The Weaning Thread

Cunning Stunt · 07-04-2014 2:41pm

Thanks all,
yeah we have decided that he's just not ready. He should want to taste what's on the spoon, or at least have some interest in it, but no matter which food we use, he doesn't want to open his mouth and he'll cry if we do manage to get some in there.

So we will leave it for a week or two and try again then. He's happy enough with his bottle for now.

lolademmers · 08-04-2014 9:11am

We have been on purées here for about 6weeks. He is 6 months old. When do I start making it more lumpy and when will I introduce finger foods. He is taking everything I give him he is a monster!

lmullen · 08-04-2014 2:06pm

lolademmers wrote: »

We have been on purées here for about 6weeks. He is 6 months old. When do I start making it more lumpy and when will I introduce finger foods. He is taking everything I give him he is a monster!

You can start making it lumpier now and introduce some finger foods.

dublinlady · 08-04-2014 9:25pm

I tried S at 20 weeks but left it then til 23 weeks as she wasn't interested.
I changes to lumpier foods at 7 months plus. No need to rush them I feel. At about 7 months I gave some steamed broccoli stems etc, really soft , and she only played with them really for couple weeks, then got into it. Now I give her a mixture of fork mash and pieces if anything we are eating! She's almost 11 months - has no teeth - and can eat almost everything! Major fan of toast, Cheerios, broccoli, chicken, banana, rice cakes etc etc. Takes forever to eat French toast etc but I just leave her at it while I'm eating myself!

lolademmers · 15-04-2014 5:43pm

Tried the lumpier foods but not sure if he is ready. Or maybe I'm not! Not able for the gagging even though it only happened once. Could be coz i tried him with salmon either.

How Strange · 16-04-2014 8:05am

lolademmers, gagging is a good thing. It shows that they are getting used to lumpier/more textured food. When babies are 6 months the gag reflex is to the front so thats why they gag a lot to start with. As they get closer to 1 year the gag reflex moves further back so when they are gagging the food is closer to the throat and they may feel like they are going to choke. That's why babies who haven't been introduced to lumpy/textured food until 10 months or more may get scared of lumps and refuse to eat them.

Gagging, bulging eyes and regurgitating are all 'normal' even if they are terrifying to watch. Choking is silent, there will be no noise, so lots of noise is a good thing. However, the best advice I got (I think from this board) was to sit on your hands for 10 seconds and if the food hasn't come out then you get involved and start doing first aid for choking infants. We only ever had to do this once when our son was 10 months.

Stick with it and you'll be very glad you did. You'll see a huge difference even in a couple of weeks in terms of how he can handle textured food and finger foods. It may seem counter-intuitive to give a 6 month old food that could seemingly choke them but they will taste it and spit out what they can't handle.

lolademmers · 16-04-2014 8:40am

Thanks a mill for that! Will continue as I am then.

nikpmup · 16-04-2014 9:34am

lolademmers wrote: »

Thanks a mill for that! Will continue as I am then.

My little man gags whenever he's given anything he doesn't like the taste/texture of, and that gag can sometimes cause him to vomit. Yesterday, it was scrambled eggs

What I do is to give him a tiny amount of the offending food mixed in with something I know he likes, and gradually increase the amount of it. I know he can cope with lumps as he devours mushed banana and the organix carrot sticks, chews it and swallows no problem!

icescreamqueen · 16-04-2014 11:02am

Ok, silly question but if I were to start giving my baby weetabix or ready brek, what do I mix it with? Babies formula milk?

How Strange · 16-04-2014 12:00pm

If the baby is 6 months plus then whole fat milk is fine.

Cunning Stunt · 27-04-2014 5:27pm

I think we might be headed in the 'baby led weaning' direction. He won't take anything from a spoon - porridge / purees etc. we have tried and tried.
But today he sucked the life out of some tomatoes at dinner (seeds removed), so I think we're gonna buy more things he can suck the juice from - cucumber / melon etc. and then start on some finger food when he's old enough.

red fraggle · 07-05-2014 10:56am

When can our little ones have finger food?

Also anyone any tips to deal with wind? Any food or anything that can help it? He is getting constantly since birth!! Sometimes it's hurting him. Thanks!

How Strange · 07-05-2014 12:58pm

you can give finger food from 6 months. Perhaps give pear. It's very gentle on the tummy.

red fraggle · 07-05-2014 4:26pm

Thanks!! He had pear. Was still very windy!

yellow hen · 07-05-2014 8:26pm

red fraggle wrote: »

When can our little ones have finger food?

Also anyone any tips to deal with wind? Any food or anything that can help it? He is getting constantly since birth!! Sometimes it's hurting him. Thanks!

