Health visitors anti purees

[Mrschn0804]

I went to weaning talk by our health visitors and they were so pro baby led weaning andso anti purée I was really surprised. Their argument seemed to be that purée weaned babies are later fussy about lumps.
I wondered whether anyone here had had problems getting a baby who has started on purees onto normal textured food? I like the idea of blw but had initially thought of doing a purée and finger food combo. But am now dithering because they were so pro exclusive blw.

I think most of our generation were brought up on purees and we all happily eat lumps now.
My 3 children have had a mixture of both and they are all fine. Just do what works for you.

I think if you wait until the baby is properly ready, then the only smooth foods you need to offer are naturally smooth foods like yoghurt and soup.
You can still spoon feed regular food mashed a bit, give plenty of finger food or do 'proper' BLW just with regular food and pre loaded spoons.

I only did purée with DD who was weaned when the recommendation was 16 weeks. I felt pressurised by the HV and uncomfortable about the whole experience, particularly as DD started refusing milk. She went through a phase of spitting out all lumps but I only offered finger food for a week and then she started eating lumps.

I think a lot of pre-made foods are nowhere near lumpy enough. When I looked after DN she had a packet of stuff and a pouch, both where for 7 months plus but the consistency of the purees I made for DD at 4 months.

Every baby is different. a mother knows her child best go with what works well for you both.

I used pureed food until 7 months and have now started giving more lumpy foods and finger foods as this is what i felt more comfortable doing.

There's been no problem but what works for us wont work for someone else and vice versa.

Like magicalmrmistofelees l also have a baby who wouldn't take puree off a spoon and insisted on having the food to handle himself (glad to know he's not the only one!) so I turned to BLW when we needed a plan B. At 7 months he is very enthusiastic (though insanely messy) about his food, and remains a healthy 50th percentile baby. However, I am pretty much hiding from our HV who is sniffy about BLW and promotes the traditional approach. So, OP, if you lived here your HV would be DIScouraging you from doing BLW! I think that goes to show that there is no right or wrong in what can seem a pretty polarised debate, there is just what works for you and your baby.

DS2 started on smooth food but within a couple of weeks moved onto mashed food and then finger foods - haven't had any issues.

DS1 started off on finger foods and then had mashed/spoonfed too and again no issues.

I've never met a 15 year old who can't eat a bag of crisps...

roxanne please stop spamming the weaning threads with your blatant and unpaid for advertising!!

A mixture of purées and finger foods is fine. I weaned both of mine that way and they were both eating everything we were by 12 months

I used to avoid my hv for this exact reason, its great to have more options now with blw so recognised, why take the other option away tho?

I had no problems introducing lumps ds was about 10 months when I just started cutting small rather than mashing.
He had puree, then less thoroughly pureed, then mashed, then cut small. All along finger foods too, I just never counted fish pie and roast dinners as a finger food.
I think the problems are when people don't move on from purees, but home made food is easier to customise.

I did BLW and now have a fussy baby who doesn't like to be spoon fed or have purées from a spoon

Wow goes to show the difference between HVs. I did "BLW" as DS refused to eat off a spoon. My HV was horrified.

DS was weaned using puréed food and finger foods. He eats anything now (Aged 2.8) and had no issues with moving on to lumpier foods. I started with homemade puréed food but when I went to work this proved impossible- have you ever found yourself at 1am chopping carrots?! . Pouches and jars saved my sanity and I don't think they have done my DS any harm.

I was weaned on purées at 3 months as was the recommendation back then, and according to my mum I hated 'lumpy' food all through my childhood. I'm still a bit lump -averse - I prefer the texture of smooth yoghurt to ones with bits, although I no longer fling them on the floor if I don't like them

I weaned dd (20 months) using blw because it sounded easier and the theory behind it made sense to me. She is a pretty good eater for a toddler and eats all different textures of food.