Health vistors now advise for you to wait 6 months to wean and to follow 'baby led weaning' but as all babies are not the same and because for some, the idea of handing your baby solid food is quite daunting, I thought I would share our weaning experience so far.
As Layla has reflux my OH thought weaning could solve all of our problems so was keen to begin the weaning using puree at 4 months. I wasn't. After lots of reading and talking to health visitors and other mums I really wanted to exclusively do baby led weaning especially after the option to breast feed was taken out of my hands. I didn't want to not give my child the 'best' option again. We went back and forth on this and I asked for opinion after opinion but nobody could give me an answer as to whether or not the weaning was going to help her reflux so at 5 1/2 months I threw in the towel and made up my first batch of homemade puree.
She wasn't a lover of food at first and it took her a while to actually swallow any food but we got there. She was having a puree 'meal' a day and I went down the full traditional weaning route and did 3 days of each new food getting her used to the flavours.
6 months came and I was so excited to try her with her first lot of finger food. Layla however was not impressed and proceeded to throw it all on the floor much preferring the puree food that I could spoon feed her.
I persevered though and now at 8 months she eats a great combination of puree and finger foods so much so she has completely gone off her milk feeds in the day!
Now that she is eating the new question is what should we feed her everyday?
Breakfast is usually porridge with fruit and the occasional crumpet or slice of toast, lunch a sandwich or wrap but tea time for me is always the trickiest. It's not just what to feed her for tea but also when as we still want her to be hungry for her bedtime bottle. I have taken to doing a combination of pouches or giving her our last nights tea depending on the time/night in question.
It's still a working progress and I think it will take us a long while to get it fully working for us but I can honestly say I look forward to meal times with Layla however messy it may be.
As Layla has reflux my OH thought weaning could solve all of our problems so was keen to begin the weaning using puree at 4 months. I wasn't. After lots of reading and talking to health visitors and other mums I really wanted to exclusively do baby led weaning especially after the option to breast feed was taken out of my hands. I didn't want to not give my child the 'best' option again. We went back and forth on this and I asked for opinion after opinion but nobody could give me an answer as to whether or not the weaning was going to help her reflux so at 5 1/2 months I threw in the towel and made up my first batch of homemade puree.
She wasn't a lover of food at first and it took her a while to actually swallow any food but we got there. She was having a puree 'meal' a day and I went down the full traditional weaning route and did 3 days of each new food getting her used to the flavours.
6 months came and I was so excited to try her with her first lot of finger food. Layla however was not impressed and proceeded to throw it all on the floor much preferring the puree food that I could spoon feed her.
I persevered though and now at 8 months she eats a great combination of puree and finger foods so much so she has completely gone off her milk feeds in the day!
Now that she is eating the new question is what should we feed her everyday?
Breakfast is usually porridge with fruit and the occasional crumpet or slice of toast, lunch a sandwich or wrap but tea time for me is always the trickiest. It's not just what to feed her for tea but also when as we still want her to be hungry for her bedtime bottle. I have taken to doing a combination of pouches or giving her our last nights tea depending on the time/night in question.
It's still a working progress and I think it will take us a long while to get it fully working for us but I can honestly say I look forward to meal times with Layla however messy it may be.
