After careful consideration, conversations with HV and other parents we decided that BG was ready for weaning. We started this process almost 4 weeks ago, when BG was 21 weeks!
Now I'm well aware that the government guidelines say not to wean until 6 months (26 weeks) but trust me my baby was ready for solids! She had been trying to eat anything in her sight for weeks (though some of that was down to her teething), she watched us intently as we ate, she started to demand her feeds earlier and earlier which including waking up early as well and at the time we started weaning she had double her birth weight! Also BG is a big baby she was born 9lbs 2ozs and has been drinking 4 260ml/9ozs bottles a day since she was 14 weeks, milk alone just wasn't cutting it anymore!
I looked at both baby lead weaning and the traditional spoon fed puree feeding and decided on the old method, one of the reasons being as BG was weaning a bit early she can not sit up by herself yet and I was worried about her choking!
So I went out and bought some weaning spoons etc and spent about 1/2 hr deciding what make of baby rice I was use and we were ready for her first fed!
I choose her second feed of the day to do it which is about 11.30 and we began. I gave some milk first so she wasn't hungry and grumpy, from the first moment that baby rice went in her mouth I knew I had made the right decision to wean!! She loved it, lapped it up
We both made a huge mess but I didn't mind. Her hands automatically went for the spoon and she helped me guide it into her mouth, then her fingers went in but hey she was enjoying it who am I to stop her !
Now I already knew that I wanted to make as much as her food as possible and so far apart from baby rice and porridge I have !!
So far baby has tried and liked baby rice, porridge, banana, carrot, parsnip (but only mixed with other foods), butternut squash and pear! This week we are also going to try potato. Next week is sweet potato, apple and peas!
I have a nice little stash of frozen puree's already and have started to mix flavours together!
The only problem with weaning is not the mess (I think I make more mess then BG) but the nappies, my god that are awful!! I keep hoping that she will save them until OH gets home but no she saves for me, I'm sure she does it on purpose!!
One of OH 12 aunts bought BG a high chair which she loves to sit it and this made feeding easier as I was using her bouncy chair which was killing my back
Apart from the bad bad nappies and the orange stained clothes (If anyone can tell me how to get it out) weaning is a success so far, BG definitely loves her food!
NM x
It's great having a baby that eats well.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried a scoop of napisan or oxy in the washing machine powder drawer when you wash orange stained things?
Stains:
ReplyDeleteOn white you can soak for up to 5 mins in Milton which will bleach it out. Great for bodysuits and bibs. I sometime dab on with a paintbrush neat too just before washing.
Vanish bar is good for other things or mix up a paste of bicarbonate of soda with water and rub into the stain.
Both the above are great for orange colour stains, but a word of warning, the worst thing to remove is banana! I call it the silent stain maker as it turns brown but not till after it has been on clothes a while, unnoticed!
Ha ha - yes Anonymous is so right above - banana is a killer...who would have thought?? Definitely a bit of napisan to get stains out. Other than that, try dark-coloured bibs and ones with long sleeves...saves a whole lot of stains.
ReplyDeleteIt's great your baby is loving food - my 2 did as well but I had lots of friends whose babies hated it and it was a really stressful period for them. Enjoy it x
Anonymous 1 - No I haven't will check it out
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2 - I too have realised the power of banana!! Thanks for the tips
Maternal Tales - I'm using the long sleeved bibs, its mainly afterwards she's a sicky baby. I'm very grateful thats she loves her food x
I wish I could tell you how to get the orange out. Go careful with banana too it stains brown if I remember rightly!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely - except the nappies of course!!!
ReplyDeleteI did traditional weaning with my first and baby led with my second. I strip mine to her vest before meals to avoid orange/banana stains, you can't see the vest so it doesn't matter if it's a bit stained!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by weaning but you do know that babies still need breastmilk or formula along with solid foods until they are 12 months old right? Thye can't take in the right amount of nutrients from food alone before then and their little tummies are not capable of properly digesting many foods. I just wanted to make sure that this was something you knew. Many moms do not understand that they don't have to/shouldn't "wean" a baby off of milk when solids are started.
ReplyDeleteOtherwsie, that is wonderful your baby is enjoying food so much.
Tawny - I have experienced the banana stain!
ReplyDeleteClareybabbling - Good idea
Melodie - Weaning as in "weaning her onto solids" she is still having lots of milk as said she should still have milk untill she 12mths about a pint a day!