<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We actually didn’t start her on solids until almost 7 months and she’s just approaching 9 months now. The reason for the delay was threefold; we were gearing up to move house (from a rental property back home, the home we had been renovating for months prior\u2026and are still finishing now), hubs was on a work trip in China then Aus and baby caught a bout of bronchiolitis which was a real toughy on her. Well, us too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So when we started I already felt a bit behind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had ordered all of Amazon in the lead up to the big day. Bamboo Bamboo plates and spoons, various styles of bibs, a Doidy cup. I was sold on baby led weaning as our approach. A term I had ZERO idea about previously and couldn’t even fathom out what it even meant. Weaning. Baby led. Brain explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find similarities in the weaning phase to breastfeeding. Baby led weaning is currently sold as the best approach, akin to breastfeeding. So pureeing is the formula equivalent. Well that\u2019s what my brain did with the information as we passed round packets of food on the NCT course, ooohing and ahhhhing at the ingredients list in a knowing but altogether unknowing manner. So, hello all the pressure again. All the comparison. Here we go again. Mum guilt if it doesn’t go to plan and the dreaded stares if you fetch out a pouch of Ella\u2019s or similar from your bag. I know people who have genuinely felt this shame. It\u2019s so sad and tiring to feel so endlessly judged in all aspects of raising your kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Salt content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sugar content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iron levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m swiftly working out that at the turn of each new phase of baby\u2019s life, I lose it a bit. Turns out I am not amazing with change, it really throws me off. So that bodes well. Just when you think you\u2019ve found a groove with whatever current phase you’re in, WHAM it\u2019s time to try something new and your daily schedule gets buggered and you are back to not being able to distinguish between your arse and your elbow. Or any other joint for that matter. But you soon catch up. It evens out eventually and you find your footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I followed cool accounts on Instagram that on a good day I\u2019ll find inspiring and on a bad one I just feel a million miles from as I eff and blind at the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, here\u2019s some info I thought I\u2019d share as baby and I work all this out together; what she likes, what she doesn\u2019t. I love watching all this unfold, a whole new world for her and more grub for the dog as he lurks nearby before frantically cleaning up the aftermath around the highchair. Don\u2019t get me started on baby\u2019s little pincer grip that\u2019s developing as she focuses so, so hard on picking up single bits of quartered blueberry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the first few weeks she really did only have 2 meals a day and they were largely avocado and banana based. Maybe some sweet potato and some soft pear. It took time for me to try her on new things and she surprises me with what she takes to, still. I of course got momentarily caught up in the desire to make sure she just hadn\u2019t veggies first off, and not much fruit. That lasted about two weeks. She\u2019s still largely a veg gal but love she herself some sweet sweet fruit. I mean, who doesn\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am absolutely NOT an expert in this area at all by the way and my culinary skills are, well, I have to follow recipes. I can\u2019t toss things in a pan and make them at all edible. Last night, my<\/em> dinner was fake chicken nuggets. That was it. Beige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am taking heaps of suggestions from other mums on Instagram. Some I know, some I don\u2019t. And ain\u2019t that great? There\u2019s a real community around weaning, people sharing their hits and their misses and thank god for that. Big love to Emma, Tash, Lindsey and my NCT pals for sharing all their inspo along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE EQUIPMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what we went for and some honest comments about each\u2026Links to items are in bold grey below…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair<\/a><\/strong> Did we fall for it? The fact that the people that have these RAVE about them so therefore it was the obvious choice? Well, maybe. But I did do my homework too and almost bought a Baby Dan version but in the end finally opted for the Stokke and to be honest, have had no issues with it. Love the wooden design as I\u2019m really trying to limit plastic so I was always going to opt for a wooden one and the way it grows with the child. I bought the tray that goes with it even though the idea is to push baby right up to the table and this again has worked well for us as if we get her too near the silicon mat (see below) on the table, her grabby mitts just want to play with that instead of the food. I also got the baby insert cushion to steady her and the harness too. But couldn’t work out how to use the harness so didn’t bother. So in a nutshell, the verdict:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Silicon placemat.<\/a><\/strong> Really good and use it every day. So basically while baby is playing with the food on her highchair tray, I might use the mat to smoosh up some banana with a fork. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Doidy cup<\/a>.<\/strong> Really love this and baby is learning to sip so well from it. A NCT friend told us how they had been recommended to her, so I purchased and haven’t tried any sippy cup alternatives so far. Took a bit of practice, and of course I still hold the bottom of the cup while she sips\/gnaws at it. Pictured below in blue. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bamboo Bamboo spoons.<\/a> <\/strong>Love these but haven’t tried any others so? Pictured above. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bamboo Bamboo plate<\/a>.<\/strong> It\u2019s gorgeous and clearly an Instagram win, but currently it\u2019s in the cupboard. Think i\u2019ll fish it out again soon. It has a sucker bottom to stop it being tossed on the floor but if you have a wooden table, sucking it to a silicon type placemat would help. Elodie has successfully dislodged it from its base though so not quite baby proof so far and many other parents agree. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bibs. <\/strong>Started off with just neck ones with little scoopy catchall bits at the bottom. Then realised quite quickly that this shit is messy so now have a range of full sleeved ones from Bumkins<\/a><\/strong>. Opted for ones that tie round then neck instead of velcro or poppers as it helps to get a tighter fit to save the clothes underneath. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Large mat for the floor<\/a> – <\/strong>got this one and it looks nice and you can sling it in the washing machine but as far wiping it down its not great. It perma sits under the highchair. