Weaning: When, How and What????
- Mem
- Feb 8, 2020
- 4 min read
Although cooking and baking are some of my favorite things to do, I didn't find myself perfect to share weaning tips when a friend suggested to have a blog post about it. However, I was super excited when my friend @wegotthisRosie agreed to share some of her fabulous tips and irresistible recipes with us today! Thank you so much Steph ❤
Hi everyone! My name is Steph and I'm the Mum behind the account of @wegotthisRosie 😊 I live near Cardiff in South Wales, UK with my husband James, our little one Rosie who is 15 months old and our two pet cats, Archer and Luna. I set up this account a couple of months after starting weaning to document our adventure in the world of food and keep a little snapshot of our life to look back on.
Rosie was 5 and a half months old when we started weaning as she was showing all the signs of 'being ready'; able to sit up without support, able to control her head and showing a lot interest in our food (like trying to steal anything we were eating 🤣). Overall we just felt it was the right time for us.
We decided to begin with homemade vegetable pureès, introduced as a single flavour to start and then worked in some mixtures and finger foods as the days and weeks went on. Once comfortable with the vegetables, we introduced fruit pureès like avocado, apple, raspberry, etc. Alongside the puree we provided steamed pieces of the foods she was eating so as to help Rosie explore flavours and textures in a different way (baby led weaning). I feel that the collaborative approach with spoon feeding and baby led weaning worked really well for us, and helped ease any anxiety around her food intake. We also used the wonderful @babease food pouches and veggie crisps for when we were out at classes or visiting family which were amazing! The next best thing to cooking from scratch. We also used advice from Charlotte Stirling-Reed @sr_nutrition who has a page and blog dedicated to everything weaning!
Rosie loved all foods from the start; her favourite being broccoli and sweet potato mixes, and not being so keen on the fruits. We continued to repeatedly expose her and eventually (sometimes it took a couple of days, other times a few months) she would begin to enjoy things she had previously refused.
Side note: she still won't eat cucumber or tomatoes - she is very stubborn, definitely a Daddy trait 🤣 - and we still offer these to her at least once per month.
Fast forward nine months later where she enjoys almost all foods now and is always willing to try new things. Don't get me wrong, she has her fussy phases where one day she will not eat something she has previously loved but I don't write that off as a dislike, just think of it as 'She's not in the mood for that at the moment'. Her current favourites are peas, parsnips, blackberries, figs, porridge and chicken. She won't eat anything in breadcrumbs or pastry despite re-exposure and, as I've already said, cucumber is a big no-no! However, if these are the only things she rejects I'd say we're pretty fortunate.
From our experience the best advice I can give is just expose your child to as many foods as possible and to try and see a positive even in the most trying of times. Sometimes it can feel quite stressful but if they will only hold the food you've served, treat is as good exposure for feeling texture and seeing colours. If they spit the food out, they've at least tasted it that day. If they pour a bowl of porridge over their head, at least they're embracing their breakfast 😂 and don't write off a food just because they reject it once or twice. It took Rosie at least 4 months of being served eggs to actually enjoy them. It can feel frustrating if they reject a plate of food you've just saved over for the last few hours but don't throw it out! Either keep it and serve it the next day or take it away and offer it at a later time. Also, the freezer stash is the best thing ever. Leftover veg from dinner, veggies or fruits coming to end of life; blend it up and freeze it for a later date.
Our weaning essentials: • @bibado these coverall bibs have saved so much mess and so many outfits from being ruined; I wish we'd had two from the start. Use our codes ROSIE10 for free shipping or ROSIE2FOR30 for two bibs for £30. • Suction plates - these save so much mess! I recommend the @easytots high chair mats and the @choomee Incredibowls.
• Freezer tray pods for batch cooking and freezing • Blender/food processor for purees • IKEA high chair - cheap and easy to clean • Spoons for spoon feeding and for baby to hold
• Wipe clean mat for the floor underneath the high chair
Overall weaning, mumlife and just making sure this perfect little human you created alive and breathing has been the most amazing journey. There have been many tears (of utter joy as well as despair), incredible memories, the proudest moments and also some of the most challenging but that wonderfully pure smile from our little beauty makes everything okay; always and instantaneously.
*It is recommended that you wait until your baby is at least six months old before starting weaning unless otherwise directed by a health professional.
SOME RECIPES:
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