Dexter: "Mommy, my tummy hurts and my milk isn't filling me up properly anymore"
Me: "I'm really sorry Dexter, but the government advise that you don't have anything but milk until you're at least 17 weeks old"
Dexter: "I can't wait another 4 weeks until I have a full tummy again! I'm hungry now!"
Me: "I know Dexter, but apparently the government know more about babies than their own mothers, so despite the fact that you are showing all of the signs of being ready for weaning, you'll have to wait. Afterall, I would hate to be judged by another mother or health professional who does not know you well enough to determine what you want and need"
You probably sense a hint of sarcasm. You are probably right! As all of us mothers know, we are the best decision makers when it comes to our babies. No one knows your baby like you do, so please don't feel pushed into a decision by anyone on the basis of guidelines. Every baby is different, so how can anyone possibly generalise when it comes to your baby being ready to experience anything? Maybe you are a mother umming and ahhing about wether to begin weaning your baby? If so, I'll tell you how Lee and i determined that Dexter was ready to start the long and arduous weaning journey!
It all started when Dexter began sucking his hands. Now, when I say sucking his hands, I don't mean occasionally. I mean, his fists were rammed so far into his mouth, we were beginning to wonder if he was trying to show us a party trick he was working on! Dribbling had also become excessive. Dexter is now having to wear a bib all the time as he can soak through a t-shirt and vest in a couple of minutes. Another reason is his fascination with whatever it is that you're eating. It doesn't matter what it is, or what time of day it is, Dexter is either leaning over your plate salivating or staring at your from across the room with eyes like saucers. It started off being ridiculously cute, but when he started babbling at your dinner like something possessed, we figured it was something to do with Dexter feeling that he was missing out on proper food and a variety of new and exciting tastes and flavours. The biggest clue, however, was the fact that he was polishing off 9 ounce bottles within 5 minutes, then crying for more. This is something he's never done before, as 9 ounces would normally guarantee at least a nap afterwards, if not a very long sleep. So parent power won again and Lee and i found ourselves entering into a new world of baby spoons and puréed foods!
Weaning can be as much of an adventure to parents as it is to their baby. Watching Dexter grow and develop before our very eyes is the most wonderful thing Lee and I have ever experienced, but it's not without its challenges. I was confident that Dexter would take to food like a duck to water, on the basis that his obsession with everyone else's food bordered on the psychotic. You can imagine my surprise when his facial expression suggested i had given him poison laced with urine. Yes, his face was that bad!
When deciding what baby food to feed him, there were a few items on our metaphorical checklist that we felt needed to be covered. Taste was obviously important, althought this would be the hardest item for us to investigate. In other words, we really didn't fancy sampling a load of baby food to determine which was the tastiest! We also felt it important that the food was as natural as possible. We were basically ruling out anything with added E numbers or chemicals which were not needed, so possibly an organic food would be beneficial. We also wanted something which would be easy to store and also take out and about with us for when Dexter is hungry on the go.
After careful consideration, we settled on Ella's Kitchen as the brand of food we were happiest with. Now, I am in no way trying to suggest that other baby foods aren't as good for your baby. Infact, there are many other organic baby foods which ticked many of our boxes. Ella's Kitchen, however, just stood out to us. The fact that their food is 100% organic and made without anything other than essential ingredients appealed to us greatly. Also, although you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, their packaging has a fun, bright, young feel to it which i absolutely love! Their food comes in handy pouches, which makes feeding your baby so easy and as mess and waste free as possible. We currently feed Dexter by taking a pouch and squeezing the contents directly onto a baby spoon, rather than emptying the entire contents into a baby bowl. That way, we ensure that the food can be re sealed and stored in a fridge for up to 48 hours, which is so handy when you're at the beginning of your weaning journey and your baby does not eat an awful lot in one sitting. Dexter will only currently have about 6 spoonfuls of food in the middle of his bottle feed, some of which he attempts to spit out or waggles at you on the end of his tongue. An attractive sight, I can tell you!
Selecting flavours is pretty much a trial and error kind of game. I would advise buying 3 or 4 different pouches to begin with, rather than buying any 2 the same. Your baby's reaction will speak volumes about what your baby thinks of the food in their mouth...just don't presume you'll get a positive one from the outset! You must remember that this is a massive step for your baby, who has gone from living on one taste, flavour and texture to suddenly sampling different combinations of fruit and vegetable purées and baby rice. It's like an adult only ever trying chewing gum and then sampling a starburst. It would blow your mind! Also, if your baby spits a bit out with each mouthful, this is normal and not necessarily an indication that he or she doesn't like their food. Your baby is also having to get used to a spoon, which is completely foreign to them. Also, the consistency of the food is thicker than what they are used to, so learning to break down the food in their mouth, then swallow the food is also a big learning curve and one that will take time and a lot of perseverance. Dexter is starting to make less mess on his bib when he eats now, which i see as a sign that he's beginning to grasp how to swallow the food correctly, rather than spitting it out onto his chin like a big gooey mess!
Dexter has only sampled three different flavours of food in the Ella's Kitchen range. They are, strawberry and apple, pears, apples and baby rice and bananas, apples and baby rice, all of which he has enjoyed thoroughly! I must admit, he was most hesitant with the strawberry and apple pouch, although I couldn't imagine why as it smelt amazing, like a lovely non sugary jam! After a bit of perseverance however, he totally finished the pouch within a couple of days. Every last drop of it!
I think our next step is to try him with some savoury flavours to see how he bears up. As I write this, there is a simply carrots pouch in the cupboard with his name on it, so maybe that will be our next new flavour for him to deliberate over! I personally couldn't be happier with the range available and think it's so important that early tastes are as varied and flavoursome as possible. Ellas's kitchen have nailed it!
So after reading this, do you think that your baby may be on the verge of weaning? If you fancy giving Ella's Kitchen products a go, they're available in all major supermarkets. The pouches are currently on offer in sainsburys as part of a limited time only baby event and, if you are a regular asda shopper, pop in to your local stores cafe! A pouch of Ella's Kitchen baby food is available for free to anyone who spends over £1 in any asda customer cafe, so don't hesitate to pop in for a nice cappuccino after a long slog around the supermarket! Joining the Ella's Kitchen mailing list is great too as you automatically gain access to a great little online weaning guide which contains helpful tips and advice to make your babies weaning experience a happy one. They also send you money off vouchers through the post, another great reason to give them a go! So what are you waiting for? All you need to do is check the label and look out for the stage one logo on the pouch and ensure the age is 4 months. The smoother the food the better!
I hope this post has at least been of some help to you. I can only write about my experience as a parent, and am in no way a dietician, peadiatrician, midwife or health visitor. I do however think that sometimes a little parent to parent advice is indispensable :)
Until next time! Much love,
Laura Xx
No comments:
Post a Comment