Weaning wasn’t a stage I was particularly looking forward to, i’ll be honest. I feel like the six-month sweet spot is just when you’ve started getting to grips with parenting and bam, along comes food to really (quite literally) mess things up. Also, I’m not the best chef so getting in the kitchen for my son’s meals was a little daunting. However, I really surprised myself and went to town with homemade food for my little cherub. Here’s my best weaning advice and product recommendations…
1. Solid Starts
I basically used the Solid Starts website as my bible. If you’re keen to do baby-led weaning (which is whole foods instead of purees) then this site is the GOAT. You just search for the food you’re serving, and they advise on what age to give it, how to cook it and how to serve it. There are also little videos of different aged babies eating the same food so you can know what to expect. I still use it now and my son is 14 months!
2. Learn to wait a moment
It’s so tempting to want to rush in and help your baby if they can’t grasp something or they may seem like they are about to gag on a piece of food, but I found sitting back and watching before only intervening if I had to was the best way for our bub to learn by himself. Side note: gagging is normal. It’s gross and horrid to see but it’s actually your little one’s safety mechanism so they don’t choke.
3. All hail the veggies
One day, you’re going to have a toddler demanding ice cream for brekkie or a teenager nailing a McDonald’s, so make the most of the time that they will devour their veg. We started our son on vegetables only, before introducing meat and fruits. I think this has been key to his love for broccoli, spinach and other good stuff.
4. Get used to cleaning up
There’s not much I can say other than sympathise with you that it is utterly mentally exhausting to clean your kitchen floor three times a day. Just don’t get tempted to do a quick clean up half way through food time or wipe their hands mid-meal. I allow him to make a total mess and then tackle it once (per meal) only.
5. Buy multiples
Cutlery sets, bowls, plates and bibs – buy lots because you’ll need lots. They’ll always be one lot in the dishwasher and it’s so handy to have spares in your bag. These anti-choke self-feed spoons and forks are really great for letting them try themselves. Summer is ideal as your baby can just sit in their nappy but I swear by the cover-all bibs in winter because we always allow him to get messy and explore his food.
6. Prep ahead of time
This is one of my hacks for being able to make so many homecooked meals for my son and that’s batch cooking. Even if it’s just mashed potato or vegetables, if they are prepped beforehand and put in the freezer, it only takes a few minutes to defrost and serve when you’re pushed for time.
7. Adapt family meals
After the initial part of weaning, you’ll want to try and transition your little one onto ‘proper’ meals and if these can be the same thing you are eating, your life will be a lot easier. I learnt to cook with no salt, use zero salt stock cubes and omit a few other things so that our little bubba could have things like our spaghetti bolognese and chilli con carne. I also found Joe Wick’s Wean in 15 book good for meal ideas.
8. Build up slowly
Don’t feel like you have to serve your baby three meals a day straight away, we literally just started with one taste of one vegetable each day and then built it up to be more of a meal, then we added in breakfast and finally started doing three meals around the nine month mark.
9. Drown out the opinions
Oh you’re not letting him/her have that? Are you sure he/she can eat this? Get ready for the torrent of opinions and learn to take them with a pinch of salt (pardon the pun). You know what’s best for your little one. You got this!
R x
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