Need help planning a routine

[eleanor1989]

Hi there. Long time lurker first time poster here. My son is 5 months 3 weeks and I have been feeding him solids for a few weeks now. I tend to give him his first bottle (240ml) around 9am and then at 11:30 ish he will have a bowl (70g or 100g packet of premade) veggies. He then has a bottle at 2,6 and 10 (although he usually goes bed around 8ish and wakes for his feed at 10. All bottles of milk are 240ml. I do attempt to give him water with his food but he will only takes a tiny bit as he isn't that keen.

So my question is, how do I create more of a routine with his meals. How do I add breakfast lunch and dinner around his bottles? I have looked at so many things online but I just can't get my head around it.

He quite happily would eat more than the bowl I give him so I know he would enjoy more meals, I just find it hard to be able to work out a routine.

Any help is appreciated!

Sounds like you have a perfect routine to me Eleanor

There is absolutely no rush to introduce more meals at this age, the current NHS guidelines say to move to 3 meals between 8 and 9 months.

If it were me, I'd try 2 meals a day at about 7 months.

Your day could look like this at 7 months:

8am bottle

9am breakfast

12 noon bottle

3pm bottle

4 pm dinner

7pm bottle

Don't worry about the water either, just keep putting the cup out when the food is there as as he reduces his milk feeds, he'll get the hang of drinking more water.

Thank you. I know they say every child is different but you read everyone else's experiences and you convince yourself that you are doing it wrong. Luckily he's not the biggest fan of fruit so I try and stick to veggies. He never liked the baby rice so didn't try again.

Does it matter if he has porridge for breakfast and veggies for dinner or am I ok with veggies for both?

Sorry if I sound a bit thick. First time mum and all that!

He can have veggies for both or not either is fine.

Once he's 6 months you can try adding a bit of finger food. It doesn't matter if he eats it or not because he'll still be filling up on milk. If you want to, you can always still give purée with finger food on the side.

If you want to give him him something different for dinner try, Banana-cado and if you feel a bit more adventurous Sweet Potato and Cauilflower Puree.

Some finger food you could try are smooth nut butter on white toast. Cheese on toast. Raw veg with hummus dip. Omelette or these Cheese Straws which will keep in an air tight container for a few days or you can freeze plus they are so simple, even I can make them

I have always given dd food at the adult mealtimes, made life so much easier. But we bf on demand so was much easier

Forgot to ask, have you read the MN Weaning Info?

I'd just give him bits of food when you eat.

I'm a nervous mum so finger foods scare me a little. I am keeping him away from meat just because I don't think a 6 month old (on Friday) really needs meat but I may be wrong.

I don't eat much in the day but we eat dinner quite late so can't really have him eat when we eat. That's why I find it a little hard work trying to get into a routine,although I know once I do my life will be easier.

The mumsnet guidelines was quite informative. I have loads of different information lying around from ella kitchen and cow and gate and hip etc etc. I think iv juat read so much that my minds made it a much bigger issue than what it actually is!

As you can tell I'm a bit of a worrier! I don't have any family where I live. And my partners always working. His family are a different culture and do these things differently to how my family would

I have loads of different information lying around from ella kitchen and cow and gate and hip etc etc. I think iv juat read so much that my minds made it a much bigger issue than what it actually is!

That's their aim - that way you'll give up and just buy jars/pouches at the "correct" stage!

Can understand you being worried but back when babies were started on solids at 16 weeks, or earlier, almost all would have been having finger foods by 6 months. Plus, it's just as easy to choke on purees.

If you are worried about choking, do you know what to do if baby does choke? Are there any paediatric first aid courses near to you?

As for not eating in the day much and eating later in the evening. Once mine were on 3 meals I ate whenthey ate and DH had his warmed up when he got home. Some people prefer to eat with their DH, if that's the case, it's fine

Exactly Apple.

It's funny because my mum told me that we used to have cereal in the bottles (which obviously they don't do anymore) but then thought it was too early for finger foods. I think this is why I'm a little worried.

It is a fear of him choking you're right. I'm quite an anxious person so I'm always worrying about the worst. I have had a look for courses localy previously but couldn't find anything. I wouldn't have the tme to attend classes as I have no form of child care and my partner works 6 days a week and doesn't normally come home till 9pm.

All the suggestions and help is really appreciated. I think I need to just relax and stop over complicating things. I had a terrible pregnancy and im recently just coming out the other end of postnatal depression so I'm only now really begining to feel like a proper mum. Just want to do things as best as I can. I guess you dont learn unless you make mistakes though!

