The Weaning Thread

Roesy · 18-06-2015 10:14am

+1 to dori's recommendation about the baby lead weaning Ireland Facebook page. It can be a mine of information. Just adding though, baby doesn't have to be sitting up completely unaided. They just have to be able to sit up on your lap or in a highchair with minimal support i.e not slumping.

tinkerbell · 18-06-2015 12:08pm

Buy the cookbook Baby Led Weaning by Gill Rapley - it's a great information source.

Wait until your baby can sit well in a highchair before you start, and wait til at least 26 weeks (even wait another few weeks if you feel best). And don't stress when baby just plays with food and flings it all on the floor. That will happen for a good while, then they'll start chewing on stuff and spitting out.

Just be careful with the allergen foods, eg strawberries, eggs, nuts, etc.

Actually speaking of allergies - when and how did you all start with nut butters? I haven't introduced those yet. No nut allergies in our families so hopefully it won't be an issue.

lazygal · 18-06-2015 12:37pm

Nut butters were an early food, spread on toast or rice cakes. No allergies, so just made sure they were given when the doctor's office was open.

tinkerbell · 18-06-2015 9:05pm

Oh thanks! How did you give rice cakes by the way? Cut them up or whole? I've never actually eaten a rice cake myself - what else do you put on them?

lazygal · 18-06-2015 9:09pm

I broke the large ones in two. Smaller ones I got in Aldi in the baby aisle I gave singly. They just suck on them so they'll break up even if you give a whole one. I'd spread avocado, cream cheese or banana on them. Or even plain to keep them occupied!

contrary_mary · 04-07-2015 10:39am

My little boy is 13 months now - obviously I've avoided any salt all along but he's at a stage now that when we're out he wants to taste what we're having. Last week I gave him a taste (literally a spoon) of my dish in a Japanese restaurant which would have had a fair amount of salt in it. Likewise for things like mashed potatoes that you get out that are already seasoned. Is this okay at this stage? It would be really handy to give him some of our dinners when out but I'm nervous about gravies and sauces that might have too much salt - but would it be okay occasionally?

lazygal · 04-07-2015 1:25pm

I never worried too much about salt. We stopped using it in cooking once ours started solids but I used regular stock cubes and when eating out I didn't analyse it too much. Once the rest of the diet is as low as possible in salt you're fine.

tinkerbell · 04-07-2015 2:54pm

I still have to try the nut butters :eek: No history of allergies in the family so hopefully it'll be ok. I'll do what you suggested though lazygal and try them when the doctor's office is open.

madeinamerica · 13-07-2015 8:28pm

Can you tell me what kind of meal/snack pattern are you doing for your baby? I've a 10 month old and we are currently feeding him 3 meals a day with milk feeds but no snacks. Should we be giving him snacks too? What snacks do you give? Thanks!

How Strange · 14-07-2015 7:31am

I don't believe in snacks as such and I don't give them routinely every day. If it's going to be a long time between meals I'd give a cracker, rice cake, berries, chopped fruit or a banana. I'd always carry crackers and a banana if we're out and about just in case we got delayed etc.

spottybananas · 26-08-2015 8:17pm

Been reading back a few pages here, our son is just about 20 weeks old. I had no intention of starting foods until 26 weeks or close enough, but then I read that 26 weeks is the latest it should be started, then I read they need to be doing most of this list of things and he's doing all of them! Sits up really well, can bring hands to his mouth, chews things, and watches us eat.

Should we wait until 26 weeks? He's a big kid, exclusively breastfed, over 7.5kg and in 6-9 clothes, in case any if that affects it. Thanks in advance.

dori_dormer · 26-08-2015 8:34pm

20 weeks is still very young. 26 weeks is the guideline. Is there any reason you think he may need solids so much earlier? They say to start the solids at 26 weeks dud to iron intake but some babies aren't ready til later. If you can wait I'd wait

spottybananas · 26-08-2015 8:49pm

dori_dormer wrote: »

20 weeks is still very young. 26 weeks is the guideline. Is there any reason you think he may need solids so much earlier? They say to start the solids at 26 weeks dud to iron intake but some babies aren't ready til later. If you can wait I'd wait

As I said, I was planning to wait until 26 weeks but have been told and have read that they are ready when they do these certain things particularly showing interest in what you eat, and the article that said 26 weeks is the latest it should be done. I don't think he needs solids this young at all, that's not what I said. I'm planning ahead (for 6 weeks time) but am seeing info that suggest some babies start earlier.

