Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Weaning help needed

16 replies

Jacobsmummy13 · 19/08/2015 16:57

I really dont understand weaning. After talking to HV we decided to start very basic weaning at 4 and a half months. He started on a tiny amount of baby rice once a day. Anyway.. He is now nearly 6 months old and he has 8oz of milk first thing when he wakes, then some porridge at about 11 am. Then he has his bottles again and he has a jar of food (which he loves) at about 3/4 pm then bottles until bedtime. I just don't know if i am doing it right. He is very happy and content but i just worry i am over feeding or under feeding him? I looked online.. One woman said her 5 month old had something like one spoon of baby rice a day with bottles another said theirs has 5 jars a day?! So that was no help. Im totally confused. I don't want people to moan at me about feeding him from 4 months because it started off very basic. He is a very big lad so was definitely ready for it. I just need help getting into a routine of some sort? How much food, how often, bottles with less milk or same amount?? Please help! Thank you!

OP posts:
FungusTheBogeymam · 19/08/2015 17:00

If he's happy and content, then you aren't doing much wrong. Other than comparing you and your baby to other mums and their babies! What's right for them isn't necessarily right for you.

Go with what you feel is right. He'll tell you when he's ready for something else.

Original poster
Jacobsmummy13 · 19/08/2015 17:03

Oh im not comparing, just after advice. Every baby is different after all, i realise that. The whole weaning process just totally confuses me! Thank you though!

OP posts:
barmybunting · 19/08/2015 17:14

We are mainly letting her feed herself finger foods, but from 6 months DD had breakfast and her usual bottles/breastfeeds, we added lunch at about 7 months and found she naturally reduced the amount of milk she had. She started having dinner with us at about 7 1/2 months but still has little at that time of day as she is tired (she is now 9 months). I think at this stage it is just about letting them get used to food and guide their own intake. I do find it more confusing now I have stopped breastfeeding, but I think she would have had about 5 bottles of 6/7oz a day at 6 months, it is now 3 bottles of 6/7oz a day with 3 meals but her intake of food really varies day to day.

barmybunting · 19/08/2015 17:51

We are mainly letting her feed herself finger foods, but from 6 months DD had breakfast and her usual bottles/breastfeeds, we added lunch at about 7 months and found she naturally reduced the amount of milk she had. She started having dinner with us at about 7 1/2 months but still has little at that time of day as she is tired (she is now 9 months). I think at this stage it is just about letting them get used to food and guide their own intake. I do find it more confusing now I have stopped breastfeeding, but I think she would have had about 5 bottles of 6/7oz a day at 6 months, it is now 3 bottles of 6/7oz a day with 3 meals but her intake of food really varies day to day.

CultureSucksDownWords · 19/08/2015 20:20

The NHS pages on weaning are very clear and helpful, as is the section here on Mumsnet about weaning. I would say they're both worth a read.

My aim with weaning was to explore a wide variety of tastes and textures in the early days moving to 3 meals a day by around 8 to 9 months. There's no rush to increase volumes of solids, just be led by your baby with the aim of allowing them to eat to their appetite. By 12 months the aim is to be eating family foods, not puréed or mashed if you did spoon feeding. Milk feeds should drop naturally as solids increase, again no rush to drop milk feeds.

Singsongsung · 19/08/2015 20:22

I suggest getting a book. We followed Gina Ford Contented Baby Book of Weaning with both our daughters and the process was very easy. We now have two fantastic eaters.

CultureSucksDownWords · 19/08/2015 20:43

Before you buy a book, I would borrow a selection from your library and see which appeals to you the most.

squizita · 20/08/2015 10:08

Food is fun till one!

Agree with PP ... borrow some books from the library for ideas.
Don't worry about some babies eating more or less ... Most only start at 6 months.
Grin

My only tip would be after 6 months you can give normal food mashed or as finger food (no salt, no honey, cut grapes in half, no whole nuts) to increase the variety of tastes and textures.
That's why quantities are less important ... The aim is to eventually have a child who eats a normal range of food, which means nibbles and experiment rather than shovelling in as much of one or two favourites as possible to get them 'off milk'.

squizita · 20/08/2015 10:11

...I used Annabel Karmel for recipes and a very rough time line. Also BLW and Ellas Kitchen recipe books.
But tbh we mostly do as the nhs leaflet says and chop up our own dinner for dd - then only add salt to the adult plates not hers. Less waste.

I give haliborange vitamin drops too.

Singsongsung · 20/08/2015 11:36

I don't agree with the "food is fun til 1" philosophy at all to be honest.

Original poster
Jacobsmummy13 · 20/08/2015 13:15

Thanks everyone. Im going round the library now to see what books there are. Great advice!!
Like i say hes 6 months almost. It doesnt help that i am such a fussy eater myself, i dont have alot of things that i can try him with. Thats why we use the jars because they do such a wide range. He literally likes everything! He always wants more but im sure he would eat forever. He still has the same amount in his bottles, that hasnt reduced, i dont know if it should have. I dont want him to end up like me, i want him to like all fruit and.veg etc. Hopefully a few books will help me try and put more of a routine together.
Can i ask aswell.. When can they have dairy stuff? Normal milk rather than baby milk and yogurts, cheese etc.

OP posts:
CultureSucksDownWords · 20/08/2015 13:23

Dairy from 6 months, so cows milk on cereal/in porridge is fine, just not as a main drink.

You don't have drop any milk feeds at all yet, just follow his lead and they will drop naturally as he gets towards 12 months.

If you want him to eat fruit and veg, offer a wide variety of fresh fruit and veg now and keep offering them. It will help if you eat with him and model it for him.

Well steamed batons of veg, trees of broccoli, green beans etc are all good finger foods. The more he can handle and explore fresh food the better.

hannah0608 · 20/08/2015 13:26

The baby weaning books will give you more advice on milk and dairy. We did natural greek yogurt with fruit puree and some cheddar, but did formula till 9 months in cooking when we then moved over to blue top milk. Take your ques from your son, if he wants more you can offer it up and see how much he takes. My son is quite large so quickly went up to three meals a day at 6 months, we were advised to wean early due to reflux which I think helped him go to three meals faster.

CultureSucksDownWords · 20/08/2015 13:40

I agree with following your baby's cues. Go at his pace and let him learn to follow his appetite and you won't go far wrong.

squizita · 21/08/2015 08:33

Oh also as I discovered this week if they're ill or rotten with teething they may regress for a few days. Hardly touch food, crave milk.

They haven't forgotten how to eat (yes I panicked about this) they just feel rough.

Original poster
Jacobsmummy13 · 26/08/2015 08:26

thanks everyone. great advice, glad i joined this site now!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread