Tell Organix your weaning stories and you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by baby and toddler food brand Organix to find out about Mumsnetters' experiences with weaning.

So, when did you start weaning? How did you feel about it? What were your questions and how did you get the answers? Was there anything in particular which surprised you about weaning? Which foods did your little one love during weaning, do they still love the same tastes now?

Share your thoughts on this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 John Lewis voucher.

Please note your tips and comments may be used, along with your MN nickname in an email MN will send out. They may well also be used elsewhere by Organix.

Thanks,
MNHQ

I started weaning at 6 months, and did BLW. DS loved food from the start, and within a month was demolishing a full roast dinner on his own.
TBH, it was all very easy and he's still an open minded and good eater at 8.

I had completely different experiences with both of mine. DS1 was almost 5 months and already mobile, (in his own frantic way) and helping himself to things off my plate (and inevitably gagging on them). so we religiously went through purees, one new food at a time. The only thing that defeated him was avocado. And we had to hold back on egg because that gave him eczema.

DS2 simply wasn't interested. We tried purees and he gagged on them. He wouldn't touch finger food. It wasn't until we roughly pureed some Christmas dinner, when he was 8.5 months old that we got some interest. Of course, with hyperactive big brother to keep an eye on, religious one food at a time testing did not happen and we did end up using quite a few jars, with varied success.

Funnily enough, now 8 and 10, DS2 is still fussy - and DS1 is even fussier!

Like PP my two boys were very different in their weaning styles. My eldest hated baby rice but my younger one loved it and we used it loads. The eldest has big trouble with lumps and took ages to get used to them but the youngest went from purees to 'real' food overnight, he was just ready. They both showed interest in our food at about 6 months old and that's when we started weaning.

DD1 started solids at around 6 months. She was keen to eat most things so introducing new food was never difficult.

DD2 was earlier, being the second child with a small age gap, if her sister had it, she wanted it. Nothing much has changed 10 years on...

I hadn't heard the expression baby led weaning when mine were babies, but it's kind of how we did it. Neither is a fussy eater now but there are always going to be things people don't like. They enjoy strong flavours and are open to trying new things.

6 months or thereabouts with my children. I took advice from the health visitor first time round but mainly used common sense and winged it. Baby led weaning wasn't a thing, it was just called trial and error.

I loved weaning because my LO loves everything I give her. She adores fruit and veg so I have managed to not give her anything sweet yet although I'm sure it won't be long! We end up with food everywhere and all up the walls!

waited until dead on six months, which was just as well as dd developed an allergy and then i did not feel guuilty about weaning earlier than recommended at thetime.

dd ate a lot of baby rice and milk, then banana added when she was a bit older. she spat out the carrots and still hates them now. she refused to drink water too, and still does.

Ds ate even more mushed banana as he was the second and there was less time to make all the fruit/vegetable purees. he is addicted to bananas still, loves lots of fruit and veggies too.

I started at just over 5 months and am lucky that little boy loves everything, I mashed never puréed and he's fine with that. Now just over 6 months he's enjoying 3 meals and liked little biscuit snack too. I was quite daunted at first but found that it's largely common sense and having a good grip of flavours, tastes and textures definitely helps. I went to my local surestart centre for a little 'course' which helped with confidence.
We are just starting to try new textures like the organix breakfast cereal rings!

We've been weaning for nearly a month now (DS is nearly 7 months)
Started with some BLW and he really wasn't keen so tried some purées and he scoffed it down!

I give him portions of whatever we have had for dinner and share my lunch with him. He LOVES fruit, mango and passion fruit is his absolute favourite! He likes holding and munching on toast, rusks etc but still prefers purées for most things - he had chicken risotto yesterday as it was though!

The only thing he's really not keen on is banana which really surprised me.

I was excited and ready to start weaning as I had BF exclusively and was finding it very tiring and draining. I'm still enjoying it especially combined with BF, I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds :-)

I haven't been given any help really, the only advice I've been given (and taken) is from the lovely MN ladies who I was on the postnatal thread with!!

I started DS weaning at around 6 months. As first it was really bland stuff like mashed up carrots etc but it moved on eventually to smaller portions of family meals, initially whizzed up in the blender but then getting lumpier and lumpier. He has always like cucumber sticks and would happily munch on them all day I got a lot of my idea for recipes from either my mum or the Annabel Karmel book which had loads of good stuff in it.

I started weaning at 5 and a half months in a desprit attempt to get dd to sleek longer. It didn't work! We started off with sweet potato, mango and avocado and did a mixture of finger foods and purees. She loves everything except sweet potatoes and salmon and now eats pretty well and enthusiastically. I did find the weaning process a bit confusing and would have like more guidance about which meals to start on, how it works with milk etc. She now has 3 meals a day as well as snacks like Organix raspberry and blueberry rice cakes and it's brilliant now to all sit together for meals even if it means we have dinner at 5pm!

Started at six months with BLW, she sat in her high chair staring at her sticks of soft carrot with a bemused expression for a good few minutes but once she got started there was no stopping her and we were sharing meals within a few days. Now at nearly three she still loves her food and generally eats everything she's given, (although has taken a dislike to pesto). I don't know whether the BLW has anything to do with her confidence around food or whether it's inbuilt but I would definitely do the same again.

I weaned DS1 and DD1 at 4 months, DS2 and DD2 at 6 months. All my DC were weaned starting with purees apart from DS2 who was BLW. I did use Organix finger foods for snacks when he started needing them at around 10 months. I loved (and so did he! ) Organix Mighty Meals and Soups and Recipe Bases. DD2 and DS2 still love Goodies snacks.