I think lots of babies are like this. My little fella at 14 months still farts like a demon. At least now he can do the farts on his own, as a smallie he used to be totally bloated with it. I kept a food diary for a while to try and establish what gave him the wind and oddly lumps of carrots were a big problem. I also avoided mince for a while. He loved eggs in any form so once he was trying more foods, I used to hard boil an egg and mash it up with a little unsalted butter. Then add some torn up soft bread and a little warm milk. He'll lap it up!

jackben · 09-05-2014 5:40pm

I dont no about everyone but im finding this introducing solids quite stressfull, my 6 month old is still on pureed foods since about 4 and half months, and i have such a fear of him choking so i am avoiding finger foods and lumpier foods for as long as i can.... fear ive always had,,, oh well im sure i will get it started soon!!!! i hope

Roesy · 09-05-2014 6:41pm

jackben wrote: »

I dont no about everyone but im finding this introducing solids quite stressfull, my 6 month old is still on pureed foods since about 4 and half months, and i have such a fear of him choking so i am avoiding finger foods and lumpier foods for as long as i can.... fear ive always had,,, oh well im sure i will get it started soon!!!! i hope

I still get a bit nervous jackben but the best thing I did was do an infant first aid course a couple of months ago. I've got a 6 month old too and I do still give her mashed food but let her feed herself. I also give finger food and am moving towards a more baby led weaning approach. It's worth looking up on YouTube what to do if baby is choking and also reading up on the difference between gagging and choking.

nikpmup · 09-05-2014 7:44pm

jackben wrote: »

I dont no about everyone but im finding this introducing solids quite stressfull, my 6 month old is still on pureed foods since about 4 and half months, and i have such a fear of him choking so i am avoiding finger foods and lumpier foods for as long as i can.... fear ive always had,,, oh well im sure i will get it started soon!!!! i hope

My mother has a hugely irrational fear of babies choking; she had my sister tormented, panicking that her two were choking, well past the stage where they could feed themselves. And now she's passed it onto me! I'm not as bad as her in fairness, but I can definitely feel panic rising when I see him try to deal with a lump! I'll have to give myself a good talking too. The infant first aid course is something I've been putting on the long finger, I must get organised and do one.

jackben · 10-05-2014 11:42am

thanks roesy and nikpmup for your advice, glad to hear im not the only one that panics a bit too much, dont no where i got the fear from, but i may put my fear to one side and start giving him some lumpier foods and finger foods. i have done a general first aid course before which involved what to do when adults and children are choking but i think if i was actually in the situation would i just panic and forget what to do, anyway im sure i would be fine and hopefully i will never have to be in that situation.
thanks again all.:)

nikpmup · 10-05-2014 11:45am

I think I read in this thread, that if your baby gags, sit on your hands for five seconds before you intervene! (I could have that arseways though, so check!)

Chattastrophe! · 12-05-2014 11:45pm

If formula-feeding, when should you switch to follow-on milk? I had it in my head that it was from six months, but I was looking at an SMA tin in the shop today and it said from when they start solids ... he's four months old now, I'm planning on starting with solids in the next few days.

Roesy · 12-05-2014 11:54pm

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

If formula-feeding, when should you switch to follow-on milk? I had it in my head that it was from six months, but I was looking at an SMA tin in the shop today and it said from when they start solids ... he's four months old now, I'm planning on starting with solids in the next few days.

It was my understanding that you didn't need to change to follow on milk. It does contain more iron alright and your babies iron stores do start to decrease after 6 months but the first milk and a good diet should be good enough. This is what we were told in our antenatal class.

Xdancer · 13-05-2014 6:26am

I think you can change to the follow on milk at 6 months, but most people I know (myself included) used formula until 12 months and then went to cow's milk.

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 6:30am

Roesy wrote: »

It was my understanding that you didn't need to change to follow on milk. It does contain more iron alright and your babies iron stores do start to decrease after 6 months but the first milk and a good diet should be good enough. This is what we were told in our antenatal class.

So did you go straight to cow's milk at six months?

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 6:32am

Xdancer wrote: »

I think you can change to the follow on milk at 6 months, but most people I know (myself included) used formula until 12 months and then went to cow's milk.

That's what I'm planning to do, just wondering if I should actually be switching to the follow-on milk now instead, or is there any reason not to.

Roesy · 13-05-2014 7:23am

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

So did you go straight to cow's milk at six months?

No, cows milk is suitable for cooking after six months but they shouldn't be having it as the main drink until the age of one. I have to stick to an anti reflux formula but the majority of people I know just used the same formula all through the first year. Can't remember what it's called because my baby is on anti reflux since I gave up breast feeding. Is it just the no.1 milk maybe?

