Going to start weaning this weekend, can anyone give me some tips please?

[SpinyNorman]

We are going to do purees along with finger foods, and i was wondering if its ok to give her finger-foods straight away?

Is it safe to give her slices of apple, pear or banana? Am worried about choking.Also don't really like the look of baby-rice, what did you give your LO for breakfast?

Thanks for your help, DD if PFB and i have no idea what i'm doing.

Can I hijack here?? I weaned my DS at 5 months (flame away) and he has since eaten purees with gusto - BUT now he is just over 6 months I have been attempting to introduce finger foods, I have tried toast fingers and bananas so far - he loves holding the food and sucking/chewing it but as soon as any breaks off in his mouth he gags and on a couple of occasions has choked I'm sure as I've had to whip him out of his high chair & give him a smack on the back!! Is any of this normal?? Also, even though he will eat porridge thick & lumpy, he gags and refuses to eat purees that are anything less than smooth! I'm aware I've made a rod for my own back by weaning on to mush initially but I am now asking for help as we're stuck in a purée rut!!

Gagging utterly normal, and part of the learning process. Try to remain calm, even when gagging does (as it can) hit the reflex sufficiently to produce vomiting!

I didn't use purees, but I do wonder whether lumps in purees are more disconcerting that finger foods, iyswim? It comes as a surprise, and your mouth/tongue isn't managing the food with an expectation of trying to chew?

Try sharing finger food with him, and over-emphasising how you chew. See Aitch's blog www.babyledweaning.com for useful stuff on gagging and choking, and also ideas for other foods her can eat with his hands.

my ds didn't eat anything til about 10 months. i spent four months stressing about it. then i realised it was okay and he wasn't starving. so don't worry and don't let hvs stress you out. i finally met a hv who said 10 months was in the normal time frame for starting eating.

i found rice cakes a complete nightmare re gagging and choking til about 8 months where he would have a tiny bit.

don't mix flavours for ages.
and keep trying same things over and over again cos apparently it can take 20 times for them to get used to a flavour.

i found the book 'what can i feed by baby' by suzannah olivier the most helpful book. i would say that annabel karmel can go f~~~ herself, as her food combis are not really good for you.
I have an extremely fussy baby and allergic etc so this is extreme but please don't let it get to you as it did with me and sent me round the twist.

as a guide a baby 9 -12 months should have about 1 - 4 tablespoons at a meal time. most babies i know eat considerably more than this, but mine didn't so this was a welcome piece of advice for me.

hipp organic banana rice pudding is dairy free and a firm favourite in our house