Am I being too haphazard about this?

[mummyrunnerbean]

DS will be six months this weekend. A couple of weeks ago, he swiped some toast crusts off my plate and as he seemed so pleased with himself I let him keep them. They mostly ended up mushed all over him but he swallowed some and seemed to enjoy.

Since then most days I've offered him a grabbable bit of whatever I've been having for lunch (I'm coeliac so all gf) - similarly mostly all over him but occasional swallows. Yesterday I went out for the day and he unexpectedly refused all bottles (formula and expressed - he's normally ebf but has had bottles before with no issues), so his dad gave him cucumber sticks to tide him over which he loved. Today I gave him some more cucumber, and a couple of bits of pasta off my plate. I also perused the baby food aisle at the supermarket today and got some bits to try.

I was talking to a friend though whose DD is the same age and she seemed to think I was being ridiculously haphazard. She says we need to pick BLW or purées, as mixing is bad (why??) and I should be following a weaning plan. I don't know- am I? I'm going mostly on instinct with what I think he'll manage - avoiding dairy and gluten and anything too processed but otherwise not stressing too much. Aiming to mostly feed him homemade things but thought trying a few ready made bits wouldn't do him any harm, in case he likes them. Sorry this is ridiculously long- she just left me feeling I'm not being 'pfb' enough, for want of a better way of putting it, and a bit . My mother is also making me doubt myself as she's very concerned that I'm letting him have 'real' food- but I thought that was fine and part of the whole BLW thing?

Just argh- having a bit of a paddy that I'm being too lax - do I need to have more of a plan?

What you are doing sounds perfect to me. My philosophy on weaning is 'cook healthy food and let them share what you eat' anyway.

We had a very haphazard approach to weaning, didn't follow any particular method or book, just gave her bits of whatever we were eating. It took DD a long time to take to solids and I sometimes worry that it was because of my weaning approach, but actually I think she was just a milk monster and it would have been difficult regardless. I have friends who've followed Annabel Karmel to the letter and their babies don't eat any better or worse then mine now (at 14 months).

Ps real food is good! If you wait until 6 months to wean then there's no need to give purées. Babies were historically given purées as they were weaned at 3-4 months and couldn't handle 'real' solid food. Try 'the baby led weaning cookbook', it's got some good advice.

Your doing well, I read once that apparently if you do BLW and then do purees etc it isn't baby led weaning as 'baby led' means only baby led and nothing else, i got so confused.

I then said stuff it and did what I wanted, I tried purees but quickly introduced texture and lumps, I also tried various things on his tray, cheese, carrot, celery, toast, porridge fingers, plums, apples, Satsumas, bananas etc and just made it up as I went along. It has worked well and people comment on what a good eater my toddler is.

My main advice is just be relaxed around food with them, if they eat, they eat, if not don't worry, milk is all they need until they are one. I attended a free baby first aid course at my local sure start centre and it was brilliant, helped with the chocking worry, get yourself on one if you can.

What you are doing sounds fab. That is exactly what your baby needs, a relaxed approach to food.

I thought I'd do a combo of purees and finger food but the concept didn't work for me so I've ended up going down the BLW route. But I know plenty of mums who have done both, or one or the other.
I will say that ones who stuck to purees only have had problems later on getting their baby to eat normally. I was a bit to see a friend spoon feed a purée from a pouch after the age of 1.

Nope. What you're doing sounds ideal to me. Keeping it nice and relaxed and letting him choose what HE wants to eat and when. I have a bit of a phobia of watching babies being fed from a spoon with someone hassling them to EAT IT ALL UP etc. I figure I eat what I want, when I fancy it and would hate it if someone was standing over me, with a meal plan getting me to eat certain things at certain times etc etc so I don't do that to my kids!

I did a mix of both, I liked to give purrees as I knew ds had eaten something and would give finger foods for him to try. He is 13 months now and doesn't have the purrees anymore as I know he is eating enough himself.

Sounds great.

I'm completely baffled as to why anyone follows weaning plans and does endless special purees, freezing them in special containers etc. all that seems to be an entirely unnecessary waste of valuable time tbh. Why wouldn't you just wait until they're allowed everything at 6 months and then just give them what you have?

This is what I've done with both of mine. They just have what we have. Mostly as finger food, but sometimes I'll puree it up. If we're out I'll often give an Ella's Kitchen as it reduces the mess on the floor and is just easy! The first couple of weeks of weaning I guess I just stuck to mostly fruit and veg, but quickly moved onto everything.

Thanks all! Made me feel a lot more confident :). Today he had some broccoli and potato which seemed to go down well but then caused a poonami in the middle of rhyme time . But yes thanks for the general thumbs-upping!

I was big on blw and just recently when dd had a heavy cold and was off her food bought a few jars (10mo). She really enjoyed them and it made me feel relieved that I have a backup in case of emergency.

Another thing I'd say is don't feel the need to build up to 3 meals too quickly. Dd ate really well from the beginning, but wasn't on 3 meals a day until 8/9 months as it suddenly makes the day more complicated.