We aren't weaning yet (Eva isn't 5 months old yet) but I'm starting to think about how to go about it.

I have read a few leaflets/articles etc about where to start but I'm just getting all confused (probably just being thick to be honest!). I know a lot of you are already weaning so I guess I'm just asking for your advice on how to start with the whole weaning thing. Did you just stick to plain baby rice to start with or did you mix it with fruit at the beginning? How long before you started to mix the rice with other things, or give different foods altogether?

Also Eva doesn't have her feeds at any certain time, it's just as and when she's hungry really - which is usually every 2 to 2.5 hours but can be longer. Does that matter? Once I've started weaning, should I be giving the food at the same times every day?

I hope I've made some sense, but I feel pretty clueless about this and I need to have some idea of what to do.

Thanks for your help as always ladies
Vickie

you can get a guide from the HV, and there are loads of books you can get, if you are waiting until 6 months it is quite a fast introduction to different foods as they are allowed most things

we started at 4 months so went very slowly we started with porridge for breakkie then slowly added baby rice for tea then veg for dinner, then eventaully swapped the rice for veg and added pudding after that, for the first month we didnt drop any milk feeds, he was already in his own routine for that so i though it was best to fit solids in between, some people choose to give milk at the same time but for us i wanted it to be a seperate meal inbetween milk feeds so he wasnt full or very hungry as he didnt feed well then.

we give brekkie on waking then lunch about 12 and tea about 4/5pm it does vary depending on his naps and milk feeds but i try to keep them spaced out x

becca and jacob
24 weeks, 4 days

I weaned Emilia at 18 weeks, very, very slowly!!
We started off with baby rice mixed with her milk after her 11am feed (about 1oz), We then added pear or apple puree to it (about a teaspoon). Once she was handling this well I moved the rice and fruit to tea time (4:30pm). She then had baby rice with various veg. I then took the rice away and just gave her the veg. This took us about 4 weeks, but I think at 6 months you would need to do it alot faster.
About 3 weeks ago we introduced breakfast of either baby rice and fruit or ceral. So now she has

7am bottle 5oz and breakfast 2oz milk with cereal
11am bottle 5oz
11:30am veg and fruit or yoghurt (about 4-5 cubes)
3pm bottle 4-3oz
4:40pm veg (about 3 cubes)
6pm bottle 7oz

She probably isnt eating that much but then she is only about 13lb!

We obviously haven't had any meat or gluten yet as we are waiting till she turns 6 months on the first.
Personally I prefer to give her solids after her milk rather than at a seperate time. So then she gets used to 'meal times', eventually her meals will just replace her milk feeds. Plus fitting it round her naps means we only have these times!! We have always had a structured routine though.

I found Annabel Karmel books helpful - loads of really good recipies and tips

HTH xx