Tomato and eggplant penne

Tomato and eggplant penne is a perfect baby led weaning starter meal. The great thing about baby led weaning is that baby eats what the family eats. Tomato and eggplant penne is the perfect family meal which can be ordered to babies 6 months old+. The sauce is full of goodness and super tasty!

By: Rachael Tucker

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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

February 4, 2020

Servings: 4

Difficulty: easy

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This super tasty Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti dish is great for the whole family!

By: Rachael Tucker

Ingredients

• 3 fresh red peppers (or you can use 1 15 ounces jar 15.5 oz roasted red peppers drained)
• 1 onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 250ml (1 cup) plant milk (we used oat milk)
• 400g spaghetti
• 1 handful of fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
• Optional: 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for added nutrition)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/160 fan/gas mark 4 and line a large flat baking tray.
• Step 2 Peel the skin off all peppers, keeping the ends on them so they stay whole. Remove skin off onion and cut into quarter chunks. Place peeled peppers, onions and whole garlic with skin on baking sheet and coat all with olive oil. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes. Half way mark remove garlic so they don’t burn.
• Step 3 Once the peppers and onions have softened and cooked, leave to cool then discard the stalk and seeds from the peppers. Transfer peppers, garlic (without skin), onions and basil to a food processor and blend until a smooth sauce (add nutritional yeast as well if using). Set aside.
• Step 4 Cook pasta per package instructions. Meanwhile transfer the pureed sauce to a large skillet pan, add dairy-free milk and cook for a few minutes until the sauce bubbles. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet and combine the pasta in with sauce. Your vegan Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti is now ready to serve.
• Step 5 How to serve to 6 months old+ serve a small portion of spaghetti on to baby’s highchair tray or suction plate, because you can always offer more later. Let baby pick up the pasta with its hands and explore by squeezing the food, bringing it to their mouth or playing with it, this is all part of the learning.
• Step 6 Freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

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Please note: I am not a doctor or Paediatrician.  I am simply sharing my personal tips, research experience with you. If you have any specific behavioural or concerns about your baby or toddler please contact your doctor.

Here are some tips for you:

Introduce solids using the Baby Led Weaning technique 

From *6 months old when baby is showing all readiness in starting. This will teach baby about textures, variety, touch, feel, smell, different tastes through using their sensors and self control. If you didn’t start with BLW, don’t worry there is still hope try and adopt the following strategies:

I use the motto: “I supply – you decide” 

All mum and dad can do is offer the food and let baby decide weather to eat it or not. Don’t make a fuss at all if baby or toddler does not want to eat the food. Place NO pressure on meal times what so ever, babies and toddler are very clever and can pick up on parents anxiety and pressure. Leave it, clean up, and move on…

Avoid offering alternative foods at meal times or bribery: 

If baby or toddler rejects a meal, avoid offering alternatives or using any bribery techniques. If you start offering alternative meals or snacks this can lead to even MORE fussy eating in the near future and also lead to more processed high sugar foods given by parents.

Mum and Dad – PLAY IT COOL!

The biggest tip i can offer you is… if baby or toddler does not want to eat their dinner or lunch or snack, PLAY IT COOL. Relax, accept they are not hungry (have they eaten a lot of food today? do they have a cold? a temperature? are they teething? are they tired or not feeling well?), accept their decision, offer water and let them down from their highchair.

Avoid commenting about your babies or toddlers food intake whilst they are eating:

The biggest mistake parents can do is INDIRECTLY put pressure on babies or toddlers to EAT. Avoid all comments about what they are doing whilst eating… chat about other topical events that are going on in their life i.e. how was your day? Talk about your day? talk about family members or birthdays or events coming up? THINK of anything and talk about anything besides the focus on baby or toddler eating. Examples of not what to talk about: “Oh well done Ava, you ate two mouthfuls of meatballs!!” “Come on Tommy, why don’t you eat some spinach!!” “your such fussy eater! I wish you ate like your brother” …. All these encouraging or discouraging comments completely adds more pressure onto baby or toddler at meal time. Respect food choices baby/toddler makes and stop focusing on the kids and what and how they are eating. Can you imagine if us as adults had someone sitting next to us at the dinner table adding commentary about each bite we take? It can be embarrassing, confronting, frustrating, irritating.

Always offer 1 safe food in the meal your baby or toddler are eating:

When I say safe food, something you know baby or toddler will eat. I.e I know Ava loves sweet potato, avocado, eggs, cut up cucumber, apple etc i will always offer a safe food on her plate at most meals. Babies/toddlers do not like change, just like us adults… Having a safe food provides your baby/toddler with some sort of comfort, and they may be willing to try other foods on their plate.

Don’t GIVE UP on offering your baby or toddler food that has been previously REJECTED:

A lot of parents will give up straight away or make the assumption that “Tommy dislikes eggs” or “Tommy hates avocado” etc making these assumptions even comments in front of their child can be a huge mistake and therefore limit baby/toddlers food variety and puts negative thoughts into the child’s thinking and may actually convince them that they ‘do not like eggs’ and may stop them in trying new foods. Keep offering that particular food even if baby/toddler rejects it. Sometimes it can take up to 10 times of exposure to that particular food for your toddler to accept it.

Avoid DISTRACTIONS:

I am a big believer in limited distractions at meal time. That means: no TV at meal times, no running around, sitting at the table, enjoying table talk with the family. Having distractions such as TV may discourage baby/toddler in trying new foods, and may increase the likelihood of potential choking. Turn the TV off at least 30 minutes before dinner is served, this gives your toddler time to play and unwind before meal time. Try not to use any bribery such as: you can watch more TV after you eat your dinner.

