Do i need a routine to wean?

[marytee]

DD is 6 months this week. Have mixed fed on demand until now, with one bottle of formula a day for the last couple of months. The plan is to stop breast feeding in the next few weeks, so am planning to slowly replace all feeds. Am also starting to wean this week. We don't really have a set routine, and DD wakes anytime between about 6.30 and 8.30am. To begin with i vaguely followed the baby whisperer and until recently DD had napped 4 times a day, with about 2 hours between naps. She settles well both home and on the move, so its been easy to get out and about and just work around her each day depending on what time she wakes. In the last couple of weeks she has dropped to 3 naps, with a longish one either in the morning or lunch time.

For some reason i can't get my head around weaning and how to 'fit it in'. Do i just choose, for example, a certain feed each day (say the 3rd - anytime between 11.30 and 1.30 depending on when DD wakes) and start with some solids then. Or is it easier to go for a time and sit down wih her to eat wherever she is at with feeds. I generally prefer to be baby led, but am worried i will never get out - after breast feeding where ever i happen to be it all seems a huge faff! Am also back at work next month and wondering if a more set routine would help with that. But that would mean waking DD by a certain time each morning.

Sorry its a long one - am nothing if not thorough! If any of you have mananged to get to the end of this post and would like to share their experiences i would love to hear them!

A lot of people say go with the flow and some of my friends just fed the baby before/after their main nap whatever time it was. I started giving one meal in the evening just because ds was pretty consistent about his evenings so it was at about 4/5pm I seem to remember.

TBH I did find this 6 month - 12 month stage a real pfaff. There were the milk feeds and solids to think about so going out did seem more difficult (though many others less anal didn't find it a problem). When ds got more into food between 8-9 months I found it even worse as he wasn't happy with just milk so solids had to be available in the day too

Some babies don't like solids much and I say enjoy the freedom). Face it as soon as they get into solids, you have to have some sort of routine unless you go the route of just offering finger foods as and when they want it - which some people do and you may want to consider.

That was just too much work for me and I just could never get my head around how to give a balanced diet made up of just finger foods.

I think a lot will depend on your baby and her reaction to solids. Why not pick a regular event (i.e her waking from a nap) and give her solids then. I would pick after a nap so she isn't tired. You could make this very soft finger foods and after the first few weeks she should manage those while out and about.

Don't forget to start with a bfeed at first and after maybe half a feed give the solids then offer the rest of the milk. After a while the solids take over from the milk.

I wouldn't introduce a strict routine if this doesn't suit you or dd. Ds needed one around this age though as he never slept while out only when at home but that is another story - so count your blessings.

Why not just offer a bit of whatever you are having for lunch - that really is the easiest way to do it (assuming of course you are eating something suitable!) - absolutely no extra work for you, apart from the cleaning up! Not much food will go in at the beginning when you give finger foods, but it does eventually. There are lots of threads on here with great advice on baby-led weaning.

Don't worry about following a routine outside your own mealtimes, way too much stress and faff! Good luck with it

the only problem with offering when I had lunch was that was usually when ds was asleep and tbh I liked it like that .

Glad its not just me who finds it a faff! I did plan on baby led weaning with DD eating what we were having, but realised that we need to make some adjustments to our diet in order to do this. So am doing a bit of both. Will have a look at those threads though, see if i can get my confidence up a bit. Not sure why its made me turn into a Gina wannabee - have been reasonably relaxed until now!

Oh, i count my blessings most days!! :) I never thought i would have a baby who slept so much!!