I've brushed off people asking were we starting it at 4 months as madness but I'm just wondering why some people start it early and why others don't.

dori_dormer · 26-08-2015 9:14pm

I've never heard that 26 weeks is the latest to start before. The latest who guidelines say that's when to start.

I started 2 weeks early as my boy was ravenous, he was drinking 6 8oz bottles a day, and the doc said we couldn't give him anymore.

My sister just started there at 18 weeks with her boy because she was sick of making up bottles all the time.

I'd say do what you feel is right for you and your baby. We also did baby led weaning which is not recommended to start til 26 weeks due to choking possibility if they don't have all the skills you mentioned. I know people who did this weaning method and who's kids didn't start really consuming anything for a number of weeks.

Just go with your gut and what you feel is right for you and your baby.

tinkerbell · 26-08-2015 11:31pm

Don't start early. Wait until at least 6 months. The article that you read sounds full of bad advice tbh. The whole 6 months is the latest is wrong.

Start at 6 months with finger food if your baby has the signs of being ready, ie can sit well in a highchair etc. Buy the Baby led weaning book by Gill Rapley. If you need to wait a few weeks before you feel baby is ready then that's fine too, there's no rush. If doing BLW, do not drop milk feeds - it can take a few months before they actually really start eating a good bit.

Dori - your sister started at 18 weeks? That is just terrible

With all the new research out there about how babies guts aren't able to tolerate anything other than milk for the first 6 months, it is inexcusable to start babies on solids at 18 weeks. That is just appalling. And all because she was sick of making up bottles? Bloody hell :mad:

Marz66 · 27-08-2015 12:45am

The guideline is in and around 26 weeks.

So not 20 weeks but could be 24 weeks if he shows the signs - sitting up straight etc

dori_dormer · 27-08-2015 8:14am

I know tinker bell, I told her all the research. She said he was starving, and didn't want to be making up more bottles! And she said her phn told her it was fine from 17 weeks, and sure she'd waited til 18! Plus her sister in law with a baby only 4 weeks older had started at 17 weeks.

All this after Id chatted to them about blw only a few weeks before and they thought it was great

moving_home · 27-08-2015 9:34am

I started around 23 weeks because I couldn't handle the not sleeping anymore and she was showing signs of being ready. The 4 month sleep regression had been going on for 2 months and it was killing me. Started with purees first for a couple of weeks. No baby rice or milupa. I make all her food from scratch.
Sleep improved by the second day. I couldn't believe it as I honestly thought that was a myth. Now a couple of months in we spoonfeed porridge for breakfast, lunch is finger food type meal and evening is dinner and natural yoghurt with some finger food while we eat. I have the Annabel Karmel book and the Baby Led weaning book and use them both a lot. I'm trying to make 1 or 2 dinners a week for us from the BLW book so she can have some too. I find she gets frustrated with finger food only though as she can't get enough. I keep hearing the phrase 'food before 1 is just for fun' being bandied about by BLW advocates. My daughter gets all her nutrients from formula but she wants to eat.

kandr10 · 27-08-2015 11:32am

I'd have to agree with you moving home when it comes to the combining blw and spoon feeding. I wasn't desperate to get nutrients into my girl but I wanted her to be satisfied and the milk alone wasn't doing it (hence how we knew when to start her on solids.) I think you have to suss out your own baby really. Some kids refuse the spoon, others refuse the finger foods

kandr10 · 27-08-2015 11:35am

On the subject of when to start babies, I'd wait until milk no longer seems to satisfy the baby. If they hit 6 month mark and still don't seem 'hungry' for it as such, you could try some finger foods / a spoon and see how they go. Great that baby is ready for it though as regards holding head up, interested in food etc.

