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Weaning

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

Original poster

So fed up of weaning

16 replies

SquidgersMummy · 21/03/2013 13:33

Just that. Was soooo looking forward to it. DD 7
1/2 mths - we are blw with some spooning of yogurt and the like - very little goes in for what seems like an awful lot of work, mess, washing, and food waste. We can never time it right with tiredness and hunger and she just doesn't equate it with hunger. That's what booby is for. Her weight is consistently on her percentile - I just didn't realise it would feel such hard work. I'm off work till she's 1 but thats starting to worry me now - I can't see her on less booby ever right now. And how the hell do people blw evening meals - dh just isnt home in time so we have different meals which isn't really very blw. Just tired today, moan, moan, moan Hmm Think I need chocolate (for now) and perhaps to buy a slow cooker (longer term solution).....

OP posts:
Bumpsadaisie · 21/03/2013 13:50

I looked forward to weaning with DC1. By the time I had DC2 I realised how much harder work it is and delayed it as long as poss!

It'll get better- by 10 mths or so she'll be able to sit and feed herself well and by 12 mths she'll be able to spoon it in herself.

The you get to 18 mths and they think its hilarious to chuck it everywhere... Must go now, a whole tin of spag hoops to mop up off the floor, sigh. Only another 6 mths or so and he might eat neatlyGrin

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/03/2013 13:51

It is hard work isn't it. At this age she should be getting most of her nutrition from her milk so don't worry if she's not eating much.

Am I right in thinking you and DH eat different meals from each other? Could you eat yours with Lo earlier? Could Lo have left overs from the night before?

Bumpsadaisie · 21/03/2013 13:52

Ps don't worry that she doesn't seem to get much in. 7 months is young. Treat it as a game for now. She will still get all her food from milk for a while yet. X

Original poster
SquidgersMummy · 21/03/2013 14:18

Thanks. Reassuring to hear it should only be small amounts still. She enjoys it (for a short time)and I think it's good that she happily has a variety of foods and tastes but just teeny amounts - or none! (There's a definite correlation: the more time mummy has put into it the less I will eat!) DH has always been the cook. She used to be up till 9pm but now she is ready for sleep by 7.30 so it's just too early for him to get in and cook. Shame he's rubbish at laundry and cleaning so it used to be his job to shop and cook - I'm not a confident cook at all, I dont want to do everything, and early eve can easily be meltdown time. I'm thinking we could live off casserole type stuff for now so I could set it off in a morning when she's better at entertaining herself. Each mealtime seems to take ages and then there's mess and then the next one looms so its stopping me getting out as much. Maybe I should make a packed lunch every morning. X

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/03/2013 14:25

Think casseroles and maybe giving her leftovers could mark things easier for you. What type of thing does she have for lunch? Have you thought of making lunch her main meal if she's tired in the evening?

Thurlow · 21/03/2013 14:33

I absolutely hated weaning at that age, it took DD until about 8mo to understand what was going on and to start to enjoy eating. Your DD is very young so it's all fine. But I'd stop with the 'prep' at the moment, if I were you - save her some of what you are making for dinner (even just put some veg or unseasoned chicken etc aside), offer her fruit that doesn't need any preparation, things like that. DD spent several weeks only managing to eat those baby crisps and bread, things she could slowly suck on, I almost felt like giving up weaning as it seemed a waste of time and she wasn't eating anything healthy, but then one day it just clicked.

I echo trying lunch as the main meal, this is when DD has always preferred to eat her largest meal. Also you could try spoon feeding if you want. And BLW doesn't have to mean 'eating what you eat, when you eat it'. Just do what works for you, sod any books. I was really up for BLW but the moment DD understood that food was nice, she wanted spoon feeding as she was too frustrated at how long it took her to feed herself - so BLW went out the window.

