Help me prepare for weaning

[AleaEim]

Hi,

I have a 5 month old and aiming to start weaning in a month or so if she’s ready. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the never ending buying since having a baby so I could do with some advice on what’s worth buying.

I am not great in the kitchen, either is DH but I really want to make an effort with DD so she can have lots of variety/ healthy food etc. I find it hard to cook, it takes me ages, if a recipe says it takes 10 mins prep, it will take me 20/30 mins so I was thinking of getting a basket steamer to steam veg easily and also a mini food processor to speed up prep, only thing is, we’ve a tiny kitchen and it will be a struggle to store two new items. That’s when I came across the Tommee Tippee quick cook device (plenty available for £20 second hand) which steams, chops, blends etc. Personally I think it would be a waste to buy it just for weaning but wondering if anyone has used it afterwards to steam/ chop veg etc for adult meals? That way I wouldn’t have to buy a separate steamer/ food processor. I do have a hand bend blender but I find you need a lot of liquid to use it.

i would love to know if anyones used has used food processors and found them useful?

Planning to do a combi of BLW and traditional weaning.

It's a lot of work so just mentally prepare for it. The cooking and the cleaning is endless in the beginning. Food just goes everywhere. It gets a bit better but then gets worse again when they're toddlers.

Buy everything you need before you start. The high chair, bib, bowl etc. Choose a time of day when baby is energetic, happy, and not too hungry (if they're actually hungry they'll get frustrated as they don't realize it's food). For us that was around mid morning. Make it a routine, babies love routine. By day 4 my baby knew what was happening. So he wasn't just staring at what was in front of him but started going for it and putting it in his mouth. He recognised his bowl, his cup etc.

I used an open cup from the beginning, sippy cups are bad for teeth.

We love cooking but honestly even we found it hard so you're not alone.

we just started of giving little bit for breakfast then lunch then dinner not a 3 course meal so no I cant say it needs to be complicated sometimes there was the odd puree but we just fed as we went whatever

Thank you! Do you think a steamer/ food processer is helpful?

I would say so, yes. We do a lot of steaming and chopping etc.

My experience is a bit clouded by the fact that my baby has a dairy, soy and egg allergy so we have to be a lot more creative with food and he cannot eat anything out and about (I can't just give him a potato from my meal if we are at a restaurant).