Weaning always makes me stressed! Help :os

[MissingMyMarbles]

It did last time and it is now. Ebf baby 6 1/2 months doing BLW mostly, sometimes she'll take a spoon sometimes she won't. I give a wide range of foods, limited by what can be picked up by the baby. I always feel like loads of it ends up on the floor/ in the high chair/ her hair etc. I'm ok with all of that. Except when it comes to how much she's eating. How can I be sure she's getting all the different nutrients she needs? I'm not sure what I want from this thread. Reassurance I suppose and some finger food suggestions. She's still breast feeding obviously, and she chews meat around her mouth but without swallowing. That said, she did eat a bit of a homemade meatball at lunchtime which was encouraging.

In the nicest possible way, just chill :). She's getting her nutrients from the milk, food at this stage is all about learning. Let her chuck it on the floor, roll it in her mouth, whatever. Don't worry about it. She won't starve.

I know you're right and am usually very chilled but, the same as last time, weaning comes at the contemplating return to work, and I think that's really what gives me the heebeegeebees!

food is for fun until they're one ! :)

You know she is getting everything she needs, she's getting it from you

At this ae its not about seeing how much you can cram into them, its just about exploring new tastes and textures. Hope you find a way to relax.

Yes, you're right, I do know that, Jilted, thank you, although that's maybe why I wrote the thread because she has mucked about so much on the boob today and been so distracted that she hasn't seemed to have taken that much from me That said, I'll find out won't I, when she makes up for it two hourly overnight That being the case though, since when, and why have they started recommending supplementary vitamins from 6 months?? I think that's another thing that bothers me about it all: suddenly feel pressured and inadequate.

Please don't feel inadequate, just look at her. I'm sure she is doing absolutely fine so far. The vit recommendation is for all babies, not just bf ones so please don't doubt yourself. Someone else might be able to tell you why exactly, I think it may because of some research that came out on vit d, but like I say, I'm not sure.

Is the pressure you are feeling the usual, my Chikd is on 3 meals a day and sleeps 7 to 7?

At her age she isn't really eating to live, she's learning about food, how to trust and explore different textures and tastes in her mouth, how to swallow and gum and slurp and suck and throw and her real food is coming from you. So just take lots of pics and enjoy watching and get a big splash mat.

I found washing baby down with wet facecloth, then using it to wipe chair and splash mat, then washing baby in sink made it less hassle. Also just give her what you eat minus salt so she can mess about with a roast potato and lick and apple core and squish a banana etc instead of making endless tiny purred ice cube trays of brown stuff you can't remember the ingredients of when you find it in the freezer,

This is all good.

I know all if this really and have heard myself say it to other people even. I think the pressure is will she ever sleep 7-7 and take 3x meals a day, not that she has to do it now. If I didn't have to go back to work then I wouldn't be bothered I don't think. Like everything it gets by. It's the what if she never does it, even though I know that is neither likely nor rational I know she'll do it when she's ready. She's my second so I know from experience she'll do it when she's ready. I don't know why weaning gives me the heebees, but for some reason it does: there's something in me that wants to feed and nourish my babies, and even if I do extended breastfeeding, I can't do it forever- lol

With regards to purees, mush and mess, we don't do purees at all, she eats what we have (definitely don't want to be making two lots of food), but was starting to worry that she'll get bored with roasted seasonal veg, but it's what we're eating a lot if at the moment. I'm not bothered about the mess, but would probably preserve the carpet longer if I actually put the old shower curtain down I guess when I was looking for ideas, I was thinking how to you get round the soup thing, as we eat soup a fair bit, but actually, I'll just take some of the bits out before I blend it.

Really appreciate this, ladies, thanks and she's just woken for another breastfed too. Hopefully we'll have a quieter day and she'll be a little less distracted tomorrow so will take boob better than she has today -little minx, worrying mummy that she isn't getting enough of anything!!

DD2 has just turned 1 so I'm smug (in a nice way) that I've come through the weaning bit but slightly concerned that I actually have to feed her properly now as she's cut down on her milk and she might actually starve if I don't!

But she eats like a small pony. Your DD won't be far behind :)

Ah Gwendoline you've hit the nail on the head! I'm scared she'll starve herself in some bizarre way if I don't do this right, either bf or solids!!

She really isn't going to starve though is she. Your body has nurtured her for 15 months and that's not suddenly going to stop either