Decrease animal milk intake:

“If you actually feed a child three servings of cow’s milk, how are they going to have room for other healthful foods like those vegetables, legumes and lean proteins?” Parents fall in the trap of offering too much milk into their toddler diet which doesn’t leave room for food. “filling up on milk can mean not eating other healthy foods on the plate, and this can be especially true of kids who are picky eaters. Although milk is a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin D, other food sources also provide these nutrients. What’s more, there’s no evidence that drinking milk reduces bone fractures, and drinking too much can lead to anemia and may contribute to obesity, experts now say.” “Do kids really need milk? No, of course they don’t,” said Amy Lanou, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Most people in the world do not drink milk after they are weaned from breast milk, and yet still get adequate nutrition, she added. [10 Ways to Promote Kids’ Healthy Eating Habits] Calcium can be found in many other food sources besides milk, including nuts, beans and greens, Lanou said. “The best way for kids to take good care of bones is to go outside and play,” Lanou told Live Science. (ref: live science article)

Get toddler in the kitchen to cook with you:

If you want to expand the variety of foods and meals in your toddlers diet, cook with them. Get them to taste parts of the recipe as you cook together. Get them to cut foods up (with supervision), placing ingredients into a bowl, rolling out pizza bases, touching different food textures, stirring, mixing etc Talk about each ingredient or vegetable and where it comes from when cooking with them. Be patient with your toddler, if you can whilst cooking (which can be the toughest part about cooking with toddlers). Having kids cook with you increases the chance of them actually eating the meal they helped preparing.

Be honest with your toddler:

Let them know what is in each meal (if they ask), preferably NO hiding veggies in their meals. We want foods and meals to be transparent. If we start lying about ingredients or making it a game for them, they will pick up on this quickly and start to work against you and not trust what goes in each meal you have prepared. Can lead to more fussiness down the track and rejecting of new or old foods they eat.

If they don’t want to eat a dinner, accept it, don’t make a fuss:

clean up and move on. Have a think “has your toddler eaten their max calorie intake today? ie more snacks than usual, a big lunch?” Usually dinner is the meal that toddlers reject mostly. Why? mainly because they may have eaten enough today? I always think about this before I prepare dinner for Ava. If Ava has eaten a lot or more than usual today ie lots of snacks etc I tend to offer her a mezzo type of plate for dinner with bits and pieces of finger foods, so i don’t waste much and if she does not eat it, it can be saved for tomorrow. ie cut up tomato, maybe some chicken slices, carrots, cheese…

Get creative and start using fun food tools:

above 2 years old you can start to make food a little fun! Toddlers love fun, creative and unique quirky food tools and art. Use vegetable cutters to serve up some fun shapes! These particular work when introducing new vegetables or fruits. Be creative with your food you offer your toddler, create a smiley face. You could also invest in some “food pics” for kids with cute little animals on top. Food pics are a great tool to make picking up food fun. Also use some cool utensils ie kitchen tongs and get your toddler to serve up his own food. Note: always watch your toddler when using food pics or any sharp or small utensils.

Good luck! 

The post How to reduce the chances of having a fussy eater? appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

“What if she doesn’t eat dinner?!”

“Do I Offer something else?”

“Do I give her dessert?”

Ok here is a prime example tonight what I do…. Ava isn’t feeling the best today and she didn’t want to eat dinner tonight at all, she said she wasn’t hungry, all she wanted was water… this usually happens to Ava when she isn’t feeling her normal self or if she has had lots of snacks throughout the day… how I reacted? I don’t make a fuss, i don’t offer any other foods or supplements or milk, I simply put her dinner in a container and save it for tomorrow (for me or her)…. tonight I got her down from her chair and bathed her and put her into bed, yes on a empty tummy.

It is important for Ava to listen to her body and to understand and “feel” her limits about food control.

I trust if she ever asks for more food, she can have more food

I trust if she doesn’t want to eat dinner – that is OK

We are not going to get angry or try and persuade or encourage her to eat if her body is doing such a great job at regulating her food intake. It is OK for her to go to bed on a empty tummy, this is the way Ava will learn about “what empty or what full feels like” …

Baby Led Weaning teaches a lot of life lessons, it’s not all ‘glits and glamour’ and your toddler is not going to eat every meal you put in front her…. it’s more about teaching the importance of “trust”, trust our our babies and toddlers can make decisions about foods and control their intake…. learn to have a positive relationship with food and meal times… teach our babes and toddlers that foods have different textures and comes in different forms: foods can be sweet, savoury, crunchy, smooth, salty, sour etc “food gives energy to fuel our body”
#babyledweaning #babyledweaningideas #babyledweaningtoddler

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Yes you are still my baby no matter how old you are ? you will always be my first baby who taught me how to be a Mum. How to care so much (and worry), how to be patient and most importantly how I can love you and your caring nature so much. This love is on an insanely new level I have never experienced in my life until your dad and I had you.

You lay here sound asleep in my arms, it makes me feel so blessed that you have been so patient with me over the last 6 months since Lewis was born. You have stepped into the role of a big sister so well, we are so proud of you. It use to be the 3 of us and all eyes were on YOU and everything about you, it still is baby it’s just that my eyes are now ALSO focused on your baby brother Lewis who needs me a lot at the moment.

Thank you for giving Lewis lots of mummy time just like you had with me… xxxx you may not quite understand why I am constantly holding baby Lewis, feeding him and sometimes needing to run to him first… but I just want to let you know that this stage won’t be forever, Lewis will be just like you in a year or two, walking around, asking lots of WHY questions a day… but he looks up to you and is learning from you and how patient, funny and caring you are.

The day will come when all the attention will be back on you and we can cuddle more, play more, spend that 1 on 1 time with you without having to stop in the middle of a game to feed your brother. I promise you we will have more quality mum daughter time soon ?‍‍? As I watch you asleep in my arms on this rare occasion, I lean over and kiss your cheeks that feel like soft little pillows, as I did so when you were a little baby…

I just want to tell u again how proud I am of you and how much I love you and your growing bubbly personality everyday and thank you for being patient with me.

xxx

Love you always, in all ways,

Mummy

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I am an Australian food blogger, recipe creator, fitness fanatic and a Baby Led Weaning advocate! Wife to my supportive husband, Paul, and mum of 2 kiddies Ava and Lewis who were 100% baby led weaned from 6 months old. I started this website because there was very little information out there about baby led weaning when I started. I wanted to simplify it all into one place.

