A few questions: Weaning and water/sitting up & BLW/sterilising spoons

[Tinkjon]

Goign to start weaning tomorrow as DD is 6 months old then - am ridiculously excited Anyway, I can't believe I've left it this late to read up on it (that's Second Baby Syndrome for you, LOL!) but I have 4 questions, hope it's ok to ask them all in one go!

1. Do I need to give drinks of water once I start solids? (DD is formula-fed). I think I've read that you have to offer water if FF and BLW but what if you're not BLW?

1. Am I right in thinking that it's not safe to give finger foods until baby can sit up or did I imagine that? I was hoping to do BLW but DD can't sit up yet (not that well even when supported).

1. Do people sterilise spoons, ice-cube trays etc? One thing I read said that you should but seems like insanity to me.

1. According to Babycentre, "The Department of Health recommends iron-enriched infant rice cereal as a starter food" - anybody know why this is? I was thinking of starting straight onto 'proper' food but this threw me.

Thanks everyone! (and nice to see some faces from the Sept.07 club here!)

1. I would offer water with meals
2. Dunno
3. that is insanity. Just put them through the dishwasher.
4. I think it is just because it is smooth and idiot-proof and because it tastes of milk so babies eat it. But is is not compulsory and looks like sick so I gave it a miss!

Have fun!

Thanks Scary!

Bumping to see if anybody knows about the 'no finger food until sitting' thing...?

Can she sit upright in a highchair, with support? If so then she should be OK with finger foods. AFAIK it's because if she were to gag/be sick (happens to a lot of babies when starting with finger foods) she can get it out of her mouth more easily if she is upright, rather than in a bouncy chair or car seat.

He (oops, I wrote DD but meant DS!) topples forwards when he tries to sit. We've since got a highchair which straps him in at the shoulders, not just at the waist, so he can sit in that one ok.

Am giving him his first solids in an hour's time and still haven't decided whether mash or finger food, talk about leaving things 'til the last minute

You could always give him both and see which he goes for...

lol, just give him a bit of bloomin steamed carrot and see what happens. probably bugger all, tbh. thing is, if you are doing BLW as such, if they don't eat anything then that's fine, you just wait until they do.

DS3 wasn't quite sitting up when he started but I padded out the high chair with towels and he was fine - did BLW.

I put beaker of water on tray with meals and he can drnk it if he lkes - IIRC he didn't util he was about 9 months or so

have never sterilised sppons or plates etc or ice cube trays when I did traditional weaning with DS1 and 2

baby rice is like wall paper paste soI would steer clear of that

Good luck