Mashing rather than pureeing ok for 25 week old?

[Gingerbreadpixie]

I'm just starting to wean DS1 at 25 weeks. I don't have a hand blender, is it ok to mash his fruit/veg with a fork until very mushy? I'll add formula to make it smoother. But it doesn't have to be completely smooth at his age does it? Some small, soft lumps are ok?

Just wanted to check

Have you heard of baby led weaning? You give them food as it comes, without mashing or pureeing (with sensible exceptions such as no whole nuts, no hard veg to begin with), and they feed themselves. So at 25 weeks it would be fine to give mashed food. You could even try giving it as it comes and see what he makes of it!

Yes, I've been thinking about going down the BLW route actually. I offered DS mashed (lumpy) carrot on my finger earlier. He was fine with it. Grabbed my finger to get at it! I think I might bake some sweet potato chips tomorrow and see how he gets on. Any rules on the size of the food offered?

It's a good idea to do batons of things like carrot, courgette etc. long enough that there is some left sticking out when held in a baby fist. I found steamed veg was a good starting point, plus things like sweet potato wedges etc. Broccoli trees always work well. Things like spaghetti and noodles are fun to try as well.

Round fruit like grapes I would cut in half, and I wouldn't give raw apple, carrot or anything hard at all until there are lots of teeth and biting/chewing has been figured out.

Mashed foods or soft finger foods are both fine.

My dds favourite thing to feed herself with is sticks of cucumber, the soft inside bit, great for soothing gums too

I didn't buy a blender- just hand mashed a few meals and then started giving the food whole.