I was absolutely petrified about baby led weaning especially choking, I was not sure how to cut/cook and serve foods to my babies, but now I have done it I can’t emphasis enough all the positives of baby led weaning and now having fuss-free eating kids.

My  website is here to give you the confidence and resources to learn more about baby led weaning.  These include: healthy easy recipes for babies 6 months old+, babies readiness signs, choking hazards, foods to avoid in the first 12 months, my starter tips, research and allergies and much more… I also have an e-book which includes a 4 Week Baby led Weaning Meal Plan with over 40+ easy healthy recipes (Paediatric Dietitian approved), and my second e-book which is VEGAN friendly – OUT NOW!

Happy weaning!
Rach x

Follow me on @babyledweaningideas

Mums and Dads just starting out with Baby Led Weaning be patient, take your time to do your research and please consult your doctor if you have any health concerns about your baby and enjoy your baby’s fun, learning, development and fuss-free food journey.

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THE KEY IS “CHECKING UNDER THE STEM”. This part of the avocado holds a sneak peak for what’s going on under the skin. ‘Peel back the small stem/cap at the top of the avocado’. If it comes away easily and you find “green underneath” (like in this picture), you’ve got a good avocado that’s ripe and ready to eat.

How to tell a BAD avocado??

If you pull back the stem and find brown underneath, the avocado is overripe, and you’re likely to find brown spots inside the fruit. And, if the stem doesn’t come off, the fruit is not yet ripe enough to eat.

Avocado – great first food:

Avocado ‘nature’s perfect food’ ??is a perfect first food for baby led weaners 6mo+ ….. ?? Full of nutrients, good fats, are tasty and soft for little ones starting out or even older BLWers. A wonderful “good fat” food for baby’s brain and physical development.

? Want to know Ava’s babyledweaning first foods from 6mo+ ? Check out “Our Journey” on this website! We never did packet or processed ‘baby cereals’ from the supermarket… we just started Ava with foods from the land such as yummy avocados fresh served in big slices ? so her little fists ? could pick them up…. alongside foods that contained iron, b12, zinc.

#babyledweaning #babyledweaningideas #blw #myblwer #myblwertip #babyledweaningrecipes#avocados

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‘Salt is bad for babies’ WHY? Their kidneys are not mature enough to deal with it.

‘Salt is in fact essential for health, helping to maintain and regulate fluid levels, balance blood sugar and transport nutrients around the body. Salt can also help your child’s body to absorb other important nutrients more effectively however is is important to ‘use it sparingly‘, as too much salt can be harmful for growing bodies and impressionable tastebuds’ <ref: wholesome child, Sacher, Paediatric Nutritionist>

Here are the daily maximum recommendations amount of salt for babies through to adults, below:

• Babies under a year old should have less than 1g of salt a day (0.4g of sodium) – (which is a good pinch of salt)
• 1 to 3 years – 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
• 4 to 6 years – 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium) (half a teaspoon of salt)
• 7 to 10 years – 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
• 11 years and over – 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)
• Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day (2.4g sodium) – (that’s around one teaspoon)

How to read the labels and understand how much salt is too much salt?

We found, as a general guide, look on the back of the can, jar or packet and look at ‘salt per 100grams’, below is how they are ranked:

• LOW SALT READING: low amount salt is 0.3g salt (0.1g sodium) or less per 100g. (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded green, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)
• MEDIUM SALT READING: if the amount of salt per 100g is between 0.3g and 1.5g  (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded amber, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)
• HIGH SALT READING: if salt content per 100g is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium). (note: in the UK these foods are colour coded red, however this is not compulsory for companies to put the colour labels on…)

As a rule of thumb we try to aim for foods that have a low or medium salt content. Try to have high-salt foods only occasionally in small amounts. Do also note some manufacturers list salt as ‘sodium’; multiplying the amount of sodium listed by 2.5 will tell you the equivalent in salt.

Making sure your child doesn’t eat too much salt means you’re also helping to ensure that they don’t develop a taste for salty food, which makes them less likely to eat too much salt as an adult.

Remember this when you’re cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby. The following ‘watch out foods’ are almost always high in salt, so do check the label and ensure moderation, eat them less often or have smaller amounts:

Watch out foods:

Cheeses (parmesan, feta, processed cheeses), stock cubes, gravy granules, ham, olives, smoked meats and fish, soy sauce, oyster sauce, breads, pasta sauces, ready made meals, sausages, tomato ketchup, sauces, cereals, packet soups, pickles, bacon etc

Top tips to reduce salt intake:

• remove processed foods wherever possible
• home-cook from scratch when you can! You will know exactly whats in your babies and family’s meal
• reduce salt slowly in cooking so that your family taste buds can adapt
• don’t put salt or salty condiments on the table
• choose LOW-sodium, preservative free stocks, sauces and salad dressings… or make your own!
• rinse canned foods like beans or chickpeas
• avoid giving baby processed foods i.e. ready meals as these are often high in salt. Do note though: food manufacturers specifically for babies should meet the recommended levels. If in doubt, always check the label.
• we use herbs and spices to bring out flavours in our cooking
• salt can be added to the ‘grown ups’ meals after cooking if you wish, however as your baby/child gets older they are may start to copy

(let us look into our pantry at home at a few items…)

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/salt.aspx

(Next review of information above by NHS is due: 10/02/2018)

Gill Rapley Book (baby led weaning)

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/foodindustrysectorreport/foodlabelling.aspx

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Check out my tips below on flying (long-haul) with an infant (I did it solo this once, but tips are also for those flying with a partner):

Sydney to London…

When I found out I had to fly with Ava (22mo – still classified as free to fly up to 2yo) from Sydney to London all by myself, sharing the same seat, I took a deep breath and thought ‘I can do this! So many women fly solo with their infant’, I just needed to be prepared! Please read below for some preparation tips and things you can do prior to the flight to help you on the journey of unpredictability and fun (not). No fun for Mum and no fun for bub (or bubby – if in the US!).

Before the flight how can you prepare?

