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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Going on holiday just after DS turns 6 months - how to do food?

35 replies

2point4kids · 01/08/2008 22:15

I am thinking of doing BLW this time but am a bit unsure of how to do meals when we are away...

We are staying in a hotel so will be having the majority of our meals in restaurants.
What sort of things can I order for DS2 that he can pick at?
What things can I take with me as back up in case there isnt anything suitable to order?

He will be 6 months and 2 weeks then. Will he be having food at just one meal a day then? or do I start BLW by offering food at all 3 meals straight away and just let him decide what to eat and when?

OP posts:

Guadalupe · 01/08/2008 22:16

how long are you going away for? Could you just wait until you get back?

Guadalupe · 01/08/2008 22:16

I would just offer once a day at first though I don't suppose it matters much

Original poster

2point4kids · 01/08/2008 22:17

Away for 10 days, will be coming back a few days before he turns 7 months..
is it ok to wait that long to start?

OP posts:

hana · 01/08/2008 22:18

i would wait - didn't wean dd3 til about that age and all is fine.

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 22:18

If you can get a side order of vegetables (broccoli, beans, carrot...) then that would work well, I think.

Original poster

2point4kids · 01/08/2008 22:20

So if I offer him stuff at lunch times as and when theres something suitable available and start properly when we get back, does that sound ok?
Will it be ok to offer him food one day and then not the next if nothing available while we are away?
Side order of veg sounds good, thanks.

OP posts:

Guadalupe · 01/08/2008 22:20

you could give him something while you were away, a bit to suck on but I wouldn't stress about starting to wean as such. Enjoy your holiday!

AvenaLife · 01/08/2008 22:24

I'm sure I'll get moaned at for this so I'm not going to check this thread.

First foods are not designed to be food to fill a baby up, just so that they can have a different texture in their mouth. At this age your little one still needs alot (all) of milk and will spit food out. Be careful of the veg, you don't know how it's been cooked or how long it has been left. He shouldn't be having any meals, just a small taste. It's good to start on veg as baby rice is like eating cardboard. I wouldn't offer finger foods at this age to be honest.

The weaning guidelines are a PITA, they change all the time.

Original poster

2point4kids · 01/08/2008 22:26

I'm not sure what you mean?
Isnt baby led weaning all about finger foods including veg?
Or do you mean dont give him the veg on holiday and just do it myself when we get home?

OP posts:

solidgoldbrass · 01/08/2008 22:28

Frankly I would get some jars of Organix/Hipp Organic babyfood to have as at least an emergency solution. When my DS was around this age he mostly ate home-cooked food but I used to give him jars now and again to make sure there were one or two flavours at least that he liked so if I was going somewhere I couldn't rely on suitable food, I would have something that was reasonably nutritious that I knew he would eat. You can serve them at room temperature, don't need to keep them in a fridge etc.

But really don't bother with the non-organic baby food it is absolute shite.

Guadalupe · 01/08/2008 22:30

blw is about finger foods, but I agree, you can't be sure of the food prep in a hotel. Maybe give a little fruit or something you've chopped yourself. If I was you I'd probably wait though!

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 22:30

AvenaLife has said she's not going to check this thread, but I suspect that what she means is that she doesn't agree with BLW.

AvenaLife · 01/08/2008 22:33

It's all about texture to start off with, then they develop the skills to enable them to use their tongue to push the food around their mouth and swallow. A baby's had 6 months of nothing but milk so you start with a spoonful of (normally baby rice) veg. As your baby grows more confident you increase it and reduce the milk. Finger foods should only be given to a confident eater because they are a choking risk. They have to be able to use their mouth and have hand/eye coordination. If your child can do this now then that's good, however they will put the whole lot in and might not know what to do with it.

I would give him mushed veg to try on holiday, you need to make sure it's thoroughly cooked though.

But I may be wrong.

AvenaLife · 01/08/2008 22:33

i checked

solidgoldbrass · 01/08/2008 22:36

OK I don't know what BLW is: but if it involves a complete jump from nothing but liquid to solid chunks of food as opposed to semi-solid glops to start with, wouldn't have fancied doing it myself.

Original poster

2point4kids · 01/08/2008 22:36

@ checking

Thanks for clarifying though.

I was not 100% sure on BLW anyway, not sure if I am brave enough!
I am thinking now to start him on mush like you say when he turns 6 months. Give him 2 weeks of home cooked stuff then take some of those organic jars on hols with us like you say.

OP posts:

AvenaLife · 01/08/2008 22:39

They forget to tell you that 1 jar is not a meal, it's 2-3. Aim for an ice cube size once your little one is ready. The jar's say 6-12 months but are too big for a baby's tummy. I learned this the hard way and spent months cleaning up sick.

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 22:42

I love this video showing a BLWed baby's first solid food...

(BLWed babies don't tend to choke, actually, although you will probably get a bit of gagging to begin with. But it doesn't suit every parent)

mylovelymonster · 01/08/2008 22:43

I agree with you, avenalife. New tastes & textures and gradually building up texture as LO gets used to moving food around mouth. Always thought 'BLW' a bit lazy, but I should deffo not come back to this thread as I shall get a pasting for that. BLW being one of those things which must not be questioned.......

ThatBigGermanPrison · 01/08/2008 22:46

BLW definitly isn't lazy, have you seen what a baby does to a dish of tomato pasta, as opposed to s dish of untouched-by-baby, strictly spooned in mush?

Mush is easy, much easier than BLW, and I have done both. Less mess, less worrying - much much less fun too!

ThatBigGermanPrison · 01/08/2008 22:48

My ds2 never choked on food in his life. Just no need for it. However, when Ds1 first 'graduated' from plaster mush to proper food, he was really struggling because he expected to be able to swallow it without chewing, like with the mush. Ds2 had always seen food as something to pick up, put in your mouth and chew, whereas ds1 had to get over the idea that it's thick milk!

Justers · 01/08/2008 22:49

Hi, I took my ds abroad when he was 7 months. By then I had not long started with baby rice, purees etc (I didn't do BLW so not sure this is relevent for you) but was still bf. I found that when we were across there he went back to being predominately bf again and just gave him little bits of solids at meal times, yogurts and jars of puree fruit etc. When we came back we got back into solids. I think because it was so hot he just prefered having more bf. Hope this helps.

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 22:51

BLW is a bit lazy. Cosleeping is a bit lazy. Frankly, after the first couple of months breastfeeding is a bit lazy. Nothing wrong with a bit of laziness in my book .

And buying jars is lazier than pureeing your own which is lazier than preparng Annabel Karmel concoctions which is lazier than studying cordon bleu cuisine and preparing Heston Blumenthal-like quenelles of something exotic for your baby. None of us, other than perhaps Heston

mylovelymonster · 01/08/2008 23:00

I think I was a bit of a Heston Still use my mouli for home-made passata.........

Found the best tip on here the other day - frozen bananas, hand-held blender - tastes like creamy ice-cream. DD loves it. Threw in a nectarine too. (I do realise elevation in sugar release vs chunky fruit - but it's lush, especially in hot weather) Thanks to whoever mentioned it..............

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 23:04

If you do frozen banana and half a pint of milk you get s lovely thick milkshake, too. Even better with a dash of vanilla extract (or steeping vanilla pod in the milk first and scraping in the seeds for the Hestons among you).

How sad is it that I Googled to check whether Heston has children and hence could potentially be a Mumsnetter? (He does, by the way at least two but they are long past the weaning stage).

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