Scrummy Yummy Oats [VIDEO]

Been meaning to add this to my blog for AGES! You will be happy to hear this will be the last of the crappy videos I make as I have a new camcorder. All I need now is a better microphone!

The Weaning Stage: My Story

At the age of just 5 months old my son started to push me away and refuse to feed from the breast. At first I took this as him saying he wasn't hungry, but when he barely fed at all I started to wonder if I was doing it wrong. It was actually the beginning of a new stage.

Yummy! It's HiPP Organic!

He had lost weight and the doctor informed me that he was showing signs of wanting to be weaned and also teething as well. I rushed off to buy all sorts of baby food, bowls, spoons, everything you require to feed a baby solids. We tried baby rice but he hated the stuff, so we tried what would be considered perhaps bit of a later food and went for tastes of mango, banana and even apple. He loved baby rice when I mixed it in with some banana! I had to go back to get him weighed again a week after his last weight check. He had gained the weight back as well as some extra, a dramatic change for the best that all of us were happy about. However the moment the Health Visitor asked what my doctor told me she turned. She went from being happy to hear that he was gaining again to acting as if I was some sort of Devil Mother. I was confused and asked what should I do now and she simply said "Well the damage is done now, continue what you are doing". I left very quickly as I didn't want anyone to see me crying my eyes out.

You see it's considered that at 6 months old weaning should start. This is actually a guideline and babies are different to one another, your child may not be interested in food until 6 months old but your friend's baby may have shown a desire to start weaning at 4 months old. Don't feel bad if your baby starts early and don't feel bad if your child starts later then your friend's baby. If they aren't ready then don't force them. However if they are ready and your doctor agrees then give it a try and see how they react.

I know what I did was right for my son. He gained the weight back as well as more on top of that, plus he was happier and less grumpy. But what if I hadn't listened to my doctor and did what the Health Visitor said? That is something I'd rather not think about.

Petit Baby Syndrome

My son is a little baby for his age. This can be a problem as not only do I get comments from people saying he's small for his age but I find myself looking at other babies and those who are the same age as him are huge compared to Baby Al and last week I met a little baby who was only 4 months old and yet he was the same size as my 10 month old.

All this does make me paranoid that I am not feeding my son enough food or the right things. He loves fruit, vegetables, meat, and so on. About the only two things he doesn't like are cheese (on it's own, loves it as a sauce with his greens) and broccoli. I find myself in some sort of panic as I go into the cupboard to pick something that will make my son grow. Daft, right? I know it is but this is what it has come down to, all because a few people pointed out that he's small for his age and from my eyes overlooking that others are bigger than him.

I have a baby boy who would eat all day if I let him. Right now he's just had breakfast less then an hour ago and even after all the filling and healthy breakfast food he has just had he still wants more. So he's munching on a couple of grapes, a new fruit for him that he seems to love so much that he has to stare at each grape for a good long time before considering to eat it and then finally biting down on it. There are days where I think maybe I should give him some biscuits instead of fruit, but another side of me thinks if I just fed him biscuits he may end up unhealthy and I'd blame myself for the rest of my life and he'd be bullied at school and... aarghhhh! I know, I know, I am one crazy lady.

The thing is, and I say this because I don't want to end this with you worrying your child isn't eating enough and becoming like me, you should only be concerned when they stop gaining weight or lose weight. And don't go rushing to the scales every hour of every day. You can get your child checked by a health visitor. At first they tend to say come in every 1-2 weeks and then every month and so on. This is because at first babies gain weight like no tomorrow and by about 6 months old it starts to slow down, I use to see Baby Al put on 1lb a week when he was newborn and now he's doing that once a month.

If you have concerns about your child's weight gain then speak to your Health Visitor or GP.