Whats the best baby gravy...fnar fnar!

[foosfan]

Hi, my DD is 24 weeks, I've started weaning and I'm getting confused by the conflicting advice I'm getting.
I would be quite happy to do it slowly as sometimes she'll take it and other times not but the HV keeps telling me that by seven months , she should be having three meals a day and getting all the correct nutrients.
I'm very daunted by all this!
Apparently the iron levels that your baby is born with,start to diminish at six months so you need to make sure they are getting pulses, green veg or meat by then.
Other people are telling me to relax and food is just for fun up to a year old.
Who's right?!
Also I would like to mash up our food to give her but I use gravy granules in a lot of my cooking as a thickening agent, is there a baby friendly one out there? I should say have tried baby rice but it makes her constipated.
Any advice much appreciated

Ignore your HV, there is no pressure to wean, milk is much more important. My DD didn't start properly eating until about 9-10 months.

In answer to your question, I've no idea about gravy for babies. I would just avoid it. It's very salty. Can you just give her a bit of whatever you're cooking without gravy?

I use butter, cream or some apple juice to help wet the food

use real stock made from bones or whats in the bottom of the roasting tray when you've done a roast (obv dont add any salt).

what about cornflour for thickening?

I am fairly sure that even on the DoH website it suggests that by 9 months (rather than 7) babies should be on 3 meals a day. This is only a guideline afaik. Would be interesting to ask your HV which guidelines she is following.

I do a mix of finger foods and mashed up food. Most of the mashed up food is naturally quite "wet" - e.g. mashed potato with milk, oat cereals etc. I don't bother with gravy or similar as main meals are either finger foods (e.g. carrot sticks, broccoli etc) or something like cheesy mash or mash with bits of fish mixed in.

Red lentils are good to naturally thicken soups, casseroles etc, just be careful to cook properly as per packet. You could also separate her portion out before adding your gravy granules.

Thanks, didn't think of cornflower...duh!
DD's very windy so theres no point offering solids, when shes like that she only wants the boob!
I've looked at the Annabel Karmel and Gina Ford(I know!)books regarding weaning and they progress very quickly from one to three meals a day from six months.
I'ts just that I use gravy granules in practically everything I cook, not so much for taste but to thicken and was flummoxed about what else would work(my cookery skills are UNlegendary!)
What about the iron thing though, has anyone else been told this?

I think there is some truth in it but I can't remember the detail. If you post on the bf'ing board asking specifically about iron after 6 months and you'll get some answers.

I'm not sure foosfan about the iron thing; I thought that iron stores start to deplete, but it's not like suddenly they will be anaemic overnight. Breast milk does contain iron as well as all the other vits and minerals LO needs, and milk is still the main food for a baby up to and beyond a year.

just done a quick search...good old kellymom

As for the gravy thing, the best home-made gravy for my baby....is my homemade stuff. I just use the meat juices and add some water and a bit of cornflour or other gluten free flour (I'm coelaic so no wheat here) to thicken. If there's any left over from the meal, I freeze it in ice cube trays so that I have something for mixing with DDs food for another day if required. I did buy some of the heinz sachets of it, but it was utterly tasteless. At least homemade gravy tastes of the meat it came from.

LacaDAISY, that web site is fantastic, thanks ever so for that link.
I'm going to try and chill out on that issue then, that just leaves me the other 9.9 million things to stress about...