• Book the bassinet seat on the plane, so you have extra leg room and if baby is small enough can fit in the bassinet. Ava is now 22mo and can not fit into the bassinet anymore, but we still book this area for her.
• Call up the airline check how full the flight is and try and book a seat that has a spare seat next to it (if your lucky), having a spare seat next to you does not gurentee you that it will be spare on the day, so on the day of the flight, speak with the ladies at the gate to ensure the seat next to you is still spare, if it isn’t and someone has taken it, ask politely if they can help you out by finding two spare seats on the plane that are next to each other, as you are flying with a infant who is too big for the bassinet). Depending on the airline, we flew Singapore airlines and they were so helpful in moving us to a seat or row that was free to give us the room.
• Also when booking your flight, request for your baby to have the post weaning meal (for babies 12mo+). This meal is not purees! When Ava was under 12mo we just cancelled all plane meals for her as they are usually puree or really messy meals especially not needed when on a plane! So we preferred to pack our own snacks that were non-messy for the plane.
• Ensure bub is well rested the day or a couple of days before the flight, has had all day sleeps and night sleeps.
• Don’t forget to pack snacks for your infant and Mum: for Baby Led Weaning babies 6mo+, prepare a cooler bag with non-messy solid foods and include a empty non-spill cup (we use munchkin 360 degree, for travel). This time round  (Ava now being 22mo) I prepared: 3x slices of Avas breakfast loaf, 1x punnet of blueberries, 1x punnet of strawberries, 2x bananas, 2x apples, 1x peanut butter sandwich, and a bag of mixed seeds and dry fruits (please note: seeds and dried fruits are only suitable for babies 12mo+). Don’t forget snacks for mum! I ate the same snacks as Ava.
• Purchase a CoziGo is a airline bassinet cover (for new borns through to approx 14mo when the bassinet starts to get too small for baby to be in). We previously used this for Ava, but now she is too big for the bassinet we now use the PlanePal (check out the next bullet point) CoziGo blocks light, movement and stimulation helping baby to sleep without constant distraction. No nasty comments from fellow passengers and you’re all refreshed ready to hit the ground running! CoziGo also reduces your baby’s exposure to inflight germs. Having babies sleep in an airline bassinet used to be something that caused worry for mums and dads – but not anymore. The calming and fully-protective canopy creates a relaxing atmosphere for babies, making the flying experience that much easier and enjoyable.

• Purchase a PlanePal for infants or toddlers 13mo+ who do not fit in a bassinet any more. I love this product! Ava used it on the long haul flight and slept a good 6hrs on it. PlanePal is a inflatable pillow for your infant or toddler to lay flat. Check with your airline on their website is they are accepted, we flew with Singapore airlines and they are accepted on this airline (PlanePal is accepted on more than 35 International Airlines worldwide). Ava is using a plane pal in the photo above.

• Book in at a transit hotel at the airport: If your flight is more than 20hrs, consider booking into a transit hotel within the airport: Ava and i stopping and stayed in one travelling through Singapore for 8hrs. Before the next flight, Ava managed to have a 4hr sleep in a cot, whilst i got to nap before our next flight. The beauty of the newer airports, especially throughout Asia/Middle East is that we also managed to have a swim at Changi airport and a run around which helped burn off excess tired energy ready for the flight ahead……phew!

What hand luggage we packed:

• We did not pack a stroller as most airports have strollers you can borrow in transit. I did not want more luggage, so we just packed the baby carrier for Ava (22mo) and borrowed the airport strollers.
• Don’t overpack your hand luggage – forget toys from home, the airline usually has toys, colouring games etc bub can use these or there are plenty of magazines, paper cups bubby can play with. Forget teddies – you don’t need them unless bub can’t live without them!
• One Backpack is the way to go for everything (no handbag) – this keeps your hand free whilst using the baby carrier or stroller.
• To IPAD or NOT? When needs must!! We found Ava would watch the iPad from about 20mo+ and would sit still and this would keep her quiet. Sometimes you’ve just got to survive! Even though infants should not have any screen time under 2 years old and only 30 minutes per day for 2-5 year olds, I decided to download wildlife shows and a few peppa pig for Ava to watch on the long haul flight to keep her entertained and QUIET. Yes i had ‘MUM GUILT’ but it was much better than having a baby who wouldn’t sit still in such a small environment for very long.
• Baby Carrier – we bought the ErgoBaby 360 – it’s amazing and we have been using this since Ava was a new born and still use it now. I used this to carry Ava around during transit.
• Check in a Car seat – only if needed on the other side
• Nappies and 1 pack of wipes: depends if it’s a day or night flight – don’t overpack nappies, the airline always carries some just in case. Day flight I used 2 nappies for an 8 hrs and packed 4 nappies just in case. Night flight (14hrs) I packed 6 nappies and only used 2 nappies, as she slept for about 6hrs. Lucky she poo’d during transit at the hotel!
• Bed time: don’t expect bub to sleep straight away when getting on a night flight, give it a couple or a few hours (as all the lights are on, then meals are served… so many distractions, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get bubby asleep whilst its lit up like a theme park!). Once the lights go off usually 2-3hrs on night flight after meals have been served and cleared. Once lights and dim, I tried to settle Ava by telling her its bed time, I put Ava into her Sleep Bag, I say firmly – bed time. She laid down or cried for a bit until she eventually falls asleep.

Hope these tips help! Any questions please feel free to comment below…

xx Rach

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“Our relationship changed within 4 days of stopping breastfeeding at 20 months old”

I still can’t believe this time last week i was still breastfeeding Ava, two feeds per day, one feed when she woke up and second feed after child care around 5pm. I treasured every moment with her, however i was ready to stop…

How I knew it was time to stop?

I was done. I was becoming over it and resenting breastfeeding. I couldn’t just hold Ava and kiss her and cuddle her without her sniffing out my milk, wanting a feed and kicking up a fuss or tantrum… I felt it was beginning to effect our Mum/Daughter relationship… I just knew it was time to give up and Ava was getting plenty of nutrition from food sources and I felt it was only for comfort as she would only be on there for 5 minutes or so…

Did I have a breastfeeding goal?

