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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Annabel Karmel

33 replies

NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 05:56

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has used these books, there is a purée one and a finger food one. Are they any good?

Thanks

OP posts:
theborrower · 09/02/2011 09:30

Hi, someone gave us The Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner for Christmas, but to be honest, I can't see me using it much. I read it to see how to cook apples and pears Blush but after that I've not referred to it since. We're only on our third week and just mashing up veg and cooked fruit so far and offering finger foods like pasta, toast and cucumber slices. We don't need a recipe book for that.

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 09:47

Thanks, anyone tried her weaning book, with ideas of what to give and when? I don't want to follow something religiously but feel like I need some ideas and help for when I do start!!

When you cook things to purée do you need to cook them for longer first? What about cooking things like apple, sweet potato, etc for finger food? Should they be v soft?

Thanks

OP posts:
PeanutButter99 · 09/02/2011 09:56

I have one of the books and used it to get ideas. There's meal planner in mine which is helpful to get you started. Lets you see roughly the ratio of food to milk. This was the hardest part for me in the beginning!
I put whatever I'm pureeing in a saucepan with a little water and let it cook until it's soft enough to mash with a potato masher. Add more water if too thick, cook more if too much water.
I found with cooked finger food that if it was too soft DS just threw it on the floor! He loves to chew food like toast and cucumber. I think anything that come off your plate should be cooked enough.

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 10:02

Peanutbutter which book do you have?

OP posts:
RJandA · 09/02/2011 10:10

AK has written about 18 books about weaning. Anyone who thinks you need that many recipes before your LO will just be eating what you do is a bit mad IMO Smile

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 10:13

I understand what you mean RJandA I'd really like to get a book though, so can you recommend one?!

OP posts:
RJandA · 09/02/2011 10:18

For me, it's Baby Led Weaning all the way but obviously this approach might not suit you and your baby.

Also a good blog here, and the forum on that link is very friendly too.

HTH Smile

KangarooCaught · 09/02/2011 10:21

Maybe borrow a selection from the library?

I have her one of her earlier weaning ones without the meal planner and it's got lots of good ideas, things I wouldn't ordinarily think of & it gives you confidence that you're doing the right thing although giving them your own food, minus excess salt, is the way to go.

KangarooCaught · 09/02/2011 10:23

I have the older version of this one which has the highest no. of reviews

Officerswife · 09/02/2011 15:10

I borrowed the complete baby and toddler meal planner from the library and used it at the beginning to give an idea of what to give etc. Just gives you a bit of confidence. Baby led weaning works for some but my little one just likes to mash food up and throw it around and wouldn't eat anything if I didn't feed him it directly!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 09/02/2011 15:17

I've weaned one child with purees and one BLW and I'd recommend BLW every time.

I didn't rate Annabel Karmel very highly at all.

With DC2, BLWd, I got this book from the library and it was good.

To be honest though you don't really need a book, there are so many suggestions, hints and recipes on the BLW website.

InspirationalBreadbin · 09/02/2011 18:51

I've been using Annabel Karmel and weaning seems to be going well (on week 3). I can see myself cooking her recipes for myself and DH and then portioning and freezing a load for my DS as well. If the recipes are from a baby book I'll be confident that they are OK for my DS and some of them look pretty tasty!

RJandA · 09/02/2011 19:33

Just because it's from a baby book..... doesn't AK use a lot of sugar in some of her recipes?

babybouncer · 09/02/2011 19:48

I bought the complete meal planner, I think, and another one on an impulse when I saw them at a Nearly New Sale. I lent one to a friend who used it a lot, and when I first started doing purees it gave me a lot of confidence to be following a recipe. Unfortunately, I ended up throwing away the frozen cubes of puree I'd lovingly prepared as my DS refused them point blank and I ended up doing BLW (which I would recommend, but if you don't know anyone who's done it, it can be a bit daunting to look at) so therefore never used them again.

On the other hand, a non-parent friend of mine made some fabulous fridge cake from one of her recipes - don't think it was in one of the kids books, though as it had rum in it!

girliefriend · 09/02/2011 19:54

I think you take from them what is useful to you and they do have some good ideas.

I was a pretty clueless 1st time mum though when it came to weaning and did need to learn how to cook and puree apples, carrots etc Blush !!!

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 20:24

Thanks all, I have looked into BLW a little and although I will be giving some finger foods I won't be following it but thanks for the advice.

OP posts:
emmab5 · 09/02/2011 20:33

I bought and used AC complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner for weaning DD and DS1 and will be using it for DS2.My dc's loved the recipes and they both weaned very easily. I also found her menu planner was really helpful.

I have read a little bit about BLW - just sounds like finger foods to me! :)

mousesma · 09/02/2011 20:48

One of DHs workmates lent us "AK's new complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner". It was useful to get a feel for how to get started on weaning and there are some good receipe ideas in there.

I didn't use the meal planner as such but it did give me a rough idea of when to introduce certain foods etc.

Theres no reason why you can't use the receipes in AKs book and give finger foods as well. I've doing this with DD since she was 6 months and she is thriving.

btw I haven't some across any receipes with sugar yet but I've only got as far as stage 2 weaning so maybe they appear later.

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 21:03

That's kind of what we're thinking of doing mousesma, weaning when she's ready and adding in finger food when we can. Don't like the idea of only doing finger food at all, but don't want this to turn into a debate on BLW v purees!

I've ordered the meal planner and will be able to use this as a guide I hope.

OP posts:
IloveJackWhite · 09/02/2011 21:13

I used her complete book and the finger foods one for later on. I found her ideas really useful and the planner too - though there is no need to follow religiously. I found the books a really good starting point for someone totally clueless!

I felt the baby and toddler recipes are pretty healthy and well balanced.

No need for the 100 purees book though as you will probably move on so quickly that you'd not use many. I found it useful to offer finger foods along with purees too.

We often adapted her recipes for ourselves and they were lovely!

Good luck and enjoy!

friedbananas · 09/02/2011 21:39

Hi, I used Annabel Karmel for all my 3 DCs. DC1 hated it generally. DCs 2 and 3 loved it.

InspirationalBreadbin · 09/02/2011 21:44

RJandA I haven't seen any additional sugar added in the recipes I have read.

ImFab · 09/02/2011 21:46

I bought her first book in 1993 when I had no idea what to give the baby and when. It was great for me then and was good for when I had my own children. I have bought 2 of hers and about 2 written by other authors and I would say the problem with her books is portion size is not what you expect (2 portions is actually 2 ice cubes) and her amounts in the ingredients don't always work.

Original poster
NoTeaForMe · 09/02/2011 22:05

So are you saying the portions are too small ImFab ?

OP posts:
ImFab · 09/02/2011 22:13

Well she was saying baby would need 2 ice cubes when mine would eat 8 and if I followed her amounts I got 3 ice cubes if it had said 3 portions.