The Weaning Thread

Neyite · 20-09-2013 1:58pm

Rose35 wrote: »

I could never understand the removing a bottle thing, my fella is 11 months and he still has four 8oz bottles a day i.e 6am - 7pm roughly, in the 11 months I didn't consciously drop a bottle, I just found if he was full he just wouldn't drink a full one or just refuse it, I still offered him his bottles throughout the day. That is just how it worked for me and J is my first. I just played it by ear. I know its not exactly answering your question.

I introduced a sippy with water, but didnt purposely drop the milk feeds. Now I breastfed on demand so I just went with the flow. He got a night time bottle from 3 months and now at 17 months this is the only milk drink he is interested in. But I made sure he eats lots of other dairy products.

FunkSoulSista wrote: »

Hey everyone, weaning going well so far thanks to all the advice I got on here. Trying now to get my 8 1/2 mo to eat the meals we are eating or is it too early to do this? Say if we were having like a spag bol made with pasta sauce from a jar is that a no no to give to my lo? Any suggestions of other meals we could make that could be mashed or blended up for this age baby please?

I made up my own pasta sauce and froze it in ice cube trays. I make our pasta sauce in bulk anyway, so as I was making that, I had a small saucepan with a baby version - everything just finer chopped, less chilli flakes, no salt, sugar and used fresh tomatoes instead of jars. I also added some roasted red peppers to it for flavour.

I did it with curry sauce too - just really reduced the chilli in the baby version.

june17 · 23-09-2013 2:25pm

yellow hen wrote: »

Could anyone give me an idea of a days food schedule for a 7 month old baby? thanks.

My little boy will be 7 months next week. This is his typical feed schedule for the day

7:30am 6 oz bottle and 2 tblsp fruit purée. I've started giving him a little porridge now but he hasn't taken to it yet!
11:30 as of today, he is eating 3 cubes of veg and 2 cubes of chicken casserole. I'll increase it slightly during the week. I've also started giving him some cool boiled water with his meal.
2:30 6-8 oz bottle
4:45 5 tsp rice and 2 cubes of pear purée
6 :00 6-8 oz bottle
10:30 I'm weaning him off his dream feed. We're currently down to 3 ozs.

I'm following Gina Ford's weaning guide which has been going very well so far. He loves his food! From 7 months on her recommendation is not to purée food any longer and to begin to establish 3 good solid meals a day so that by the time baby is 9 months most of his nourishment will come from solid food. Didn't have a clue about waning so that's why I'm following her guidelines. Not sure how it compares to others.

yellow hen · 26-09-2013 9:12pm

Starting a 7 month old on weetabix tomorrow. How much did you give when you started on weatabix? Half a one?

FunkSoulSista · 26-09-2013 9:19pm

yellow hen wrote: »

Starting a 7 month old on weetabix tomorrow. How much did you give when you started on weatabix? Half a one?

Yeah that's what I did till I saw how he was with it, now my 9 month old has 1 sometimes 1 and a half.

yellow hen · 26-09-2013 10:20pm

Thanks FFS.

May I also ask what sort of yogurt you all used when weaning? I'm going to try yogurt this weekend . We've avoided lactose until now so will slowly begin to introduce it to see how he deals with it.

Also any advice on introducing eggs? I was going to make a hard boiled egg and mash it up for lunch tomorrow.

Sorry, I have so many questions about weaning!

NBO · 26-09-2013 10:39pm

yellow hen wrote: »

Thanks FFS.

May I also ask what sort of yogurt you all used when weaning? I'm going to try yogurt this weekend . We've avoided lactose until now so will slowly begin to introduce it to see how he deals with it.

Also any advice on introducing eggs? I was going to make a hard boiled egg and mash it up for lunch tomorr

Sorry, I have so many questions about weaning!

I use the glenisk baby yogurt for my 7 month old. He's a very refluxy baby and we've had no problems with Glenisk so far.

implausible · 26-09-2013 10:50pm

I used natural yogurt. You can introduce purée to it later for flavour if you want. For eggs, I scrambled them with some real butter - hard to beat!

How Strange · 27-09-2013 5:48am

I used the lidl Greek yoghurt. I used to add chopped prunes, some squashed berries, peach or plum.

I used to either quarter a hard boiled egg or cut a one egg omelette into pieces and let him feed himself.

For weetabix I gave a half and only started giving more if he cleared the half one and wantes more. I think he was eating one and a half at a year old.

We'll be doing it all again in a month :S

Neyite · 27-09-2013 9:36am

I used the glenisk ones. Purely because they fit into the lunch box I used for out and about.

He never took to eggs - boiled or scrambled or omlette, I wonder if it was the texture? But he did like french toast, so that was one way of getting eggs into him. If you have a proper non-stick pan you wont need any oil.

Weetabix, he would take a full one initally. And I usually added pureed fruit to it. From a year, he took one and a half. Fingers of wholemeal toast are handy when they are impatient.

yellow hen · 27-09-2013 8:22pm

Thanks all. He had a half a weatabix this morn and this eve he had a 1/4 of one of the baby Gleniln farm yogurts. I'm taking the yogurt very slowly as we have no idea how he'll get on with the lactose. He lapped it up though.

