Fun with Food - Baby Weaning Time

So, the time has come to start introducing some food into your babies diet. I'm sure the official line at the moment is 6 months. I'm probably not going to tell you anything you don't already know. But, as with most things I'm going to tell you about my experiences, in case any of it is helpful. I hope it is.

Here's some things I've learned along the way...

You don't have to start at 6 months. I fell into this trap with my eldest. All my Mumma friends were doing it, so it was time, time to wean! And really what it all comes down to is, with your first you really have no idea what you're doing , so if all your mates are doing it, you're going to do it too. I went to a baby led weaning class. The class was excellent, and I used all the tools they taught me back then, eventually with my second son. However, in hindsight, I rushed my eldest. I was like 'goddamn it boy , you're six months old today, time for food right this minute!' Which I know now, was a mistake. Now I hasten to add, not because he gagged, or anything like that, as I know some Mums can have awful choking episodes, which I never have. And I know every baby is different.

However, I thought I'd read the signs correctly that he was ready to be weaned away from milk alone. Watching me eat with intrigue, wanting to use my cutlery, sitting with me at meals times showing great enthusiasm. And now of course comparing those signs with my other son, (Wolf really showed these signs I mean literally drooled at me eating and followed the fork to mouth every bite full !) I know that Ragnar wasn't ready really. I was just forcing him to try things that he didn't have any interest in trying. And babies are fine on milk alone till they're 12 months, so basically I rushed him. He now has very fussy tastes and, I would say, peculiar around food and meal times, so it is a bit of a nightmare. I should also add that I started him on cows milk at 12 months old as well, and we have now discovered he has a lactose intolerance! So he was obviously funny about food because he probably always had tummy ache and thought I was causing it with the meals I was giving him. So mum guilt is on an all time high, and I am doing everything I can to try and make him fall in love with food again...this time round, I'll get it right! But at least we know, onwards and upwards...

However, I digress,

So, with Ragnar, at exactly 6 months I tried him on puréed fruit, and broccoli florets, and banana wedges. Safe to say he hated all this, and lived off mayonnaise pasta and sweet potato mash for almost a month as he just refused everything else. I really wanted to do Baby led weaning, but the idea of choking did bother me, so I did tend to do spoon fed in the end. My nerves just got the better of me. Also I have OCD, so the mess everywhere was hugely difficult for me to tolerate. In fact I didn’t really tolerate it. I would clean up after every bite....wiping down the highchair as he ate...yes I know..TOTAL nutter...but its so hard to let the mess just be mess when you've always been in control...but motherhood soon teaches you you have no control! I soon realised I would give him OCD , if I didn’t cut it out, so I did try to correct my bad behaviour around him as soon as I'd realised how intense I'd become.

He was walking at 9 months, OK, so I thought he'd need the extra energy. I bought all the little ice cube trays, and made up my own purées, pouring them in with love. I made baby yoghurt smoothies and baby non-salted meals, like cauliflower cheese and pasta bakes. He hated them all. Bashing away the bowl every time, and blowing raspberries whenever we tried to spoon feed him. I finally gave him pesto pasta and he liked this..... hated it the next day...so I was losing the plot a little with him and food.

I also had a terrible battle on my hands with family members losing their temper with him, when he was in there care, and trying to force feed him as they were worried about his weight, and they would end up giving him mini cheddars and ice cream. This was excruciating for me to watch.. and hear about....and lead to huge arguments and lots of stressful tension. I am normally a very laid back person, so laid back I’m almost horizontal...but when it comes to my babies....I'm ferociously protective...standard mummy then.

So...he didn't want to know...we were losing our patience and imagination...it was all feeling a little overwhelming....

Then he got really ill...walk in hospital in the night ill...and didn't eat for a week...we pretty much had to start weaning all over again when he had recovered. This time, I wouldn't let anybody else feed him. I did it all myself, and this way - till present day - he eats all his meals and is a healthy weight, with a vegan varied diet. He is however totally uninterested in others feeding him, and can throw major tantrums at the table - I feel now though this is heading towards him turning two years old, more than anything to do with meals.

This leads me onto Wolf, my youngest son. As I mentioned earlier, he was poles apart from Ragnar when it came to the signs that he was ready to try food. At 5 months he was trying to reach for my cutlery, was drooling over me eating a sarnie , and stretching out as far as he could trying to steal his brothers lunch. So at 5 months old, on Christmas day we decided to give him a mini Christmas dinner...and he ate the whole thing, mash, yorkshire pudding and veggies. He never looked back. He has totally embraced baby led weaning. I give him everything to try himself apart from puréed fruit, which I spoon feed until his dexterity becomes better, but he is chomping at the bit to do it all himself. He loves food, and has a great relationship with it. I let him get messy without hesitation, and I just let him be. I learned the hard way, but we got it bang on this time round. I haven’t bothered with any of the baby rice, baby porridge or baby pasta. I give him all the adult stuff. He just has a mini version of what I'm eating for lunch and dinner, and Ragnar has a lactose free version.

I have learned not to panic. To relax. Always sit with baby at meal times for encouragement and to keep an eye on that gag reflex. Which by the way is is incredible in babies. They will gag, but as long as they don’t go silent its not too worrying. (Silence means choking properly) Let them try all sorts, several times before they know really what they like and what they don’t like. Let them get messy, playing with food, and getting all touchy feely is all part of learning about food. Let them sit with you at meals times so they understand it's about eating not just play though.

I've also learned the pouches are expensive, but they exist for a reason, they're so damn handy! And I have perfected the 'pouch squeeze' just enough each time not to squirt all down babies chin, and one handed no less....what can I say I'm a legend...

Get them used to plates, cutlery etc. I love the bamboo non slip plates, with the little sections so their food is enticing and exciting. I love tommee tippee cutlery, its my favourite. I like small headed spoons, so they fit into little pots and mouths easily. I don't like the really long spoons, they just end up trying to deep throat them...I kid you not...

Get bibs at the ready, washable ones, wipeable ones, ones that cover the whole high chair, ones that go right up to their necks all the way to their wrists...they will get mango juice in places you cant imagine, and raspberries in ears, hair, neck folds...and banana is a fucker to wash out if left squelched into butt cheeks of rompers...

Also all the snack, crisps, biscuits, melties are amazing (but be warned, incredibly messy...(hey I’ve changed my ways a bit, but some things just get my goat...bloody melty puffs should be called "cover your car seat in orange dust fucking everywhere puffs") But they are so useful to have on you at all times, and I mean at all times...these kids expect snacks to magically appear out of your arse....and they're great to get them experiencing different textures, and really support self feeding. Let them explore, let them have fun, keep an eye, enjoy!

@nibbleanddoodle on Instagram have wonderful ideas for weaning and baby meals.