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Your little one is growing up fast, and already it’s time to start their next adventure! Weaning! Now, weaning a baby can seem daunting, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. I have gone through the weaning process about 2 years ago and even I had to still read about it when the time came for my daughter who is now 8 months old. It’s crazy how quickly we forget about these stages, isn’t it?
There is so much to remember and decide about weaning a baby, that it’s no wonder us mama’s forget things the second time around. There are just so many questions that come with the arrival of weaning. What is the average age for weaning a baby? What are the signs my baby is ready for solids? How do you wean your baby? Purees or baby-led weaning? What do I even need when I start weaning? Don’t you worry. We’re going to cover it all, right here, together.
What is the average age for weaning a baby?
A lot of baby foods state that they are suitable from 4 months old. However, you probably know from reading multiple things about weaning a baby that ages can differ, by quite a lot. Most things say 4-6 months. This depends on a few different factors though, because of course, all baby’s develop at different rates.
I started weaning my oldest at 4 months because that’s when he was ready. Whereas my daughter didn’t start until 6 months and that is purely because they develop and reach milestones at different rates. So, please don’t think that you HAVE to start at 4 months. The start of your baby’s weaning journey should be completely guided by them.
Try and keep a lookout for some of the signs that your baby is ready to start their first foods from around 4 months, just don’t rush them.
What are the signs my baby is ready for solids?
I would suggest that you make sure your little one can hold their head up on their own well. This is obviously to make sure they can eat while sitting up. There is also something called the extrusion reflex. This is the reflex that stops baby’s choking on their milk. It is basically how they push milk (or food) out the front of their mouth.
The most obvious thing to look out for is your little ones interest in food. I know that with my daughter, we knew she was ready for food because of how much attention she paid to us while we were eating, and literally, she was drooling like a dog that had a sausage held in front of them!
How do you wean your baby?
Start small and slow. Remember, your baby’s stomach is still so small, and that food is not their main source of nutrients at this stage. Mas & Pas have a great guide to the different stages of weaning.
Starting your baby on their weaning journey to start with is more to do with learning how to eat and experiencing different textures and tastes. Not to fill them up! you slowly work up to this as the months’ progress.
Purees or baby-led weaning?
This is a personal preference and what you feel most comfortable doing in my experience. I personally never felt comfortable enough to persevere with baby-led weaning until about 10 months and my son started with finger food and I knew he had the ability to eat without choking. I know this might seem silly to some people, but it was something I was really worried about. For that reason I used purees. If you want to do more ready on baby-led weaning check out this great post from Holly Goes Lightly.
If you want to go the puree route, I really suggest buying Ella’s Kitchen cookbook- The Purple One. This book is amazing and literally takes you from day one of weaning a baby, right through to proper meals. It also covers lots of questions about weaning a baby.
I honestly thought I would never have the time to make my own baby food, but with Ella’s Kitchen cookbook- The Purple One it made me realise how simple, cost-effective and speedy it can really be. I can make two weeks worth of baby food in an hour easily. Then I portion it up into ice cube trays with lids and pop them in the freezer.
Perfect products you need for weaning a baby.
A Stick Blender.
Please do not get conned into thinking you need to buy a ‘special’ baby food maker. A stick blender is all you need really, plus you can use it for all other types of things in the kitchen too.
Ice Cube Trays with Lids
An absolute essential if you are making your own baby food. It makes storing your homemade baby food extremely easy, as well as making portion sizes easy too. The soft bottom of these ice cube trays means it easy to just pop each cube out as you need it.
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Ella’s Kitchen Cookbook- The Purple One
This should be your bible for weaning a baby. It takes you from very first tastes, right up to proper meals for your little one. Each section comes with handy tips on how much your baby should be eating, to new foods they might be ready to try. It even has little activity’s throughout the book that can help engage your baby with new tastes, smells and textures.
Microwave Steamer
Oh my goodness! This changed how I made baby food. Before buying this, I was boiling everything, having several saucepans on the go at one time and about 5x the amount of washing up afterwards. When I started using the microwave steamer, I paired it with one saucepan, this meant I could make more baby food, in less time, with less washing up. Another great bonus? steaming helps keep more of the nutrients in the food more so than boiling does, which means better baby food for your little one.
Baby Spoons
An obvious one. Tiny spoons for a tiny mouth. I have found, it often helps if you give them a spoon as well, as my daughter loves to try and grab the spoon I’m feeding her with otherwise.
Baby Bowls
Some colourful bowls to get your little one excited and engaged with their scrummy homemade food.
Bibs
Silicone bibs for weaning a baby are a must-have. Easy to clean and the pelican bottom means that it’ll catch any food that misses the mouth.
Highchair
This is the exact highchair that I bought for my oldest who is now 3. It’s still going strong and the pattern hasn’t faded at all. You can recline the seat and the tray can be clipped on at different points to allow for when your little one grows.
Related: Meal Planning for the Week Like a Boss!
Fresh Fruit and Veg
This has to be the most important part, doesn’t it? without some delicious fresh fruit and veg, your little one just wouldn’t have anything to eat. I know as well as any mum, that the thought of having to go grocery shopping can seem daunting, let alone making baby food. Cut out the middle woman and get your food delivered to your home to take away that extra stress and item off your to-do list.
So what do you think? Are you going to make your own baby food? Or even try Amazon Pantry to make your life a little bit easier? I’d love to hear about your weaning adventure.
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