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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

Food ideas please (was 'told off' by HV)

37 replies

MrsBonkers · 08/03/2011 18:19

Have 8 month old DD.
She seems to like trying new food. Has eaten both pureed and finger foods. DH and I let her try bits of what we're eating (except for junk / salty food of course.)

Last time I saw HV I told her how pleased I was that DD likes fruit and that we have some most afternoons. She said that I should really be giving DD 3 starch based meals a day at this age. She had really disapproving tone.

I was really upset as I felt stupid that this is my first and I don't know what I'm doing. Pre PND I may have thanked her for her advice and asked for some meal suggestions, but I just sat and cried.

Can you ladies give me some ideas on easty meals for an 8 month old and beyond.
Already give her pasta, toast, porridge.

OP posts:
bogie · 08/03/2011 18:24

My dd would only eat fruit and veg from 6/7 months and she was as fit as a fiddle HV use to moan but they just read from a book full of what we all should do, children are not all the same I wouldn't worry tbh

LadyBiscuit · 08/03/2011 18:27

Your HV is talking bollocks. Milk should still be the mainstay of your DD's diet at this stage - food is about exploring new tastes and textures, not so much about getting nutrition from it.

I strongly believe that if you're an unsure parent (especially one with PND), the very worst thing you can do is see your HV a lot, especially if she is not being gentle and kind with you. There is no obligation whatsoever to continue to see her so don't, particularly as she's upsetting you :)

TheVisitor · 08/03/2011 18:32

I think that as long as your child is getting plenty of good nutrition from milk, and is also getting a varied diet as it seems she is, you smile, nod your head, then carry on as you are.

Normantebbit · 08/03/2011 18:37

Mine didn't drink much milk. I gave them simple stews mashed up. plain biscuit mid afternoon, bananas, just simple food really. Full fat yoghurt, cheese

Original poster
MrsBonkers · 08/03/2011 18:37

Thanks LB and bogie.
I don't have much faith in HV's to be honest. The only reason I went to her is that I wanted to check DD's weight as we'd started weaning. She's small, but still on her centile (9th)curve so I'm not worried.
Now I have had a letter to say a different HV is coming to my house on Friday to do DD's 8 month development check. I think its this that has got me all stressed again. They know I have depression as I'm on AD's from my GP.

I also thought food was about exploring for now. I was really proud that DD will try pretty much anything we put in front of her. Including the book I have next to my laptop at the moment Hmm !!

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsBonkers · 08/03/2011 18:40

Yep, she still drinking plenty of milk formula as I was told I couldn't BF with the ADF's I'm on.

OP posts:
RJandA · 08/03/2011 19:37

Watch out, she'll be after the laptop next!

The 8 month check should be routine stuff - at mine they asked if she was on 3 meals a day and if I was happy with her eating, and I just said yes, that was it.

If they give you any "advice" again, just ask them where they get their information from. If they have a source then they can share it with you, if it's just from their "experience" then IMO they can stick it - you will get plenty of advice from people from their own experience and you can safely ignore most of it, especially if your DD seems well and happy to you.

I really doubt they will have anything to back up 3 carb based meals a day, all the official advice is to go at the baby's pace.

This from the NHS says:

"From about nine months onwards, you can give your baby:

* three to four servings a day of starchy food, such as potato, bread and rice, "

HTH

frankie3 · 08/03/2011 19:41

Don't let your HV upset you. Mine told me my DS should be eating things like mushed up meat pie and apple crumble at 8 months when he was really enjoying his purees, and gagged on lumpy food. This really worried me, but in hindsight I wished I did not worry about it as my DS now has a great diet and eats almost all foods.

Flisspaps · 08/03/2011 19:42

If seeing the HV upsets/stresses you, then STOP.

You're not obliged to see them, not even for routine checks, and there are other places you can get information and advice from (GP, or even more useful, here!)

Seeing someone who 'tells you off' is not going to help you one bit, especially when it's not justified :)

Flisspaps · 08/03/2011 19:45

Just to add, the last time I bothered seeing one was when DD was about 7mo, she asked about weaning and I said we were doing BLW. She asked me who I was doing that with, as if it were some sort of class or something (Hmm er, DD?)

She then went on to tell me that at as DD was 7mo I could think about introducing finger foods over the next few weeks...not sure what she thought baby led weaning involved.

Cosmosis · 09/03/2011 11:02

I'm surprised she didn't suggest Controlled Crying, it's my area's HV's anwswer to whatever question you have!

Carrotsandcelery · 09/03/2011 11:07

I think you know your own baby and what they are ready for.
As for starchy food examples:
breadsticks
rusks (without sugar in it)
baby biscuits
mashed potatoes
rice - pureed or mashed
tiny tiny pasta (you can get it from Italian delis)

Go gently though. Introduce a tiny amount and see how it goes.