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 8:41am

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

That's what I'm planning to do, just wondering if I should actually be switching to the follow-on milk now instead, or is there any reason not to.

Isn't the follow on milk just marketing? As in, the companies aren't allowed advertise formula for under 6mths so they developed, and can advertise, follow on milk? That was my understanding of it (I could have that wrong though, I frequently am

!) I'm half thinking of switching him to the follow on purely because it's sometimes on offer and the ready made bottles are more easily available in the follow on than the first milk (my local Spar always has the red SMA but rarely has the yellow; at weekends I buy litre bottles of the stuff so I don't have to make bottles - how sad is it that that's now considered treating myself

)
I use cows milk in his breakfast cereal in the last few weeks (I tried it when he was just gone 6mths and I don't think it sat well with him, but he seems okay with it now, as well as yogurt, cheese etc) His bottles are still formula but he gets a sippy cup of water with meals (not that he drinks much of it; most of it goes down his chin!) I'd be in no rush to start weaning - it's so much more complicated than a bottle every few hours :P

Nead21 · 13-05-2014 9:15am

nikpmup wrote: »

Isn't the follow on milk just marketing? As in, the companies aren't allowed advertise formula for under 6mths so they developed, and can advertise, follow on milk? That was my understanding of it

That's exactly what I think about follow on milk!
I exclusively bf until I went back to work, then introduced Aptimal 1 during the day and continued feeding him myself in the morning and at night until he was around 9 months. I just gradually switched over to cow's milk over the course of about a week when he turned 1.

I think as a poster previously said, once their diet is good when they are eating, then breastmilk/formula should be sufficient.

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 9:52am

What's the reason you wouldn't introduce follow-on milk? Roesy makes perfect sense for you when you're using the special formula, but in general, what would the disadvantage be? Is it more expensive or something?

nikpmup I think you're right about holding off on weaning. I hadn't been planning on considering it so soon, but he's been waking up looking for a feed at 3/4am the past couple of nights, after sleeping through for ages. But I think I'm going to just try and squeeze in an extra feed or two during the day and see how that goes. Could just be a growth spurt!

By the way I do the same with the readymade bottles!

cant26 · 13-05-2014 9:59am

I believe follow on milk is actually cheaper than stage one, it can also be included in special offers in supermarkets where stage one can not. I chose to stick with stage one as I the follow on milk can cause constipation and as others said as long as the baby has a healthy diet there is no need for it.

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 10:05am

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

What's the reason you wouldn't introduce follow-on milk? Roesy makes perfect sense for you when you're using the special formula, but in general, what would the disadvantage be? Is it more expensive or something?

nikpmup I think you're right about holding off on weaning. I hadn't been planning on considering it so soon, but he's been waking up looking for a feed at 3/4am the past couple of nights, after sleeping through for ages. But I think I'm going to just try and squeeze in an extra feed or two during the day and see how that goes. Could just be a growth spurt!

By the way I do the same with the readymade bottles!

I want to read the ingredients and nutrient levels on the follow on before I decide. I'm happy enough with him on the stage one, but as cant26 says, it's sometimes on offer. If it has the same igredients then I might switch.

Give the extra feed during the day a go before starting solids, see if that works. Or you could try a dream feed? Lift him gently from the cot and slip a bottle in his mouth without waking him, just before you go to bed? I know that works well for some people.

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 10:17am

Yep we already do the dream-feed!

I'm such a stinge, the fact that the follow-on milk is cheaper sometimes is what's swaying me towards it.

Don't need to decide for another while yet anyways.

Thanks for all the info!

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 10:47am

Dream feeding didn't really work for me, he'd lie back down and his reflux would start up and he'd wake crying :-/

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 10:55am

Well I was just in buying nappies, saw the big tins of follow-on milk for just €7.49! :eek: Couldn't resist buying a tin, even though we won't start using it for a while. That's a serious saving over six months (if of course it ends up suiting him.)

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 11:00am

Chattastrophe! wrote: »

Well I was just in buying nappies, saw the big tins of follow-on milk for just €7.49! :eek: Couldn't resist buying a tin, even though we won't start using it for a while. That's a serious saving over six months (if of course it ends up suiting him.)

Where was that, I might stock up

Was it SMA?

Chattastrophe! · 13-05-2014 11:03am

nikpmup wrote: »

Where was that, I might stock up Was it SMA?

Healthwise in Sligo, I'll grab a few tins for you next time I'm down if you want! Yup SMA. The pharmacist said they usually have it at that price there!

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 11:09am

Ah, thought it couldn't have been De Blanch

Little chemists are always the best for those type of things cheap.