I never really had a breast feeding goal, I knew it was fantastic for Ava but i wanted to see how I went. As time went on… 1 months… 2 months…. 3 months… 6 months… then after 6 months I thought I would love to make 12 months to give Ava optimum nutrition in the first year of her life! So i did… then we hit a bit of a fussy phase at 14 months after a trip to the UK and we got into habits such as feeding to sleep after jet lag and sickness… I was SO close to giving up at this point… I was exhausted and started to become angry and frustrated. Ava was becoming irritable around me… I felt I couldn’t be around her all the time… it was sad…

“I started to become frustrated and angry that i was feeling this way about breastfeeding”

I then tried 2 days without milk, I avoided putting her to bed, my husband would and she was fine, she didn’t seem to ask for milk when I wasn’t around. However, after a couple of days giving up, i went back to breastfeeding as Ava was sick with a cold, i thought the magic of boob milk would help her overcome the sickness. So at 15 months (hey, i lasted 2 days…!!) the breastfeeding journey continued again and we went back to feeding seperately to sleep and back she went to her normal sleeping routine! Wahoo passed that fussy phase… I was feeling more positive about our breastfeeding journey! So I kept going…17 months… then 20 months came and I knew this was it… it is time to give up breastfeeding finally… this was my decision…

“I just wanted to hug Ava and cuddle her and play with her without her kicking up a tantrum and wanting a breastfeed”

I decided it was time to stop… So I stopped…

I ended up exclusively breastfeeding Ava until she was 20.5 months old.  We never introduced bottles, dummies and I never really expressed only if i needed, due to comfort. Ava never took to a bottle, she loved and wanted the boob!

What was it that helped me give up breastfeeding?

One word – DISTRACTION.

Ava would wake up in the morning and all I could hear from her room was ‘MIIIIILLLLK’ ‘MIIIIIILLLLK’ It was the cutest thing ever to hear… Ava and her little voice… wanting milk and comfort cuddles… however I wasn’t enjoying it anymore…I wanted my body back and I wanted my little non-fussy girl around me back…

Here is what we did on Day 1 of stopping breastfeeding to Day 6:

• Day 1:

  My husband and I distracted Ava in the morning and when she came home from child care (the usual times of her feeds), Ava did not seem bothered to miss both feeds today.

• Day 2:

  AM: Ava wanted milk in the morning, hubby wasnt home so i needed to think ahead and plan what to do when she woke up… I got some breakfast ready for her (toast and peanut butter) as soon as she woke up. She said ‘MIIIILLLLKK’ MIIILLLKKK’ in her cute little voice, but i pick her up out of her cot at 7am and instead of going to our bedroom to give her her normal feed, I took her straight to the kitchen and said ‘Ava, yummy toast for you’… she took the toast and sat outside with me and ate her toast, then went off to child care for the day.      PM: i picked her up from child care at 430pm and instead of going straight home for a breastfeed, we went to the park and played with her friends… I brought along an afternoon snack (Ava’s breakfast loaf) and her water as i knew she would be hungry. We got home afterwards and I had dinner ready for her, she ate her dinner straight away, no time for milk. I then got my husband to put Ava to bed that night. She did wake up a couple of times during the night saying ‘milkkk millkk’ but hubby went in and put her back to sleep and she went back to sleep…

• Day 3:

  Same routine, Ava wakes up wanting milk, i had to get as hubby went to work early… Ava really wanted milk… so I sat her down on the kitchen chair and cuddled her and I said to her… “Ava, Mummy’s milk has gone, the milk has walked out the door and we say bye bye to it” Ava then cried… i felt terrible – but I had to be consistent and be strong. I pointed to the door and said it again “bubby, the milk has gone, let’s say good-bye to the milk…” Ava then waved to the door and blew kisses…. (my heart sank, it was so beautiful), she gave me the biggest cuddle it was so beautful and stopped crying, it was like she was saying to me ‘thank you so much mummy for all the milk and the moments we have shared together’… we then both got up and walked over to the door and opened the door and Ava said ‘BYE BYE…. BYE BYE… and she then continued to blow kisses”…. this moment was so beautiful… After child care that day, she mentioned the word milk with the biggest cheakest grin on her face I said ‘Ava where did the milk go??’ she pointed to the door and said bye bye… i said ‘good girl’ come over here and give me a hug… and she did with lots of kisses. I am feeling a little emotional today, reflecting on all the closeness of breastfeeding and the fact Ava is growing up so quickly…

• Day 4:

  No mention of the milk today. I am ensuring Ava is getting enough calcium in her diet… full fat greek yogurt, full fat milk in cereal etc… Ava has never really wanted cows milk out of a cup.. so I opt to put it in her foods.

• Day 5:

  Not sure if Ava is missing breastfeeding but she was up and down like a yo-yo last night in bed… but she never really mentioned the word miilllllkkk…. she just kept calling out for mummy and daddy….? My boobs are really sore today, they have gone hard, but I have just been having warm showers and massaging them. Its strange as the past 4 days they have not hurt. AM: Ava asked for milk, I gave her a bowl of cereal with cows milk instead and she loved it became distracted and that was the last i heard about milk today.

• Day 6:

  Ava slept great last night no crying no asking for milk. She has not asked for milk at all today. I am cuddling her and kissing her all the time and she is doing the same. When she does and if she does mention ‘milk’, she now jokes and giggles and waves at the door and isn’t sensitive about it.

How I feel now and do I regret giving up breastfeeding?

I feel like a PROUD MUMMA! I gave Ava a great start in life. I feel very grateful that I was able to breastfeed Ava. I was grateful we could continue our breastfeeding journey for this long. I have loved every moment of breastfeeding (except during the fussy phases) and bonding with my daughter… something so special that I will treasure forever…

How has Ava been since giving up breastfeeding?

Well,  am on day 6 now of giving up breastfeeding… and it is fare enough to say that this was the right decision. Ava is so much more affectionate with me,  we can play together without her asking for milk and pulling my top down, be close with her, without her asking or fussying and wanting to be breastfed. Our relationship has changed all within 4 days. A little bit of me says, why didn’t you just keep pushing and making it to 2 years… But I have to keep reminding myself why I stopped… and our little girl is stronger and I have done really well in sticking it out this long. I dont regret this decision to stop breastfeeding.

