I think I'm making a mess of this... DD2

[feelinginthedark]

DD1 turned 6 months last week when I started purees and some finger food. She is otherwise EBF, one bottle of EBM a day, and was happy out. She has turned into the most miserable baby! Screamingly hungry before feeds, cranky during breastfeeding, very constipated (three v hard poos today and really uncomfortable), naps all gone wrong and horrifically overtired in the evenings as a result . She has had so far carrot, sweet potato, banana (which I think has made her constipated), apple, pear, baby oat cereal. I'm going to give her some spinach tomorrow and more pear for the poos.

She has been having breastfeed at 7, 11, 3 and 6.30ish then once overnight; milk before solids at 11am, and solids at 5pm. Any advice on timings / what to give her? I feel totally at sea! Weaning DD1 was not this hard and I have noooo time !!!! Thanks in advance!

Sorry meant DD2 at the beginning - a bit exhausted and confused!!

Keep her milk feeds as they were and introduce Baby Led Weaning when you are eating. No need for purées or screaming. At 6 months she can have pretty much anything pregnant ladies can have, just keep an eye on the salt and sugar. No honey til she's 1. As she gets the hang of eating, then reduce milk slowly. BLW babies might take a little longer to get the hang of eating, and take longer to start having whole meals, but BLW is so easy for everyone.

Baby Led Weaning

Feeding,

You only started weaning last week?

If so then unfortunately this is perfectly normal for the transistion period from milk to solids.

It takes a while for their bodies to cope with the adjustments.

That said, if it's only been a week that's a whole heap of different foods to introduce.

When I weaned all three of my dc, I only introduced food at lunch time after their naps. This gave them until bed time to digest before bed and this giving us time to comfort and observe in case of a bad reaction.

I also did the three day thing, when you introduce a food for three days before introducing another...annabel karmel method

2 'meals' of solid food only 1 week into weaning seems a lot! In just a week you have introduced several new tastes. Personally I think you're going a bit fast. 1-2 tastes for a couple of weeks, checking her reaction to things before trying another taste seems like a better way to me

Another vote for baby led weaning. Essentially she'll eat miniscule amounts at first but of anything and everything. It requires no planning or prep really. Just quite a lot of clearing up.
The methods of waiting 3 days between new foods etc seem more relevant if you have history of allergies or are weaning very young.

Just give her whatever DD1 has for food (and you) and let her wean herself with BLW.

She can have anything except honey and whole nuts.

She'll take it at her own pace then, no need to purée anything either. A bit of constipation isn't unusual. Ella's make prune purée which is handy if needed.

Incredibly helpful all, thanks so much. I have had a sense of trying to get the weaning stage 'over with' so rushed it. She woke twice last night for the first time in ages as barely fed milk wise at bedtime, so I'm going to stop teatime solids for a while til she feels better

You're offering a lot of set.u & veg but they're not very calorific. Maybe try some pasta or spaghetti or sticky rice. Hope the constipation eases off.

Yes agree with the above, there's no rush, dd is 8 months today so we've been at this 8weeks or so and still not reliably on 3 meals a day. We started totally blw but now some purses mixed in as phasing back into work and childcare not comfortable with blw.

The fussiness/tummy trouble all v normal at this stage. I would slow it down and just offer a little of what you're having as finger food (or blended if you aren't comfortable) as long as no salt, added sugar or honey x

Dd loves to feed herself banana, a lot of it still ends up on the floor or mushed into her lap though! Broccoli and salmon is a big hit too along with steamed butternut squash and sweet potato 'chips'

Following.

I did blw with my first but also feeling at sea this time around! As everything has to fit around dd1's routine with preschool runs, and baby naps and milk.

I'm doing blw but finding it more stressful this time, I can't always provide a meal at the best time, so she always seems to be too hungry or tired! Plus this one loves her food and gets very upset and frustrated if she drops it, and she just thumps the tray, whereas my first was much more dexterous at this stage and happy to experiment with food and was a model blw-er. I'm determined to stick with blw but admit that if she's on my lap I will hold a piece of meat / a banana / whatever so she doesn't drop it and get upset! Then she can just suck away on it. But it's all really hit and miss at the moment.

Sorry, posted too soon.
What I meant to post is that you have to find what works for your child & family when it comes to weaning as sides is no 1 size fits all. Personally I did BLW with my 2 & they were offered the same food we were eating (just in larger chunks) for all meals they were awake which was usually all 3. But listen to your child & follow what they want. 6 months is just a starting point no need to rush. Much more important to instill a love & enjoyment for meal times. Good luck

Coastingit I swear your post exactly describes my son! DD1 took to BLW straight away but my son becomes inconsolable if he drops anything! So hard to get the timing of giving food right. I want to give him some when we eat but he's either asleep, too tired or due for a feed/just been fed! Determined to stick with it as BLW so much easier but worried he's going to be crying at every meal time! Anyone else gone through this and come out the other side? Please say there is!