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The Weaning Thread

  • 22-08-2010 5:52pm
    #1
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    I thought there should be a thread here where we can ask questions and share tips on weaning. Whether it be spoon feeding, baby-led weaning, finger foods, recipes or just to share the mini triumphs of your baby starting on "people food" :p


    So I have a question.

    James has been on solids for about a month and he's been really quick on the uptake. He's now on 3 meals and 3 bottles. A couple of weeks ago I tried him on toast and he loved it. He could dissolve it in his mouth and then swallow. In the past week any finger food I give him (Organix rusks, toast..) makes him gag and be sick. He seems to try to swallow too much at once.

    My question is: Should I keep trying it with him or should I leave it for a while?

    He's coming up on 7 months now but has no teeth yet.


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    Maybe leave him for a while and try maybe once a week with some dry finger food? He should get the hang of it!!

    My problem is with Saoirse, I have been trying her on solids on and off for the past month and a half. Mostly savoury stuff (sweet potato or carrot puree) but some pureed apple or pear too... tried some baby rice at the start. She gags on EVERYTHING (now I know this in itself is not a problem, but even the tiniest bit of puree is being gagged on), sometimes I persevere and she gets a bit (maybe two or three teaspoons of the puree) and sometimes I have to give up as she gets so distressed and the next day she is literally in bits, crying all day and just in bad form, could be teething but it could also be linked to the food.

    Now I'm not too worried about her at the moment, she's still on five bottles a day and sleeping through the night, she also seems to be gaining weight, I was just so used to Addison starting solids at four months that this is a bit new to me! Might do baby led weaning, she seemed to like the bit of rusk she had in my mams last week!!


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    Is she sitting up yet Adrieanne?

    I know some of the babies in my Mum and Baby group were gagging before they could sit up and got over it when they could.

    I think I'll keep trying James in bits of finger food but maybe give it to him before a feed so he won't be losing a lot of dinner! His puke is starting to smell like the real thing now too, yeuck.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    No she's not sitting up unaided yet so that may be it :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,643 ✭✭✭ThePiedPiper


    I think there's a trend towards kids moving onto solids sooner than recommended by the World Health Organisation's guidelines, although they do seem a little too conservative. Certainly the district nurse was constantly trying to hurry us along with it even though our little one clearly wasn't ready, gagging and throwing up.

    Around 7 months, I think we were introducing Liga/Rusk mixed with a little of the formula to get our baby used to the taste. A few small bits of white bread or scone or toast is good too, I think it was around 8 months we started that. Brown bread is not as good for young babies as it doesn't digest as quickly. We were giving a little bit of mashed up banana around 7 months also, but some babies can get either loose bowels with this or constipation so keep an eye on it.

    Every baby is different in this regard though so it will be individual to each of them. My nephew was eating all sorts of grown up food when he was six months whereas we were just starting to wean our little one at 6 months and only at a year is she properly happy with a lot of things.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭mohawk


    Das Kitty wrote: »
    I thought there should be a thread here where we can ask questions and share tips on weaning. Whether it be spoon feeding, baby-led weaning, finger foods, recipes or just to share the mini triumphs of your baby starting on "people food" :p


    So I have a question.

    James has been on solids for about a month and he's been really quick on the uptake. He's now on 3 meals and 3 bottles. A couple of weeks ago I tried him on toast and he loved it. He could dissolve it in his mouth and then swallow. In the past week any finger food I give him (Organix rusks, toast..) makes him gag and be sick. He seems to try to swallow too much at once.

    My question is: Should I keep trying it with him or should I leave it for a while?

    He's coming up on 7 months now but has no teeth yet.

    He doesn't have to be sitting up unaided. If he can sit up well in a highchair then he should be fine. I followed baby led weaning with my son. Sometimes they can manage a food fine and then they start gagging on it because they start putting too much in their mouths. Gagging can help them learn not to stuff their mouths. If they are continously gagging then they aren't ready but you said you already gave your son toast no problem so it sounds like he is ready.


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  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    Yeah I think he needs to differentiate between purée and lumpier stuff. He was fine to begin with because he was tentative about all food and took it slow, he now just swallows purée like water and finds it hard to switch between that and lumpier stuff.

    He has been sitting unaided since he was 5 months, a month before we started with solids.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 631 ✭✭✭ebmma


    started baby led weaning :) he loooved gumming a piece of stake to death :D also had tast and beetroot


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Cat Melodeon


    I've been doing a mix of spoonfeeds and baby-led weaning with my lad and it's gone brilliantly. He was a week off 6 months old and I felt that it was the right time to start - he could sit (wobbly) unaided and was starting to pick things up between his index finger and thumb and put them in his mouth. His tongue thrust reflex had also completely gone, although he did still gag on new foods or lumpier spoon feeds from time to time.

