Not sure about hv advice....

[Sai]

Ds is 7mths and at the clinic yesterday the hv told me to start giving ds 'normal' foods and to include spices and dairylea.
I thought she was mad. I don't think I want to give ds spices or dairylea and told her so and she just acted like I was being an overprotective mother or something.
Did anyone else give a 7mth spicy food?

Mild spices won't do your baby any harm - but I wouldn't give your baby dairylea - it's nasty processed stuff.

mine was eating korma last night. she is 8months old.

Mine ate pretty much anything we did, pureed up.

They'd be getting spicey food in India I would imagine....

Yes, you can give spices and Dairylea.

But you don't have to.

Not all spices are hot. Ds and dd loved lentils, carrots and coriander all mashed up. But it does look, and smell, exactly the same on the way out as on the way in...

I use quite a few spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cumin.
Not all spices are hot and fiery. My dd has a pronounced preference for well-flavoured food.
I think Dairylea is fine myself but of course you don't have to give it.

I started spices at around 9 months. I agree I wouldn't give dairlea as it is full of additives. Just try grating some normal cheese ds loved it and still does.

I was using roasted pureed garlic this early with DS1. And DS2 has just ate our food (no salt) from the beginning, as finger food, whatever he could mush up, whatever. He always liked things with cumin, coriander, maybe a bit of chilli.

I'd give cheese rather than dairylea.

But you know what? This is your baby, it's your decision whether to introduce spices or not, and if you'd rather leave it for a while then leave it for a while. The HV can make recommendations and give advice, but she can't force you to take them. She certainly can't force you into giving Dairylea instead of other types of cheese. Do what feels right for you.

Thanks everyone.
The hv thought that I'd be keen to give spices, as in curries, asap as I'm Asian but no one else I know, Asian or not, gave spices that early so was just wondering.
I think I'll use garlic and onion but will wait a bit for the spices.
I agree with others that I prefer to use normal cheese.

Sometimes I think I have had such bad advice from the hv that I don't know what to trust - she tried to get me to wean ds from 16 weeks.
When ds was constipated but wouldn't drink water, I got advice from here because when I asked her, she just shrugged and said that I was not worry as ds didn't look uncomfortable but did I know that I could start giving him hard boiled eggs now???!!

Sai, oh I agree that so much HV advice is purest nonsense, and as you are Asian suspect her advice was patronising in the extreme re spices.
I do think cinnamon is lovely with apples, for example, and cumin with lentils also yummy.
I don't buy Dairylea myself as it's not my sort of thing really, but I don't think it is Food of the Devil exactly.

She probably thought she was being really cosmopolitan,urging you to give spices.

I wouldn't give my kid crap like Dairylea,but I would include spices from a fairly early age as that is what we like.
Mybabies' first intros were the same as aloha's.
Apple and cinammon and natural yoghurt (full fat) is delicious.

As an aside,find myself irrationally irritated by people who use 'spicy' as a cinammon for 'hot'.
Sooooooooooooo annoying!

do you mean synonym?

Oh god yes I do!!!

How bizarre!!

again.

As for hard boiled eggs from 16 weeks

Yet another mental HV

at moondog's cinnamon

My dd2 is 6 and a half months. She's only been on solids for about 3 weeks but has taken to them like a duck to water. I'm going to make some potato, leek and spinach curry for her soon. The recipe is in the 6-9 months chapter of my weaning book. The only spice is garam masala, so it's not hot at all.

Dh and I love curry and so does dd1(2) so it's a bit of a family tradition.

What's the weaning book Melpomene? Have to start in a week and have completely forgotten what to do.

I've got a redundant Annabel Karmel if you want it Tinker. I had totally forgotten too with dd...

Oo, yes please, if that's ok. Will email address asap, baby wrigglingoff knee now.

OK, will watch inbox and post off. Have to say it is almost mint condition in the later chapters, with just the odd smear of leek and pea puree in the early stages!