Weaning - Baby Led and Spoon Fed

So I have started weaning baby dude and it has been completely different second time round. As many of you know I had no clue about babies before Honey arrived, having never even changed a nappy before, which was probably why I was such an ardent Gina Ford'er. I liked having a set routine and rules, so I knew what to do, and so both of them got exactly what they needed, (not to mention both slept through from 11 weeks, but thats a different story) I digress. Anyway, being a much more confident mama second time round, weaning has been very different. First time around I followed Gina to the letter, she is very much spoon/puree led. This time round however I swatted up on The River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook by Nicki Duffy and have decided to go more baby led.

The River Cottage book in my opinion is the best baby weaning book out there, and I have read a lot. It is very much a mixture of puree and baby led, which makes complete sense to me, and progresses into really good recipes for the whole family. Not only does baby led seem more natural but also so much easier as the bambino can eat elements of our supper i.e. strips of chicken and steamed vegetables, rather than having to cook different meals every evening. Yet I like the idea of giving a bit of puree too so you know they are eating something and you can measure the amount they are eating a bit more. Research shows that babyled weaning leads to much less fussy eaters in the long run too, and I have had my fair share of problems with Honey. (After eating anything up until the age of 12 months old she then decided to refuse anything bar pasta and cheese see this post.)

So anyway, after the little dude not being a huge fan of baby rice, which incidentally doesn't even exist in France so French mamas don't use it, we thought we'd offer him a few sticks of cucumber while we ate dinner, WHICH HE LOVED. He literally sucked the cucumber to death for about 20 mins. Result! So going forward I think I will go half and half puree, he loves apple, pear and cauliflower, for lunch and baby led for dinner so he can join in and watch us eat. If he prefers one over the other I'll go with that but for now that's the plan. Will keep you all posted.

Please share any baby led weaning tips and favourite foods. xx

Mums 101

I was tagged by the lovely Chloe at A Twenty Something Mum in a Meme about a mummy's top 3 annoyances you'd like to see in 'Room 101'. Such a good idea, and great for a little vent! There are lots of little things that bug me so I snuck an extra one in the end as I just couldn't cut one out!

1. The Gina Ford debate
I don't really know why this is such a hot issue when it clearly for thousands of mummies and babies. My midwife nearly had a heart attack when I mentioned I was planning on doing the routine with Honey. After that I never mentioned it to many people, especially not anyone from the NHS. Honey has was breastfed for six months, slept through the night from 8 weeks and has always been the top end of the weight scale so is clearly 'thriving' as they say. I understand it doesn't work for lots of parents but why be so against it when it does work for others? I'm certainly doing it for number two if he'll let me.

2. Bright purple or orange coloured baby snacks i.e. rice cakes and crispy things.
Why oh why add such a bright food colouring to a baby food which is obviously going to get everywhere? Hands, face, hair, mussies, clothes, toys, books, buggy, mummy, daddy, the cat, you name it that colour gets on everything. So annoying! Who's ever idea it was needs a big fat cleaning bill sent to them, with a toddler and said coloured snacks to look after for the day, then they might think twice.

3. The never-ending, uber condescending "So you are not going back to work then?"
No I'm not going back to work, yes I'm lucky enough not to have to, yes I left my old job because the commute would be two hours there and back each day and I'd miss Honeys every waking minute five days a week, and actually not that its any of your business but I would like to bring up my own babies thank you very much! I get this question a lot from strangers, friends, family, other mummies, pretty much everyone. I just find it so strange that people are shocked I choose to stay at home to look after my family. I don't question others for going back to work so don't judge me!

4. Competitive parents!
You know the ones.... Their baby started walking before yours, and talking before yours, or who's baby just eats so much, or their baby sleeps 16 uninterrupted hours a night, oh and they lost all their baby weight in the first week of giving birth, and their babies have all the most expensive/coolest clothes and toys and buggy and they are basically breaking barriers in how all-round advanced they are?! Chill out ladies! Mine is perfect too, just because she's mine.

To carry on the meme I tag -
Mrs Jones at Keeping up with the Joneses
Busy Bee Mummy Bex
Moors Mummy
Emma at They Grow So Quick

Ladies if you have the time or inclination (don't worry if not!), just post your top 3 motherhood related gripes in your own 'mums 101' post, and link back to Never Bored of Bubbles so people can come and read the other posts.

The Nightmare of Fussy Eaters

Honey has always eaten anything, everything, and all of mummy and daddy's food in between. However, after catching a nasty French cold (from our visiting French friends) a couple of weeks ago, things have completely changed. She was quite poorly initially and refused to eat for a day or so, which didn't surprise or bother me. Yet since making a full recovery she has decided to carry on being super fussy; not eating breakfast, or lunch, refusing meals including old favourites like Spag Bol and sandwiches and basically starting to throw tantrums as soon as she even sits in her high chair and sees a bowl of food headed her way. She would however have some of daddies Spag Bol while he was watching tv (a habit I quickly nipped in the bud). It has been a nightmare and really quite stressful, especially as I could see her once fat little tummy shrinking away.
Fussy eating is heartbreaking for any parent, and after furiously researching it online, I have discovered it happens at some stage or another to most toddlers. It's just so frustrating to see them refusing what we know is best for them, not to mention food you have slaved over being thrown on the floor, and not one spoonful pass their pursed little lips.

A few gruelling weeks later and Honey is finally eating again, not as keenly as before it's granted, but anything is better than nothing.
I have learnt a few little gems along the way from Gina Ford and Annabel Karmel which have have really helped (both of which were surprisingly sparse on advice for fussy eaters. Gina Ford had one case study in her Weaning book and The Contented Toddlers Years, and Annabel one page in her book. Considering it is such a stressful time I would have thought there would be a little more help??)

Anyway the main things I have learnt and want to share are below.
1 Toddlers WILL EAT when they are hungry, simple as that.
2 They can survive on very little when being particularly stubborn ie two peas and a sip of water as I have learnt!
3 Snacking is dangerous - anything eaten or drunk up to two hours before food time has a HUGE effect on their appetite (and therefore stubbornness!) we have cut out snacks to great effect.
4 Toddlers like to test their power - a bowlful of food being fed to them takes away their independence. Giving them a plate of interesting finger food lets them think they are in control! Haha! The same goes for giving them cutlery when you are feeding them.
5 Don't let meal times become a battle ground. As hard as it is, if they sit down in their high chair and scream or throw food or point blanks refuse to eat, calmly and surely remove the food and get them down. Bad reactions from mummies and daddies can quickly turn into eating issues and also make them realise they can create reactions.
6 Tired bubbas won't eat, point blank. If I know Honey has had a particularly busy or tiring day I will move meal times forward, which has really helped.
7 Try and offer them healthy favourites to get their confidence back.
8 Don't use tv or other distractions, or try cajoling and coaxing them to eat, this can encourage really bad habits.
9 Never forget - TODDLERS WILL EAT WHEN HUNGRY

I hope this helps if any of you go through the same thing we have. Or if anyone has anymore tips I'd LOVE to hear all about them.