Where do I start?!

[blondiep14]

Have just had a leaflet thru from local Children's Services to attend a weaning group for 5 month olds (guess they're preparing us in advance!).

Have just realised I don't have a clue on how to start weaning DS when he's 6 months (currently 19weeks).

He is exclusively BF, and never had a bottle and I am keen not to express unless I absolutely must.

I will go back to work 3 days a week at the end of October when DS will be almost 9 months. I would ideally like not to give formula at all, and to continue with a BF morning and night.

Can it be done? How do I do it? Where do I start?!

I would start with baby rice mixed with breast milk.

Then move onto simple puree's like apple, banana, carrot etc.

They really do only start with one tea-spoon. Once they are used to this, you can move onto one tea-spoon twice a day.

Then gradually increase upto 3 meals a day, and bigger amounts.

If my experience is anything to go by I'd give the 'weaning workshop' a very wide berth - mine subtly undermined bf at every turn, and recommended among other things starting at 17wks with the HV spouted all sorts of non-evidence-based tosh along 'well it never did me any harm lines'.

Once ds can sit up well, sit him in a higchair at the table with you for meals. Stick a couple of steamed carrot sticks or strips of pear in front of him and let him get on with it. AItch's blog is positively inspirational.

I think you (and he) might find it hard going at only 9m with no milk at all during the day, but you have a lot of time to think about it. For me expressing, though a bit of a pain, was the lesser of two evils.

Thanks.

funny you should say that MrsBadger, I was having doubts about going as I've never felt I had very good support from the hv's and all feeding advice I have heard has been geared towards formula.
I was even told to get a carton in when DS was going through a hungry stage & I mentioned being tired .

Thanks for the link I shall investigate further.

I think I will have to express eventually, I think I would be too worried about him going hungry in the day!