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Insulated food tin<\/strong> – got this from Skip Hop<\/a><\/strong> and it\u2019s great. Basically for her lunches I steam veg in the morning and pop them in here to keep warm and ready for her lunch. Good for on the go too to retain heat. Pictured above in cow print. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Baby nutri-bullet<\/strong> – this was gifted to us and I thought after the NCT food course that it was just another marketing fad targeted at mums. But actually it\u2019s pretty handy. You could defo just use an existing whizzer thing though if you have an adult size one. The baby one comes with little pots for the fridge that you can turn a dial on to set the best before date. BUY HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n THE SCHEDULE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So 2 months into weaning, baby is on 3 meals a day roughly about 8.30am, 12 noon and 5pm<\/strong>. It took some working out to get to this point though, another stress inducer. I didn’t know how to get her onto 3 meals because at first her daily consumption of solids started out as more of a brunch than breakfast because after her morning bottle she would just want to nap straight away. So one day I let her do just half of her morning bottle in bed with me then took her downstairs in her little PJs and sat her in her highchair while I prepped some porridge. And from then on we have got into the swing of 3 meals a day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n THE FEEDING STYLE; COMBI FEEDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So I am following what I did back in breastfeeding phase. I am mostly doing baby led weaning\/feeding and maybe one meal a day will be mush\/puree. Most of the time this is her dinner. I must say, baby led weaning is really awesome. Elodie is developing her dexterity so so well, I love watching her try and pick up a single quarter of blueberry with her chubby fingers. It\u2019s enough to make my heart melt. But as often discussed with my NCT pals, if she was only doing purees, she would still bloody well eventually know how to hold a sodding banana and feed herself right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n FOOD PREP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I am largely steaming all veg and fruit. Things like spinach or butter beans I will prep in a saucepan on the hob in hot water for a bit before mushing. I was steaming everything on the hob too initially, with a large saucepan and a metal colander thing. But we now have a steam oven, one John acquired many moons ago that has been sitting in our shed for years until we made room for it as part of the extension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t ask me how long I steam things for. It\u2019s anyones guess. Sometimes I set it to 15 mins, then add another 5 on and prod it all until you know, it\u2019s fucking soft?<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE GRUB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with breakfasts<\/strong>. Here are the winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oaty fingers.<\/strong> She loves these and might even eat two in one sitting! Learned the recipe on the NCT Introduction to Solids course. You can make them in the evening and leave them in the fridge, so quick and easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes these come out more gloopy than others but that\u2019s ok. Baby will make a gloopy mess of them anyway in the end! When she\u2019s done I offer her finger foods as below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Porridge. <\/strong>Sometimes she’s into this, others not. But when she is its a mix of whizzed up oats, crushed raspberries, mashed banana, ground almonds, coconut\/almond\/oat milk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finger foods:<\/strong> Slices of soft peeled pear, nectarine or kiwi. Avocado fingers. Banana with the skin left on a little to help with her grip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BB Bread from Young Gums book.<\/strong> Again one to make at night and super easy. I will put mashed banana or avocado on it. Sometimes some smooth peanut butter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I made some muffins<\/strong> last week (not your recipe Lindsey, I need to do that one ASAP!). I renamed them \u2018ruffins’ or \u2018not-good-enuffins\u2019. I think that tells you how they turned out. Solid as a rock mate. But bless her, she still had a good go on them before almost killing the dog as she eventually hurled it to the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone have a non cheesy, savoury muffin recipe that could work nicely at breakfast time? Light and airy preferably\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now on to lunch<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When she’s eating her breakkie, I will pop a selection of the below in peeled finger form into the steamer ready for her lunch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some lunchtime protein too I might mash up some kidney beans and form them into a little, well, poo for want of a better description. Sometimes she will eat it, sometimes the dog will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avocado fingers usually feature at lunchtime too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I might give her more fruity fingers too after her veg, so mango or mashed up raspberry and banana (a real fave) and if she hasn’t eaten much of the veg i\u2019ll sneak some into this and trick her into eating the veg. Cue evil laugh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dinners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So I don\u2019t know why but I tend to give her mush for dinner. Honestly don\u2019t know how I settled on that idea. Maybe they’re more easily digested before bed? God knows. Anyway I started off steaming and whizzing up in the baby nutri bullet whatever combination I fancied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now we have moved onto actual recipes with spices and onion and garlic\u2026ideally stuff John and I can have too so that we\u2019re not having to think about creating separate meals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My friend Emma recommended these organic baby pasta shells from Boots<\/a><\/strong> and the Jamie Oliver 7 veg pasta sauce<\/a><\/strong> which I batch made last week and tried on baby. She liked!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But our absolute winner so far is this Lentil Ragu<\/a><\/strong>. She LOVES it. I made a big batch for us all last week. The chunkier version was for John and I, accompanied by spaghetti. Then I whizzed up some of the sauce itself, skipped the spaghetti part and gave to baby and my lord above, her face! <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the salt front, I use Kallo organic very low salt vegetable stock<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.vickygooden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0333.jpeg?fit=768%2C1024\")
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Doidy cup \/\/
Bamboo Bamboo spoon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.vickygooden.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0339.jpeg?fit=768%2C1024\")
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