Worried about weaning

[Alitri]

This is my first child he will be 6 months old next week and just starting to introduce him to solids but I'm so confused on where to start when it comes to carrots some sites are saying to boil, some sites are saying to steam. Some are saying to use a blender or a steamer basket ( I don't know what that is) all I have is a saucepan and a strainer.

I'm in a mother and baby unit coat placement but don't want to go asking them questions as I don't want to come across or seem as though I can't do this.

And I don't know how I'm going to get on with weaning because it's means cooking and trying foods with him. Where I can't cook fresh food and am a very fussy eater myself. So I don't know how I'm going to get past this.

Look up Annabel Karmel, baby food/weaning guru. You can usually find her books in charity shops or book exchanges. Really helpful guidance.

You've done absolutely brilliantly waiting until 6 months @Alitri, that's exactly what you should do.

I agree that it's going to be a bit tricky if you don't have the facilities to cook. Do you have any access at all to a kitchen/fridge/microwave?

Luck is on your side though as at the moment lots of fruits are just beginning to come into season, so there's lots of raw fruit to try without cooking.

There are a few things that you can try though where you don't need to cook at all.

Try some mashed avocado, mashed banana, natural yoghurt or mashed butter or cannellini beans (from a can is fine ).

How do you feel about giving finger foods as well? You could peel a pear and offer slices of that?

If you've got a microwave you could make a one egg omelette, just don't add the salt. Omelette cut into fingers is a great food for them to try.

It's fine to use some prepared baby foods as well. Just be aware that they usually have a high water content so often don't have as many calories as homemade food and the pouches can be overly sweet, so you have to clean their teeth regularly.

Take plenty of photos and let us know how you get on

A sauce pan is absolutely fine to get them started. I found it helpful with my children to offer one taste per day for the first couple of weeks and served up each veg in two ways-both mashed and also a 'hand held' version, so we could try both spoon feeding and baby led too. We then moved on to fruit, before combining different tastes. I agree though it's SO overwhelming-there's no right or wrong way. The purple Ella's kitchen book is fab and breaks it down step by step, and the solid starts app is AMAZING. You can search any food and it suggests how to serve it at different ages xx

Congratulations on your little one!

I'd highly recommend looking at Solid Starts on either Instagram or they have a website too. Literally everything to do with weaning, when, how and what is explained there.

Someone recommended me that when my son was 6mo and its saved me so much hassle and heartache which I see so many mamas going through due to incorrect weaning etc.

Its an excellent source with experts and will make your little one an independent, non fussy eater like mine 💕

Good luck! I'm more than happy to answer any questions.

Oh and if you're after a book, try your local library. They should have some weaning books and you could enrol LO and get them a couple of baby books whilst you're there

There's all kinds of opinions and they are just opinions.

Important thing to remember is that milk is still the most important part of your babies diet, food is something for them to play with and experiment with until they're about 1yo. You want to introduce a range of flavours and textures to let your DC explore them and learn how to digest, chew and swallow them. Don't stress about it or get fixated on amount or finishing the portion.

We did a mix of ready made jars/pouches and bits of food off our plates.

Carrot sticks can be microwaved in a bowl with a loose lid or clingfilm and a couple of tablespoons of water for e mins to soften. Same for cauliflower or broccoli florets or baby corn. All good for grabbing and gnawing on.

DD always loved scrambled egg, bread and butter fingers, banana in big chunks (messy!), pancakes and eggy bread.

Stuff like cherry tomatoes and grapes need to be chopped in half at least to stop them swallowing them whole.

Unfortunately I can't take photos as I'm in a mother and baby unit so can't upload them on here for our safety.

I had already started to give him finger food few weeks ago to help with his coordination under the guidance of my foster carer. He's been having things like organix melty puffs, Farley rusks and banana wafers.

I got a high chair Wednesday so just started with him on solids yesterday he had porridge for breakfast and mashed carrot for tea. With half of his bottle as he's on 9oz 4 bottles a day at the moment. So foster carer advised me that because he's hungry and associates bottle with food , to give him half his bottle then introduce the solids which I have been doing. But all these sites giving different advice is making it difficult for me to be able to understand and follow instructions on making sure I do it right.

Unfortunately I can't take photos as I'm in a mother and baby unit so can't upload them on here for our safety

Sorry I meant photos for you to keep, we don't need to see them but you'll enjoy looking back on they years later.

The foster carer might not be giving you the best advice unfortunately. Farley's risks are very high in sugar. Even the low sugar ones are a third sugar. The merry puffs things are very processed.

Babies get a taste for the foods they're first weaned on, so if you give processed and high sugar foods, that's what they'll want to eat. Much better to start with a variety of fruit and veg.

As for the milk. LO is tiny still and you shouldn't be looking to decrease milk yet. It's fine to offer solids roughly an hour after a bottle. A third meal should be introduced until they're over 8 months according to the NHS.

*melty puffs

How have you got on today @Alitri?

I haven't decreased the milk. I still give him the full bottle , I just let him drink half the bottle first with him being hungry and then let him have the solids. And she's only telling me what she's been advised by the health visitor and local authority. But I didn't know the Farley's rusks had high sugar in it.

I admit I'm struggling as I give up so easily, hes pushing it out with his tounge and because of the pressure I'm under being in this mother and baby unit / parenting assessment I feel I have to do things right first time around and because I'm not getting it right I'm afraid of it going against me. The guardian is already questioning my ability after our first meeting with her couple weeks ago. But I've been told by foster carer , health visitor and local authority that im doing a great job in caring for my son.

Download the solid starts app, they're amazing they have instagram too with lots of useful videos

There are so many opinions and sources of advice - it’s overwhelming. You sound like you’re doing a great job. Yes, rusks and puffs are processed etc but small amounts whilst you and baby are getting to grips with weaning are not something to be worried about IMO - baby fed and happy and you feeling confident is a bigger success!

Boiled carrots mashed up with a drop of baby’s normal milk are fine! You could also boil some carrot sticks for baby to pick up themselves.

The solid starts app is amazing