Feel like I'm making a mess of weaning my DD

[SueSueMcGrew]

Help!

My daughter has just turned six months. She has been taking her "first tastes" once a day since she was just over 5 months and has done really well with them. Really seems to enjoy her food.

I'll hold my hands up - I had previously been using the Ella's Kitchen pouches exclusively. DD liked them and was having no adverse reactions to them. Then I found out (from HV) that the pouches aren't actually designed for everyday use. I was horrified and have since started to make my own food. I bought Annabel Karmel's books and haven't looked back. I'm really enjoying it!

Now that DD is 6 months I want to start moving her on to more than just fruit and veg purees. I also want to start to give her breakfast and lunch now (currently she only has one meal a day and formula for the rest of her meals).

Problem is, the food I am making seems a bit stodgier than the pouches (a lot of root veg such as sweet potato and carrot). DD is wolfing them down, and she's now quite constipated (her poos are solid and she now goes about 3 times a day, but it's a struggle each time). She did not have this problem with the pouches. I'm worried she is maybe eating too much - I keep reading that they should only take a few tablespoons of solid food but she seems to be eating big portions.

Also, I have absolutely no idea how to fit in her formula feeds during the day. Annabel Karmel suggests meals then milk, but by the time she's finished wolfing down her solid food she isn't remotely interested in taking her milk. If I try it the other way round, she will only take a couple of mouthfuls of solid food. Should her formula intake be reducing at this stage?? I'm so confused.

I just feel like I am making an utter mess of this. I'm desperate to establish a good routine with her and I just have no idea how.

Can only type short reply at min as on phone
re stodge
try pear or butternut squash with root veg, both of these are v "watery" IMexperience.
Weaning isnt easy on a first time mum, lots of nervous moments

Milk then food an hour later. The milk is still her main source of nutrition for some time yet so she should fill up on that and practice eating food when she's not starving. Now she's turned six months there's nothing stopping you putting some unpureed bits on her tray to play with too. Well cooked carrot sticks, broccoli, toast, mashed potato, bolognese (if you're brave).

Give her a sippy cup of water too to practice with.

Don't drop the formula til she does it herself. Its not always very fast.

Thanks cant - pear is a favourite but I hadn't thought to mix it with her root veg. I will give that a try tomorrow!

Thank you rat that's really helpful. So basically keeping up her four-hourly formula routine, with meals one hour after her bottle. I guess that way she'll eat less solid food which might then ease up her tummy issues.

I gave her a sippy cup today for the first time. She actually did amazingly well with it once we had shown her what to do. Will definitely be persevering with that.

It's a minefield tbh. I feel the advise out there is so contradictory sometimes!

Yes that's it. The main things you need to remember between six and twelve months are

Food is for fun until they're one (corny but true)
Milk is nutritionally more important
No honey
Low salt

Er, that's it. Everything else is made up rules. You can feed her anything you like, in any form she consents to take it. Spoons, no spoons, fingers, puree, lumps, full roast dinner, its all OK. You offer the food, she sets the pace. Some days she will eat loads, the next day nothing. That's fine too. The milk is what fills them up and when she's consistently eating a good amount she will become less interested in the bottle and you know if ts time to drop a feed.

Which could be at seven months or ten. That's all fine too. It's not a race.

rat you're a star. Thank you. You've just completely simplified everything for me and it makes much more sense now.

Another quick question if you don't mind - if for example I steam her carrot sticks and broccoli florets tomorrow, would she not choke on them? will she chew? Perhaps a daft question, I know I guess it's ok if I make them really soft?

She'll be fine, May not actually eat much but it's about letting her try at this stage. Relax and have fun. The books do unnecessarily complicate things imo. Hope it goes well.

. read this it explains everything.

Don't worry about choking, if she gets any in her mouth on the first attempt she's doing very well. Yes do cook it well to start with, make the pieces big enough to grasp in her fist and just let her experiment with it all.

if she's constipated I find mashed avocado with kiwi mixed in works a treat!