so many different ways of weaning - confused!

[hairband]

DS coming up to 6months this week and we have started weaning small amounts as advised by HV for the last 10days only.

However there seem to be soo many different ways to progress - I have confused myself by reading up maybe too much. Each way seems different - BLW, more strict regimented ways, or a mix of spoon feeding and mashing what your family is eating.

It's just really confusing - and quite anxiety provoking.. I guess cos I had just got my head round BF and that was falling into a pattern. And now there is a whole new thing for me to worry whether I am doing it "right".

My cooking skills are not that great - and these first taste foods involve veg that I would never normally touch eg swede - or things I have never done before - eg boil apple chunks..

With BF - it was easier in a way as there aren't different schools of thought on BF and there are the lines you can ring for advice - plus I got a lot of help in hospital initially. However with this I feel rather at sea as everyone around me seems to have done it a different way.
Did anyone else feel like this - it's not just the cooking - and potential freezing thawing etc etc - but also that I had got my head around BF and naps over the last few months and now it all feels like it is changing. If you felt like this, did it all turn out ok in the end and did anyone do a mish-mash approach to weaning?

Now he is going to be 6months - can anyone recommend something that says exactly what I can and can't give him? Even this guide from the weaning sections on MN says puree in week 1 from 6months.

www.mumsnet.com/babies/weaning#Weaning_timetable

However we started at 5 and a half months so does that mean I can progress on to week 3 at 6months or should it still be week 1 at 6months. Is anyone still with me?!! If so well done - am so confused!

I felt exactly the same as you. I just wanted someone to say 'this is what you need to do' and tell me how to get on with it. But in the end we did blw and it was FAB!

I did similar to you and started giving ds puree at 5 and half months. Had no plan, just thought that's what you did. But then he stopped wanting to be spoon-fed, which is why we ended up blw.

So I started with soft cooked veg - sweet potato (roasted - dead easy - chop up olive oil in oven for 40 mins) roast potatoes, roast carrots. Brocolli. Also soft fruit. Don't worry about providing a full meal - just go at a pace you feel comfortable with. DO NOT STRESS! It will all be fine! I do recommend the Gill Rapley book. I am so pleased we did blw.

Good luck!

BTW I would say don't fret about starting early and where you are and what you can try now etc etc just say ok ds is 6 months off we go. We left meat til ds was 7 months and started him on chicken. I think there are foods you are meant to avoid like honey ( need to check what they are)

I felt like this too - wished he could stay fully BF forever really.

We also went the BLW route. Recommend the Gill Rapley book. Don't stress about building up to 3 meals a day too quickly - go at the pace you both can manage. I found it helped to let me get my head around one meal at a time. For me, I started with lunch, then added in breakfast and finally added in tea. But you could do whichever order suits you best. The bit that works well for me about BLW, bearing in mind they will reject what you offer sometimes, is that I think of it as cooking something nice for me to eat and giving DS some of it.

Also, don't be too obsessive whichever way you go - spoons and BLW are perfectly compatible. Good luck!

Definitely avoid honey until they are over a year.

Also watch salt content, as they are not supposed to have more than 1g a day until they're one.

There's a good summary of what to avoid here.

I dithered, ummed, aahed and then just gave her bits from my plate after she started grabbing at them. Obv no honey or salt but at about 6.5 months she just helped herself to what she wanted of our meals. Her first dinner was a roast and she had some cauliflower, broccoli, carrot and potato. Just picked it up and chewed it. I carried on from there.

It was brilliant and very easy.

hairband, from 6 months your DS can have anything apart from whole nuts and honey. If there is a family history of alergies introduce those slowly. Oh, and keep things low salt. Those are the basics.

What do you usually eat? Perhaps you can give him a bit of that? I think that if you want to spoon feed you can just mash a bit of what you're eating (DD did BLW from 6 months and she ate a bit of what I had when it was suitable).

I dont see the point of making special stuff if you dont eat it yourself. You're better off spending the time making healthier stuff for yourself that you can share.

Go with the flow and with what works for your family. If you want to do a bit of BLW with some spoon feeding thrown in, then do it.

Good luck and enjoy it.
HTH

Yep, weaning can be a bit of a thought but DD is almost 7 months (started weaning at 25 weeks)and it's starting to come together now!

We started BLW with roasted/boiled veg and stewed fruit and yogurt. Then did a mix of slightly-mashed-with-a-fork stuff and finger foods.Also did some spoonfeeding but while trying to encourage independent feeding e.g. putting loaded spoons on the tray after giving DD a few 'taster' spoonfuls.

I also generally refuse to make special meals for DD (unless we're having something highly unsuitable e.g salt,honey, round things likely to get stuck such as grapes and cherry tomatoes)as I feel the time spent in the kitchen should benefit everyone (and it's not so demoralising when your little cherub turns their nose up at it as everyone else can still enjoy it!).

So it's been a 'largely BLW but not totally' approach for us and it seems to be working as DD is now going that bit longer between milk feeds and the nappies show she is eating a fair bit. The Gill Rapley book on BLW is definitely worth a read as it will give you confidence and ideas.

Thanks all
Really appreciate replies. Have got the Gill Rapley book and will have another look at it.

x