’ve been taking it very slowly (perhaps too slowly) since then. He started on one meal a day and some days didn’t have a meal at all because I was exhausted and couldn’t face it

I’ve now got my act together a bit more and for the last couple of weeks he’s been on two meals a day - breakfast and lunch.

For breakfast he will have one of the following: some fruit purée, a yoghurt, half a weetabix with whole milk or a bowl of Quaker Oats porridge.

Lunch is usually a good sized bowl of puréed vegetable such as carrot, broccoli, parsnip or occasionally a two ingredient meal such as mashed avocado on one piece of toast or puréed cauliflower cheese.

I offer water with every meal but he doesn’t drink much - normally 1 to 2 fluid ounces at most.

My questions are:

1. Am I giving him complex enough foods for his age or should I be trying him on something more advanced than single vegetable purées now? What sort of things should he be eating?

1. How do you know when to increase his meals to three a day?

1. He seems to be naturally taking a bit less milk than he was before we started weaning - he was on 240ml/8oz four times a day and now he’s on 210ml/7oz four times a day. How do I know when to decrease the milk further or drop a feed?

His weight is fine (actually he was a bit overweight last time he was weighed).

Any advice would be much appreciated!

I give my 7.5 month old carbs, veg and protein with most meals now.

Yesterday he had:
Breakfast: Baby porridge made with formula. Fruit purée. 1/4 banana piece

Lunch: hummus on toast. Greek yogurt

Dinner: purée of lentils, carrots and peas.

All baby size portions.His milk intake is less some days and more others

Thanks @Caspianberg - it sounds like I might be a bit behind with the weaning, which is what I was worried about Did you buy the hummus or make it yourself? I’m wondering if I can give DS shop bought stuff but will obviously need to check the salt content.

@2020newmum - bought. I figure I’m generally giving homemade meals salt free, so won’t worry about odd things like shop bought bread, cheese, etc.

He has cauliflower cheese with mash for dinner tonight.

I don’t think your behind, he’s still not even 8 months yet. I just basically offer ds similar to what we are having, but make some extra suitable for when we have something salty or hard ( no teeth yet).
He still has days when he just eats a bit of yogurt and porridge and milk, and others better variety

OP don’t stress- food before 1 is for fun.
If you are feeling overwhelmed I recommend: www.amazon.co.uk/Ellas-Kitchen-First-Foods-Purple/dp/0600629252/ref=asc_df_0600629252/?hvlocphy=9044978&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310842649900&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-422310988499&hvrand=13110268915522810231

Was a very easy guide that I followed.
Shop bought hummus is fine.

As for milk- give a feed before breakfast and lunch to ensure they take enough.

Meant to say, I have found it easier to start with what you know ds likes and start mixing and adding.
If he likes cauliflower, then just try a purée with that and a bit of mash potato. Then add a tiny bit of grated cheese the next time, then a bit of cream.
If he likes carrots and broccoli purée, try carrot purée with some mashed chickpeas/ lentils/haricot beans for protein, and broccoli as finger food.

It’s a gradual thing. No one wins awards for racing through before baby and you are ready.

Thanks @Caspianberg.

That looks good, thanks @OnlyFoolsnMothers!

Don’t stress about weaning - it’s something every baby works through in their own time and honestly IMO it is one of the most enjoyable parts of babyhood. You are not behind in any way as it isn’t a race - every child is unique. My answers to your queries would be:

1. What he’s eating now seems fine. I’d start moving towards 2 or more flavours for his lunch. You can try giving him whatever you’re eating (puréed/mashed) provided it’s not high in salt/spice. Babies LOVE flavour (at 8m old my LO decided he loved curry 🤣). If you’re interested you could start trying pieces of whole food - I recommend following ‘babyledweanteam’ on IG as they give so many tips and recipes.

1. Aim for 3 meals a day around 9+ months, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t take much from the third one at first.

1. On milk - follow his lead. Sometimes he’ll want more or less.

Finally - all of this advice pales in comparison to ‘you’re the mummy, you know your baby’. Trust your gut and go for whatever you think is best. He’ll soon let you know what he wants!

I think you're overthinking it a bit OP. Once they are 6mo they can eat most things and there is no need to do purees if you don't want to.
I just gave them a bit of whatever I was having. I cooked without salt and chilli (we added salt and hot sauce to our food at the table when needed), and only used ground or finely chopped nuts. Other than that we just let them get on with it. If they were awake when we ate, they sat to the table and had a bit. If they were napping then they skipped that meal. I didn't start working meals around their schedules until closer to 12mo, but by that point it was rare they were sleeping through mealtimes any way.

I agree that you have nothing to worry about here. I would stop worrying, he will soon let you know if he is hungry. There is no need for purées at this stage , like app I would sit with him at meals and let him eat what you are having eg porridge , toast, fruit for breakfast,
Something on toast eg egg, sardines, cheese or soup for lunch with maybe fruit or veg sticks
Evening meal could be pasta/ mild curry and rice/ fish fillets with veg etc provide a variety but don't forget they are tiny, can top up with milk and sometimes don't feel like it. My DC were very different from each other in how they took to food and the older 2 were weaned at 4 months as that was the norm then
DC1 took no interest at all from 4 months to 20 months and then converted to food and off the breast almost overnight
DC2 was eating everything himself by 6 months( I had to adapt a bit as he wouldn't be helped so largely finger foods or thigh soups etc that he could dunk things in
DC3 started on our food from 6 months , he liked being helped but just ate bits and bobs with the family from the start. It made life easier.
What I am saying is that he will get there at his own speed .

Food before one is not for fun. Their requirements for iron are pretty high and they don’t absorb much from formula.

But at the same time there’s no point stressing.

At 7 months it is good to be on 3 meals a day, but they will eat varying amounts, and sometimes they may not fancy any food at all.

Try things like pasta and bolognese. You can blitz the bolognese and give whole fusilli, you can add a range of veggies into bolognese, toast and dippy egg is great for lunch. Eggy bread, peanut butter on toast. Use granary or wholemeal. bread as it’s better for them. Try things like stew and casseroles. Lamb and other meat can get quite tender in stews. Roast dinners are great. Try roasted sweet potato and other veggies etc.

The stage when they still have milk and food is really tough. It’s just constant. There was no time to do anything.

But it will pass and on a few months the milk will drop and you can get a bit of life back!