Although he's 7 months he's not even near holding finger food. His grip is good but his control over whatever is in his hand is terrible. I'd love to wean him more by letting him feel the textures of his food etc but for now it's going to have to be spoon.

pwurple · 01-10-2013 1:19pm

I'd start with a pancake made with eggs before trying boiled or scrambled... just because egg allergies are fairly common in young ones. Keep an eye out for rash or hives around the mouth. If all is ok, scrambled or hard boiled a couple of days later.

iguana · 01-10-2013 1:26pm

The thing with eggs though is that they are fantastic from a nutrition standpoint so if there is no sign of allergies they are great to include in a baby's diet as a regular feature. My son doesn't seem to like them much apart from toast dipped in egg yoke (he's not wild on the texture) so I've been making up a date or jam custard for him. I tried him on banana/egg pancakes (1 mashed banana, 1 egg whisked through, add porridge if you want, and fry until set) which I find delicious, but he loves banana so much, anything that dilutes the purity of the fruit disappoints him greatly.

yellow hen · 01-10-2013 2:00pm

Too late... I dived right in there and mashed a boiled egg with a teeny bit if bread and butter. He made some choice faces eating it but ate it all the same. Wouldn't suprise me if he refused it in the future though.

Rose35 · 01-10-2013 3:08pm

yellow hen wrote: »

Thanks all. He had a half a weatabix this morn and this eve he had a 1/4 of one of the baby Gleniln farm yogurts. I'm taking the yogurt very slowly as we have no idea how he'll get on with the lactose. He lapped it up though.

Although he's 7 months he's not even near holding finger food. His grip is good but his control over whatever is in his hand is terrible. I'd love to wean him more by letting him feel the textures of his food etc but for now it's going to have to be spoon.

The minute my little fella got the hang of finger food he wanted to feed himself all the time, if he sees me trying to feed him with the spoon all hell breaks loose, very independent, i am trying all the time to find interesting/different snacks he can eat himself now, he is 13 months old and not able to manage the spoon himself yet to aid him in his independent way of eating!!!!(but lets girls in creche feed him, probably because he sees the other babies being fed with spoon) maybe it's me

yellow hen · 01-10-2013 3:22pm

Rose35 wrote: »

The minute my little fella got the hang of finger food he wanted to feed himself all the time, if he sees me trying to feed him with the spoon all hell breaks loose, very independent, i am trying all the time to find interesting/different snacks he can eat himself now, he is 13 months old and not able to manage the spoon himself yet to aid him in his independent way of eating!!!!(but lets girls in creche feed him, probably because he sees the other babies being fed with spoon) maybe it's me

Funny in the last two days, he wants to take spoon out of my hand and put it in his own mouth. Might be more novelty than anything else but it would be great if he could feed himself more. I gave him strawberries in the clevamama thing today and he loved it. Held and sucked it like a lollipop

dublinlady · 02-10-2013 2:17pm

yellow hen wrote: »

Funny in the last two days, he wants to take spoon out of my hand and put it in his own mouth. Might be more novelty than anything else but it would be great if he could feed himself more. I gave him strawberries in the clevamama thing today and he loved it. Held and sucked it like a lollipop

Those clevamama things great for when teething too - frozen melon etc in them!

Banana pancakes sound gooood!!
Ill be starting in the next week or two - she's 20 weeks - about to steal the fork out if my hand - she's none impressed she's not getting any!!

june17 · 02-10-2013 10:14pm

Hi. Is it ok to give my 7 month old baby whole wheat pasta and rice or would it be too hard for him to digest? I noticed this evening that the recommended servings for 6-9 months is 2-4 tablespoons per meal. My little boy usually eats about 6 tablespoons of food for dinner and tea. Is this too much? I'm following his lead and he easily eats this amount but could I be over feeding him?

yellow hen · 02-10-2013 10:36pm

june17 wrote: »

Hi. Is it ok to give my 7 month old baby whole wheat pasta and rice or would it be too hard for him to digest? I noticed this evening that the recommended servings for 6-9 months is 2-4 tablespoons per meal. My little boy usually eats about 6 tablespoons of food for dinner and tea. Is this too much? I'm following his lead and he easily eats this amount but could I be over feeding him?

Mine has about 9 tablespoons. I worried he was eating too much but he's hungry for it so I just go with it. If I try to cut back he cries for more.

How Strange · 03-10-2013 1:59am

I wouldn't worry about them eating too much. Their appetites can be huge up to 1 year and then they can start eating less and less to the point where you wonder are they getting enough.

