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10 Things I’d Forgotten About WEANING

forgotten about weaning

Weaning. That bittersweet time when your baby is growing up. They will not be relying solely on your milk for their nutrition (if you breastfed like me) and they will be exploring new tastes and textures. But with three children, each time there are so many things I’ve forgotten about weaning.

It can be a complete joy watching your little baby try new foods! Wether you try baby-led weaning or spoon-feeding or a mixture of the two (I’m the latter), it’s a lovely experience at times. Their excited faces when they know food is coming and when they recognise what it is! All my children have loved their foods when they begin the weaning journey. Fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, dairy and grains. It’s not lasted as well with my eldest (the fruit dodger) but my middle child is still pretty good. It’s also a lovely time for others to feed them if you choose that. My hubby and Mum get involved more and gives me a break!

But each time I wean, I forget the not so nice bits of weaning. The bits that are frankly a pain the arse. The bits that make you sigh at the thought of even dishing up a meal.

forgotten about weaning

Things I’d Forgotten About Weaning

– The mess. The God awful mess. Whether or not they feed themselves or I do it, the mess is legendary. We gave the little man broccoli the other day and we had to hose the high chair down in the garden!! I get so sick of wiping him down and the highchair down, it feels 10 billion times a day. The floor is covered and no matter how much you wipe them down, they always smell of food.

– The constant clothes changes and not just the kids. I must have to change the little man at least twice a day, as he gets covered in it. I also spill on myself or he puts his messy hand or mouth on me or my clothes when he’s done! I’m going to need a tonne of new clothes as everything is stained!

– The sick. Bleugh. My little man is still a bit of a guzzler with his milk and can be sick after a feed, except it’s now not just milk sick. It’s food sick and that’s just gross and stinky. 

– Don’t get me started on poo. We always say they get ‘human poo’ when they eat as breastfeeding poo is something else!! Smelly, big and foody. Takes some getting used to.

– The gagging. One of the worst things I’d forgotten about weaning. My eldest almost choked on chicken once when I wasn’t there, thank goodness! Both Piglet and the little man have fed themselves more so we get gagging and spitting out. Always make me tummy flip! I know they can handle it and their gag reflex is strong at that age but I still worry.

picture of baby weaning

– Thinking of what to give them. I usually try to give my babies one hot meal I spoon feed them and one picky meal a day but it’s so hard to know what to give them. I batch cook little meals and we save suitable food but picky bits are hard. All mine had no teeth at 6-7 months. I’m usually left that responsibility of deciding too and I never have a clue. I’m usually cooking up scrambled egg or giving them houmous on toast!

– Eating out. I do like to get my babies to try and eat a bit of what we are having but sometimes its not possible (salt, too spicy foods etc) and they could do with a pouch or little meal and every time, I forget one and we have to run out and buy one.

– The food refusal. One day they scoff that tuna pasta bake. A few days later they don’t want it! After three babies I’m less bothered about this now but with my first it used to drive me potty. I know somedays they don’t fancy it. My little man has recently had a tummy upset and may have been feeling off. I know one day of poor eating in a week of good eating is fine but you still feel that food is wasted and wonder will they sleep now?!

– The hangry baby. All my kids have done this. They get too hungry and then as soon as you put them in the high chair they are hysterical and don’t want to eat. You try and they go insane. Usually results in me pulling them out, sitting them on my knee and trying to get them to calm down and have a few spoons. Usually works but I end up being covered in food in the process! My trick is never sit them down until the food is ready to go or you have some picky bits to keep them busy.

I know all babies have to learn to eat. I know all babies have to play with their food, make a mess, not like everything and change their mind constantly but those thoughts don’t always make the weaning journey less challenging.

I love that now my little boy is eating and enjoying his food and I know it will the last baby I wean, so I’m trying to enjoy it and make the most of it.

Even though I may not have one item of clothing that it not destroyed by the end if it!!

How many times have you introduced your baby to food. What had you forgotten about weaning?

forgotten about weaning

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7 Comments

  1. September 25, 2019 / 10:24 am

    Oh gosh this is a trip down memory lane! Weaning is such a fun yet messy milestone and one that brings so many changes. It’s the constant staining of clothes that I remember being hard work, but seeing their funny faces when trying new foods is just adorable 🙂

  2. MELANIE EDJOURIAN
    September 25, 2019 / 5:04 pm

    I hated it when mine refused food. I did try to get them to eat a range but as they got older I found they also became fussier. I’ve done it 3 times so won’ be forgetting much any time soon.

  3. September 26, 2019 / 9:31 am

    Oh yes, the mess! All the gunk in the highchair that slips down the side of the seat. I also did a mixture of allowing them to feed themselves and spoon feeding. Fun times..

  4. September 26, 2019 / 10:52 am

    Oh gosh, this has brought back memories! It’s such an exciting time, introducing them to solids, but the novelty does soon wear off due to all the reasons you’ve listed!!

  5. September 26, 2019 / 1:29 pm

    I don’t have kids yet but I remember when my nephew was weaning and the mess that came with it, it truly is an interesting time.

  6. September 26, 2019 / 11:00 pm

    My youngest is about to turn 5 so it’s been a whole since our weaning days. I remember being too scared about choking to try baby led weaning, so mine both had purees for quite a while.

  7. clare minall
    September 29, 2019 / 3:06 pm

    this is really a #relatable situation, well i can say that its common for moms haha got a great read thanks for sharinf