When to start weaning?......no idea where to start or what to start with

[InsomniaQueen]

My DD is 17 weeks old and exclusively BF. I know that the official guidelines say no solids before 6 months....not yet decided where I am on this debate which is making it harder to decide anything else!

To me she is doing well and meeting the required milestones. I've bought her some weaning spoons to play with to get her used to them and was thinking of starting to feed her a little milk everyday from a spoon to give her some practise.

As a first timer i find myself constantly questioning my decisions and so just don't feel confident enough to make a decision either way! Any advice or experience is welcome.

Thanks x

When I think about it, I suppose mine started to have a few solids when they showed an interest in them, sitting on my knee whilst I ate,

All of mine were quite different in starting to eat, it is hard to judge.

Definitely definitely read Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley to help you decide where you stand.

Also look out for the signs of weaning readiness

HTH

17 weeks sounds young & I wouldn't truly start then, either.

When you do start, Hand him a rice cake or some sticks of cooked veg. He'll get them to his mouth if he wants. Am not a huge fan of BLW but finger foods are often how I started.

Ditto ag123 Please read the BLW book to decide if it's for you or not and when/what to start with. It is full of evidence based information on weaning and will give you a better idea on what weaning is all about.

It was on sale in Mothercare the other week

The best advice I had before I started weaning was 'when they can grab food off your plate and put it in their mouth, they're ready'. DD grabbed a piece of melon off mine and ate it at just short of 6 months. She hasn't stopped eating since!

HTH

I'm happy to just go with the flow and see how things go but it seems like everyone around me is keen for her to 'grow up' whilst I'm still learning to enjoy my baby.

All I hear is "she needs X to help her grow, put on weight and sleep. I don't understand these comments as she is very long for her age, clearly has my metabolism as I was under weight until I had her and she already sleeps through the night. My DM is the main culprit, she has been out and bought rusks and baby rice "for the next time were there" because she knows I won't as I think it's too early and I'm happy BFing on demand.

At this time I just think why pay for something she is getting for free from my body and I know is good for her. I will have a look for that BLW book though. Thank you all for your advice, I'm glad I asked the question at this point as I have plenty of time to look into things and make the decision when I feel ready.

Xx

www.babyledweaning.com/

That website is also fab. The forums are full of knowledgeable people.

My DS had baby rice at 4.5 months. Farleys rusk and mashed banana at 5 months. I did what I felt right and took it slow. It's nice to see them grow but don't feel pushed. Taste buds grow quickly and no fussy eaters are easier to parent!

This is what the NHS says

www.nhs.uk/start4life/Pages/babies-introducing-solid-food.aspx

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx

Basically there are three signs to look for when they are ready.

Btw I don't think rusks are really recommended as first foods. It's a biscuit after all. They'll always love it whether you introduce it or not. Annabel Karmel recommends fruit and veg to start with. My HV goes one step further and say veg first so they get used to savory tastes before sweet.

15mo DD will launch for a brownie now and I've not even given her one before 1yo.

I started Daniel on baby rice when he was about 5 months as he was showing all the signs of wanting to start weaning, yes official guidelines say 6 months but a couple of spoonfuls of baby rice didn't do him any harm whatsoever and now he is nearly 7 months and enjoys everything i've tried him with especially broccoli or any veg for that matter and loves the pear and apple puree I've made him.

To be honest i was exactly like yourself i panicked as to when I should start weaning him and felt daunted by all the information and the thought of changing his routine but I made the move and couldn't be happier with Daniel's progress. I give Daniel veg before pudding as my HV said that way he will see the pudding as a reward sort of. But he seems to love both savoury and sweet so it's all good!

Good Luck, you'll be grand!