General chat thread for puree lovers!

[Neenztwinz]

Before I started weaning my twins, I read about BLW and thought it looked like an amazing idea.

When I tried it I found my darling LOs didn't pick up a single thing never mind get it into the mouths.

So now I puree food and spoonfeed them and they are eating massive amounts and loving it - and sleeping all night!

So I thought I'd start a thread for others who are doing the same as me - we can swap ideas for meals and say what works for us (ie what makes them sleep ).

I gave my twins four plums plus ebm and baby rice for breakfast and they have had a big bowl of sweet potato, haricot beans and brocolli for lunch. More of the same for tea (plus maybe some swede and parsnip). They are 6.5mths old.

What did yours eat today?

Yeah, but I'll have sweet potato to mix it with so really it is just the same thing every day .

I am feeling better about it all actually. I made butter bean and tomato casserole for me and DH tonight (out of a Carol Vorderman detox book) so I have saved some and will try them with that tomorrow (with pasta - and sweet pot if necessary!).

I did 3 heaped dessert spoons each tonight (about half a bowl each) and that seemed to be an OK sized portion so I am going to try to keep to that and see how they do. it is a bit much to expect them to eat a whole bowl each.

yes I think thats very much the case - that portion sounds fine - and they will have days when they are hungry and days when they're not just like us I reckon.

[whispers] how are they doing with finger foods?

I think I am luckier in a way that I'm already doing nursery food for ds and myself - and my partner in fact and so its easy just to give dd some of that.

They eat cheese, toast and rice cakes but can't be bothered with clementines, roasted veg or chicken. They actually DO eat their finger foods now tho as opposed to just throwing them on the floor. I gave them ham sandwiches the other day but they were not keen. I probably don't give them enough chance to eat finger foods but we are getting there. DS is lazy so will just let me feed him forever I think but DD is more independent and wants to feed herself more.

no mine doesnt really like clementines either - plus I feel the need to peel them so they are a right faff.

The most popular finger foods here are spaghetti, peas, sweetcorn, meatballs/burgers (chicken she hates - think its too stringy), macaroni (penne she struggles with), cream cheese finger sandwiches, roast potatoes.

Am going to try some more fish this weekend - on its own and not in a fish pie and see how it goes.

Quick post - we did tuna sandwiches today and they went down a treat!

Meatballs - what kind of size do you give them as finger food. Do you half the meatball?

no they are sort of 5 year old sized so sort of thumb joined up to your first finger if that makes sense - I think they need to be big enough for them to hold and take bites out of rather than just shove in whole - cos thats a bit of a choking hazard.

Mine are a bit raggedy as well (mostly cos the 5 year old has rolled them) so they have rough edges that can be easily bitten off.

So the bigger the better. Thanks GKS.

I really need to spend some time this weekend going back through this thread and writing down all the good suggestions, recipes etc.

Neenz glad you're feeling better, and sorry about your gran btw. I know how it feels to be worried about what they're eating etc - I was distraught that DS is plummeting down the centiles despite appearing health and developing normally. He's eaten everything I've put in front of him, but just isn't putting on the weight at the expected pace. I think you said the DT's are putting on weight so it just goes to show that babies just really dont read the same books/guidelines as grown ups and will just do their own thing .

BDQ, I think as long as your LO is not losing weight, and if he seems healthy and happy and is wetting and soiling nappies then don't worry. If there was no chart would you worry? Dropping down the centiles is not losing weight and a baby who is offered food will not starve. Is he BF or FF? I could be that now he is on solids he is finding his true weight.

Well I did finger food for tea (just cheese batons and hummus on toast) last night and it was a big success - and they both slept through for the first time in weeks . So am def going to continue doing that (they are 9mo so should be having a finger food meal now).

T liked the butter bean casserole I did too with no sweet potato! E hated it though.

Congrats on the finger food success neenz! And for the tuna sandwiches bdq! I should try and get beyond just rice cakes as finger food. My excuse is I'm still waiting for the silly highchair to arrive...

Quick question for kate (I seem to oscillate between calling you kate and gks): once your dd gets to a quarter of the meatball, say, does she ever then shove the whole thing in?

Yes in fact she does - and most times she looks quite surprised and then slowly chews it all down - sometimes she spits it out and then looks at it on her tray quizzically and then puts it back in again and sometimes she gags a bit and it comes out in bits.

Yes! I love that quizzical look

I am def going to try those meatballs - have you posted the recipe Kate? If not can you pease? I make homemade burgers for me and DH so I could prob adapt that recipe but would be interesting to see how you make yours.

Neenz - are you sure, fair enough but only with the proviso that another vague rambling recipe will follow:

Make your tomato sauce - mine has fried onion, then garlic then other veg (courgettes, mushrooms, peppers etc), some herbs , a tin of chopped tomatoes and a cup of red wine if you have it, boil then simmer for ages.

When this has been simmering for a while - maybe 20 mins, put some tin foil on a tray, roll your mince into quite small balls - I use half a packet of mince for 3 people for one meal.

Put the balls on the tray and lightly sprinkle them with flour. Fry them off in some oil until they are browned all over then drop them into your tomato sauce with a slotted spoon.

Cook for another 15 mins or so - until they're done really, I often take one out and cut it in half to see.

Hey girls, just a quick hello to everyone. Am going to bed though (am knackered) so won't write anymore. Sorry for the ridiculously short post, just wanted to say hi & thanks for all the lovely recipes. Am about to start giving DS protein (chicken casserole) so wish me luck. Chicken stock is currently being mixed with all veggies & so far the response hasn't been THAT enthusiastic. But am hoping real chicken will go down better.
Right. More tomorrow.
Hugs to everyone.