Don't feel harrassed by the hv though. They have a programme that they stick to and but noone tells our babies that and they do their own thing in their own time.

sunndydays · 09/03/2011 13:11

Sorry I don't have time to read everyone's post but dd (8mo) has:

Cottage Pie
Chicken and leek bake (with cheese/mash/crème fraiche/peas/carrots/leeks/baby stock)
Homemade cheese scones
Toast
Pitta
Casseroles
Jacket potatoes
Anything with mash really, she isn't so keen on pasta but spaghetti bolognese goes down OK, hope that helps!

ChippingInMistressSteamMop · 09/03/2011 13:17

Honest to god most HV's should be lined up and shot.

I really feel sorry for the good ones out there as they are so few and far between and the rest give them a lousey name!!!

PLEASE don't let another one upset you. Just nod and smile a lot and if you have any questions ask MN :)

Food is fun until you're one - let her eat whatever takes her fancy, keep up with her bottles and carry on exactly as you are :)

jandmmum · 09/03/2011 16:49

Sounds to me like you are doing everything right. Don't worry about 8 month check iirc the only thing they're really bothered about is thY they are sitting unaided at that age, give you a tooth brush and paste and ask if you have any concerns. Some 8 month olds will be eating loads and some will still be hardly eating anything its still early days in the weaning process. Both are normal.

theborrower · 09/03/2011 16:59

Sounds like your DD is doing great, MrsBonkers - she loves trying different food and her weight gain is steady and good too. I agree with the others - HVs are all too often a source of anxiety :(

And your DD sounds like she is enjoying starchy foods if she likes pasta, toast and porridge! To answer your initial question about starchy meal ideas, we give DD things like porridge for breakfast, little sandwiches (cream cheese is a good filler) for lunch or something on toast (with scrambled egg, beans, or cheese) and tend to add sweet potato mash or something like that to what she's having for dinner (whether mashed veg, a lentil and veg mash or fish). Our DD loves salmon mixed with mashed potato!

AngelDog · 09/03/2011 18:17

Rubbish - the World Health Organisation says that between 6 and 12 months 50% of babies' nutrition should come from solids.

Just give her different things to try and you'll be fine.

At DS's 10 month check I explained that we'd done BLW and DS ate whatever we did. The HV proceeded to ask did he eat lumps and did he eat finger food? Er... no, DH and I live on purees. Confused

Original poster
MrsBonkers · 10/03/2011 15:27

Thank you everyone
I think its depression that makes me question myself so much and take critism so badly.

Some good ideas for me to try.
I think part of the problem is that DH and I eat so much rubbish that I don't want DD to have that I feel I should be making her special meals.
Maybe time for us to start eating more healthily.... Wink

OP posts:
jandmmum · 11/03/2011 05:19

mrs Bonkers we used weaning as a good reason to eat better and more variety. I also try to plan meals for the week before I shop. It has reduced my shopping bill and because I know what we will be having for tea it makes life less stressful as I don't have that "what shall I do for tea tonight?" question at 5 o'clock. We are blw and i've found the blw cookbook great for ideas.

Original poster
MrsBonkers · 12/03/2011 01:40

Thanks. Do you have a link or author name for that book?

I'm kinda doing a combination of finger foods and purees.
The thing with the finger foods is she drops so much - I don't mind the mess, but I don't know how much DD eats and how much the dog gets!

OP posts:
VeronicaCake · 12/03/2011 08:20

It doesn't matter how much DD eats of the finger foods although it might matter how much the dog gets! If she is developing normally in all respects then there is no possibility that she will starve herself and anyway you are giving her purees and milk too. Finger foods are tasty toys at this stage. As she learns more about how to eat and what she likes more of it will go down.

Original poster
MrsBonkers · 12/03/2011 08:57

She sat there smiling away to herself last night whilst shovelling in lots of broccoli - Really impressed as I don't eat any veg Shock and I'm determined she's going to be healthier than me.

This thread has really helped my confidence that we're doing fine :)

OP posts:
RJandA · 13/03/2011 19:43

Here's that BLW cookbook jandmmum mentioned.

You might need to start eating veg yourself too though... as they get older, they only want to eat if they think they've nicked it from you...

Original poster
MrsBonkers · 14/03/2011 02:18

Thanks for link.

I'd love to eat veg, but think I'm a candidate for 'freaky eaters' tv programme as I seem to have some kind of weird mind block that makes me dislike them all!

OP posts:
DillyDaydreaming · 14/03/2011 06:45

Am a HV too - she's talking rubbish. Let your DD have the foods she enjoys. Am disgusted she left you feeling tearful.

You are doing nothing wrong and your DD is trying a wide variety of food which should lead to a pretty good and wide diet as she grows. I'd say that's pretty good - not sure what your HV is basing HER ideas on.

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