moving_home · 27-08-2015 12:54pm

I really wanted to wait until after 26 weeks but she wasn't satisfied with milk alone so I just went with it. I do think we will move to more BLW meals over the next few months as she loves feeding herself. I couldn't be bothered making porridge into those porridge fingers just not to use a spoon. Most people in know in 'real life' do a combination of both but when I look online I see alot more people doing only BLW.

dori_dormer · 27-08-2015 1:19pm

Yeah when I looked into blw, it's supposed to be easier on everyone! No cooking separate meals, or batch freezing stuff. Puréeing was a pain in the face. I moved to blw fairly quickly as my boy had loads of teeth and good control, but I wasn't bothered giving myself extra work and making porridge fingers and ice yogurt lollies etc. so I spooned them. Less mess! There's the idea of preloaded spoons that's acepted in blw too.

spottybananas · 27-08-2015 7:48pm

How do you know baby isn't satisfied with just milk?

I don't want to get my hopes up that it'll help him sleep when we do start, he wakes every two hours since day 1

kandr10 · 27-08-2015 7:59pm

My little one wasn't sleeping through but had dropped a few night feeds and then the 2 weeks before we started solids she started waking more at night. At the same time she also looked to feed every 2 hours or so during the day and more often the next week. Now I was breastfeeding so maybe with bottles you wouldn't notice as much. You'll know yourself when you see it. If nothing changes in feeds or sleeps then just wait til 6 months and try some starter foods and see how he reacts. He'll let you know if he wants it!

dori_dormer · 27-08-2015 8:18pm

My fella would cry when his bottle was finished, and keep sucking for more even empty.
He also woke at least 4 times a night until he was 16 mths. Then he suddenly started sleeping through.

Giving solids changed nothing for us lol! If anything it made him gassier and he'd more cramps during the change and he woke more frequently

moving_home · 27-08-2015 8:58pm

kandr10 wrote: »

My little one wasn't sleeping through but had dropped a few night feeds and then the 2 weeks before we started solids she started waking more at night. At the same time she also looked to feed every 2 hours or so during the day and more often the next week.

Bottle feeding and more or less same thing. She had dropped night feed for months. Was up at night screaming so I started feeding at night again. Also she was hungry more often during the day and very cranky.

I really don't agree with stuffing babies to get them to sleep through and I honestly didn't think it would make a difference to the nights (bar getting rid of the night feed). However the night feed stopped and her sleep was more content. She's still not an amazing sleeper mind but much improved.

Ms2011 · 29-08-2015 10:04pm

Isn't sleeping through the night developmental rather than based on the amount of food a baby consumes throughout the day??

moving_home · 29-08-2015 10:41pm

Ms2011 wrote: »

Isn't sleeping through the night developmental rather than based on the amount of food a baby consumes throughout the day??

Who knows. Anyway she didn't start sleeping through. Just slept better. More content and less waking.

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 31-08-2015 10:02am

Hi everyone I could do with some advice on breakfast ideas for my little girl. She is 7 months and we started blw at 6 months. She has been doing well with fruit and veg and also loves gnawing on chicken drumsticks

All along, she has just had bits and pieces at mealtimes but now I think it's time we start giving her full meals.

Problem is, she has a suspected cows milk allergy (we're waiting on specialist referral for allergy testing). She can't tolerate any milk at all. She had been tolerating little bits of butter on toast but last week, that started disagreeing with her too. I would love to try her with cheese or yoghurt but don't have the guts to do it in case she reacts.

What I'm really stuck for is breakfast and lunch ideas. Dinner isn't really an issue because I've been on a dairy free diet all along while breastfeeding but the stuff I eat myself for brekkie and lunch wouldn't really be suitable for a baby. This morning she had a baby rice cake and half a plum (she managed to eat half of this and tge other half went on the floor

) but I'm worried that she's not getting enough.

dori_dormer · 31-08-2015 10:29am

Porridge made with water? Eggy bread? Toast with jam and no butter?