A good book for parents of young babies is Carlos Gonzalez My Child Wont Eat. It answers a lot of questions that we have about how much they should be eating etc

A baby under a year eats more than a 2 year old, a 2 year old more than a 3 year old etc etc. A baby under 1 year uses a lot more calories in a day than a 3 year old.

june17 · 03-10-2013 10:04am

Thanks for your replies Yellow Hen and How Strange. I might get that book! What about giving him whole wheat pasta and brown rice-would that be ok? Thanks

Ms2011 · 03-10-2013 10:14am

june17 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies Yellow Hen and How Strange. I might get that book! What about giving him whole wheat pasta and brown rice-would that be ok? Thanks

I always gave wholemeal everything, I wanted him to get used to eating the healthier versions where possible. We had no problems with him digesting them.

How Strange · 03-10-2013 8:57pm

I'd try to give whole wheat over white carbs. I don't buy white bread at all so we all eat brown. Aldi have soft whole wheat noodles which are great for making up a quick lunch or dinner.

cant26 · 07-10-2013 9:59pm

Hi all. My little boy will be 20 weeks on Thursday and I'm planning to start solids in the next few days, probably the weekend. I was going to bypass the whole baby rice stage and go straight to puréed veg but after reading this whole thread I think I might start with the rice and introduce fruit and veg slowly..
Can someone please tell me if I need to sterilise his bowl and spoon. I also got a sippy cup suitable from 4months, should I sterilise this before I put the cool boiled water in it? Sorry if these questions are ridiculous I have not got a clue on the weaning process!

yellow hen · 07-10-2013 10:20pm

cant26 wrote: »

Hi all. My little boy will be 20 weeks on Thursday and I'm planning to start solids in the next few days, probably the weekend. I was going to bypass the whole baby rice stage and go straight to puréed veg but after reading this whole thread I think I might start with the rice and introduce fruit and veg slowly..
Can someone please tell me if I need to sterilise his bowl and spoon. I also got a sippy cup suitable from 4months, should I sterilise this before I put the cool boiled water in it? Sorry if these questions are ridiculous I have not got a clue on the weaning process!

I'll tell you what we do which may or may not be incorrect!!!! At night I sterilise my sons supply cup, bowl and spoons along with all his bottles. During the day, I have a sterilised spoon for each meal but I don't re-sterilise his bowl after each meal. I just rinse it in boiling water instead. I guess some bacteria us good for their immune system. My little fella is picking everything of the ground and putting it in his mouth anyway so his bowl is the least of my worries.

In relation to starting weaning, I would take it slow. Their tummies are tiny and a little bit of time to adjust to the change in food can do them no harm. Taking it slowly also allows you to identify any good which doesn't agree with them.

We've had our son on lactose free formula since he was 3 months. Today I gave him a half of a baby yogurt and for the rest of the day he never stopped farting... Farts which really hurt him

. I think we'll now have to go and get him properly allergy tested.

sillysocks · 07-10-2013 11:31pm

We're at 19 weeks here and just started on baby rice. What I do, and no idea if it's right, is just put them in the dishwasher. I think that washes them at such a high temperature that it should kill the germs and when I open the dishwasher the steam flies out so I imagine that's as good as the steam steriliser.

I did the same with my first child and didn't have any issues.

For advice and info on weaning I highly recommend the Anabel Karmel Complete Baby and toddler book. It's great and I still use it for ideas for dinners for my three year old. It gives a handy week by week planner for the weaning stages of what to give and when to give it.

Digs · 08-10-2013 12:12am

sillysocks wrote: »

For advice and info on weaning I highly recommend the Anabel Karmel Complete Baby and toddler book. It's great and I still use it for ideas for dinners for my three year old. It gives a handy week by week planner for the weaning stages of what to give and when to give it.

I love this book too! Have a freezer full of her purées ready to go. My LO is 24 weeks tomorrow and I think if I try hold her off any longer she will have a meltdown if she sees me eating.

The recipes for the family at the back end of the book look really good aswell!

cant26 · 08-10-2013 7:44am

Thanks yellow hen & silly socks I will probably do a bit of both for the first couple of weeks! I ordered Annabel karmels weaning book last week but still waiting on it. I probably should have asked here first for a recommendation!

dublinlady · 08-10-2013 8:36am

With my first I steriliser her cup once a day, and just washed her bowls and spoons each time. I really only prioritize milk holding things for the steriliser.. She drops her soother so often it can't be clean even tho I try!!
I have my pear in freezer ready to go

want some baby rice too. Also got carrots & sweet potatoe but haven't had time to prepare yet!
She's 21 weeks now - going to start in the next week I think - cant remember how much to offer the first week? Couple oz?! God I feel like I've forgotten it all from just 12 months ago!!!

How Strange · 08-10-2013 8:47am

My little one is 23 weeks and practically jumping the table to get at food but I've held off do far. I think we'll start in 2 weeks with some tastes. She was 4 days overdue so that would bring her almost up to 26 weeks. I'm hoping to go straight into being able to eat everything except of course nuts and honey which is why I'm holding off.

yellow hen · 23-11-2013 10:59am

As I'm going back to work this week I'm hoping to do a cookathon tonight to fill the freezer with food for my little fella. He's 9 months now so can people tell me what they find cooks and freezes well? At the moment all I've done is chicken casseroles and fish with veg.
Thanks.

The Weaning Thread

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