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Weaning...when & how?

My lo is 19 weeks old and I'm just starting to think about weaning her.
How do you know when your lo is ready for solids? I know you normally start on baby rice but for how long and then what do you give? I'm getting very confused (doesn't take much at the mo)!
I've ordered an Annabel Karmel book as I've heard they're good. Does anyone rate her?

Replies

  • I was feeling very pressured into weaning Evie by family and friends, but wanted to wait until Evie was sitting up well on her own as i figured that'd be easier for spoon feeding and more comfy for her. i also waited until she showed signs of being interested in what me and OH were eating, watching us eat etc. this time came when she was 5months and when i tried she took really well to it. i began with baby rice which she hated, the next day pureed carrot, same response, apple and pear, same response... then baby rice again and she loved it and has since! evie is 6 and a half month and still has baby rice for some meals as she loves it so much. she also has mashed banana, pureed veg ie butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, she has pureed fruit like apples, pears, peaches, banana. and she sometimes will eat weatabix!
    like evie, it might take your LO a while to get used to having textured foods in her mouth, but don't let it put you off, give praise when they give something a try and alternate a couple or few things for a few days and they should get used to it. good luck with it xx
  • i started mine on a lunch time solid feed last sunday and it was a nightmare he was shuddering, spiting it out, but i presevered and did it everyday and buy saturday and was loving it! i offered him a plum fruit pot yesterday and i thought theres no way hes gonna go for this but nhe loved it and ate 3/4 of the pot! he loves it now! you just have to stick with it! and spoonfeeding is so much more fun than bottle feeding. i found it hepled to do the airoplane thing and smile alot and telling what a good boy he is!
  • Hiya,
    My lo was 3 months, bf and not satisfied. I tried every bottle and formula under the sun with no joy so decided that I would start weaning her. It was the best thing I ever did, I made baby rice with formula (to get more milk in her) and started with one meal a day and then a week or so later 2 meals a day and started adding fruit to the sweet ones and veg to the savory ones and then at 5 months managed to get Holly to take a bottle (woo hoo) so have slowly reduced the amount of food she gets to favour milk. I hope that makes sence lol If you feel that your lo is ready to get weaned then go with your instinct, your her mummy and you know best. Good luck xxx
  • my lo is 24 weeks but tried at 16 with baby rice with no joy, then stopped and tried at 20 weeks with half a rusk with formula... he loved it and had that for about 2 weeks! then i tried the fruity cereal breakie mixed with formula which took a good few days for him to take!
    i then tried pureed pear last week which took 5 days of gagging, shuddering, sealing his mouth shut - tried pureed carrot - think ive ade too thick as just gagged...
    but as of yesterday is refussing the rusk.... its a mindfield this weaning!
    good luck x
  • I started Lily at 18wks, she's now 20wks and has had banana,carrot, pear, apple sweet potato and a cow and gates breakfast thing. So far so good she's liked everything, first time so for me its been quite easy.
  • Lily-Mae has hated all the Annabel Carmel recipes I've tried haha, wasted my money on that book! Started her with baby rice at one feed when she was 15 weeks, made it quite runny and she took to it right away. Then just did purees of sweet potato and carrot, then gradually introduced more flavours. Sunday dinner (without the meat) was always her fave and she still loves it now thought thankfully don't have to blend it up any more! Good luck!

    xxx
  • Rhys was 17 wks when we started. he had 1 meal of baby rice for 2 weeks then 2 meals (1 baby rice 1 pureed veg) and last week we added another meal of pureed fruit and he seems to be taking to it well. At first he only had the tinyest of tastes but I kept it up and he wolfs it down now.
    On the Hipp website there's a weaning guide which I found quite useful for quantities and when to move him onto more. However they just suggest there jars of food obv but apart from the breakfasts I've just pureed up my own veg and stuff.
  • I started weaning Lily at 24 weeks. Up until then she was content on breast milk alone -even though family insisted she should be on 3 meals a day! Anyway she started showing a real interest in the food we ate and started smacking her lips together, so I started her on baby rice and she took to it straight away. We rapidly progressed through the first stages of weaning and she happily took everything I gave her, starting from single-fruit or veg purees and working towards all sorts of concoctions & mixtures (the Annabel Karmel book is my best friend - highly reccomend it) 6 weeks after starting her on baby rice she was fully established on 3 meals a day, so I must admit the whole thing went really well for us. We have the odd mealtime where her lips are firmly clamped shut and she refuses food, but not many. Oddly enough she's not so keen on petit filous or Muller's little stars and she still loves baby rice, which she has with breakfast mixed with fruit (she's not so keen on other baby cereals). Other than that she's not fussy and has tried a variety of different dishes with meat, fish and veg. We have turned her mealtimes into musical shows though - as she'll happily eat anything as long as we constantly sing!
    Before you start weaning the whole thing seems like a minefield, but just take it steady and let the LO set the pace. Don't force it and be patient. Good luck.
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