    I found the Anabel Karmel books great for ideas for first foods and I adapted lots of them to make finger foods. His favourites at the start were cubes of steamed apple and pear, grated cheese, the organix range of rice cakes etc, toast with melted cheese or jam, peas, diced ripe avocado, bits of banana, chopped up chicken curry (still goes crazy for it) and pasta of any kind. Sometimes I feel like we treat him like one of the dogs, giving him scraps off our plates, but that's when he's happiest, munching on broccoli from my plate or his dad's almost-finished chop bones.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,398 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    Great thread, we're thinking of starting into the weaning process soon enough. We'll start with baby rice and move on to purées. We have a book of purée 'recipes' and will be giving them a go.

    So how did you all start out with purées? Did you start by giving one food type first to get the baby used to the different taste and texture?
    What have people been using to store batches of purée? I've heard of some people freezing portions in ice cube trays and then defrosting them when needed. Good idea or not?


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    I started on the rice the first day, then gave sweetpotato purée the next day. I waited till six months to start so I didn't see the point in giving 3 days per food (especially the non allergenic ones). The ice cube trays are a good freezing option to begin with but they start eating a lot more quite quickly. I used mini-muffin trays (silicone) and at the moment 3 of these is how much he eats now. That's about the same as a normal bun tray full.

    Currently the freezer is full of frozen meals (from the Annabel Karmel book), puréed fruit and mash potato! He gets some jars too.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Cat Melodeon


    I gave my lad rice once and never again. He hated it and to be honest I didn't blame him - it's like eating wallpaper paste and gave him awful constipation. We started straight off with pureed fruit, sweet potato and squash. He didn't like normal potato at the start but will eat it now. For breakfast, I don't buy the special baby cereals as they are atrociously expensive - I've found oatibix or readybrek to be the best in terms of digestibility and price. I usually mash up a bit of fruit in there too to meet the five-a-day target and take off a bit of the blandness. Whole milk is fine in cereal once they're past 6 months, but maybe use your normal milk (breast or formula) if they seem to struggle at the start (extra wind beyond what is normal, difficulty pooing or runny nappies).


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭mohawk


    r3nu4l wrote: »
    Great thread, we're thinking of starting into the weaning process soon enough. We'll start with baby rice and move on to purées. We have a book of purée 'recipes' and will be giving them a go.

    So how did you all start out with purées? Did you start by giving one food type first to get the baby used to the different taste and texture?
    What have people been using to store batches of purée? I've heard of some people freezing portions in ice cube trays and then defrosting them when needed. Good idea or not?

    baby rice is nasty!! Babies can have very strong likes and dislikes. Babies have taste buds too!! If you are going down the puree route forget about baby rice and go for pureed fruit and veg its much tastier.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    God I think the baby rice is gorgeous, mixed with whole milk and some fruit purée warmed up. Mmmm

    What's the adult version by the way? Is it Semolina?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭crazy cat lady


    We started Megan with baby rice mixed with breast milk, then moved on to purees. I did a sweet potato, carrot and broccoli puree and an apple and pear puree. I've since made fruity rice puddings and frozen them using baby rice and fruit puree.

    Megan is now on lumpy foods and has been for about 5 weeks. We generally give her whatever we are having and just mash it down a bit. She also loves scrambled egg and cheese! She has ready brek with a little honey in the mornings and half a slice of toast. Other finger foods include sticks of cheese, bread crusts, carrots, organix rice cakes and organix finger biscuit things. She loves her food!

    She also has petit filous (or whichever alternative is on offer!) or mashed banana as desserts, and occasionally a pot of some sort of baby custardy dessert.

    Because I've given her homemade food from day one, she wont entertain anything from a jar!

    I bought a bag of baby pasta stars in Tesco when I was moving on to lumpy food and added them to the purees which I think worked really well as she has never had any problems with lumps


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Cat Melodeon


    We started She has ready brek with a little honey in the mornings and half a slice of toast.

    Not pouncing on you or anything, just making sure people know it's not advised to give honey to the under-1s. In very rare cases it can cause infant botulism, a form of food poisoning caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, commonly found in honey (even the pasteurised stuff).


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭crazy cat lady


    I didn't know that! Thanks for letting me know :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,173 ✭✭✭lolli


    Great Thread.

    I still have Saoirse on pureed dinners because she hates the lumps but she does like chomping on toast, rice cakes and slices of cucumber. She likes green beans and carrots but she just loves mushing them up :D


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    Maple syrup is a good alternative to honey for the under 1s.

    James has figured out how to drink from a sippy cup. I had such a swell of pride! :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    Not pouncing on you or anything, just making sure people know it's not advised to give honey to the under-1s. In very rare cases it can cause infant botulism, a form of food poisoning caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, commonly found in honey (even the pasteurised stuff).

    I have to admit to being a bold mammy and my first daughter used to love a dip of honey on her soother now and then... she was weaned from it at 5 months though because I wasn't sure how the child minder would react to it...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭bulmersgal


    silly question girls but when your give toast did you's put butter on it. Do you cut it into strips like soliders or in bite size pieces.

    Gave Elisha a bit of melon yesterday to suck on, jesus she loved it. Weaning is going well she's nearly 5 months but will have 2 meals (usually give about 5-7 teaspoons in bowl)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Cat Melodeon


    Yes, I put butter on the toast and sometimes a wee bit of jam or melted cheese too. He also loves it with beans or with mashed up egg yolk. I cut it into soldiers, he's been well able to manage them since he was able to bite (about 8 months when he got a tooth on the bottom to match the two on top!).

