The Weaning Thread

nikpmup · 12-10-2014 11:11am

Going on hols with my little man has really improved his eating - we were stuck in a bit of a rut food-wise at home. Here, he's eating off the breakfast buffet, sharing my lunch and dinner. Canarian potatoes with mojo are a big hit, as is tuna steak, sardines, goats milk yogurt and loads of fruit.

nikpmup · 12-10-2014 7:36pm

Incidentally, if any babas are having problems with constipation - kiwi fruit!!

closifer · 13-10-2014 12:50pm

Anyone having any experience with food intolerances? My baba is 10 months and a good eater but his skin on his face flares up in a rash after certain foods. Berries and red pepper seem to do it at the moment. Should we struggle on with small quantities as its obviously not too serious or cut them out?

Also, am too scared to feed him egg as 2 months ago he had a bit of a reaction to scrmabled egg. All around his mouth went very blotchy and I got an awful fright. It was strange because it was the 3rd time he had egg and there were no major reactions on the other occasions. He also has no issues with products containing cooked egg. Not so sure how to proceed on this one.

nikpmup · 20-10-2014 1:20pm

Hi Closifer - I've no experience at all, my lad (thankfully) seems fine with all allergen-type foods so far. Berries and peppers are acidic, so maybe it's that? Try washing his face regularly with plain water as he's eating?

I've just given my lad crabmeat on toast for lunch -BIIG hit! (but very messy!)

clare82 · 20-10-2014 4:18pm

Anyone else find it hilarious the kinds of food our modern little babas eat....my girl has cous cous, hummus, pomegranate, chickpeas, sweet potato. ..chamomile tea....I was in my 20's before I'd had half of that stuff !!

indigo twist · 20-10-2014 4:20pm

clare82 wrote: »

Anyone else find it hilarious the kinds of food our modern little babas eat....my girl has cous cous, hummus, pomegranate, chickpeas, sweet potato. ..chamomile tea....I was in my 20's before I'd had half of that stuff !!

I'm in my twenties and I still don't eat any of those things!

I do try to give my son a bit more variety though - I've always been a very picky eater, whereas he'll eat anything I give him - hopefully it'll stay that way!

Bagheera · 23-10-2014 7:59pm

clare82 wrote: »

Anyone else find it hilarious the kinds of food our modern little babas eat....my girl has cous cous, hummus, pomegranate, chickpeas, sweet potato. ..chamomile tea....I was in my 20's before I'd had half of that stuff !!

It was far from sweet potatoes I was reared :P. Back then the only types of cheese were cheddar or Galtee/Calvita if you wanted something a bit more exotic. Fruit was apples, oranges or pears. I didn't have pasta until I was about 11 and the only reason I had boiled rice before that was because my dad used to get us a Chinese takeaway occasionally as a treat. I hated potatoes growing up as we had them every day.

It's so great how much variety our little ones have now!

Soooky · 23-10-2014 9:59pm

clare82 wrote: »

Anyone else find it hilarious the kinds of food our modern little babas eat....my girl has cous cous, hummus, pomegranate, chickpeas, sweet potato. ..chamomile tea....I was in my 20's before I'd had half of that stuff !!

My mam thinks I'm mad because of the food I give our LO:D:D completely bamboozles her that LO doesn't have baby cereal and jars of baby dessert and likes lentils, hummus etc. (her favourite is spinach with gruyere cheese, cream cheese and pasta

).

Mam always says "would you not give her a proper baby dinner like mashed potatoes with soup" :rolleyes: I still remember hating that dinner nearly 40 years later - I used to spoon it down the back of the radiator when she wasn't looking and my brother used to put it in his sippy cup and hide it behind the curtains yet she still insists we loved it :pac::pac:

dori_dormer · 24-10-2014 10:53am

That spinach and cheese pasta recipe from anabel karmels book is a big hit here too!he cries real tears when the tub is empty. Although its the worst out the other end....

pwurple · 28-10-2014 12:04pm

clare82 wrote: »

Anyone else find it hilarious the kinds of food our modern little babas eat....my girl has cous cous, hummus, pomegranate, chickpeas, sweet potato. ..chamomile tea....I was in my 20's before I'd had half of that stuff !!

Yup! I remember my smallie reacting to cashew nuts, and my mum was asking me how on earth she got a cashew nut at 7 months of age. but sure I was making a big old veggie stirfry and chucked em in.

The variety is great, we're lucky to be living in a time & place where it's all available to us!

My polish collegues take the piss out of the irish "recession" moaning, telling us we don't know what the heck austerity is until we go into a grocery shop and all they have on the shelves is vinegar and boot polish.

