Please explain the best way to wean in plain English?

[ANormalOne]

My DD is almsot 6 months, she's taking feeds every 1-2 hours now, aside from at night, so I really want to start weaning her.

All of my family are telling me I HAVE to feed her purees and mush as it's the easiest option, the old ways are better and she'll choke on big chunks of food. My HV is telling me I HAVE to do BLW as it's the best option for her, but she can't be weaned until she sits up independently and she can't do that yet.

I've tried mush as there's more of my family to hassle me and they're all bloody annoying know-it-alls and she spits most of it out, gags and generally seems to not be enjoying herself.

Please, for the sake of my sanity, give me some honest, decent, advice on what I should be doing?

Either method is fine, or mix. As others have said, your baby, your choice. You can do blw and do some spoon feeding, we did this for things like yoghurt and dd didn't get confused at all

Purreeing is not wrong, it's unnessesary. At 6 months your baby can feed himself. I am all for the idea of blw. Weaning iis meant to get babies for milk to food. And in my opinion doesn't resemble food. Remember it doesn't matter if she does not eat anything, as long as your feeding her milk as well. It will be a gradual change over.

Purée is necessary if the baby prefers it- it is supposed to be baby led! It is hardly that if you ignore the baby!
I eat soup, yoghurt etc- I can't see why the baby has to miss them out- it should be just whatever suits you both. Relax- it really doesn't matter.

Be led by your baby- they are not all the same- some are happier with purée. Unless you know the particular baby you can't tell - there is no such thing as 'all' babies.

My DS used to refuse a spoon at 6m, he hated it and so I found it stressful. I found BLW much easier because it was up to him and he just got on with it. It did make more mess than purée then, but you just get geared up for it and make everything wipe clean! However now it's a different story; DS is 2 and doesn't make mess when he eats any more. At the end of a meal he just gets a face and had wipe and that's it. Some of my friends who were really into purée feeding are still helping their kids eat and have food all up the walls every night, I'm glad I got my mess out the way before they had too much strength and range!

I can't say it makes the slightest difference. Mine used both and they were doing it all by themselves at 2yrs anyway- it was no more messy with a spoon than without. Be led by the baby. If they don't like spoons and purée then don't give it to them!