Steriising and carrying food around

[Watford]

Have just started weaning the little monkey at 19 weeks. I am still sterilising the spoons and the cup to feed her with. I need to know what do I do if I want to feed her outside of the house. Do I need to sterilise everything first and then put some pureed food into the container and carry it around? What about the spoon? How long do these things stay sterile for? Do I still need to bother with all this sterilising of equipment? Practical advice please on feeding on the move

i have a plastic zippy bag, originally a seethru plastic make up bag that can be washed. i keep sterile spoon in this. its not completely sterile itself but if has been dettol'd and cleaned fine for baby - i hope!! no illness as yet.............. you could use a hard plastic toothbrush box = sterilisable??

I'm in the process of weaning no3. I haven't bothered sterilising any of the feeding equipment (except milk bottles) It's more important if you are storing food but a few hours while out is fine. We don't sterilise toys and they go in their mouths.
Good Luck I hate the weaning stage, what a faff!

Wrap the spoon in cling film. I must admit I used jars when out and about with dd1. You can buy insulated cool bags which keep everything fresh for about 4 hrs so you can put the spoon and cup in there.

But 19 weeks is very young to be weaning...

19 weeks is fine to start weaning.When the government say 6 months it's only a guideline.

I weaned dd1 at around 20 wks but in hindsight wish I'd waited. But that was the guidlines at the time. Dd2 was weaned at 6.5 mo and ds hasn't started yet at 5 mo.

But hey, what do I know?

it is a bit of a minefield when they're so small though. i used to worry about germs and things but I suppose its all boosting the immune system! I used to freeze fruit puree in ice cubes, put an ice cube or two still frozen into the pot and by the time i got to lunchtime voila! fruit puree that has chilled itself. But perhaps another MNer will tell me that is unsanitary?

I know 19 weeks sounds young and I would have liked to have waited but she is eating me every couple of hours now and the fact she has taken to the food really well - cries if I try to stop feeding her the purees after a couple of spoonfuls - seems to indicate she is ready for it. Anyway I just want to make it all as simple as possible and be able to get out and about without worrying about having sterile spoons etc.

I get really freaked at the thought of freezing and thawing stuff, even now I'm on my third. I felt much better using jars (Organix, naturally!) but really don't feel you can be too careful over the food itself. Re the spoons etc I think you can be more relaxed.

Watford, take no notice of me

I know this is a bit of the track or thread but any thoughts on how I might persuade her that a cup is a really good thing to drink from. She won't take bottles any more so just feeding from me.

I would generally agree about the freezing/thawing thing - I only meant with pure fruit...... Still bad??
On subject of cup try a free-flow tommee tippee- worked pretty well as they can learn to drink from them easily once they can grasp. But it is a long journey from sips of water to drinking all milk from a cup - and one I can't seem to manage with dd!!

ilovedolly, I'm sure what you were doing was fine, I'm just paranoid!

Don't worry about 19 weeks being early. My nephew was the same way. He's now 25 weeks and eats more than my 15 month old. My nephew is very slender but grew 8 inches in 4 months. Guidlines are guidlines, but babies are individuals and should be treated as such.

oh well she didn't die

Hi Watford,
Depending on where you are going you could ask for a cup of hot water and dip the spoon in it if it makes you feel better. I'm sure though after a few trips you'll have relaxed.

I bought all sorts of equipement when my DD first weaned, I was determined to take my own food when out. Its was just SUCH a hassle and I decided that any benefit I thought she'd get from eating my food was going to be negated by the fact I couldn't confidently tell if it was travelling well and if it was safe to eat.
I now use jars - but to ease my conscience, they are organic and its not as if we going out every day. maybe one or two meals a week. she's always eaten them cold so that solves another problem.

good for you for being confident that 19 wks is right for your baby. i waited to 26 wks and it was awful. feeding every 1 1/2 all day every day, sleepless nights and has taken months to get back to normal !

Hi Watford

I have been weaning my ds since 20 weeks, he too seemed ready, watching me eat, trying grab nannies food etc so i went ahead with it. He is 25 weeks now and he has taken to it really well and never refused anything I have given him, and still finished it all and seems to look for more! As for the cup thing, he would also only ever drink from me, and water was a swear word as far as he was concerned. Bought a Tommee Tippee cup last week and put cooled boiled water with a miniscule bit of Apple Juice in it then gave it to ds. He thought it was great and immediately held onto it and put it in his mouth scraping his gums against it so it squeeked. He has also just learned that shaking things is great fun (invariably they rattle or make some noise) so he shakes the cup too. Just kept offering it every meal time, and eventually he realised that it had something in it whilst shaking it in his mouth, over the last week he's discovered that if he sucks water comes out - so really just left him to play with it! Still early days and most of the water he takes in comes out again, but he's learning that if he takes little sips rather than big gulps as he does on the boob he can swallow it!
Must say you are brave going out over lunch time, as yet have not done this as couldn't really figure out the logistics of it all - so thanks for posting this thread!
.

OMG what a ball ache!!

wait til he's 6 months instead, then you can do BLW. then you won't have spoons and crap to cart around. you'd just get him a sandwich or take a banana with you. why faff?