My tips on stopping breastfeeding for those mummies who can relate to my story and are seriously contemplating stopping?

• Get your partner/husband/grandma/friend to get bub up in the morning! Break all habits relating to breastfeeding… i.e. I did’t bring Ava to my bed in the morning.
• DISTRACT – DISTRACT – DISTRACT: change the routine, distract your baby do what you can… we would offer toast, Cereal or take her outside in the morning.
• I wouldn’t tease Ava by showing her my boobs at all in the first week, cover up the milk machines!
• Mummies – exercise exercise and exercise, keep those hormones in check by getting out there and doing some exercise and realeasing your feel-good endorphins. Go for a walk, run, swim, yoga, do some weights or hit the gym! You will feel much better for it.

All the best mummies… thank you for reading my breastfeeding journey and thank you to all my followers who have supported me through this incredible journey.

xxx 

To my husband, thank you for supporting me. You have been there the whole way encouraging me to keep going when times got tough but also appreciated and supported me when it was time to stop breastfeeding 

xxx 

Thank you also to my Mum for supporting and encouraging me all the way to the very end.

xxx 

Thank you also to the Australian Breastfeeding Hotline (Free call in Australia ph: 1800Mum2Mum). You ladies are wonderful and provide such a supportive service which I used on many occasion in times of stress, confusion, support and any questions relating to breastfeeding.

xxx 

To my baby girl Ava… ‘you mean the world to me’ and i hope i have given you a great kickstart in life.

xxx

If you would like to read more about breastfeeding please read here:

BREASTFEEDING

Human milk provides virtually all the protein, sugar, and fat your baby needs to be healthy, and it also contains many substances that benefit your baby’s immune system, including antibodies, immune factors, enzymes, and white blood cells. These substances protect your baby against a wide variety of diseases and infections not only while he is breastfeeding but in some cases long after he has weaned. Please read more here

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I was so grateful having spent one whole year with Ava all day every day, I would not have had it any other way. For me, I think the perfect time for going back to work was around 1 year old. Ava was just starting to walk, she was into everything, wanted to socialise with other babies and wanted to discover more and more, and I knew I was ready as I missed the adult communication you get through work and needed focus on my career alongside family life.

I was mainly concerned about TWO things… and it wasn’t me using my brain again or working for a new company and role, it was Ava’s food at childcare and our baby led weaning, Ava’s milk and how would she take this shift… 

1. I was worried about the food at childcare, primarily because most babies around Ava’s age were still spoon fed porridge and purees at childcare and Ava had always fed herself and always decided what food went in her mouth. I did not want the childcare workers to take control of Ava’s food choices by spoon feeding her. We had put so much time and effort into Ava’s baby led weaning journey from 6 months old, she was now a fantastic eater, she was always in control of her food, she decided how much or how little she wanted to eat, we had left it all up to Ava and had never fussed – no pressure on mealtimes.
2. My breastfeeding dilemma – Ava at this point in time was 100% breastfed, we never had any success with bottles, probably because she was such a good breast feeder, she only had the boob as her milk feeds. At around 12 months old Ava was on 3-4 breastfeeds per day, however things had to change as I was going back to work full-time. We had practiced a couple weeks before with breastmilk in the cup, which she avoided, so we then tried cow’s milk in a cup several times over and over… and still – NOTHING. She would just throw the cup or turn her head away.  So I thought when the crunch comes to it and i am not around at childcare she would take the cup with breastmilk or cows milk… was I wrong!  

So how did we tackle the food concern? 

After visiting a few childcare centres… we found one that had a good feel and most importantly respected our needs for Ava to continue her baby led weaning journey with them. The child care we chose had heard of baby led weaning and were comfortable with this way of Ava self-feeding. So how did we prepare?

1. We explained the concept of baby led weaning: explain the concept of baby led weaning (some childcares have heard of BLW & some haven’t!). We sat down with the childcare principal and addressed our concerns about ‘no spoon feeding’ and control of food intake by Ava, I gave them a copy of the Gill Rapley Baby led weaning book for them to read up about it which they were very interested in doing.  
2. We showed them how bub eats! After our first couple of meetings with the Principal, I wanted them to see how Ava eats. So we came back for another visit with Ava and we all sat together and ate lunch. Doing this showed them how Ava liked to control her food, she would simply pick everything up herself and eat it (or sometimes, squeeze it or play with it – but at 12mo Ava was way past the messy BLWing phase), no spoon feeding, control with bub at all times, gagging etc. Don’t be afraid to ask and demonstrate. 

Menu selection – they gave me the option to provide food for bub daily or bub could eat solid food they have available. I took a look at the menu and checked the healthy approval ratings. A lot of the food was still a little mushy and a lot was processed so we decided to provide Ava’s breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea each day, and she was able to eat any fresh fruit snacks for morning tea.

How did we tackle our breastfeeding dilemma?

Week 1 of childcare – i provided childcare with 2x cups – one with breastmilk, one with water. She loves her cup of water and she loves water. She always has and will always sip it with most meals. As for my breastmilk she avoided it and didn’t want it in the cup. I was expressing at work during my lunch break so Ava could have a cup a day, but this whole first week she kept throwing it on the ground and not drinking any of it. She would wait for a breastfeed when i picked her up at 5pm after work.

Week 2 of childcare and breastmilk – still avoided drinking my breastmilk… but I kept expressing and Ava kept throwing her cup onto the floor and not drinking it out of the cup. I would still breastfeed her in the morning before work and after work 2x feeds per day and no other times.

Week 3 of childcare and breastmilk – still avoided drinking my breast milk… So i decided to stop expressing every second day as there was no point. Ava wasn’t drinking it out of the cup so it was being wasted. I would still breastfeed her in the morning before work and after work 2x feeds per day and no other times.

