Weaning - Baby rice or straight to actual food?

[Dani_Ldn]

Flynn is now 6 months & def ready to start on solids (I have been holding him off for the past month as we have been away on holidays). I was originally going to start him on one meal a day (dinner?) & the rest breast milk (he is ebf), unless he has other plans.. Did everyone start their lo on baby rice, or go straight to solids (puree pumpkin etc..). Not really into the whole baby lead weaning craze, so don't want to do that.

 

[felix555]

I started with porridge (don't see the point of baby rice as it doesn't taste like anything) for a week at dinner time before bath, bottle, bed.

after a week i replaced the porridge with pureed butternut squash for dinner.

a week later started on breakfast.

a week later started on lunches.

I did purees for a month then went onto finger foods (BLW style) but still give a bit of puree or porridge at most meals too.

 

[Reno]

At 6 months, I'd just go for with mushed foods, no need to puree! We started off 3 meals a day, usually spoonfeeding gluten-free porridge for breakfast, and then just fruit and veg for lunch and dinner - we didn't buy any baby specific foods, apart from a few finger food snacks, LO just ate what we were eating). When they start off they're just getting a taste for things so they can try new things throughout the day, but I'd slowly introduce anything triggering possible allergies like bread/pasta/egg etc, maybe give these once a day and watch for any reaction.

The practise of BLW isn't a new craze, only the use of the phrase! If your baby wants to grab everything and put them in their mouth it may as well be a steamed veg stick! lol! We did BLW (just spoonfeeding cereal, yoghurts etc) and have an amazing eater at 18 months old and will definitely do it again (reading the book expelled all my fears)!

Just give things a go, and work with how your baby reacts. Some babies love being spoonfed, for others it's a battle!

Either way, weaning is loads of fun! enjoy experimenting with new foods!

 

[MindUtopia]

I'd go straight to real foods. There's no real point to baby rice if your baby is 6 months and it doesn't taste very nice either. Like the PP said, you can always use porridge (and it's cheaper). We did BLW (which I know you said you didn't want to do), but our first foods were cucumber sticks, roasted carrots and parnsips (make a nice puree as well) and mashed potato.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Straight to real food

 

[Mrs Bee]

We skipped baby rice... Seems to be pointless and tasteless... Alice's first food was puréed pumpkin... Now she's older she has all kinds of mashed fruits and vegetables for lunch and dinner, if I'm feeling up for mess ill give some finger foods as side 'entertainment' as food goes everywhere!!! I cope much better with a spoon haha!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I tried Thomas with baby rice once and didn't bother to give it him again.. I tasted it myself and it doesn't taste of anything.

I started off giving him some purée at lunch time after his bottle.

A couple of weeks later I started giving him rusk mixed with his baby milk after his morning feed, or a mushed up banana.

I'm going to start him on food at tea time in the next couple of weeks.. I'm waiting until he can sit unaided so that I can bring his high chair down and he can sit at the table with me and OH at mealtimes.

 

[Saphira]

Both girls went straight to pureed carrots as recommended by their pediatrician. She said pumpkin puree is also great to start on if poo tends to be on the harder side. It softens it up (also great for constipation). Anyway, started on carrots then waited a week or two to start the next veggie, which I think was pureed zucchini with potatoes for dd1 but I can't remember exactly. The first fruit was pears. Dd2 was trickier with solids. She didn't want much to do with anything but milk until she was 7 months old. I started her on carrots but after many tries and little interest I gave her baby cereal instead and she liked that better. So, long story short, no you don't have to start him on baby rice! Not even sure that exists here, now that I think of it.. never seen it!

 

[eulmh82]

Mine didn't really like baby rice so we moved onto carrots after two days. Then sweet potato, butternut squash etc. a purée I got off here was sweet potato carrot onion and red lentils. That's obs a bit down the line but he loved it

 

[lozzy21]

At 6 months just give what your having