Navigating weaning - a first-time mum shares her story
For a first-time parent the idea of weaning can be equally exciting and terrifying. You’re thrilled your little one is old enough to start enjoying food and can join the family for dinner, but unsure about when, what and how much you should be giving them to eat.
So, you follow the online advice or book you’ve bought and make a start with pureed food. But once you’ve done your ten different vegetables or made your way through a couple of weeks of first tastes - then what?
I found the next few weeks of weaning my daughter overwhelming. How many meals should I be offering? How much should she eat? I felt pressure to be keeping up with other mums and worried that I wasn’t offering enough variety. I found the recipes section on the NHS website (external link) to be brilliant. It’s divided up by age and offers simple, quick recipes, advising you how many portions each meal should serve, so you’ve got an idea of how much food to offer.
Knowing I was getting the information straight from the NHS gave me confidence I was offering the right foods and my daughter was getting a healthy start. I also rang my health visitor who was really helpful and I wish I’d have contacted her sooner rather than try and work it out for myself. It was great to get some advice around nutrition to make sure my daughter was getting all the goodness she needs to grow.
There is a fantastic online community around parenting and weaning on Instagram, with lots of parents and experts sharing recipes to give you inspiration for some home cooking once you’ve got that first bit in the bag. I also chatted to friends and family who reassured me we all have days when you spend 45 minutes chopping, boiling and blending a lovely meal for your little one who then refuses it completely!
Once I took the pressure off myself a little bit, I adopted a slow and steady approach and started to enjoy watching my daughter enjoying her food. A reminder that help is out there and all you need to do is ask.
What is baby led weaning?
The current NHS advice is to start weaning your baby when they’re around six months old.
Weaning can be a daunting experience and there are different styles of weaning which you can follow. It’s important you find what’s comfortable for you and your little one.
Wellfest family cook ups
Join one of our free family cooking demos and learn to make easy, healthy recipes for the whole family.