Hello!
I can't believe I am sat here writing a 'weaning' post, it seems like only a few weeks ago I was writing my post introducing you all to Maci but that was actually just over 7 whole months ago. We started weaning Maci at around four/five months ago due to the fact she was a large baby and we as her parent felt it was the right time. She absolutely loves her food although she isn't a big fan of purees. She prefers 'finger foods' and is obsessed with Cucumber at the moment. This is my guide to starting weaning, my favourite items and my top recipes. All babies are different so what may work for us may not work for everyone.
Weaning for us started with what
highchair/seat to purchase, we looked around and couldn't find one small enough to fit in our current home but we finally purchased the
'Ingenuity Baby Booster Feeding Seat' which you can either put on the floor or strap it onto a chair if needed, it also has a detachable tray which is very easy to wipe down and clean. The lining on the chair is also dishwasher proof so is easily cleaned also. This chair is perfect for what we need and it doesn't take up a lot of room like usual highchairs.
Being a first time parent I wasn't confident in the temperature of foods so when I discovered the
Munchkin White Hot Bowls in Boots I had to have them! I use the
Nuby Weaning Spoons to feed Maci, we do a combination of baby led weaning and spoonfed.
Pureeing food is a messy business and can be very time consuming if you don't have very good items to help you, the blender which we use is the
Tommee Tippee Baby Food Blender and its incredible. It has two different speed settings and it is easy to wash! It is also not too large so if you need to you can put it away in a cupboard if you don't want it in sight all the time. The blender also has measurements on the side so you're aware of how much puree you are blending.
How to Puree - Before blending I chop the sweet potato, carrot and mixed veg into small pieces, boil it until its 'soft', allow it to cool and put it into the blender. Once I have blended it and i'm happy with the texture of the puree I then pour each puree combination into
containers with the date and ingredients in it.
Our top puree combinations are; Sweet potato and carrot, banana and mixed veg.
Another aspect of weaning is attempting to get Maci to use a 'sippy cup' - I shopped around and discovered that there are in fact hundreds of different designs and brands (who knew!) The Cup I decided to purchase was the Munchkin
Miracle 360 cup which is still a working progress but it is very easy to use and I would definitely recommend.
Snacks are a big part of weaning for us, Maci enjoys 'finger foods/snacks' a lot more than she does puree at the moment. Due to the fact of her only being seven months old there is a small amount of 'store bought' snacks she can eat although we have managed to find a few which she loves. Always check the age on every snack!
Ella's Kitchen - Tomato and Leek Melty Puffs
Ella's Kitchen - Sweet Corn and Carrot Melty Sticks
Ella's Kitchen - Carrot and Parsnip Melty Puffs
Kiddylicious - Banana Wafers
Kiddylicious - Blueberry Wafer
Farley's Rusks Original
I asked for some 'weaning related' questions on my Instagram that some of you are wanting to know.
'What was the first thing you gave Maci?'
The first thing I gave her was just plain 'Baby Rice' which you just mix with milk formula or water. I remember reading that you aren't supposed to introduce 'sweet' flavoured things for a while so I barely give Maci anything sweet apart from fruit even now at seven months old.
How did you work up the confidence to begin weaning?
Weaning never really made me nervous as such, occasionally Maci will struggle to eat something but I never leave her side when she is eating meaning I am able to help her when this happens. Also Maci has eight teeth so she doesn't tend to struggle eating many things. I know some people are very wary of weaning so I would definitely advise speaking to a Health Visitor to get reassurance. There's no harm at all in asking for help, most of us are experiencing this for the first time!
How do you know when Maci likes something?
This is a very good question and I must be honest sometimes I can't tell! Although you can usually tell by her facial expressions although I heard it can take a baby almost thirty times trying a flavor before they actually decide if they like it or not. When I feed Maci I always make a big deal when she eats her Puree (she probably thinks i'm crazy!) but I have found this makes a difference in the amount of puree she is eating. So how do I know when she likes something? I guess, I don't!
I hope this post may of helped some of you out who have either began weaning or are thinking about it soon, I am not a professional just a mum who is doing this for the first time and this is my experience so far.
Until next time,
Storm
