Please help me, I need the mumsnet equivalent to Weaning for Dummies 2008!

[HonorMatopoeia]

Dd2 is almost 6 months and I've just started weaning. I can't find any of the books I refered to with Dd1 and my mind is blank (nothing unusual there unfortunately )So, I know I mix a little of her milk with a teaspoon of baby rice to start with, but how many times a day? When do I move onto other things? How quickly should she be having 3 'meals'?
Help.....I know nothing!

At six months I'd just leave her to get on with it, she's old enough to feed herself and it's so much easier and cleaner.

As in BLW? I had thought about this but have decided I'm going to mostly do the puree route (yes, my kitchen walls, floor, ceiling and soft furnishings may not thank me!)
Can anyone give me some simple rules? Or do you know of a good website? I've searched and can only find so-so stuff.

I made veg cubes in a big ice cube tray. Boil carrots, broc, potatoes, whatever else in a pan and run through a moulin legume/or food processor. Freeze in ice cube trays and defrost as needed. My youngest is now 9 months and I cook without salt and just mash with a fork whatever we are having (unless it's something unsutable like steak). Steamed fish fillets covered in homemade parsley sauce are also good for freezing in little pots to defrost as needed. Greek yoghourt with a dollop of fruit puree makes a good pudding.

I started weaning at 7 months.

will be watching this with interest as someone else who knows nothing!!

HM I take it you are looking for something that says day 1 give x at y time? that is what i need too!! hope someone can help.

i started with baby rice after his lunchtime bottle. Once he had started to take that I moved onto carrot, sweet potato etc. Then he moved onto evening meal as well. Once he was taking it all well I introduced breakfast. I was so worried about it all, but your baby does let you know if they want more.

At 6 months they are allowed dairy etc but start with simple vegetables and then move on from there. i didn't do BLW but did start finger food very quickly as my son has always prefered this. Get a pack of plain baby rice cakes, they are fab as first finger food.

That's it Caz10! I've got the cook books and agree with Swedes about generally mashing what you're having. It's the early days i'm confused about, how do I get to 3 meals a day and do I have to stick to baby rice for a while or can I introduce new tastes now?

Hi Honor... I may well get shot down in flames for saying this on here, but as a first time mum I've found Gina Ford's weaning book very helpful...

Apart from some difficulties with constipation (which has meant substituting baby rice for baby maize cereal for my DD) I've found it incredibly reassuring to be told what to introduce and when.

I know some people think she's the antichrist, and sometimes her tone can be a bit off-putting, but honestly I've found it incredibly helpful, especially if you're looking for a step by step guide and a bit of hand-holding...

DB
xx

The sooner you get them into a breakfast lunch and teatime meal routine the better.
As you stop to feed them as you stop to feed yourself/the rest of the family.

I wouldn't personally use baby rice.

Thank you DB and swedes, Dd2 has been a bit constipated since I introduced baby rice -will certainly be looking into those alternatives now.
(DB - know what you mean about GF's tone - I found her tricky to get along with but may give the weaning book a look if I can do so away from my M'net mates with flame throwers!)

I'm going to be controversial here and say that in my opinion there is no need to get het up about an eating 'routine' at such an early stage. At 6 months, your baby is getting everything she needs from her milk and weaning is really only for the purpose of introducing her to tastes and textures. I would offer her small meals of baby rice and puree veg / fruit once or twice a day and if she's taking them well and seems to be enjoying it and keeping it down, you can build from there, introducing one fruit/veg every few days and seeing how it goes down before introducing another one and starting to combine foods. Obviously, you could also go the BLW route, which I haven't tried (may do with next baby...). Again, BLW is about letting your baby experiment with different finger foods, not about getting them into a '3 meals a day' routine at the age of 6 months. You know your baby best, but at 6 months babies generally don't need huge amounts of food.

My baby has a milk feed on waking, breakfast (normally one weetabix or porridge both with cow's milkl), mashed whatever we are having lunch and supper (mashed what we are having) with water in a beaker offered at all these feeds - then a milk feed going to bed around 7.30/8pm.

Just want to say that IMO and IME baby led weaning is a fabulous, low stress way to wean. I can't speak too highly of it.

Have a look here to find out more.

Honestly, it's so much simpler. You don't have to faff with purees and you aren't constantly fretting about whether she's eating too much or too little or when she should be eating what. You just make sure she has access to good food and let her do the right thing by instinct.

dd2 is 20 months old and has never eaten puree in her life. She just went straight onto normal food at 6 months. It's tons easier this way, I promise!

Thank you welliemum, I have looked into it but for various reasons (nothing against BLW at all)have decided to puree. I know lots of mums who have followed BLW and had great success

I too controversially have been using GFord's weaning book. I like it cos it tells me exactly how much, when, and also importantly how much milk to be giving.

Can't go near any of her other books though, or methods. Tone too scary on everything else, but for weaning? Brill.

No prob, you have to do what suits you best or it's no fun!

Here's a nice concise article that sums up the mian things you need to know.

Thanks OMDB, that looks great, will print it off .

No problem HM