Post written in paid partnership with Organix
As Pearl is nearly three months old, it really won’t be long until we start weaning again – can you believe it?! I’ve made it no secret that weaning was one of the harder parts of parenting. Firstly, I’m a rubbish cook and secondly Violet is a really fussy eater – with those two factors combined it was tricky from day one! Hopefully Pearl’s weaning journey will be easier now I’ve had a bit of practice, plus if Pearl’s love for milk is anything to go by, we should be fine -that girl does not stop eating!
Luckily, there are a huge amount of amazing baby foods and products out there to help us along the way – weaning doesn’t always mean slaving over a hot stove and endless tupperware pots of mushed vegetables that never get eaten, thank goodness! Some of my favourite brands like Organix have helped me to introduce foods to Violet – I love them because they are healthy and packed full of nutrients, plus ready made and easy to eat on the run too. I’ve even been lucky enough to work with them on a few projects like the #NoJunkJourney too.
Our next project we are working on together is about exploring first foods. Organix have sent me a really handy wall chart for every stage of weaning – for Violet is 20 months now so it’s been a handy checklist to check we’ve covered all bases but for Pearl it will be invaluable to work through and be a reminder of what to do at every stage. Even though it has not been that long since Violet started weaning, it’s amazing how much you forget! I feel like a newbie again. So I wanted to share a few tips and tricks for the first stages of weaning with you today as part of my planning for Pearl’s weaning (and a few old snaps of Violet – isn’t she CUTE!):
FIRST STAGES OF WEANING
So, the first signs your little one is ready to start weaning are:
- Little ones can coordinate hands, eyes and mouth – they can look around and move objects towards their mouths
- Can hold their head up confidently and sit up unaided
- Can swallow foods – little babies have a reflex to push objects out of their mouths so if this reflex hasn’t yet gone they are likely do it it with foods too
Violet preparing to wean at 5 months!
FIRST FOOD ADVENTURES
With Violet I did a mix of Baby Led Weaning (where baby is offered finger foods) and traditional weaning (where baby is offered purees) and I think I’ll do the same with Pearl too, as I think it’s good to introduce a mix of both, plus it keeps it more interesting too! Violet’s first ever taste of food was porridge, which I remember went down a treat!
Some other great ideas for first tastes are:
- Mashed Banana
- Cooked Apple
- Courgete Puree
- Avocado Puree
- Remember that milk feeds should still be the majority of their diet
With Pearl I plan to introduce porridge, followed by savoury tastes. I will be trying the sweeter fruits later on as with Violet I gave them as one of her first tastes and she was hooked on the sweetness from day one (just like her Mummy!). This made introducing vegetables a bit tricky, so I’ll do it the other way this time!
Violet’s first taste of porridge – age 6 months
VARIETY
Once little ones are used to eating a few simple finger foods and purees, it’s time to add some variation! This is the fun bit, I found trying Violet with different tastes so much fun to watch the funny faces she’d pull! She also really surprised me with her tastes, for example she didn’t like a rice pudding I made her, but she LOVED some mushy peas and gobbled them all down. She still loves peas now. You just can’t predict how they will react and thats the fun of it all.
It’s also a great time to introduce textures. At this point, I really turned to products like the Organix Carrot Stix, Baby Biscuits and look forward to trying the new Pea Puffs with Pearl (which weren’t out when Violet was that little but she loves them now!) This adds a variety of textures such as:
- Melt in the Mouth (Carrot Stix or Pea Puffs)
- Dry and Crunchy (Rice Cakes)
- Chewy (Broccoli)
- Smooth and Creamy (Avocado)
- Juicy and Fleshy (Mango)
- Crispy and Crunchy (Organix Baby Biscuits)
- Squishy (Strawberries)
The Orange Mouth of Joy – Violet loving the Organix Carrot Stix at around 12 months
I loved this stage of weaning as suddenly things became a little easier. There are so many fab products that are ready made – these can be popped in the change bag for snacking on the run, or a little pot of cucumber sticks or blueberries were firm favourites too.
One challenge at this point can be gagging. I found this absolutely terrifying with Violet but it’s a natural part of weaning that will happen to us all at some point. Babies and toddlers have a heightened gag reflex which is further forward in the mouth than we have as adults, so it can happen with the simplest of foods and is a way of keeping them safe from choking. This will calm eventually over time!
MOVING ON
As your little one gets more and more used to weaning, it’s time to introduce some simple recipes.
This is also the time to get your Pinterest-Mum skills out and create some fun plates too! A firm favourite in our house is PASTA! Violet just can’t get enough…. as you can see…..
But other ideas for simple meals could be:
- Breakfast Frittata Cups
- Roaring Rocket Fun Plate
- Scrummy Sail Boat Fun Plate
- Omelette Whirls
So, I feel like this has been the perfect reminder of the stages of weaning. I hope you’ve found this helpful too. I can’t wait to get going with Pearl when she turns 6 months, it’s going to come around before we know it!
We are part of the Organix No Junk Journey! See my other posts here:
Weaning: Trying new tastes & textures with Organix #NoJunkJourney
Weaning: Why our children are vegetarians #NoJunkJourney
Do you know whats REALLY in your baby and toddler snacks? #FoodYouCanTrust
