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Weaning

what do you wish you'd known prior to weaning?

20 replies

milkyman · 09/02/2013 15:41

I have a 4 mth old and beginning to think about weaning (at 6 mths). What are your hints and tips?

OP posts:
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JiltedJohnsJulie · 09/02/2013 15:49

That having a dog would be really useful for all of those spills Smile

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Flisspaps · 09/02/2013 15:54

How easy it actually is Grin

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jennimoo · 09/02/2013 15:56

That it really doesn't matter how much they eat the first few months, and it's more important for them to have fun and feel positive.

And something wipe clean under the high chair is essential.

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gallicgirl · 09/02/2013 15:57

It's just food.
Relax and have fun.

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louschmoo · 09/02/2013 16:00

That whether you do BLW or purees & finger foods, by the time they're about one-ish chances are they'll be eating what you eat anyway, unless you avoid offering them your food and only ever make special food just for them. I don't think it's worth stressing over too much, just offer them some food, ideally stuff that tastes nice and mash it up if you want to, or don't if you can't be arsed.

Oh, and always wipe up thoroughly at the end of each meal. Dried-on weetabix is like cement!

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LarkinSky · 09/02/2013 16:00

That spoon feeding is probably easier, less-time consuming and less trouble than baby-led weaning, in several ways. Although there is much to be said for baby-led weaning!
DD1 was wholly BLW, and turned out fine. I used no spoons at all until she was able to hold it herself, giving her chicken drumsticks at 8 months, sandwiches, veg sticks, etc . I was a SAHM at the time and really put a lot of thought into her weaning and was never sure whether she was full or not. She was a terrible sleeper, and it might have put my mind at rest knowing her tummy was at least full of solids when she went to bed, as well as milk.
Also, DD didn't really eat meat until she was at least 2.

Now I'm working ft in a demanding job, I think it's easier and quicker to just spoon in a puree and be reassured that she's had a nutritious and filling meal in her tummy, but make sure they enjoy finger foods as well.
For DD2, I'll do a mixture of both purees and finger foods.

NB, our dog is bloody fussy and won't eat fruit and veg. He didn't help at all with cleaning up the mess. I felt like sacking him.

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BusyTiredAndLoveIt · 09/02/2013 16:06

Be prepared for the mess.

Relax and enjoy it.

If it hits the ground it goes to the hound (baby will click on to this very quickly and will find it hilarious)

Home made food is easier, cheaper ad tastes better than jarred crap.

Bananas, biscuits (healthy ones), dry cereal, apple, cucumber and cubes of cheese are amazing to little fingers. You will learn to chop this food extremely quickly to your little ones desire.

Popping baby in the high chair while you and your dp eat and giving baby a little something to chew on, even if not a full meal, will teach good routines and baby will learn what is expected very quickly.

Cleaning high chairs is one of the grubby jobs of motherhood.

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Flisspaps · 09/02/2013 16:42

Larkin I thought BLW was easier than purée - I never worried my two weren't getting enough (although DD 2y 10m eats like a bloody bird now, so it's a different story!) and I couldn't be arsed with boiling/mashing/freezing ice cube trays of veg or spoon feeding while my own dinner went cold. I just gave my two whatever, and they got on with it, whereas my relatives/friends who had babies who were traditionally weaned were constantly saying 'X won't manage this, that or the other; it's too lumpy/hard/big/won't go on a spoon'

In truth, they're probably both equally as easy as each other, but one way suits done people and the other way suits others Grin

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blushingmare · 09/02/2013 19:14

That even at 6 months they might not be ready for it. It wouldn't hurt at all to have waited another few weeks and we would have avoiding a lot of tears (hers and mine!), but I bowed to peer pressure as was already the last one to start as it was Blush

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 09/02/2013 20:24

Well I've weaned two, one with purees and one blw. For us blw was just so much easier.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 10/02/2013 13:58

I've found it fairly easy by doing purees and finger food. I've given Ds whatever we're having most of the time and not stressed about how much he eats. Don't be scared of strong flavours and spicy food, just watch the salt.

No 1 tip - poundland sell wipe clean table cloths. Stick one under the highchair. :)

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fishcalledwonder · 10/02/2013 14:08

That ultimately the approach you use will be decided by your baby. Was keen to follow BLW route, and DD loved elements of it, but was very frustrated when she couldn't manage to eat enough of sloppier foods. As a result she is still spoon fed yoghurt, mash etc at 15 months.

Also agree with those saying enjoy it. It's very entertaining seeing their mixed reactions to new foods. I'll always remember the look of sheer pleasure on DD's face when she ate her first peach, and how she literally shuddered with horror at cucumber!

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ElphabaTheGreen · 11/02/2013 21:00

On a slightly more negative note, I had no idea how much babies can gag and even vomit with weaning. DS is only just now, after almost three months of weaning, starting to manage a piece of toast with only a small amount of gagging. Would love to have done BLW, but he would gag and vomit so much it would put him off eating, and rattle me no end. I persisted with textures and finger foods and he's becoming a good little chewer now, but it's definitely up there with cluster feeding on the 'why didn't anybody TELL me about this!' list.

If you end up with an epic gagger as well, I suggest you offer finger foods first followed by the mashed stuff. If you do it the other way around, a well-timed gag on the finger food could bring up everything they've struggled to get down, plus copious of quantities of milk. Not demoralising at all. Not at all Hmm

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MrsPennyapple · 11/02/2013 21:26

That pureed carrot stains everything it touches, vividly and permanently.

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breatheslowly · 11/02/2013 21:41

That feeding mostly jarred food doesn't lead to a child who won't eat normal, homemade food. Nor does letting DD mostly suck food out of Ella's pouches lead to a child who won't eat normally. Ready made food is often slated, but if it works for you then go for it. Though to be fair, the food in nursery was homemade and eaten properly.

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TwelveLeggedWalk · 11/02/2013 21:46

That just when you think they're eating well... they'll stop. Or only eat yellow food. Or exist entirely on cheese for a week. Or turn vegetarian until you go out for lunch and they steal your burger.
Basically, they will lull you into a false sense of security, then change the rules daily, if not more frequently, requiring either the patience of a saint, and/or a fridge to rival HArrods food hall with whatever tickles their fancy at that particular moment.

And that whilst you might've thought milky stains on your shoulders were bad, nothing can compare to a full sweet potato/yoghurt melange over your jeans. Which you don't notice until going to bed.

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blushingmare · 11/02/2013 22:50

I've thought of another thing.... That you've hit 6 months and are just thinking "I'm getting the hang of this baby thing - I can get out of the house within 2 hours, I'm starting to work out when they sleep and for how long and I've totally cracked the breastfeeding" and then you have to start giving them solids and thinking about what they're going to have, when they're going to have it and how it ties in with your trips out and their naps and basically it all goes tits up again for at least another six weeks til you start to work all that out Grin

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sian05 · 12/02/2013 21:05

Thank you Blushing that's exactly how I feel! I just started weaning a week ago and suddenly all my lovely routine (!) has gone to pot.

I felt I was starting to get the hang of this motherhood thing and now my confidence has taken a bit of a knock but I will take heart that in a few more weeks we'll be back on some kind of track Smile

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VisualiseAHorse · 13/02/2013 10:55

That there will be a LOT of food waste. Dogs are brilliant for this reason alone.

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wanderingalbatross · 13/02/2013 11:06

Sometimes they just won't eat and there's not much you can do about it! It's probably down to teething/developmental spurt/illness and they'll get back to eating in their own time, just try not to worry about it.

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