What and when?

[123456kent]

Sorry that this question has probably been asked many times on here. But I’m here to ask again!
My breast fed bottle refusing baby is 20 weeks (nearly 5 months). Not showing any obvious signs of needing food so I won’t be doing it yet but obviously it’s on my radar. She’s a girl, on 50th centile, not a ‘hungry baby’ just feeds quite averagely I suppose.
I’m confused that everyone on here seems to be talking to their health visitors about things - I haven’t seen mine for months?
A few questions:
What age did you give first food?
What was it? And did they enjoy it?
What time of day was it and when in relation to a milk feed?
Thank you!

My baby is a similar age so unfortunately I can’t help there, but following with interest... I also find it pretty confusing.

Have you checked whether your local Children’s Centre does any introductions to weaning? Mine does and I’m planning on going at some point soon to find out more...

Mine was ff but I waiting till his 6 month birthday. We gave him carrot purée at lunchtime. He seemed more bemused by it than anything else!

I bought the Annabel Karmel weaning book and followed the meal plan loosely. She also does a baby led waning book too which I got as we did a mixture of purées and BLW. LO is a year now and not a bad eater

I can’t remember when he was having milk back then but I the meal plan in the book did mention when to give food in relation to milk. (I like to follow a plan and that one seemed to suit us, but I’m sure there are many others out there!)

Six months, we gave banana and mashed sweet potato. About an hour after the morning feed so hungry but not starving.

I did an NCT weaning course, but it was a while ago, and it was quite useful but it’s good to know what people ACTUALLY do rather than what they say to do.
I need to get the AK book, heard good things!
Is that banana and sweet potato together? Or separately? And just mashed up on it’s own? No milk of any kind added?

We weaned at 5 months. Started with carrot purée at lunchtime. He took to it very quickly and by 6 months was on 3 meals a day of mashed foods plus some finger foods. To be fair, Nursery did a lot of the hard work for us with preparing lovely homemade food and I relied a lot on pouches for the first couple of months until he was eating large enough quantities to make it worthwhile cooking!

@123456kent we offered a banana with the top half peeled, they just smushed it into their mouth.

Sweet potato was mashed but way more towards the crushed end than puréed. Have purposely given no purées at all. We added some full fat milk to make the mash a bit creamier, and do this every time they have any sort of potato now to increase the milk they're having in a day. Also now add a bit of grated cheese for protein/taste.

I have a bf bottle refuser. Tried him at 5 months with puree - wasn't interested. Tried again at 6 months - quite happy to give it a go. Started him on single mashed or pureed veg / fruit (yes I know blw is best but I'm paranoid about choking). We started with lunch as our time for solids. Gradually built in breakfast and lumpier puree (when I first tried lumpier stuff he gagged a lot but, again, left it for a couple of weeks, tried again and he was fine). At 9 months now and we do a mixture of puree/mashed and finger foods. He isn't great at an evening meal (as he is usually in a pretty foul mood) but always give him a bit of our dinner to mash up / play with/ attempt to feed to the cat.

Thank you, very helpful.
She is 5 months in a week and I can’t see any reason to start her with anything yet, there’s nothing obvious telling me she needs it. She watches us eat, but that doesn’t mean she should. And she is waking in the night, but that’s regression not hunger.

His first food was broccoli florets, at dinner time so DH and I could both witness it. I think we pretty much went straight into offering a bit at every meal from then on. Didn't actually eat anything for a while.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/solid-foods-weaning/

This is useful. Good luck x

Thanks, that link is helpful!