Week 4 of childcare and breastmilk – I stopped expressing all together at work, and childcare started to offer cow’s milk (as Ava was over 1 years old). But she still didn’t want milk from the cup. I would still breastfeed her in the morning before work and after work 2x feeds per day and no other times.

Realisation hit…

Ava was happy breastfeeding twice a day, I was getting so stressed for no reason about Ava not drinking my breastmilk out of a cup at childcare. I should have just listened to her in the first place… she didn’t want a cup full of milk, she was content with water all day at childcare and was happy to wait to breastfeed when we got home after and before work/school.

 Ava is now 17 months old…

Still now at 17 months old, Ava absolutely LOVES going to ‘school’. She loves socialising, she loves the teachers, and she loves playing, learning and discovering every day!

Ava’s food: I am still providing Ava’s food every day, i pack her breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, she eats a variety of healthy choices. She is also now trying her best using metal cutlery (which i also provide, so Ava gets use to metal cutlery rather than plastic) and is eating all her meals (except of course when she is sick or does not feel like eating a certain food).

Sleep: It took a couple of weeks for Ava to get use sleeping at childcare in the beginning i.e. she found it hard to transition so quickly to 1x sleep a day and would come home overtired, but that improved after a few weeks. 

Sickness: she has been sick on and off now for 7 months but i keep reminding myself she is building up her immune system.

Milk: Ava never ended up taking any bottles of milk, no cups of milk so she just stuck with tap water from 12 months old throughout the day in her cup and I breast feed her in the morning before work and when we got home after work. This was enough for Ava from 12 months old and beyond… and still now at 17 months old Ava may have 1x feed a day after work or 2x feeds a day if she wanted it in the morning as well. We are very happy how this is going. I have not ‘dried up’ on one feed a day – the human body is pretty amazing!

Some example foods I pack for Ava:

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Her first food was broccoli which she just sucked and it fell out of her mouth… We then gave her steamed pumpkin, carrot, then a lamb shank bone with loads of juices which she loved!!

What an amazing journey blw has been, she is such a great eater now at 8mo, she can pretty much eat anything we give her! All we have done is offered food to bub and she takes all control from there on… She can eat as much or as little as she wants, she can play with it, squeeze it, drop it and see where it falls/then drops it again and again ha most importantly we think of it as free play for her ? 

Keep going mummies and daddies if you are just starting out with blw!!!! The mess can be a pain, the setbacks (teething or when bub decides she does not want to eat anything u cooked her/him), ‘other people (friends, family, nurses etc) will tell you ‘that it’s silly and “just do purees”, your bub will gag and it is scary at the beginning – but this phase passes with time and more practice, I promise it does get better and better and your bubs confidence in eating and skill development through touch and play improves day by day! The rewards outweigh all of this and the mess ???? keep it up!!! Lastly I would like to thank massively my husband Paul for supporting and encouraging all of us through the mess, the gags and also having a great interest in Ava’s BLWing journey that will continue… ? xxx

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Bananas are so easy to grab as a breakfast for Bub, I gave her some avocado on toast as well as she always wants to eat what I’m eating ?? gets FOMO big time!  Thank god for our bugaboo… Adjusted our highchair setting on our bugaboo chameleon pram ? some cafes just don’t have highchairs grrrr (which annoys me ??)

What packing looks like for us when bub and I go out in the pram??
Cooler bag (with a small bag of ice that I keep in the freezer, to keep food cool) potato slices, carrots, sweet pototo and blueberries! And her loved sippy cup! Share some of your snack ideas? Bub was 8mo here:

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All airlines only offer puree for bubs under 12m. As we were doing pure Baby Led Weaning (baby self-feeds and eats real solids from 6mo+), purees/spoon feeding (the traditional way to feed your baby) was not a option at all. “So we packed our own food and cancelled the infant puree meal on the plane”.

Most airlines allow parents to take food on the plane as carry on luggage for your baby both international and domestic (this included water in a non-spill cup and food packed into a cooler bag for the flight.

What we packed for a Long haul flight when Ava was 10 months old: 

• A cooler bag
• A ice pack (to keep food fresh)
• Steamed carrots that were refrigerated prior to the plane journey, then placed into a cooler bag when ready to leave the house
• Cold cooked pasta spirals
• Blueberries
• 1x banana
• A couple of slices of Ava’s breakfast loaf – recipe here
• Ava’s #munchkin sippy cup (empty – as u can fill it up after going through all the gates) –
• Ava’s #explorer bib 

These were all non messy food easy to handle! 

Note: if you were flying long haul with a 6mo+ BLWer, you could pack similar foods… maybe not the blueberries as they may be messy and squish everywhere, I would probably just pack Ava’s Breakfast Loaf and a banana.

Remember: ‘food before 1 is just for fun!’, Breastmilk (or formula) feeds remain primary nutrition in the first year.

#flyingbaby #myblwer #babyledweaningrecipes #babyledweaning #blw#babyledweaningideas #myblwertip

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Let me just say… we started baby led weaning (real solid foods…no puree or mush) at 6 months old when Ava was showing all readiness signs, and we have NOT HAD ANY choking incidents (touchwood) till this day. She is now 4 years old. Choking can happen to anyone at anytime, young or old… all we can do is be prepared. Know the difference between ‘gagging vs chocking’ (read red & blue chart below), avoid choking hazards (see below), trust your baby *if coughing/spluttering (*gagging) leave her to it – she will manage it.

• Baby-led weaning (BLW) is when you let your baby feed themselves tasty finger foods right from the beginning.
• Spoon-led weaning is when babies learn to swallow first (purées) and chew later.

‘Besides all the skill development, self taught self-control, the beauty about baby led weaning is that the baby learns how to control, chew and handle different textures and foods right from DAY 1! Rather than suck, swallow motion which a puree/spoon-fed baby learns first… I get soooo many messages from puree/spoon-fed parents saying that their baby is so fussy and gagging a lot with new textures and finger foods and they find it so hard to switch their baby from purees too finger foods and are worried about choking! In this instance, stick with traditional gradual weaning… puree, then mashed/lumpy then finger foods… as baby now has to learn new textures and foods’

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAGGING AND CHOKING?

