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worried about weaning

Hi all, my daughter is 14 weeks old and isn't ready to be weaned yet but i'm really dreading it. A few of my friends have got 9 month old babies and have tried to give me advice on it but i'm still worried. I just don't have a clue what to do really or how much to do and do they still have a bottle an d then when do you know when to start cutting out bottles!!!! My friend say once she has had baby ricea few times to try other thing like pureed veg for dinner and maybe pair and apricot for lunch etc but i'm so worried i'll get it wrong- i know it sounds silly and i don't know why i worry so much but i can't help it. Am i the only mad one who feels this way!!
Any advice would be great. Thanks, Vikki (Toria)xxx

Replies

  • I feel exactly the same, my lo is 14 weeks and will need to be weaned soon cause he is very greedy, and I know I need to start him off with a couple of teaspoons of baby rice, but after that I have no idea. My health visitors are useless so no point asking them for advice, I'm like you, I was hoping the wonderful people here would be able to shed some light! Sorry I've not been much help to you, but it's like you were reading my mind! Lets hope we get some answers!!!xx
  • You should ask your Hv cause if you have community nursery nurses who help them they should do a weaning session with you. Also where i live they hold weaning parties where you can get together with other parents going through the same things ask at your clinic. But please don't worry go with the flow of your baby. At first i wouldn't cut out any bottles as the amount they are taking is minamal and you'll know or your baby will refuse the milk if they are full. but yes try baby rice then get adventurous try sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash etc as long as you don't add salt anything is ok pureed. Annabel karmel has some good books out. And if you are going to make your own get some ice cube trays to freeze it in then you can use one cube at a time working your way up then you can blend flavours and you know how much you lo is having. imo i would give rice in a morning before milk feed if thats poss then feed as normal with milk then mid morning or mid afternoon try something different before a feed they feed as normal until they get used to it and are taking more than a spoonful if you lo doesn't like it first time give it a few more tries as it will take time to develope a taste oh and be prepered for them to spit it out at you hope some of this helps
  • Hi.... first of all, DO NOT WORRY!!!! Weaning is totally natural and you have to just think: do you know any adults who still only drink milk?!?! Of course not, so every baby moves on to solids at some point.

    Please try to keep a sense of humour too - of course you will worry about poisoning them, causing them to have kidney damage, choking, etc etc etc. the list goes on. If you are sensible tho, which obviously you are because you are worried about doing stuff wrong! then you will be absolutely fine. Just be sensible.

    I have VERY large babies - over 11 pounds, and am just starting to give my youngest some solids, he is now 13 weeks. I wouldnt advise baby rice - have you tasted it?!?! I wouldnt eat it either! None of my children have like it! I started mine off on mashed banana - just mash it with a fork or seive it so its really fine and slimy. Then mix in with their normal milk so its very runny. I put a wee bit on his lips first so that he licks them and realises its a new flavour, rather than trying to give it off the spoon at first - he will realise its a nice taste and probably want more! Banana is so slimy that it will be swallowed easily. Just give one or two spoons at first - be guided by your baby - you know him best of all. Trust your instincts, and trust your own judgement. Your baby will let you know when he is ready for more, and believe me, you will soon know what flavours he likes and dislikes!! My son screws his face up at new flavours, but usually its just because its new, or a different texture. If after a few spoons he is still doing it then he probably doesnt like what you are giving him. See the difference with stuff he DOES like - favourites with Elliot are banana, butternut squash, carrots and apple, all pureed into mush.

    Good luck - and please try not to worry. You sound like a really good mum. xox
  • Ps - I forgot to say - try and not appear nervous when you try to feed him solids - babies really pick up on what YOU are doing, and if you act like pureed carrot is the most delicious meal in the world, by making encouraging faces and noises etc, then your baby will like it too! xx
  • I totally agree with shellie lol :\) I too was worried as my sister's son was 3 months older and LOVES food and took to eating no problem and will eat ANYTHING!!! lol :\) my 16 month old son daniel took ages to eat lumps I kept thinking I was doing something wrong but I wasn't, they'll only do it when they're ready and not a moment before.. don't worry about it, they do get it eventually, like shellie said make it as fun as possible thatway you don't make an issue out of it... I too tried baby rice as loads of people said to do it first....... well it is horrible!! so we used cow & gate baby porridge, it's the ones in packets that you just add his milk to it. they did other dried foods as well but he never liked them but we stuck to that porridge for breakfast til he was about 12 months old! now he has weetabix or normal porridge. also I was told by the HV to start with breakfast/dinner first but we did tea time instead and found if we did it about 4pm he would also have his full bedtime milk bottle too. :\) Another HV said to me that they have a "window of opportunity" & that I should NOT miss it otherwise he'll be a fussy eater, well daniel was at least 11/12 months before he would chew! & let me tell you at 16 months he is not a fussy eater, he eats more or less everything we eat for tea... I use to worry that I would 'miss' the window and I would scar daniel for life! lol stupid really when I look back, why on earth did I listen to the HV so much? lol :\) good luck xxx :\)
  • Hi
    I too was worried about weaning infact i kept putting it off (eventually started at 20 weeks as had no choice due to Emily's demands for more milk she went back to every 2 hours and up through the night). i started giving her a little bit of rice at lunchtime at first she wouldn't have any before her bottle or let me take her bottle out half way - HV advised) so i started to give her it half hour before her feed was due and she would have a little bit. To be honest it took us a few weeks but now she is nearly 7 months old and loves her food and i'm now worrying about the chewing bit as she doesn't seem to want to but i know it will be fine and i'm worrying about nothing. When i take her to be weighed they always ask if i've any concerns and each time i ask a weaning question which seems to be a running joke now, i don't always do everything they say but sometimes it's just nice to be reassured i'm on the right tracks. I also talk to other mums and pick good tips up from them. I agree with Wenders about the porridge Emily loved it and still does and i felt that was abit of a breakthrough.
    You will find out what she likes and you will both be fine just follow your baby
    Happy Weaning
  • Thanks for all the advise and i'm glad i'm not the only one suzaie! I thought that Emma wasn't quite ready for solids but over the past week she has been waking up really early in the morning for a feed, so today i gave her some baby rice at tea time, she had half her bottle then a few spoons of rice then she had the rest of her bottle-and she really loved it!!! I am a bit worried about giving her other things but i think after she has got used to having the rice i will try banana and then pear, then pureed veg for tea maybe. I will speak to the HV about it too. Thanks againxx
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