It’s been emotional. There were even tears initially, my heaving boobs and I feeling rejected as I whizzed up another batch of mush. ‘But we had a good thing going…!’ I wanted to cry.
The dog’s put on weight hoovering up mealtime debris, Teddy had his first tantrum at my failing to spoon yogurt into his mouth quickly enough, and I’ve watched on all bleary-eyed as my baby boy’s independence continues to flourish at an astonishing rate.
In the space of a fortnight he cut his first tooth, moved into his own room, accepted a bottle (admittedly, at long last!) and took to solid food like a hungry adolescent. In my still hormonally-charged mind, he was one baby babble away from fleeing the nest.
One lunchtime I was so overcome with sentiment I stifled a sob at the sight of an elderly gentleman walking by with a stick, only to then wail at Mr R, ‘One day Teddy will be an old man and I won’t be around to look after him!’
‘It’s just a bit of sweet potato mash, love,’ was his measured response.
My undue, and thankfully brief, bout of separation anxiety was put to bed once I found the fun in weaning. Hours spent trawling the internet for recipe inspiration, discovering a new supermarket aisle to throw money at and how some baby snacks are pretty darn delicious for adults too (Organix Sweetcorn Rings make a mean side to a G&T), and the realisation that it isn’t quite time to hang out to dry the milky mammaries but giving them a bit of time off during the day is actually pretty liberating.
There’s something almost romantic about sitting down to eat lunch en famille – cooking for three instead of two, filling the storecupboard with new staples and deciding what foods to introduce next.
Like every chapter of motherhood thus far, weaning has been a learning curve. And while I had a shaky start, Teddy seems to be taking it all in his stride, one sloppy spoonful at a time. Here’s what I’ve learnt so far…
1. THERE WILL BE MESS
A lot of mess. Our dining room floor has developed a sticky film that smacks of the nightclubs of my youth, the laundry basket groans under the weight of necessary outfit changes (bibs can only catch so much) and Ted seems to be on a mission to spread food ever further into his neck folds – it took two lengthy soaks in the bath to get rid of one Weetabix breakfast coating. But there’s little point fretting over what can be washed…
2. GAGGING IS NOT CHOKING
Like a lot of mums I’ve exchanged weaning notes with, choking featured highly on my Things To Worry About list. But knowing the difference between gagging and true choking is just as important as knowing what to do if the latter does occur (I recommend downloading the St John Ambulance First Aid app for a step-by-step guide on that). This video by BabyCentre UK was a real help in demonstrating the difference. It shows that a baby’s gag reflex is particularly sensitive as they learn how to handle new textures, how to chew and where on the palate food needs to be in order to swallow and not choke on it. Of course, I wanted to reach into my computer screen and fling the poor gagging baby over my knee when I first watched it, but it has since helped to keep me calm when Teddy struggles with a mouthful.
3. EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT
This goes without saying, but people can get a bit hot-headed about how best to wean a baby. Just because little Susie down the road is feeding herself a steak dinner two weeks into the process doesn’t mean your child should be doing the same. There’s a modern school of thought that baby-led weaning is the best way (and to some, the only way) to go about introducing solids – offering chunks of food to be nibbled and gnawed. We gave it a go, but as most of what was put in front of Teddy was brandished vigorously like a wand in what I can only assume was an attempt to magic it away, then wound up in the dog’s mouth – and after one albeit minor choking incident – we’ve decided to park it for now but for the occasional rice cake or carrot puff. In our house, it seems everyone but the hound is happier when Mr R or I take charge of the spoon.
4. THOSE NAPPIES ARE SET TO CHANGE
All I’ll say here is, it’s worth sizing up.
5. A FREEZER WOULD BE USEFUL
We don’t have one. When Mr R and I moved into our current abode our tiny kitchen only had space for an under-counter fridge, and when faced with a toss-up between one with a freezer box or a wine rack, the latter won. What can I say – that’s the difference between buying white goods in your twenties rather than your thirties… For now we get by, setting aside a Teddy-sized portion of our dinner (if suitable and salt free – spag bol and moussaka are firm favourites) for his lunch the next day, and batch-roasting and steaming veg that will keep for a few days and can be whizzed up with added extras to keep things varied (such as cream cheese, herbs and tomatoes). But in the name of planning ahead and staying sane when I return to work in a few months, a freezer is top of my wish list.
6. THERE’S NO SHAME IN BUYING READY MADE
The literature tells us we should strive to serve mainly homemade meals to our babies, but anyone in the know (and sans freezer…) will see the hilarity in that. Some days you’ve just got to throw a pouch at the situation. The way I see it is, as long as you’re not feeding them a doner kebab you’re doing a grand job. Just give them some form of appropriate food. Frankly, I’d happily eat some of the ready-made meals we’ve fed Teddy myself. We’re big fans of the Ella’s Kitchen range of meal pouches – all organic, no added salt or sugar and available in a generous range of flavours and textures. They’re especially handy when feeding on the go (just squirt onto a spoon) and I’ll be filling a suitcase with them when we head off on holiday next month.
