Annabel Karmel or Gina Ford?

[MrsWembley]

Just starting weaning and have got DD used to baby rice. However, now two top teeth have appeared, I have realised that I need to get a wriggle on with the whole thing. Before I go and order any old thing from Amazon, what do yooze guys recommend?

I recommend having alook in your local librart before spending any money

I liked the Lorraine Kelly book personally

library even , lol

Neither.

am sure I won't be the only one recommending this book

I did baby rice etc with DS1. DOing this book/method with DS2 and its soooooo much easier, more fun and if you read the book, makes lots of sense too.

I wouldn't recommend either of them.

Just let her eat what you are eating, avoiding the obvious like nuts, any foods there is a family history of allergy to, salt, too much sugar etc. Any book or a quick google will tell you what babies shouldn't eat.

Thank-you for the v. (f.) quick response! The answers were a bit of a shock though. I have 2 close friends with babies a few weeks older than mine and they both quoted from the Karmel book. Another with a 2 year old also showed me her copy when I went to visit this weekend. I know a lot of people swear by the Ford woman too (though I've a funny feeling I don't like her for some reason).

What have teeth got to do with the price of fish?

Just give whatever you're having. Unless you're having vindaloo and a Big Mac. Mush it up a bit if necessary. No added salt. No honey etc etc.

I had the AK one and I liked it

It's very reassurring to the first-time weaner and has some nice recipes.

However, I totally agree with what others have said. Just give her what you're having (pureed/mashed if you are that way inclined) and go to the library if you feel in need of inspiration.

I really like Annabel Karmel, lots of ideas and the older child recipes are nice for the whole family e.g. fish pie, sesame chicken.

Neither. They're just part of a money-spinning empire - no need to buy into that. And it creates so much more stress than is necessary.

You don't need to rely on what AK or GF tell you your child should be eating on any given day of the week, just trust yourself - who knows your child better, you or they?

I also agree that you just give her what you eat. And you don't need 'recipes' I blended lots of veggies/ fruit for DS and also gave him solids to nibble on. Within 6 weeks he no longer wanted purees and so I started cooking our meals with no salt and giving them to him. He had things like canned mackerel, which I flaked for him, whole carrot/ potato sticks, chunks of banana to suck on, etc etc. I did buy a recipe book but can honestly say I've never used it and even though I'm expecting another baby now I'll prob give that book to a charity shop.

I agree, neither. They are a fabric of lies and part of the parenting industry invented only to make you feel like a failure at the most basic of tasks. Just mash up some veg or fruit and then move on to giving them what you have (minus salt etc). Or do the BLW thing which many swear by.

Neither. start with plain veg. then mix them together. then mash up what you are having. and alongside that, loads of finger foods to let them eat themselves - toast, veg. so easy. never understood what there was to get stressed about re weaning.

Sorry y'all, but I liked the AK book, but I'm the kind of person who likes a book to help me along the way. I have no imagination but like cooking and I enjoyed her recipes.

I agree with HeadlessLadyH - you'll find that both GF and AK polarise people on here.

HopeYouFindWhatYouAreLookingForTiggaxx

baby rice..mashed spud...other veg...pasta...mashed normal rice..porridge...until eats same as me less Curry paste (and any other crap, chocs, pizza, booze!)

never bought a book.

Why not use the recipies on MN website?

Mum bought me the GF book, I just used ideas here & there. Don't buy the AK book.... I love her recipes but they are on her website...free of charge! So easy to cook up a big batch of her stuff & freeze. Then you can still eat rubbish what you like.

Honestly - I found the chapter on feeding dcs in Nigella Lawson's How To Eat fantastic. I don't know anything about Anabel Karmel because she looked horribly prissy to me so I avoided
Other than that, the Birth To Five book I got given by the MW (or was it the HV?). Don't know if they still hand them out, but I thought it was rather good, at least it was 9 years ago(!).

Oh yes, Nigella's ace.

ShowOfHands - the teeth are like little jagged razor blades being dragged across my nipples. How the hell do people feed past teeth??!!! I've heard all the tips for when they bite, but she's not really doing that unless it's in a dream sleep when she doesn't know what she's doing and doesn't realise Mummy doesn't like it.

Thanks for all the responses. I haven't done any reading on this really, as I just assumed simple purees of fruit and veg minus salt/sugar and gradually build up to more crunchy stuff as she wants it. It's only that my friends mentioned this AK woman and I thought I'd better check it out... glad I did now.

BTW, can anyone think of why I think I don't like the GF woman. Is she the one who tells mums to regiment the feeding routine?

oooh love the polarisation on this!!
Baby led weaning was my salvation, and so i agree with headlesslady though i didn't have a book or any such luxuries, just made it up on my own - just as others have suggested....
There is a really nice Faye Ripley book which i've used quite a lot, it's been great for new recipes for all of us. The idea is that you shouldn't have to do two lots of cooking - i mean, WHEN do any of us get the time for any of that?!!
good luck with it. whatever you do, at some point there will be food thrown at you, so good luck with the duck and cover reflexes

My 2.6yr old dd has 20 teeth. I'm still bfing. They are sharp when they're coming through aren't they?

I don't think people want to talk about gina ford and why you may or may not like her or her methods.

I never bought a book either. There are plenty of websites that you can get ideas from if you are stuck. I used THIS ONE a few times when I ran out of inspiration, it's got ideas for purees and finger food so you can do both if you like. Finger food is less work nice and easy for you and fun for baby

ds2 is 7 months. We've been BLW for a month now and I am staggered how much he eats and just how easy it is. He is really getting stuck into all his food. Whereas I did AK with DS1 and he turned into a really picky eater (getting better now but he is 4.6yrs). I also felt that I had to follow the dreadful meal plans she devised. Ridiculous IMHO looking back on it now.

You don't actually need a book. There are plently of threads on BLW here. I bought it as I thought it would help convince DH to go along with it. It did (although only by way of me quoting it at him!).

HTH.

Oooh, why don't people want to talk about Gina Ford?

Just google GF and Mumsnet in the same search, then you will understand.

I agree that the teeth are sharp as they come through, but DS has got a full mouthful of teeth now at 16 months and I BF him with no problems.