    At five months you'd probably want to cut the toast up into smaller pieces and soften them first. I'd say she's still a wee bit young for the more solid/chewy finger foods.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 631 ✭✭✭ebmma


    my little guy just gets plain toast cut into a long stripe. He picks it up and gums it (no teeth yet). He tries to chew as well but it requires a lot of concentration on his part :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 631 ✭✭✭ebmma


    wow, my spelling is awful in the 1st post...need more sleep :)

    is anyone else doing baby-led weaning? Robin tried steamed potato and ham yesterday. He clearly preferred ham.


    where are your babies sitting? I have a high chair but it is enormous..so I'm looking for alternatives.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,398 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    So anyone freezing purée? Are you freezing it in ice-cube trays or something else?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭bulmersgal


    I got this info off website

    Freezing Homemade Baby Food - The Ice Cube Tray/Freezer Bag Method:

    Using this method, you spoon or pour your baby food purees into regular ice cube trays and then cover with plastic wrap.

    Prior to using your ice cube trays, you want to thoroughly cleanse them with warm soapy water and/or run them through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. Some parents have even submerged their ice cube trays in boiling water for sanitizing (note: please make sure that the manufacturer of the trays indicates it is ok to boil the trays.)

    The ice cube tray method offers you many advantages.

    Each cube is approximately 1+ ounces, allowing you to have an idea of the amount of food your baby is consuming.
    There is minimal waste as you use only 1 cube at a time and will not have to toss away much food; such as you toss away when using commercial foods.
    Another advantage is that you probably have ice cube trays on hand and will not need to go out and buy them.

    Once the purees have been frozen in the trays, you simply pop out the cubes and use as needed. Using this method also allows you to make several trays at a time so your time spent in the kitchen making baby food is decreased.

    You may transfer the baby food cubes into freezer bags, freeing up your trays for the next batch of food as well as freeing up some freezer space.

    If using the freezer bag method for your food cubes, be sure to label the bags with the type of food and also date the bags. This will help you to quickly grab a cube from a bag of veggie and a bag of fruit without having to guess what you have in the bags. It also allows you to keep track of the length of time the food cubes have been in the freezer.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    r3nu4l wrote: »
    So anyone freezing purée? Are you freezing it in ice-cube trays or something else?

    See my reply on the first page.

    I find ice cube trays too small I use mini muffin trays and I got a beaba baby food freezing tray that freezes one proper portion (same amount as a jar)

    One frozen I pop them out into a labelled freezer bag.


  • Registered Users Posts: 157 ✭✭fi1979


    ebmma wrote: »
    where are your babies sitting? I have a high chair but it is enormous..so I'm looking for alternatives.

    Clara hasn't started to be weaned yet, 4.5 mths, waiting till closer to 6 mths as PHN recommended as she is breastfed. (I'm reading for research!)

    However we recently bought a summer infant 3 stage seat for her in Argos its from 4 months to 3 years. It encompasses a seat similar to the bumbo but with a revolving removeable play tray. Her back is supported, and she is sitting up so can be more involved in her surroundings. I think it will be great for feeding as a fore runner for a high seat.
    The argos catalogue prices it at €60 but when we went in to buy it was €47!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭mohawk


    ebmma wrote: »
    wow, my spelling is awful in the 1st post...need more sleep :)

    is anyone else doing baby-led weaning? Robin tried steamed potato and ham yesterday. He clearly preferred ham.


    where are your babies sitting? I have a high chair but it is enormous..so I'm looking for alternatives.

    My son looked lost in the highchair at first. They grow so fast that he will be fitting into it perfectly in no time.
    I did baby led weaning with my son. He goes mad for meat so I give him his potatos or pasta with veg first before his meat or fish otherwise, the meat gets eaten and everything else gets rejected.
    He is now 13 months and we were at a wedding over the weekend so we left him with family. When I came back they told me he didn't eat a thing. It turned out they tried to spoonfeed him even though I told them to let him feed himself.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,780 ✭✭✭mohawk


    bulmersgal wrote: »
    silly question girls but when your give toast did you's put butter on it. Do you cut it into strips like soliders or in bite size pieces.

    Gave Elisha a bit of melon yesterday to suck on, jesus she loved it. Weaning is going well she's nearly 5 months but will have 2 meals (usually give about 5-7 teaspoons in bowl)


    If she is ready for toast I would say strips are best so she has something to hold on to when she is eating it. It takes a while for them to master putting bite sized pieces in their mouths. A rule of thumb is if they are able to master picking it up then it should be safe for them to eat. (I got that from reading about baby led weaning) I put a scrap of butter on it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 144 ✭✭hiltonhater


    oh yay a weaning thread!
    my son is 4 months and i have started weaning to pureed veg this week. i did hope to hold off for another month or so but the poor child was nearly in my mouth with every bite of food i have had in recent weeks so i gave in.
    started with carrot for this week and he is loving it. sadly my nose isnt! :D


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