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 31-08-2015 12:05pm

Sorry I forgot to say we think she's allergic to eggs too so they're also out. This is probably a silly question but can you give regular porridge (ie flahavans etc) to a baby that young? All of the baby cereals I've found and also alot of the regular ones like Ready Brek have milk products in them. I'll definitely try the jam on toast but I'm not looking forward to the sticky purply mess afterwards

dori_dormer · 31-08-2015 12:15pm

I think I gave the baby porridge for the first month or 2 then switched to ready brek.

Are you on the blw ireland facebook page? Lots of people with allergy babies on there and I've seen loads of ideas and advice given!

Clashmore · 31-08-2015 5:51pm

I've been giving Flahavans to my fella since 6 months. I give it a quick wizz in the blender to make it a bit finer powder. He is 7 months now and eats in as it comes, not blended anymore

fro9etb8j5qsl2 · 31-08-2015 8:52pm

dori_dormer wrote: »

I think I gave the baby porridge for the first month or 2 then switched to ready brek.

Are you on the blw ireland facebook page? Lots of people with allergy babies on there and I've seen loads of ideas and advice given!

That facebook page is brilliant thanks! I must have a proper nosey up through it. I'm in the blw uk facebook group since last month but I find the posters can be a bit judgemental on it but that Irish one looks great

biancab · 06-05-2016 2:16pm

hi all, just wanted some suggestions for a more varied diet for my 23 month old boy , he eats most veg, dinners tend to be well mashed as he gags on lots of foods and will keep stuffing food in before he has swallowed the previous spoonful, choking and giving me mini heart attacks.
eggs are not his thing , I think it's the texture that he doesn't fancy.
l try to avoid processed foods and get him to eat the same as ourselves even though our diet has become quite samey , things are busier now with a 3 week old baby to look after , so dinner has become simple like stews and casseroles which are handy but I have to get him used to more solid and chewy foods.
Cheers

whatawaster · 13-12-2016 12:15pm

Hey everyone, our daughter is 7 months and has been on solids since for about a month now.

I have read in most places that their milk intake would reduce as they start eating solids, but this is not the case at all with our little one - she is drinking as much milk as ever and showing no signs of slowing down.

Typical day might look like this:

Wake-up - 200ml bottle
Breakfast - mashed banana or avocado
Mid-morning - 200ml bottle
Lunch - 200ml bottle and chicken cassarole
Afternoon - 200ml bottle
Dinner - Bolognese
Before Bed - 200ml bottle

So she is still drinking 1000ml per day (as she has been for the last 3 months).

Should we cut out one whole bottle, or just let her continue as she is?

Don't want to overfeed her!

Ms2011 · 13-12-2016 12:23pm

Her bottles are more important to her nutritionally until she's one.
Always offer her her bottle first & solids maybe an hour or so later.
Food at her age is more about learning than nutrition as she will be getting everything she needs from her bottles.
Also you can't over feed a baby, if they aren't hungry they won't eat, there is alot of growing going on at her age & she'll need fuel for that.

Teeley · 23-01-2017 10:26pm

Hi..we've just started BLW..she's not over enthusiastic but getting better! Problem is she's destroying her clothes during mealtimes..no big deal reall but just wondering if anybody can recommend a good bib or cape-like thing with sleeves?! Thanks.

bovril · 23-01-2017 10:33pm

Teeley wrote:

Hi..we've just started BLW..she's not over enthusiastic but getting better! Problem is she's destroying her clothes during mealtimes..no big deal reall but just wondering if anybody can recommend a good bib or cape-like thing with sleeves?! Thanks.

IKEA do great bibs that should do the trick.

Cakerbaker · 23-01-2017 10:38pm

Teeley wrote: »

Hi..we've just started BLW..she's not over enthusiastic but getting better! Problem is she's destroying her clothes during mealtimes..no big deal reall but just wondering if anybody can recommend a good bib or cape-like thing with sleeves?! Thanks.

Second the IKEA long sleeve bibs. They're great. I've had mine for 5 months now scd they're still perfect. They're in and out of the wash on a daily basis!