Gonna try scrambled eggs for him for lunch. Didn't go well the last time, but I'll try again, I'd love it if he ate eggs!

yellow hen · 13-05-2014 11:24am

nikpmup wrote: »

Ah, thought it couldn't have been De Blanch Little chemists are always the best for those type of things cheap.

Gonna try scrambled eggs for him for lunch. Didn't go well the last time, but I'll try again, I'd love it if he ate eggs!

The texture of scrambled is what they generally dislike. You would probably have better luck, hard boiling an egg and then mashing it with unsalted butter, a little milk and a bit of bread. the bread soaks up the milk and the whole thing becomes very soft and yummy. Try it and you wont be disappointed

How Strange · 13-05-2014 11:29am

I gave our daughter chunks of hard boiled egg from 8 months. She loves it but she hates scrambled egg and omelettes. I guess it is the texture. I'm not too fond of scrambled egg myself.

yellow hen · 13-05-2014 11:38am

How Strange wrote: »

I gave our daughter chunks of hard boiled egg from 8 months. She loves it but she hates scrambled egg and omelettes. I guess it is the texture. I'm not too fond of scrambled egg myself.

Wouldn't be the biggest scrambled egg fan either although I adore eggs. The 'guggy in a cup' is something my mam used to give us when we were babies and I adored it (right up until I was about 10

)

You were braver than me with the chunks... my guy is terrible with finger food..most ends up on the floor! I don't mind the mess so much but I always feel that he hasn't had enough to eat.

nikpmup · 13-05-2014 11:44am

I love scrambled eggs, my OH makes them lovely and creamy, but they're probably a bit undercooked for the little man. Used to love egg in a cup too, mashed with butter, mmmm!

How Strange · 13-05-2014 1:23pm

How much ends on the floor depends on how hungry/interested she is. If she likes it our floor stays clean. She's now taken to dropping good over the high chair and saying oh o. I still love guggy egg!

Xdancer · 13-05-2014 2:57pm

The only way my daughter would ever eat egg for me was scrambled. She wouldn't (and still won't) touch them any other way. The odd time she ate french toast for me, but not often.

kandr10 · 13-05-2014 4:57pm

Egg in a cup is one of my all time favourite foods! Also my husbands so we regularly have it for breakfast!

Suucee · 13-05-2014 8:15pm

My mouth is watering now for egg in the cup. Love it.

LO will only eat scrambled egg/egg in the cup. Will not touch a boiled egg. Had it maybe once but wouldnt touch it after that. Try it every so often but she wont budge.

With my daughter i switched to red lid sma at 6 months as thought i was supposed to change. Only when i bought it did i realise it was cheaper. She had no probs with it so i just continued with it untill we moved to cows milk at 1.

yellow hen · 15-05-2014 10:18pm

I gave pineapple chunks to my 14 month old today and he adored them. As it's a citrus fruit, I googled (afterwards!) if it was ok for him to have it and the jury was out. What did you guys do?

How Strange · 15-05-2014 10:40pm

What's wrong with citrus fruit? I give my 1 year orange all the time. I didn't know it was a no-no. I gave my son strawberries before 1 year and later found out they're highly allergic so you shouldn't give them too young. He loved them though!

kandr10 · 15-05-2014 10:48pm

Is it not better to introduce the foods that are high on the allergen list early? Again its all internet science so its hard to filter out facts from garbage.

yellow hen · 16-05-2014 8:54am

I think citrus fruits can be a bit tough on their tummys (tummies?) so you (apparently) should introduce them with caution. Anyway, no major problems last night so he went off to creche with a fruit bowl of pineapple and grapes.

Suucee · 17-05-2014 6:27am

yellow hen wrote: »

I think citrus fruits can be a bit tough on their tummys (tummies?) so you (apparently) should introduce them with caution. Anyway, no major problems last night so he went off to creche with a fruit bowl of pineapple and grapes.

Am so jealous. I still cant get my 2 yr old to eat fruit. Tried her with pineapple resently too and she took it from my hand and put it down. Wouldnt even put it in her mouth. I put a piece in my mouth then put it up to hers but no. It has to be a texture thing as she loves puree fruit. We have tried so many times yo get her to try it in its proper form but nope but any concoction of fruut puree she will eat. (Current batch is strawberries, pears, apples and bananas) We dont even bother removing the skins of apples or pears.

She asked me for a banana the other morning and i was delighted. Opened it handed it to her and off she ran into the sitting room. I snook in and see her taking a bite. (Had a quiet yippee) but waited and waited and she wouldnt have anymore. She went around with it for ages in her hand. I even asked "are you eating your banana) but she didnt try anymore. But hey she tried it. I eventually had to take it away whrn it started going brown.

The Weaning Thread

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