I did baby led weaning from around 6 months. He suddenly got very interested in my food and helped himself to little bits here and there.

I did some purees - mostly because my brother and SIL had bought me an expensive blender. I felt I had to use it!
There were some things he loved in purees like butternut squash and sweet potato that he wouldn't eat later. I was surprised by this.

I still can't believe how extremely messy it was. I have some very funny photos of the utter carnage he created when eating a small bowl of food.

With my first I spent a month (from 6 months) trying to feed her puree - single fruit, veg, exotic combinations, baby rice. All were resisted violently.

I googled "baby won't eat puree" and found BLW. Baby took to it straightaway so followed same approach with next 2 DC, although younger ones got a lot more prepackaged finger foods than dc1.

Anyway from having babies who loved roasted sweet potato, fresh apricots etc I now have 3 DC who would eat only chips and beans if they were allowed. Am hoping age will expand their food range again someday...

I started around 22 weeks with ds1, and really enjoyed making purée sect for him. Think it was because I'm a bit of a feeder, and was devastated when I had to stop breast feeding, so was really pleased to be able to lavish care and attention on his food again!

Currently bf-ing 12 week old Ds2. Can't believe we'll probably start weaning in about 10 weeks, it's gone so much faster this time!

I started weaning both DD1 and DD2 at around 4 to 5 months due to reflux issues that cleared up once they started having some solids. I started by introducing one new item at a time, then combining things once they knew the tastes and I'd ruled out allergies.

We've gone down a mixture of BLW and puree for both. Basically, making a puree which they're spoon fed, but also giving them some food to play with and gnaw at in their own time. Has worked pretty well!

There's been an element of sibling led weaning for DD2... In that DD1 tends to try and slip her food when my back is turned!

I started with baby rice at 18 1/2 weeks and fruit purees at about 21 weeks which seemed to go down really well, started with proper food just before 6 months,I have done a mixture of blw and purees though lo prefers to feed herself. She loves her porridge in the morning and cucumber and pepper. Ive found it quite difficult as she has good days and bad days and I'm not overly patient but am persevering and hopefully it will clicck soon espwith theblw as most of it is gummed and then chucked on the floor or smeared round her face lol!!!

We didn't put any effort in (sorry organix!)

DD sat with us at all mealtimes from birth, I was lucky that there was always another adult to help so I occasionally managed to eat a meal using two hands.

Once she was old enough to grip things we gave her a plastic spoon to play with whilst we were eating so she didn't feel left out.

Eventually she started grabbing food off our plates and shoving it in her mouth. She was an early weaner but we were entirely baby-led on this as it felt like the best and easiest way to wean. It also meant that she could manage a pre-loaded spoon very early.

We also never made special food for her - she just had whatever we were eating. (Again, sorry Organix!)

I weaned both DC at 6 months, in the same way using purées and spoonfeeding. DD loved food from the off and now at 4, is an absolute dustbin and loves her grub. DS couldn't be any more different. He hated food and even today at 2.2 subsists on the tiniest amount and hates just about everything. So I've learned hat they are all different and those eating patterns they exhibit as tiny babies, so far are continuing and their dietary habits appear set.

With my first, I waited with weaning until exactly 6 months, cooked and pureed some sweet potatoes, gave her some and waited with bated breath what would happen

She was fine with most things, happily ate what I gave her and still (at 4) is fairly unfussy but given half the chance would only eat sweet things.

When her brother was born 15 months after her, things were a bit more frantic. I started weaning slightly earlier and there were more jars and pouches around. He was a little bit fussier but is now (at 3) also fairly easy though would prefer meat in most forms.

I could have never, ever, ever done BLW. I tried it once since everyone was going on about it, but I nearly had a heart attack when they choked. I was actually really angry with myself for trying it, just because it was the latest craze and somebody in a book had said, it's okay for them to choke. What was I thinking?

Anyway, my tip is not to get stressed about it, try and give a variety of foods and don't do anything, just because it seems to be the new thing!

Started at 6 months and was absolutely dreading it but it's actually been a lot of fun. DD took to food really well. She's always been tiny and was worried she wouldn't eat but she demolishes anything going. I surprised myself about how creative I have become in the kitchen and now much time I spend filling the freezer with food for her. She eats far better than DH and I do!

DS's weaning was disastrous! We started by giving him baby rice mixed with breast milk, no problems at all, then one day as I was on my way out I gave him a couple of spoonfuls from a baby rice pudding jar instead. It only contained rice and milk. Unfortunately, this was the point we discovered that DS was massively allergic to milk. He swelled up, covered head to toe in itchy hives, and screamed the place down. Night out cancelled for a night at A&E.
After that, we had all the fun of reading every label of everything, and snatching away snacks given by well-meaning people. It took 12 years for him to grow out of the allergy, life is much easier now.
In contrast, DD's weaning was a breeze. At just under 6 months she grabbed a strawberry from my hand and sucked all the pink out of it! She was delighted with every new food she tried, though messy dairy products were saved for times her brother wasn't nearby!

I weaned both of my mine at 6 months. Everyone said I would need to wean DC2 early because he was 9lb odd when he was born. Rubbish.

I did BLW with both of them, mainly because I am lazy and can't be doing with faffing around, and partly because I'd read up on it.

They ate everything apart from honey, and still do now!