Ooh, thanks Kate. I'll try that.

I whizzed up some cooked chicken today and added some pureed parsnip and spinach which went down very well. It is a mystery to me what they like and don't like. I think sometimes they are just not that hungry. I am trying to be more chilled about it now and it seems to be working. T slept through again last night tho E woke at 2.30.

bdq, how did you do your tuna sandwiches? was it just plain tuna or tuna mayo. My two love toast but when I have tried a sandwch ie two pieces of bread they have not bothered with it (seems a bit big for them?)

I used one slice of bread (wholemeal FWIW, but I'm not sure if they should get wholemeal or white bread), spreadable lurpak butter then spread tuna (From a tin in oil - not brine) accross the slice. After I fold it in half I cut it into smaller square sandwiches. Maybe about 4cm square. Like most finger foods its hit or miss how much gets eaten and how much on floor, but he definitely eats some of it.

I use wholemeal too and they do eat it but I also wonder whether it may be too much on their systems. I gave them white at MIL's once cos there was no wm and they scoffed it! Haven't really noticed any ill-effects with the wm though. I will try the tuna sandwich idea - thanks!

YEah same here. I can't get my head round white being better - it just seems a bit more processed?

I use white just because I cant tolerate wholewheat and dont have two lots of bread in the house - think it can both bung them up tbh and the salt content is the thing to watch for not the wheat iyswim.

Morning girls. How are things? Big day today here,
will give chicken for the first time. Lets see how it goes.

Can I ask some advice, girls? (On something that has nothing to do with purees)... We finally moved DS to his own room (he's been in our bed from 11 onwards until now) & so the last 2 nights have been a bumpy ride... am EXHAUSTED. Hopefully soon he'll get used to the new set-up... Because I can't really stand the sleep deprivation. The other thing that's happened is this- he was going 11-6.30 (or so) without a feed, & sleeping well (but in our bed). Since we moved him to his room (as I said, 3 nights ago), he's now waking many times, & I find that bf-ing him (e.g. at 4.30 or 5.00) means he can actually go back to sleep. I try to avoid bf-ing him before that time, because we've worked hard to cut out middle of the night feeding, but we do need to get some sleep at some point, & so I do the bf-ing. Also, we do bring him back to our bed around 6.00 am, at which point we all fall asleep exhausted & sleep until 8.00 or 8.30. All this change has meant that our routine (which we worked hard to establish, not that it was ever rigid, but it was working well) is now all over the place. But can't help it, am too exhausted to get out of bed with him at 6.00 am & play. Just CANNOT do it. It's not only that this throws off our routine, meal times etc... it's also that him coming to our bed at 6.00 am means we're not being that consistent with the not-in-our-bed rule we're trying to establish. Anyway. Just thought I'd ask for advice. Will things change soon? please please please tell me he'll get used to his own room, I can't go on being in his room all night every 1-2 hours & sh-sh-sh-ing him (unsuccessfully) to sleep. And by the way, the reason we've done this (in case you ask why we're not just going with the co-sleeping) is that we feel the co-sleeping is at this point really not good for my relationship to DP. We feel the need for our own space, & we definitely feel this is the right thing to do at this point...

hmm I dont know actually Maria - we held off putting dd and ds in their own rooms until they were going through to 6am consistantly (this was about 7 months I think).

And tbh my dd is mostly awake for the day at 6am and so thats when our day starts. What happens when he wakes during the night? Does he wail or just sort of keen for you in a sad way?

The good thing about getting up at 6 btw is that you get to go back to bed again from about 8.30 til 10am - well we do anyway when its not a school run day.

What time do you go to bed? Are you going to bed early enough?

Maria hope the chicken went down well.

He will get used to sleeping in his own bed. Until he does though, if I were you I'd get to bed early in the evening and try and nap when he naps during the day so that you're not completely worn out. If he's not any better in a few days maybe post on the sleep topic for some ideas. I'm sure Neenz will be along when she's free to extoll the virtues of CC although that's not for everyone.

We tend to bring our DS into our bed about 6am too. If we can get back to sleep that's a bonus but more often than not that's when the day starts for us. I think its pretty common for the day to start around 6-7am unfortunately so early nights and daytime naps are a must!

kate tbh I'd never even looked at the salt content! Must check. He doesn't get too much bread though so I'm sure its not a problem.

lol at the virtues of CC - you know me well BDQ

Yes I have always been concerned at the salt content but didn;t realise it was higher in wm bread than white. I try to limit them to one slice each per day, 2 slices max.

Tuna sandwiches did not go down well today . But they ate OK with the other stuff.

Maria, I think you have to expect it to be a bit rough at first cos its a big change for him. But you are right to move him if co-sleeping is not working for you anymore. Just be patient, it will get better. I think what I would do is just feed him when he wakes if that is what gets him back to sleep. No matter what time it is, because you can always knock those night feeds on the head in the future using CC or other methods. At the mo you just want him to feel secure in his own cot so just feed him if that works. 6am starts unfortunately are not unusual, if you feed him then will he go back to sleep in his own cot? I would not bring him into bed with you as a rule, cos like you say you are trying to knock that on the head and it is just confusing for him. If you get up at 6am with him he might be ready to go back to bed an hour later or two hours tops, then you can get an extra hour sleep yourself. Of course you could always use CC, but I would hold off on that at the mo just till he gets used to his own cot. It will get better! Keep us updated and you can always FB me if you need any tips!