Where to even begin

[Wowzers12]

Sorry if this has been asked before - I'm sure it has but I can't find the exact answer to my question by searching. I just need to understand the very basics of weaning, so how long to try baby on singular foods and when to start then having meals with us.

Also with BLW, there's advice like giving them pasta and bread but not nuts and grapes. Will they not choke on pasta grapes?

Can anyone give a basic timeline, for example

Week 1:
Trying different vegetables at the same time in the morning

Week 2:
Trying different fruits in the morning

Week 3:
This is where I get stuck ... do we now move to a regular breakfast and lunch?

When do we start including baby in dinner time?

Sorry meant to say will they not choke on pasta and bread? And do I need to boil everything so it's super soft?

Some people will just do BLW from the start. Babies have a strong gag reflex and they gag on a lot of things to start with - it's not choking exactly but the food goes in, they gag and it comes back out again. So it depends whether you mind sitting there watching that or whether that would worry you! If you do go ahead, try downloading the Solid Starts app - you can look up different foodstuffs and it tells you how to prepare that food for the age of baby. Grapes are definitely a choking hazard!!! Make sure you know what to do if they choke.

There's no ideal timeline or order of food - just do what you are comfortable with and what fits in with your routine. I started with lunch and would offer a mix of finger food and also feed some purées/porridge off a spoon. They don't eat much to start with and a lot ends up on the floor. When you introduce something new keep a watch for allergic reactions but it's most likely to happen with things like egg, nuts etc that are common allergens. Build up gradually until they are eating three times a day but still offer milk. Milk is supposed to be their main source of nutrition until they are one. The idea is they get used to eating different textures and tastes. Good luck!

There isn't really a right or wrong way to do it, just find a way that works for you. I just cracked on with BLW from day 1, baby sat with us at mealtimes and was offered whatever we were having minus salt, I didn't have to specially prepare anything or sit there spoon feeding. Regarding grapes, they're fine to give as long as they're quartered. The reason they're such a big choking hazard compared to anything else is because a whole grape is the exact shape and diameter of a baby's airway so if it gets stuck it will completely block the airway. Make sure veggies are cooked until soft enough and keep track of what allergens they've had. As a PP said there's lots of good websites and apps that show you good ways to prepare and chop different food.

Unless you have allergies in the family there's absolutely no need to stick to singular foods at 6 months. That advice is from the last century when the advice was to wean at 4 months.

These days, as long as you avoid these foods, you can feed them pretty much anything.

The NHS have a guide here and this one from the Caroline Walker Trust has some good suggestions

Forgot to answer the grape thing. Whole Grapes and cherry tomatoes are choking risk so should be halved or quartered.