Gagging is NORMAL: gagging (face may appear red, splutter, cough, may vomit) as opposed to choking (silent and unable to make noise, blue) is a safety response to food travelling too far back into the mouth so when baby is gagging (coughing and splattering) they are actually handling the problem and it’s best just to stay calm and wait until baby coughs it up or carries on. Babies have a very sensitive gag reflex, designed to keep them safe from choking. If it is a big gag always offer some water afterwards.

It is always suggested to do a baby first aid course before or when your baby start solids, so you know what to do in the unlikely event of a choking incident. Please see FAQS on choking hazards.

HOW TO PREVENT CHOKING?

Here are few things you can do:

• Do a first aid course to learn to know what to do in an unlikely incident of choking. The benefit doing a first aid course will boost your confidence and relax you when your baby begins solids. (Downloaded a first aid app called “baby and child first aid by british red cross”it’s free and always accessible on your phone in cause u forget what to do in case of any baby or toddler incident. )
• A relaxed parent sets a calm environment for baby when learning to eat solids.
• Always sit with your baby or watch your child when they are eating. Discourage your child from crawling, walking, talking, watching television, lying down, or doing anything else while eating that might distract him/her from his meal.
• Ensure baby is sitting upright at mealtimes. A few ways here: in a supported upright highchair, or an inclined upright pram seat, or upright on a parents lap (supported with a parent holding babies hips)
• Never push food into babies mouth,  offer food onto babies highchair tray by placing appropriate finger foods onto babies highchair tray. Enjoy baby is in full control at all times, from picking up the food to placing the food into her own mouth.
• NEVER feed baby laying down or in a car seat that reclines or a bouncer, this could lead to choking.
• Always watch baby when she eats.

Avoid choking hazard:

Firstly anyone at anytime can choke on anything, all we can do is reduce the potential hazards that may lead to a choking incident. Please use common sense and offer foods that you as a care-giver feel comfortable in offering. Please note: this short list of choking hazards may vary according to the country you live in. Please check with your doctor or country’s guidelines as to specific foods to avoid for your baby led weaner.

• Whole grapes: must be cut into quarters (from stem top to bottom, not around the equator), progress to halves (cutting from top to bottom only) as baby progresses (until approx 5 years old)
• Whole cherries, remove stone, and cut into quarters
• Whole big blueberries cut into quarters
• Cherry tomatoes must be cut long ways in quarters (until approx 5 years old)
• Whole nuts avoid (until 5 years old), try serving peanut butter or nut spreads and flours
• Popcorn (avoided until at 5 years old)
• Avoid hard candy or hard lollies (no nutritional value in these)
• If you give your baby a bottle, always hold the bottle and your baby while they’re feeding.
• Watch out for bony fish
• Cut off gristle on meats or anything that may contain hard pieces
• Round sausages and hot dogs: slice into rounds and quarter long ways
• Hard apple or raw carrot, can start offering once toddler is capable with more teeth/molars and parents are comfortable with their toddler’s capability in chewing foods, meanwhile raw apple and raw carrot should be cooked (steam, roast or bake) OR it can also be finely grated and mixed into moist foods ie yogurt or avocado.
• Any hard fruit or vegetables that can not be squished or mashed with ease using your thumb and index fingers. Tough skins can also make foods risky.

Many of these foods above, share the same high-risk physical characteristics that create effective plugs for the paediatric airway. (ref: AAP) This is why they should be avoided until older.

• Behavioral factors may also affect a child’s risk for choking. High activity levels while eating, such as walking or running, talking, laughing, and eating quickly, may increase a child’s risk of choking. Child games that involve throwing food in the air and catching it in the mouth or stuffing large numbers of marshmallows or other food in the mouth may increase the risk of choking. (ref: AAP)

A FEW TIPS TO TAKE AWAY:

Let us all help educate those around us, choking deaths can be preventable. Here is a chart on the difference between gagging vs choking (please feel free to share this post):

Disclaimer: I am not a Doctor, I am just simply sharing information and my experience. Please discuss with your doctor or pediatrician if you have any related questions or concerns about your baby or about gagging vs choking.

The post Baby Led Weaning. Worried about choking? appeared first on Baby Led Weaning Ideas.

There is so much pressure out there to buy processed ‘baby cereals’… It makes me angry that company’s such as #nestle can get away selling this type of cereal and pressuring young mums to feed their babies this stuff. Most the baby cereals are promoted too parents from 4mo+ for babies to eat because ‘they need iron’. Half the ingredients I have never heard of before… I have had mums ask me “did you spoon feed your baby – baby cereal to fill them up just in case” …. So if you are interested to know we didn’t spoon feed & we never offered Ava ANY baby cereal, that is promoted for babies at 6mo+ this was our decision. We used other food sources of iron i.e. spinach, broccoli, meat to suck on, rice etc all have iron (along side breast milk feeds in the first year) OR we made our own baby cereal – oats or rice with breast milk or u can use formula. Our first foods consisted of broccoli, avocado, banana, sweet potato, meats etc they make great first foods for babies.

We preferred fruits and veggies first. We also tried to do our own research, it’s fascinating to see how minimal iron is actually put into these baby cereals vs natural foods and also took note that breast milk iron is absorbed much better than fortified iron found in baby cereal. ‘Rice cereal or baby cereal is a less than perfect choice for the first complementary food given to infants. Rice cereal is low in protein & high in carbohydrates. Although most brands of formula now have added iron, zinc & vitamins, iron is “poorly absorbed”—only about 7.8% of intake is actually incorporated into red blood cells.’ (Ref AAP, Dr. Frank Greer )

Many pediatric resources are acknowledging the fact that avocado, banana and sweet potato make great first foods for baby! So go crazy mums! Please note: There is no medical need to start baby out with cereals (ref AAP); unless your pediatrician has indicated your baby may need extra iron due to less than overall good health or due to being pre-term. Please ask your paediatrician about introducing your first foods, fruits & veggies instead of baby cereal u may also be surprised they may recommend to introduce meat to your baby’s diet to suck on as a great iron source.

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