Tinnie is now five months and we recently started weaning with him. I had originally planned to wait until he was six months old as I wanted to give baby led weaning a try. We decided to start him on weaning a little early because his milk consumption was becoming less and less at each feed. His weight was also starting to drop on his scale and so I decided it was time to try him on food. Within a week of starting him on baby rice he had started to drink more milk which I found strange but was happy that things were back on track.
Having a nice experience in weaning your little one can be helped a lot through being prepared and taking things slowly. Here are some things to think about before you start.
Equipment for weaning:
Before diving into weaning make sure you have the right supplies for the job. It is important to make sure that any thing you use for weaning is sterilised before use. Here is a list of the equipment I have stocked up on.
- Small bowls,
- Soft tip spoons,
- Wash cloths for after eating,
- Plastic back bibs,
- A good blender,
- Plastic tubs/ ice cube trays/ sandwich bags for freezing fresh food,
- A masher
- A clean cloth to tidy up
- Plastic sheeting to save your carpet
- Comfortable seating for your little one whether its a high chair, bouncer, bumbo or Tripp Trapp new born seat.
- Sippy cup, now your weaning it is important to keep your little one topped up with water to. This will stop dehydration.
Patience:
Weaning can take time to get used to for you and baby. It may take baby a while to get used to something which is thicker than their milk and different textures can sometimes be a challenge. Try to be patient and put a side a good 30 minutes to start with so that you can take your time when feeding.
Environment:
When you start to introduce your little one to weaning consider the environment. Babies can be easily distracted by what is going on around so little bit of quiet music or a peaceful environment is always best to start off with although not always possible when siblings are about.
They should be in a comfortable seat suitable for their age so that they are able to feel relaxed and calm. This may mean using a bouncer if you little one is unable to sit in a high chair and this is perfectly fine as long as they are not laid back too much, this could be a choking hazard.
Organisation:
When out and about plan a place suitable for meal times. Most high street cafes now refuse to heat food and milk so take a pouch or a flask of hot water can help solve this problem. Others may have a microwave and bottle warmer available for parents to use themselves so it is worth planning a head. When feeding at home make sure you have every thing around you so you do not need to leave baby unattended.
Recipes:
I used a few recipes I had collected when little man was little and the rest were from memory from my nursery days. Once baby is settling into weaning you can explore mixing different flavours however to start with individual fruits and veg are a great start.
Trusting your own judgement:
When I started Weaning Tinnie I did not explain my decision to my Health visitor and I felt I knew what I was doing now that I am on my third child. The current government guidelines are to start weaning at six months however this has never planned out with my three. I think as a parent you know your children and their needs best.
I plan over the next few weeks to share some posts on weaning recipes and to share reviews on some of the equipment we are using to make our life easier.
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