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Weaning

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

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Original poster

I admit I'm a novice! Any help on weaning (blw or other) and how to get started appreciated!

10 replies

krugerparkrules · 09/10/2007 18:36

I have read the threads on this section with much itnerest (never heard of blw until i came here - but then i never had a baby i guess) My DD is now 5 months, breastfed and i am waiting till 6 months to wean her.

Am i right in understanding from these threads, that if you wait to wean at 6 months, you can pretty much start with what you want, fingerfood, mashed up pear etc?
The bits of books i've looked at seem to suggest you start with one food and carry on with that for 3 days to see if there is a reaction?

I am not sure what babyrice is, but i think i will jsut step away from this.

When you speak about fruit like pear etc, (soft fruits) is that given raw (i.e. not steamed - sorry i did say i was a novice - i would imagine you steam apple?). Do you just give them in the early days as much as they want and then carry on with the milk feeds?

Do those of you that do blw mix foods that you give e.g. some pear, some carrots etc. or do you start with one food.

Also do you start with one meal in the morning and build up as you go along ...

I am sorry for so many questions, i have picked up on the threads how much of the advice you give, and i have gone to atich's blog as well.

I just want my daughter to have a happy healthy and relaxed approach to food. I want her to enjoy taste sensation and learn, like i believe she has at the breast, a joyous experience of food!

If any of you feel up to writing some advice for a mum who is excited about weaning, but not to sure what to do, i would be grateful for any advice to any of the many questions.

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

showbiz · 09/10/2007 22:35

hi, i weaned all my 4 children from 4 months starting with one taste at a time {if no reaction same day then can move to a different taste- don't have to wait 3 days). i started with purree, then gradually moved to mashed then finger foods. i'm led to believe by my hv the rules have now gone back to weaning this way from 4 months, so have fun with weaning and look out for some great facial expressions from your dd as she tries new tastes.

Tommy · 09/10/2007 22:41

baby rice is like the powder that you make up wall paper paste with.... you're quite right to stay away from it

Having done 2 early weaners with it and pureed stuff and currently doing BLW with DS3 (started at 6m), I know which is the less stressful.

DS3 was sat up in his high chair at meal times so he didn't feel left out. I think the first thing I gave him was a bit of baguette and a finger of cucumber (skin off) because that was what was on the table at the time.

I just sat him up with us whenever he was awake for meal times - very little structure to it all but I am really ewnjoying it and he seems to be too.

Bloody messy though

Tommy · 09/10/2007 22:44

check out Aitch's blog - it's great babyled weaning

Tommy · 09/10/2007 22:46

sorry - missed that bit that said you had been there already

having read your OP properly now - it sounds to me like you would love BLW (as would your baby!

showbiz · 09/10/2007 22:52

tommy - hope you don't mind me asking what was stressful about early weaning?

nappyaddict · 09/10/2007 22:55

basically with blw baby just sits at the table with you and you put a bit of whatever everyone else is having on the table for her to pick up and try.

some won't get it right in the beginning. ds didn't until he was 10 months. he just mushed it, threw it and played with it but it's all part of the experience.

Tommy · 09/10/2007 22:55

I have photos of DS1 and 2 having their first taste of baby rice and they are both screaming - that was a bit stressful!

Also, trying to shove the food in when they didn't want it and I was worried that they should eat it

BLW has been completely stress free (except for the mess which DH deals with so I don't need to woryy about it )

littlelapin · 09/10/2007 23:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

showbiz · 09/10/2007 23:08

i agree baby rice is awful, only tried that on ds1, not on others. but i enjoyed my weaning experience, and i believe my ds's did too. i hope not everyone has had bad experiences with early weaning.

ruddynorah · 10/10/2007 12:55

for pear it's best to slice it up at first, leave skin on so it's not too slidy. no need to steam or mash. baby will just suck it first, then try to eat it. once baby has teeth you can hand the pear over whole. you can even do this early but you would probably have to start it off for him by taking a bite. then leave him to it! eventually you will only get the stalk back..and you'll wonder where the pips and the core went!

try not to think about meals and timings too much. just pull him up to the table when you eat and give him bits of what you're having. don't add salt to cooking, if you need salt add it to your own portion. and don't serve baby processed foods. if you're having a ready meal then make him a sandwich or something...better to improve your own diet though!

once his skill at eating gets better you'll pass more food over and start to actually make him his own portion. his skill develops as his need to eat increases. until then his body just won't allow him to eat a great deal, as he should be drinkng milk more than eating food.

no need for trying tastes for 3 days etc..that's based on 3/4 month weaning when babies aren't really ready for food. you may, however, want to introduce things slowly if you have an allergy prone family.

have fun!

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