Having started weaning at 4m what can I now start to give at 6m?

[emeraldgirl1]

Weaned DD at 4m on GP advice (reflux), it was a turning point after months of misery!

She loves her veg and fruit purée!

However she is now 6m and am unclear what to do next. The second stage weaning foods on sale all say 'from 7 months' so do I have to wait before moving her to second stage foods eg yogurt, well cooked egg, some gluten based stuff etc? Or can I start from 6m on given that she has had two months of basic first stage stuff?

She has no teeth yet so s obv quite limited in what I can give her anyway.

Thing is she has dreadful wind so am keen to get her to start saving something that snt just fruit and veg as I think they are quite a windy combo. She farts like a trooper (though I think that has got worse recently because we need to move up a teat size in her bottle).

Anyway does anyone know if it is ok to start a few second stage foods now or do I wit til she is 7m?

Thanks v much in advance! She is a very very hungry baby so am a bit desperate...

If she's 6 months, I think you can now give her anything you like, just with no salt. And avoid honey, apparently...

My DD2 is a hungry little monster and started on v basic purées about 5 months. By 6.5 months she was eating what the rest of the family was eating. I don't cook with salt as DH has high blood pressure anyway, so I just blend up leftovers.

She's now 9 months and doesn't need the blending.

Try Annabel Karmel's books, they have loads of good advice and recipes.

Try some 7 month stuff and see how she goes!

I would just go gently though. Baby cereal is good for breakfast too!

I got a nuby nibbler thing at that age too, it means I could give fruit and stuff in there and dc could do some self feeding too.

You can give anything except salt, honey and whole nuts.

Either mash up the food you are having, or give finger foods - well cooked veg sticks, soft fruit, toast, rice cakes, cheese etc.

Thank you everyone!

It's probably a dim question but re blending stuff up... If I have cooked, say, spaghetti Bol for me and H (with no salt!!) then what do I do... Just hand blend a portion to a mush and give it to her that way?

Good advice re soft sticks of veg etc, I think she would be wild with glee if I gave her a soft carrot stick!

I would love to try yogurt too, is plain unsweetened yogurt ok? I would rather give her that than those special children's yogurts (niece and nephew have them) as they look quite sugary for a little baby.

DoItTooJulia, oooh interesting, what is a nuby nibbler?

I wouldn't mush it completely, just to a rough mashed sort of texture.

I always gave DS plain greek yoghurt.

Thanks hettienne!

Have you felt how hard her gums are? Baby's can manage without teeth.

www.amazon.co.uk/Nûby-nuby-nibbler/dp/B004CR7SQQ

You can buy spare nets too. We really liked this!

MissStrawberry, god you're right, her gums are rock hard... Hadnt really thought about that! She has been nom nom noming with her gums on slightly thicker purées for a good few weeks now so I guess she will be ok with a few more soft lumps... Am hideously paranoid about choking though!!

Can she gum her way through a little bit of buttered toast for example? Even if it turns to mostly mush...? Just want her to get the idea of new foods and also hoping that adding something other than veg and fruit might ease the wind in her bottom!!!

Gumming buttered toast is fine!

toast, pasta, meat, yoghurts, etc are all ok now. You could use whole pasta shapes as finger food as well as fingers of toast, strips of cooked chicken, etc

My 5mo had a pizza crust tonight,her face lit up when she seen it then she gummed it to mush. I also gave her some stew and veg yesterday but it was about 10% meat and 90% carrot and sweet potato

Right, it's off to the supermarket with us tomorrow then to get a few new things for her...!

Anyone think cushioning the veg and fruit with other food groups might help ease up wind...?

I still remember being bitten by my baby's when they didn't have teeth!!

AK drives me nuts but her book was great for me to get started with what they can have when and different recipes to try. I have made the majority of her stuff so can advise on what doesn't work quite a few recipes.

Plain Greek yogurt is brilliant for babies, mine goes through a pot a week, and it's way cheaper than the little special ones. I sometimes add fruit purée. She like rice pudding (made by me) as well.

As for the choking, I was always told that a baby's gag reflex is much further forwards than an adults. So she will gag on something long before she chokes on it. Try fine fork mashing and see how she gets on. Gumming food is excellent practice

At 9 months, but still no teeth, my DD can eat pretty much anything she wants - she had gnocchi with bacon, peas, sweet corn and cheese sauce for tea tonight. Chicken casserole and dumplings for tomorrow.