Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weaning

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

Original poster

Calling all experts (again)!!! (sorry, lots of Q's)

21 replies

bramblina · 01/02/2006 20:40

Sorry, but,
Ds will be 6m on sat. He's breastfed. Has been on solids for 4 wks now. 1st week was rice once a day, 2nd week was either veg or fruit mid morn, rice late aft. All going well, but now he's definitely needing more. So, is now a good time to go on to 3 (solid) meals a day? Breakfast, lunch and dinner? He was on 5 feeds a day until Monday and has now ended up shifting to 4;
7/8am (milk),
11am/12pm (milk then veg/fruit then milk)
3/4pm (milk then rice then milk)
7pm (milk)
and that seems to be fine for us all, close enough to normal family meals so I can see where we're going, but I'm still unsure, if I do introduce breakfast, should I give him a full milk feed first at the normal time then try him with solids around 9am (roughly) so it's a meal on it's own? Or give milk-food-milk like the other meals? Should all feeds still include a lot of milk, or more solids?
Also, I have an aunt with coeliac (sp) and would therefore rather leave gluten for another month or so, but really wanted to introduce finger foods, (he had a GF rusk today and was delighted) one of my first thoughts was toast- does all bread have gluten? What kind of foods can you get gluten free varieties? Breadsticks?
ALSO... (sorry) most guidelines have a good list of foods that can be introduced at 6m, BUT is this for those babies who were started on solids at 4m (ie, is it because their gut will be half-ready IYSWIM) or is it even for those babies who were started on solids at 6m,(ie, they start with these things as well as rice, pureed veg etc like you do)
Thanks for any information.

OP posts:
Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 20:53

Please?

OP posts:
Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:01

I knew that TV programme would be too much...

OP posts:
mummytosteven · 01/02/2006 22:04

I wouldn't up it to 3 meals yet. I would replace the rice with another lot of veg or fruit, and maybe offer him a spoonful or so more each time if he still needs more.

i think it is possible to find gluten free bread and other products in supermarkets/health food shops. have definitely seen gluten free gingerbread men/biscuits as well as bread!

what sort of foods were you thinking of introducing at 6 months?

Racers · 01/02/2006 22:07

I'm recording it as watching football instead, but you asked for experts and I'm not one of those!
People will come along tomorrow to help out
However, I think if you feel that DS is ready for another mealtime, then have a try. I think do the milk feed then breakfast a while later, once you are up and ready to start the day.
I think most bread has gluten but you can buy gluten free. I have no need to look so I'm not sure, but I'm sure I've seen this in the shops.
I found it difficult to follow some books as it did seem like they were aimed at 4m weaners. I just took it carefully and introduced a couple of weeks after 6m, depending on what it was and how I felt about it. I winged it, in short!

Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:09

Oh thank you!
I was thinking of simple things like rice, cous cous, bread, pasta, yogurt, (stop me if I'm getting out of hand) etc.
Why would you replace the rice? Is veg (etc) more filling for them?
Oh I feel quite a div now...

OP posts:
Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:10

Am I being OTT with the gluten free bread? Is it totally way out? Is there another way of having a normal diet (whatever normal is at 6m) without gluten?

OP posts:
Clary · 01/02/2006 22:13

I think one benefit of later weaning is that you can introduce the mor evaried foods more quickly.
I would still do it gradually, but maybe over a week or so you could move rapidly to other stuff. Also you can do eg mashed potato with milk and butter which you might want to avoid before 6mo.
Finger foods - lots of things are gluten free. How about fruit and veg - banana, ripe peach, steamed carrot fingers. Also rice cakes.
Once you have got meat in the equation you could try strips of cold chicken, bits of ham, goujons of fish (!) etc etc.

mummytosteven · 01/02/2006 22:14

baby rice is quite soggy pap, not really like proper food - so I suppose I just think get rid of it as soon as you can. For the sake of another month, and your piece of mind given the family history, don't see any problem avoiding gluten (official limit on gluten is 6 months, isn't it!).

btw as you can see from racers and me disagreeing about things, there is no one and only correct way to wean - if in doubt, go with your instinct and what your son seems happy with!

Racers · 01/02/2006 22:15

If you would rather leave out gluten, there are other finger foods. Steamed veg for example. Slices of cheese? Fruit. I think rice cakes are gluten free!?

Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:17

Thanks, yes he's had the veg in his hand but I just thought I'd be able to try other food types.
Really butter right on the 6m border? What confuses me is before 6m it's so limited then WOAH! and there's a huge list of things they seem to be allowed (depends whose book you read I suppose). Still avoid red meat though? Do the rice cakes stay complete until they get them really soggy?