Also really sorry but for some reason when I post all my paragraphs are juat turning into one long paragraph. Not sure why

No, I'm not sure why either

Really sorry to hear that you had a bad pg and Post Natal Illness too. Have you got any support for that, like from this charity? There a PNI group that meets near me once a month run by another charity, is there anything like that near to you?

Next, I think you need to stop listening to your Mum. I know you probably rely on her for support but putting cereal in bottles is a serious choking hazard and I don't know anyone who thought it was ok in the 80s, never mind now.

Plus, there has been a lot of research into feeding infants since she had you, which is mainly why the new guidelines were introduced on introducing solids about 14 years ago.

And, her memory won't be all that good on when she started you on finger foods. Unless she has a photographic memory that is

As for the choking, if you are nervous it is probably best to look at first aid. Have a look at this from the Red Cross. Have you had a look to see if there are any courses in the evening or if there are any where you could take baby along? You local NCT might run First Aid Courses. They might also run Weaning courses.

The Baby Led Weaning site has sone good information on choking and first aid called The Gagging v The Choking Thing.

Sorry if you didn't know that they can choke on purees, didn't want to add to your worries.

I bought the 'Weaning made easy' book as, like you, found all the information so confusing and just wanted a plan. This book had info on both baby led and traditional weaning and a week by week guide for food and bottle routines based on age which I found invaluable. Also had a huge fear of choking as my daughter didn't get her first tooth until she was 11 months... so I stuck on some of the earlier routines for longer than the book suggested purely because I felt more comfortable that way.

Just to say, if you want to stick with smooth foods that's fine but having no or few teeth doesn't mean you can't give finger foods. Plus chewing is good for muscle development and helps speech and mouth formation. Not having a go Perky, just don't want anyone reading the thread to think that they can't give finger foods if baby doesn't have teeth

My DS was weaned on purees and then purees and finger foods. DD was weaned lat 23 weeks and was on roast dinners by 26 weeks. I just used low salt gravy, didn't add salt to the food and plonked it on her high chair tray. She picked some of it up and mushed it in her hair ate it. She was fine and it's so much easier than purees

My DD is 5 months and I've started weaning (I do appreciate the guidance is 6 months but we have followed the same routine as with our eldest). Our routine is as follows:

6am: 8oz bottle
8am: Porridge with a bit of pureed fruit
10am: 8oz bottle
12 noon: Pureed veggies (small amount)
2pm: 8oz bottle
4pm: Pureed veggies (again, small amount)
7pm: 8oz bottle

She will then sleep from 7.30pm - 6am.

We're really just giving her a taste at this stage, with no gluten, dairy or meat until 6 months. I was tempted by BLW, but I'm due back at work soon, so wanted to ensure she is comfortable with spoon feeding prior to starting nursery. I will probably try her with some pieces of banana and broccoli/cauli florets soon, although will make sure my DH is around for that, for support, as my anxiety will probably be through the roof 😁

Really sorry but i dont know how to add peoples names on here.

My eldest sibling is 35 so it could have been other siblings she was referring to. I haven't had any help for my pnd, just trying to get through it myself. Have had previous help with depression so I have just tried to remember that to help me. His colic has passed so that has helped alot! I will have a look at the red cross first aid stuff. I have done first aid before but was a long time ago now!

So glad I'm not the only anxious mum! My partner isn't here when I do his feeds and the first time I fed him pureed veg I had to psych myself up first! He took to puree really quick though I was suprised. Now he enjoys blowing bubbles after the food goes in his mouth .... lovely!!

If you do feel like you need more support with the PNI, don't worry about talking to the helpline, it's staffed by women just like you

And of course you're not the only anxious Mum but it does get easier, promise

Thank you was so worried that this thread would just be ignored but you've all been very helpful. Its nice to know there's other people in the same boat and how they made their routines. I have bought him some porridge today and think I will try him with breakfast and dinner tomorrow and see how it goes !

If you're buying baby cereal, next time look at Ready Brek and Oatibix. Both are much cheaper than cereals marketed for babies. Did you know you can add mashed banana or a bit of fruit purée to the cereal for a bit of variety?

Iv tried him with mushed banana a few times and he's not a big fan at all. I stupidly presumed the baby porridge would have less salt sugar etc than reddy break. I didn't actually check though. Next time I will. Thank you for the heads up

I fell for it too until someone at baby group told me