Ms2011 · 23-01-2017 11:14pm

Dealz have apron/bibs for €1.49.
Got some when my daughter was 6 months old, she will still use them with something messy food & she's nearly 2 so they've stood the test of time.

wuffly · 24-01-2017 9:42am

Hi, any suggestions for BLW lunch for an 8 month old at nursery? They won't reheat food, so looking for cold options.
For breakfast its usually one of these, porridge/eggy bread/banana toast/banana pancake etc... and dinner he usually has what we are having. I am rubbish at lunch, usually have a sambo myself. Most things I look up seem to be warm. Just started with a fruit snack but want to send in lunch as well, he is part time at the moment (just mornings) but will be full time in a few weeks. I would like to get it a bit established by then. At home he might have pizza toast, avacado/gauc on toast etc.. but they would all go soggy. TIA!

dori_dormer · 24-01-2017 9:55am

Spinach muffins ? Carrot sticks or other veg sticks ? My son often eats a cold toasted Cheese sandwich. Crackers, rice cakes wroth nut butters

Baby led weaning cookbook is great for ideas

Cakerbaker · 24-01-2017 10:14am

Veg muffins or fritters. Peanut butter sandwiches. Would they spread hummous or cream cheese on rice cakes or corn cakes for him? Cheese fingers or chicken with chopped tomato, avocado and pepper.

shesty · 26-01-2017 3:45pm

Hi all, I'm looking for a couple of suggestions for an afternoon snack for an almost ten month old.She has her bottle but it's just not keeping her going between lunch and dinner.She's an enthusiastic little crawler!My older girl didn't crawl this early, so I never really had this problem.She's not BLW, but she's good at finger food and will literally eat whatever you hand her.(and your portion of it too :-) )However I wouldn't be comfortable giving her too chunky food yet, like orange pieces etc.Yoghurts don't seem to sit very well in her tummy and bananas cause problems for her pooing habits (!!), so they're not really an option for now anyway.I'm back at work next week and I have a two year old aswell, so J don't have a lot of time to make muffins etc....don't know how I'm going to cook amd freeze food for her!.....so I was thinking maybe a slice of cheese, or grated apple or something?Anyone have any ideas??

dori_dormer · 26-01-2017 4:02pm

Pinwheel are great and easy to make. I'm making one big batch of things every week to build up a stock pile.
They are just pastry, and full worth anything the kids will eat. Tomato puree cheese spinach ham etc. Roll up and slice like a Swiss roll. Cooks in 10 min. And they are lovely cold too.
What about rice cakes/ corn cakes wroth avocado or nut butter?

Cakerbaker · 26-01-2017 10:28pm

Hummus / nut butter / cream cheese or mashed avocado on toast/ rice cake / corn cake / ryvita. Slices of avacado, chopped tomato and slices of cheese. Tuna (in spring water) mixed with a small bit of Greek yogurt or cream cheese. I make batches of veg muffins and fritters for the freezer. They freeze very well.

shesty · 26-01-2017 11:09pm

Sorry, my post should have said she's not BLW, don't know why it didn't.They sound good dori, do you make the pastry or just buy the ready made shop pastry?She has rice cakes alright but she's not that mad about them and I don't think they fill her up much.She kind of picks at half of a small one, then throws any others on the floor.I might try putting a spread of some sort on them alright.Thanks for the suggestions.

dori_dormer · 27-01-2017 4:33pm

Doesn't really matter if baby led or not. At 6mths they should be getting finger food anyway and should be progressing fairly quickly to lumps and reg food. My phn said by 9 months traditional weaners should just be smashing reg food with a fork a little and letting babies at it.

Yep I just use shop bought pastry.

If baby is on purees for lunch is just blend up some veg or fruit.

Digs · 15-02-2017 4:35pm

I feel I should know the answer to this but can't find a definitive one on the net and I don't remember from #1.

I bought a rake of apples in the aldi super saver to make purée for yoghurts etc for my two girls. They're very bit sharp though, I'd usually add honey but #2 is only 7.5months so can't have it. Can she have maple syrup does anyone know? I don't want to add sugar in the refined form so will just abandon these apples and eat them myself if she can't have the syrup!

The Weaning Thread

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