As you know, I am expecting my first child. This can be so overwhelming and I know that other first time moms probably feel the same. I have so many questions and would love to hear the opinions of moms who have already been through this a time or two before. Because of this, I am hosting a weekly series to try and get some answers to some of the most common questions.Here are the topics we still have for future weeks:
So without further ado, let's get on with Week 17: Moving Baby To Solids: Ideas, Tips & Tricks! Since I do not have any children of my own yet, I will be featuring a blogger each week and their expert advice on the topic at hand (:
Moving Baby To Solids: Ideas, Tips & Tricks:
Hello everyone, my name is Harriet and I blog at A Rush of Love. I am so excited to be contributing to this brilliant feature.I'm British and live in the UK with my Fiancé Nathan and our 16 month old daughter, Ava. Today I will be talking about moving your baby onto solids. This is a topic close to my heart and one which, in all honesty, I really struggled with.
As a first time mom I anticipated each milestone. The first smile, first roll, first laugh, first steps... however there was one milestone I was not looking forward to and that was weaning.
I began weaning my daughter Ava, now 16 months, when she was 15 weeks old. She was a very hungry baby and I felt that milk was no longer filling her. I began with banana baby porridge which she enjoyed. To begin with this was the only extra that I introduced on top of her milk. Slowly, over the next few weeks I began to introduce different jars followed by a yogurt for dessert. Although Ava loved meal times and gobbled the food up greedily, I wasn't getting any satisfaction or joy from it. A lot of mothers I know were "baby-led weaning" which is when you let your baby feed themselves on things such as carrot sticks, cucumber etc. This was also the method encouraged by the midwives but it didn't appeal to me. I was far too nervous and after some research I ordered Annabel Karmel's "Weaning" book. Annabel is the leading children's cookery writer in the UK and I cannot recommend her enough. I gained so much confidence and most of all started to enjoy meal times. Ava is a brilliant little eater now and I believe it is because I let go of my fears and found some guidance.
Here are my top tips-1) Buy a steamer, hand blender and some extra pots to freeze some of your purees. These will be all of the tools that you need to make purees for your little one.
2) Always have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge. I always found it so easy to grab something fresh and whip up a quick puree when my fridge was full.
3) Persevere. Weaning can be a tough time, I used to be the mom who cried at meal times, if your baby isn't interested don't despair. I let Ava explore the food herself. I slowly got into baby led weaning and now she just loves to feed herself. I bet that your little one will dip there fingers straight into the food and eat it once it's left in front of them.
4) Always make a little extra to freeze. When you've had a tough day the last thing that you want to do is get your blender out. It's great to know that there is something fresh waiting in the freezer.
5) If, like me, you start with purees, introduce baby-led weaning as and when you feel comfortable. Soft fruits like raspberries and bananas are a good place to start.6) Follow your instincts. Every baby is different, what works for one baby may not work for another so do what you feel is right for you and your baby.
7) Watch some first aid videos on YouTube. I know this may sound a bit extreme but choking was one of my biggest fears when it came to weaning. I think mainly because I wouldn't have known what to do if Ava choked. I watched some brilliant videos on YouTube which, should anything happen, have given me an idea of how to handle the situation.
8) Don't be afraid to try new things. Ava loves things such as mild curry and stir-frys. Explore new recipes and have some fun.
9) Try not to limit your baby. My other half hates anything green but I have made huge point of piling the vegetables onto Ava's plate.
10) Try and make meals that can be used for the whole family. Make something with a side of sweet potato and broccoli for you and your partner with some extra to puree up for baby. As your little one gets older try and adapt your meals for the whole family. It's less work for you.
I hope that my tips have helped a little. Weaning can be very daunting at first but with a little practice it can actually become quite fun. I love mealtimes now.
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