Bumpsadaisie · 21/03/2013 14:37

Yep, don't feel she has to have your casserole etc. A bit of brocc, a bit of carrot, a bit of cheese, some pasta some peas a bit of fruit. All that you can knock up by chucking it in a single pan of boiling water for 10 mins !

ChunkyPickle · 21/03/2013 14:42

Oh don't worry too much yet - DS only really got into his swing with eating at about 10 months - before then it was really hit and miss whether much went down during the day (unless mango or banana.. he loved those)

And it took him ages to figure out spoons, so we used to help him out with porridge and yoghurts (one spoon each to make him feel better)

He's 2.7 now, and only just managing meat in meaty form (as opposed to mince), don't fret, just carry on as you are, give him small portions to minimise waste, and just enjoy the fact that you can still go out and boob feed - it was such an adjustment to make sure I had juice cup/snacks with me whenever I went out once he was eating more!

Pascha · 21/03/2013 14:46

DS1 didn't eat a thing til about 9.5 months when all of a sudden a switch flipped inside him and he started stuffing the food down. It does get better.

Iggly · 21/03/2013 14:47

I found it stressful with my first. I focused too much on him and getting solids in.

With my second I had to be more relaxed. So if she was awake she's sit with ds for meals (breakfast at 7.30, lunch at 12, tea at 5) and eat if she wanted too. As she got older, she started eating more and then dropped milk feeds and a nap so made life easier.

So why not try that? Let her eat breakfast and lunch with you (maybe tweak the times a bit) and tea can be more relaxed. Make sure you do eat with her so you don't focus just in what she is doing.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 21/03/2013 15:00

Sorry, didnt mean she has to have what you eat at all, just thought casseroles or leftovers might make it easier for you.

At that age my dd like "bits" best. Used to give her bits of whatever was in the fridge, but of ham/cheese/fish bit of cucumber/tomato/pepper/carrot, maybe some breadsticks and a bit of dried fruit. Takes next to no time to put on the plate and if they don't eat it all, they should find something they like.

flipflopson5thavenue · 22/03/2013 17:47

I started a thread last week exactly like this. Felt like I was just useless at weaning and was no longer getting out of the house as I felt there was so much to do around food in between naps that I may as well just stay at home. I felt I was either planning food, watching DS ignore food, clearing up mess, starting over. Someone replied to my post and said "banana and rice cakes and get out of the house!" Really helped me. DS has just turned 8mo and this last week has started chewing and swallowing and flapping excitedly when we put him in his highchair, so its all becoming a bit more fun and rewarding. He's still a boob monster but the eating side of things is starting to take off.

its like with anything - its a new thing and will take a while to get into the swing of things.

Original poster
SquidgersMummy · 22/03/2013 18:45

Hi all. Many thanks. It has been much better today thinking of lunch as the main meal - and just having the reassurance to not be so hung up about it all. We went out - had fun in the snow and she had chips and breadsticks at a cafe. Def taking up the idea of getting DH a slow cooker. Thanks Thanks

OP posts:
tazmo · 25/03/2013 18:40

My dd3 isn't really equating finger food yet with feeding herself. I,plan to do spoon feeding and then blw. Did this with my other two but do remember my other dc feeding themselves by now. Dd3 only just starting to get the hang of it but shed defo not feed herself a whole meal right now - doesn't seem developmentally ready for it!

MrsNPattz · 27/03/2013 17:57

Really good to read this thread as I feel the same at the moment! Thanks for posting and sharing all of your experiences Thanks

ImogensMumJess · 30/03/2013 20:03

Am exactly in the same position! Baby is 7 months and goes through stages, some days she'll eat and other days she won't. Mostly she'll always eat sweet fruit or petit filous (spelling??) but the variety of puréed veg go wasted. So I give her finger food and then fear her chocking as she shoves so much in her mouth. Some days she will eat a spoon, other days she'll eat loads. It is such hard work! And I hate wasting food, but so much gets thrown away.
Anyway, it's hard and stressful.

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