What I learned as a Mama during weaning!

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Hey guys! 

I'm still here! Quick update, we are currently a day off being 8 months, we have 6 teeth one of which has come in really early, we are a decent way through weaning, sleep is apparently for the weak (or so my child thinks) and my pelvic floor is shot! (Take this as a reminder to do your pelvic floor exercises!)

Today I just want to share a quick update on what I have learned on our weaning journey, because lets face it weaning is not just a learning curve for babies its also a challenge for the parents, and I naively thought I had it sussed with having worked in childcare most my adult life-Oh how wrong I was! 

Okay first thing, it is very different doing solid food with your own child compared to someone else's, when you prep food for a child that belongs to another human its easy! yes you still have to watch for choking and support them however they need to be supported, but they have done the hard bit! They have tried the new foods, tested for allergies, figured out if they like it smooth, lumpy or as finger foods, they can tell you what they love, what they hate and how they will respond to various items, With your own? you are just starting to figure this all out!

Don't get me wrong the broccoli face will always make me chuckle and we have found he really likes certain things, he's doing fantastic with lumpy food and he enjoyed finger foods too, I'll be honest I am more nervous than him, but we are working on it together and learning. The other side of weaning I am learning about is the food prep, I was dead set against pre made meals and pouches, but like most the other rules I set for myself I broke that one too, its not that there bad, its just if he eats what I cook I know whats inside it and also cost is a big factor as I navigate mat pay, but actually there are sensible ways to use them that they don't become a waste of money and scouring the ingredients, they aren't too bad. 

So here are some things I learned, some top tips and some of the best weaning faces we have pulled so far! 

Lessons learned: 

One: It's all about play, let them play with the food, the spoons, the cups, bowls and plates, this is how they are figuring out what they do and how they work, I usually give little one a spoon of his own and have one that I use that matches (most of the time), I do the same with the food -except for finger food- and I give him some on his plate and I have some in a small pot, that way he can explore it, mush it into his face and play with it as he navigates trying to eat it and I know I can spoon feed him and hes going to actually eat some. Finger foods I just pop onto his plate instead of feeding them to him, the whole idea after all is for him to navigate picking them up and having a good chomp on them! 

Two: Pick your bowls! We tried bamboo bowls and plastic bowls with suction bases but none were a match for Mr man! we settled on an Ezpz mat which has lasted a lot longer and is more of a challenge for him to get off, its easy to clean and a good size for adding food too- on a side note look at different types of spoons too, we have a mix of normal spoons, weaning spoons and Bibado Dipits, but for a while he would only let me feed him off a metal spoon! 

Three: Food prep doesn't have to be hard! If your doing smooth or lumpy you can just blitz up what ever you are having (just with no added sugar, salt and maybe milder spices) and if your doing Baby led weaning you just make sure its soft and cut it on a way that's easy for little hands to hold, we do a mix of both and he will usually have whatever we are, I also find if I do make something separate for him I will portion him some out then freeze the rest in an ice cube tray, then when you need some its easy to pop out and defrost a few blocks ready to heat up (a block is a bout a tablespoon) 

Four: Most pre-made pouches can be frozen! This was a game changer, my big issue with the pouches was the fact that he wouldn't eat a whole pouch this early in, but if you just portion out what you need before warming it the rest that hasn't been warmed can been frozen in an ice cube tray! Then just like the home made stuff, pop it out defrost and warm and your ready to go! 

That's its for the lessons but her are some tips! 

1. Invest in a good quality highchair that is durable, easy to clean and suits your space! There are lots of options out there. We opted for a Tripp Trapp Stokke, it will last him through till his is older, is super easy to clean and keeps him at the same height at the table throughout his growth, they can be expensive brand new but you can get some cheaper second hand if your willing to put in the search time. 

2. Get some ice cube moulds and reusable freezer bags, you can also get some fantastic reusable pouches from Nom Nom kids for making smoothies or adding meals to take on the go. These items will make food storage so much easier. 

3. Bibs are your best friend! We use the bibado bibs which go over the child and tray, it's super easy to clean up and catches any spills, but there are lots of options out there to suit your style, need and budget! You will want more bibs that you think, plan ahead for when your doing 3 meals a day, get yourself about 6 or 7 bibs and then you will have one for each meal as well as some the following day whilst the first lot are drying! 

4. Embrace the mess its all about learning and having fun with food! Food is going to get EVERYWHERE, I mean everywhere, hands, hair, face (yours and theirs) the floor, the tray, the bib, the walls..... I mean I could go on. BUT what I'm getting at is you just have to embrace it, let them be messy and figure it out, clothes wash, you can pop them in the shower, and floors and trays can always be cleaned.

So that wraps up a bit of us lately!

Thanks for reading

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Lots of love 

Jessie and O

x x x