I've just been to the weaning session advertised in my DS's red book at our local clinic, run by HVs. Several pauses for thought:
I mentioned that I was interested in baby-led weaning but this wasn't brought up during the session. TBH I thought that would be the case and just kept my mouth zipped - life's too short to be given the "we think you're a bit of a weirdo" lecture, and I'm not articulate enough about it (yet! hah!) to be able to stand up for myself.
The HVs were muttering about six months being the new guidelines for weaning, but indicating strongly that you should really be doing it before that - more like 5 or 5.5 months, because "the iron drops off at six months". They hinted that it might be quite dangerous to wait until six months. I'm glad I know differently, but this is only thanks to obsessive MNing: what will the other mums in the session do, I wonder?
Apparently if I continue to breastfeed after six months, I ought to be giving DS vitamin drops (A,C&D) because breast milk isn't going to give him enough, if he's only eating small amounts of solid (read puréed) food. WTF? Really??? What did mums do in The Olden Days before formula and vitamin drops? (Please correct me if I'm wrong and this isn't actually codswallop... it just seems so unlikely!)
And we had a good old romp through Purée 101. The closest we got to real food was breadsticks and toast at one year old.
Little do they know that LittleMrDS is being lined up for real, grown up broccoli and other delights whenever he starts showing an interest after 26 weeks. Hah!