Sweet Rose · 29-10-2014 3:53pm

I just cooked the Annabel Karmel hidden vegetable tomato sauce. I tweaked the recipe slightly but I used 6 vegetables - fresh tomatoes and passata, courgette, onion, carrots, mushrooms and a red pepper. I'm very impressed with the recipe, it's delicious. I'm going to use it as a pasta sauce and as a base for pizza, which I'll add extra veg to. Definitely recommend

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 30-10-2014 12:02am

Just wondering at what age did ye stop using the baby pasta and start using the regular stuff? I find the baby stuff handy but it's expensive and fiddly and sticky :eek: My small fella grabbed a whole piece of fusilli from my plate the other day and munched his way through it no bother so I was thinking of just giving him regular pasta in future.

nikpmup · 30-10-2014 12:18am

I never used the baby pasta, I used De Cecco soup pasta or orzo pasta. I'd often give him well-cooked bits of fusilli or strands of spaghetti to keep him occupied or provide distraction. If he's eating bits of fusilli, I'd let him work away! Maybe break up the pasta before cooking if you would prefer smaller bits.

Sweet Rose · 30-10-2014 12:31am

I actually only stopped 2 weeks ago. She's 14 months now, although I should have stopped a few months ago. I made her spaghetti and penne pasta last week and I just hacked it up a bit before I gave it to her. She devoured it.

lmullen · 31-10-2014 11:52am

Kane Salmon Syntax wrote: »

Just wondering at what age did ye stop using the baby pasta and start using the regular stuff? I find the baby stuff handy but it's expensive and fiddly and sticky :eek: My small fella grabbed a whole piece of fusilli from my plate the other day and munched his way through it no bother so I was thinking of just giving him regular pasta in future.

I always use regular pasta! I did blw with my 2nd and found the baby pasta too little to pick up!

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 31-10-2014 1:39pm

Great thanks ladies

Lmullen what sauce did you use with the pasta? I'd like to try him with ordinary pasta but I'm afraid of the potential mess, especially with a tomato based sauce

How Strange · 31-10-2014 2:19pm

It's mostly tomato sauce here as we all eat the same but most times I toss their pasta in the sauce so there's not too much of it to splash around. Sometimes I make a creme fraiche sauce but they prefer tomato.

nikpmup · 31-10-2014 5:04pm

I make a sauce out of finely diced onion and garlic softened in butter &olive oil, some passata, some herbs and a little bit of the starchy pasta water. I mix in some mascarpone cheese to make it creamy, it's a big hit. You could add a little tuna, salmon or minced chicken.

lmullen · 03-11-2014 6:16pm

Kane Salmon Syntax wrote: »

Great thanks ladies Lmullen what sauce did you use with the pasta? I'd like to try him with ordinary pasta but I'm afraid of the potential mess, especially with a tomato based sauce

I use some finely diced onion, finely grated carrot, a tin of tomatoes/passatta and then just make sure she's a full bib on! It's messy but she loves it!

bean14 · 18-11-2014 1:59pm

Can I have advice please on tea time snacks for a ten month old? She gets up at 7 and has 6-8ozs of bottle. Porridge,egg or wheatbix for breaky at 8.30. Dinner at 12. Maybe no milk or 4ozs at 2pm. Fruit and yoghurt or smaller dinner at 4. At 6.30-7 as we are eating I'm clueless as to what baby can eat. Sometimes more fruit and yoghurt, toast or avacado. Bottle at 8 and asleep for the night by 8.30. Should I be cutting out the 2pm bottle and giving her bigger portions? I'd like her to eat more food herself. She can manage pasta, toast and rice cakes herself. Any advice is welcomed

How Strange · 18-11-2014 6:08pm

Why not give her some of what you're having at that time?

bean14 · 19-11-2014 7:41pm

Thanks. I know its so obvious but hadn't thought of that even though I want to get her more onto what we eat. Thanks.

contrary_mary · 20-11-2014 5:36pm

My 6 month old is refusing to eat solids. We're in our third week - the first week went great - he was willingly eating the ice-cube sized portions of purree I had made for him - opening his mouth for the spoon etc. Last week he regressed and it became more of a struggle. This week he is refusing altogether. I'm at a loss as to why this is happening when he started so well, it's so frustrating and mealtime is becoming a battle. Any ideas? I'm quite worried about it.

pwurple · 20-11-2014 5:46pm

contrary_mary wrote: »

My 6 month old is refusing to eat solids. We're in our third week - the first week went great - he was willingly eating the ice-cube sized portions of purree I had made for him - opening his mouth for the spoon etc. Last week he regressed and it became more of a struggle. This week he is refusing altogether. I'm at a loss as to why this is happening when he started so well, it's so frustrating and mealtime is becoming a battle. Any ideas? I'm quite worried about it.