OP posts:
Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:21

I had thought cheese too, but then doesn't that bring complications of its own too, dairy intolerance? Or am I now being WAY OTT? Paranoia, anyone? You can tell I'm a first time Mum, eh?
I had my hair analysed a few years ago (don't ask) and it turns out I have a caffeine and lactose intolerance. Did bugger all about it though as I love my tea too much. Does everyone have an intolerance to a certain degree? They certainly don't bother me so I just forget about them.

OP posts:
Clary · 01/02/2006 22:23

I know what you mean about WOAH! bramblina. I would just take it at a gentle pace. But yes, butter is fine, as is cow's milk on cereal etc. Tho most cereals have gluten in of course.
I would go for chicken and fish as first animal protein.
Rice cakes if baby ones are so small that they have eaten them before they get too soggy.
Cheese is a good idea from Racers.

Racers · 01/02/2006 22:24

Yes, mummytosteven (still think it's mummytoSEVEN when I read it LOL!), I may have moved more quickly than I was supposed to - I just found myself giving 3 'meals' (very small amounts ingested as mainly finger foods). I had no plan and just weaned on a wing and a prayer. Not for everyone!
I guess, bramblina, he will have a winge and moan if he's not up for it. If so, leave it for a bit and try again another time. As you know, no rush!

Racers · 01/02/2006 22:27

Kallo puffed rice cereal has no gluten. Available in Booths (northern supermarket) and Holland and Barrett.

fishie · 01/02/2006 22:28

there are plenty of theories and can be awfully confusing. i've avoided anything where there's a family history of allergies / intolerances, but from 26 weeks dished up everything else, in our case inc peanut butter and red meat. no problems at all - have found that ds prefers strongly flavoured food and will eat anything so long as cheese or yoghurt is involved. it is fun to experiment

Racers · 01/02/2006 22:31

Cheese is great, esp. crumbly. Melts in the mouth - DD loves it. I first gave it by grating it then reforming it into little torpedos, as it breaks into little pieces in the mouth that way.

I was going to hold off on fish and meat but at 7m decided to give her scraps of my food and she loves the meat (minced).

Original poster
bramblina · 01/02/2006 22:32

This child would eat anything. He's not fat or greedy, just a very contented babe who is in to everything, and I almost have difficulty believing people who say their child wouldn't take solids until X, though I know fine it does happen. He wasn't keen on turnip last week but dp said he couldn't blame him
So clary, dairy intolerances not a worry? Gluten seems to be the one that's all over packets at the mo, more than any other. (oh that sounds like I'm meaning "in fashion", I'm not, IYKWIM)
Racers, do you mean you gave finger food more often at meal times, for your lo to feed themselves? As opposed to spoon feeding. I'm aware of the food phobias they can end up with if you don't let them get in a mess, so is it finger-food-a-go-go???

OP posts:
fishie · 01/02/2006 22:49

gluten free bread in big supermarkets, made by terence stamp, called 'the stamp colllection' [groan] - you could also give rice instead of pasta etc.

we went to three meals very quickly. also i've been giving finger food at lunchtime since about 7 months - ds now 9 months and quite good at self feeding, has mashed stuff morning and evening.

Clary · 02/02/2006 08:12

bramblina, I meant that dairy was OK from 6mo as long as there was no dairy allergy.
I'm not the allergy expert but you'll soon know if he is milk-allergic. But if there's no reason to think so, then dairy is fine.
Still give breast/formula milk as a main drink until 1 yr old tho.
Sounds like you'll have lots of fun if he is a good eater!

Twiglett · 02/02/2006 08:14

I think it took us about 2 weeks, from weaning at 26 weeks, to get up to 3 full meals a day .. including lumps / rice cakes etc

Racers · 02/02/2006 15:43

Checked my food diary (I now only write in new things, or to plan a few days ahead so I'm not always giving 'tried and tested' stuff for an easy life but I used to write it all down!) - a month after starting on babyrice (ie 28wks) she was having a bit of something at 3 meals most days. Small amounts though. Started finger food at 26wks. This is also not for the faint-hearted! Lots of gagging but all part of the learning process imo and she doesn't get upset, or else I'd take a step back.
She isn't bothered about finger foods in the morning, but other times of the day, she won't take a spoon unless she's already fed herself with something. It all depends. Your lo might be more amenable if he's had a few weeks of spoonfeeding, though might love feeding himself and start rejecting the spoon! Don't let this put you off though, self-feeding is great (you can eat your lunch while they munch on a sandwich etc)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page