Everything I’ve completely forgotten about baby weaning

If feeding your child is an act of love then weaning is a messy, messy affair.

Quite literally. My new default position is down on the floor, sweeping up bits of discarded food. “Mummy, why are you under the table?” Eliza asks curiously, as Florence grins.

I was pretty apprehensive about weaning first-time-round as it seemed like such a big step. But I have a toddler here right now demanding a second breakfast, so I reckon it worked out OK. Like most of the parenting ages and stages, weaning is one of those things that is all-consuming at the time but once you’re out of it you can’t for the life of you remember most of it. So coming round to it again…?

We’re a few weeks in, and here’s everything I’ve forgotten about baby weaning:

• Oh yes, there’s a lot of mess. Especially if you’ve yet to locate the bibs, guilty as charged…
• …but who cares? It’s so much more fun than I remembered. And on a completely unrelated note we’re yet to have our dining room floor finished (have you ever encountered a stray piece of two-day-dried cucumber? Solid Weetabix ain’t got nothing on that bad boy)
• How you wean is supposed to be one of those big parenting mum vs mum issues, isn’t it? But really…it’s whatever works for you, obviously. Last time we started with a mixed approach, but the baby-led worked best, so I wanted to go with that from the start this time
• Because here’s a secret. Baby-led weaning is *whispers* a really easy option. It really is. You don’t need purées, or pots, or blitzing and sterilising, blenders or spoons.You just put some food in front of the baby and sit back watch them investigate. It’s going really well so far, and it’s also pretty magical to watch your baby eat, isn’t it?
• The BLW idea to give them whatever you’re eating is great in theory, but not if you’re having half a pack of biscuits with a two pint squash chaser for lunch (anyone else’s post-baby daytime diet this appalling? Just me? Hmmm)
• It can be a bit of an, um, creative challenge to constantly think of new things to give them, and I’m always on the lookout for ideas. so I liked this post from Angela with some tips (and a tip for a great website)
• But whichever way and however (un)fabulously you wean them, there will be days later on where they hardly eat anything. And days where they are hungry every five minutes
• Everyone has a parenting pressure point, ours is always, always sleep. And the most important thing I’ve actually never forgotten is not to stress about food and never to make it a battleground
• But the horror of buying a Waitrose avocado and finding out it’s mouldy. Alert Highgate Mums…
• And why eat food, when everything else is just so irresistible?  So as well as -non- mouldy avocado and other delicious dishes, Florence has also recently feasted on teething toys. Baby wipes packets. Hands and noses. There’s a whole other meal to be had just hanging around the house.

More about Florence at six months, Miffy Milestone Cards…and milestone cards for mums. Her high chair is the Mamas & Papas Baby Bud we were sent to review last time round.