Is he sitting at the table with the rest of the family? They seem to get way more interested in food if everyone else around them is eating too.

contrary_mary · 20-11-2014 5:55pm

pwurple wrote: »

Is he sitting at the table with the rest of the family? They seem to get way more interested in food if everyone else around them is eating too.

Yeah that worked the first couple of days but it's like he's totally lost interest. He whinges from when I put him into his seat. I've tried him on my lap, sitting with him on the floor, in his bouncer too - no luck. I have a freezer full of fruit and veg purrees and he won't touch anything. Same for any cereals etc. I'm getting so stressed as I need to introduce gluten asap (I'm coeliac and it's rampant in my family) and he won't eat a thing. I also have the PHN on my case about giving him textures as purrees will just make him fussy - but I can't get him to eat anything! I've given him finger foods and he'll gnaw on something then spit it out.... We had a massive battle introducing the bottle but this is even worse!

pwurple · 20-11-2014 5:58pm

contrary_mary wrote: »

Yeah that worked the first couple of days but it's like he's totally lost interest. He whinges from when I put him into his seat. I've tried him on my lap, sitting with him on the floor, in his bouncer too - no luck. I have a freezer full of fruit and veg purrees and he won't touch anything. Same for any cereals etc. I'm getting so stressed as I need to introduce gluten asap (I'm coeliac and it's rampant in my family) and he won't eat a thing. I also have the PHN on my case about giving him textures as purrees will just make him fussy - but I can't get him to eat anything! I've given him finger foods and he'll gnaw on something then spit it out.... We had a massive battle introducing the bottle but this is even worse!

Oh dear, is he not hungry enough, or too hungry? They get to a weird overhungry state where they just want milk as well.

If he isn't interested I'd drop it for a few days and try again.

contrary_mary · 20-11-2014 6:06pm

pwurple wrote: »

Oh dear, is he not hungry enough, or too hungry? They get to a weird overhungry state where they just want milk as well.

If he isn't interested I'd drop it for a few days and try again.

I was just with the phn today and she said to persevere and to give him gluten tomorrow. I could cry at the thoughts of it. I've tried at different times too. It just feels like we're going through a bad phase, he's waking loads at night too. I'm on my own all day as my OH often doesn't get home til after bedtime so it's not like I can get someone else to try

seventeen sheep · 20-11-2014 6:08pm

contrary_mary wrote: »

Yeah that worked the first couple of days but it's like he's totally lost interest. He whinges from when I put him into his seat. I've tried him on my lap, sitting with him on the floor, in his bouncer too - no luck. I have a freezer full of fruit and veg purrees and he won't touch anything. Same for any cereals etc. I'm getting so stressed as I need to introduce gluten asap (I'm coeliac and it's rampant in my family) and he won't eat a thing. I also have the PHN on my case about giving him textures as purrees will just make him fussy - but I can't get him to eat anything! I've given him finger foods and he'll gnaw on something then spit it out.... We had a massive battle introducing the bottle but this is even worse!

Food before one is fun. Repeat that mantra over and over every time you worry. Food before one is fun.

Every bit of nutrition he needs, he's getting from his milk. He is not suffering in any way.

Don't worry about the PHN. If he likes being spoonfed, then spoonfeed him. If he prefers solid finger food, go with that. If he's not eating much either way, fine. Let him eat what he wants, when he wants. The key is to offer plenty of variety of flavours - even if he's literally only licking the food, to get the taste of it, that's a great start.

RentDayBlues · 20-11-2014 6:10pm

I've done baby led weaning with both of mine, but the secret to success was to give them their normal breastfeed and then let them pick and explore the food. This way they did ingest some but for the first few weeks it's just learning to hold, suck, chew etc

I'm coeliac too so know the urgency on gluten. What about porridge fingers? Or strips of toast? Pasta, penne is easiest to hold

If he's resisting I'd give blw a go and see if he'll feed himself. For gluten, only a small amount ingested will suffice

contrary_mary · 20-11-2014 6:26pm

RentDayBlues wrote: »

I've done baby led weaning with both of mine, but the secret to success was to give them their normal breastfeed and then let them pick and explore the food. This way they did ingest some but for the first few weeks it's just learning to hold, suck, chew etc

I'm coeliac too so know the urgency on gluten. What about porridge fingers? Or strips of toast? Pasta, penne is easiest to hold

If he's resisting I'd give blw a go and see if he'll feed himself. For gluten, only a small amount ingested will suffice

Thanks maybe I will try blw. Thanks also for the reassurance on the gluten I was starting to panic a bit. Motherhood is really testing me at the moment - I think reserves are low after so many months of sleepless nights!

The Weaning Thread

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