Weaning: First tastes

If you read the blog or follow me on twitter or facebook you will probably already know that Noah and I have just started our weaning journey. If you missed the post you can read it here. I felt very conflicted about it but felt that it was in Noah's best interests to start weaning at 4 months. I thought we would give it a go and if he wasn't ready I would stop. The way he has taken to solids has made me certain we have started at the right time. He is absolutely loving it. He will whinge if you don't have another spoonful ready by the time he has eaten the first. He also grabs the spoon, tries to feed himself and makes om nom nom noises. He really enjoys it!

I only intend on giving him baby rice, porridge, fruit and veg puree's for the next month or so. When we get to 6 months I am then going to switch to BLW and see how we get on. 

Noah's very first taste was plain baby rice, which didn't go down very well. He then tried porridge, which he devoured. His first fruit was pear and his first vegetable was carrot. 

So far Noah has tried;

Baby rice. 

Baby rice mixed with pear puree.

Baby porridge. 

Baby porridge mixed with pear puree.

Banana baby porridge.

Pear puree. 

Carrot puree. 

Banana puree (first time trying it this morning!) 

All puree's are homemade and very easy to make. Especially the pear puree! If using ripe pears all you need to do is wash them, peel them, blend them! So simply to make and it tastes amazing. It's no wonder it is Noah's favourite. 

I mix a bit of his milk into everything that he has tried so far. I know you can add cooled boiled water but I like to add his milk. As well as making it a bit more palatable it is also great to add as it warms up the puree a little if the milk is warm. It's also good to use if your puree is a little thick needs a little moisture. 

I intend on making fresh puree's and foods for him as often as I can. I have no problem using premade pouches and jars though and have a collection of different brands to try in our cupboard. With his first tastes I wanted to stick to fresh homemade puree's as I thought it would be easier on his stomach. 

What were your little one's first tastes? 

To wean or not to wean? That is the question..

The moment you become pregnant your life changes forever. Long gone are the days where you only think of yourself. Your baby always comes first. When you have a baby there are endless decisions you have to make for yourself and your child. Along with those endless decisions are the endless judgements and criticisms from every Tom, Dick and Harry. Left, right and center you get opinions from everyone whether it's asked for or not. As a Mum you always put your child first and always have their best interests at heart. A Mummy knows what is best for their child and should never feel they have to explain why they are doing this or that. I love chatting with other Mum's, sharing stories and experiences but I am not a fan of when other Mum's think the way they do things is gospel and what you are doing is wrong. Not all babies are the same and neither are their parents or their parenting methods.

The recommended weaning age is now 6 months. Noah is now 4 months old and has been showing signs for weaning for the past few weeks. I know that nutritionally babies can survive on breast milk or formula alone for the first 6 months but not all babies are the same. He might not need a spoonful of puree here and there but he wants it and I am not going to say no because the guidelines say so. (Oh I rhymed!)  

Noah has been watching us eat for weeks and is really interested in food. The past two weeks he has lost interest in his milk, although he is having more he doesn't devour it like he once did. When we are eating he will push his bottle out of his mouth, lick his lips, drool and then whinge. I was eating a pear a week ago and he was going berserk. I then showed him the pear which he grabbed out of my hand, he brought it up to his mouth and began sucking and gnawing on it. I then took it off him and he began to cry. If this isn't a sign that my baby wants something more, then what is?

I did want to leave it as long as I possibly could but our weaning journey has begun! He has already tried baby porridge, which he loves. He opens his mouth for the spoon and whines if you don't have another spoonful ready by the time he has eaten it! 

I am planning on giving him a few spoonfuls of baby porridge mixed with homemade pear puree for his breakfast after he has had his morning feed. After a while I am then going to introduce carrot puree for his dinner with his evening bottle. I am going to take it very slow and at Noah's speed. See how we get on. Wish us luck!

At what age did you wean your baby? Do you have any weaning tips?