Weaning with Hipp Organic

A few years ago when I first started weaning Jack I wrote an article on Hipp Organic baby food showing you a lot of the different flavours and varietys they have multiple jars and packets and even make a baby juice drink for your little one they are all yummy easy to grab and go packets and jars a fantastic idea if you need convenience when you are a busy mum like I do, admittedly it is easier to give the girls things that are already made and ready to go but of course I still want to know that they are healthy and not full of rubbish thats why Hipp Organic is one of my favourites.

Hipp Organic has just introduced a range of delicious pure vegetable jars which is ideal for babies first tastes and for when your little ones are ready to start weaning, we were sent a small selection of these to try with the twins. Weaning has taken a bit longer than usual with the twins, I think I thought they were ready to be weaned and three times I started weaning them and had to stop, for various different reasons, one of the main reasons is they are slightly behind because they were born earlier. but I am happy to say they are now successfully trying different things every day but we are still using the pureed first foods.

Organic Hipp pure vegetables for yummy first tastes come in three different flavours there is pure white carrot, pure parsnips and pure peas. Hipp Organic first tastes pride themselves on these jars containing no added salt or sugar and the food is then gently steam cooked to preserve only the best nutrients afterwards is finely pureed resulting in the best consistency for baby.

On a day to day basis, I use a range of ready-made food and homemade food for the girls but as I said above it can be very difficult when you have a large family and you are on the go all the time to make homemade meals. so the first tastes weaning jars worked really well for us the girls really liked the pure white carrot and the pure parsnips but they just didn't like the pure peas at all and just kept spitting it out on the several occasions I tried them with it.

I liked that each jar only had one individual vegetable in each rather than having a mix of a jar, for example, several different vegetables with them only being one vegetable I could tell exactly which foods they like and which food they don't like.

The Hipp first tastes jars can be given to your little one at room temperature or can be warmed up which is ideal if you are on the go or out and about as a personal preference both of my girls prefer the jars at room temperature rather than warm, I love that the jars are organic and the only thing that has been added to them is water these were a big hit in my house with the twins and a big hit with me knowing they are getting a healthy meal.

We will be continuing to use Hipp Organic and I will be stocking the cupboard with their lovely products as it is one of my favourite food brands for babies. you can find out more about babies first tastes, weaning and other great information by visiting the Hipp Organic website Here you can also view the full range of there baby food products.

We were sent the yummy first food jars of baby food from Hipp Organic for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.

     

Snack time with little Yeo and OXO tot

When all three of my boys started to wean, I always gave them some sort of yogurt or fromaige frias through out the day, It is always far simpler than paying lots of money for specific baby based pudding or snacking products.

We were sent out the OXO Tot Roll Up Bib and On-The-Go feeding spoon plus 42 pots of Little Yeo’s in various flavours to try out and see what we thought.

OXO Tot Roll Up Bib & On-The-Go Feeding Spoon

Let me tell you a bit about OXO in case you haven't heard of them, OXO is an American company that specialises in making products that make everyday living easier for everyone, including young and old, male and female, left and right-handed and many with special needs. They’ve made 1,000+ products – all with a tangible improvement on aspects of everyday living.

Roll Up Bib features

• Soft fabric is comfortable around baby’s neck
• Wide, food-safe silicone pocket catches crumbs
• Fabric rolls up into pocket for portability
• Easy to wipe clean and machine washable
• Bib provides ample coverage

The Roll Up Bib* from OXO Tot is a soft, comfortable bib with a silicone pocket. The top of the bib is made out of fabric to cover baby’s clothes; it has wide shoulders and closes at the nape of the neck with rip tape that is resilient enough to stop it being pulled off during mealtimes. The wide pocket is made with food-safe silicone and catches any stray bits of food or yogurt. The Bib  is perfect for using during snack time when we are on the go, as the fabric part of the bib can be rolled up into the silicone pocket and closed securely and there is no need to worry if you haven't got too much time to clean it down properly until you get home as any mess stays rolled up inside the bib - it also doesn't take up to much space which is an added bonus - if you have an overflowing change bag like myself! 

 On-The-Go Feeding Spoon features 

• Silicone spoon feels soft on baby’s mouth, gums and face
• Spoon is shaped for easy scooping
• Contoured spoon handle is angled for easy feeding by you or by letting your baby feed himself 
• ideal compact case for portability and to help keep it clean 

I love this perfect little spoon its great for weaning babies and it comes with its very own travel case. The shallow spoon is coated with super soft silicone which is gentle on baby’s mouth and gums, just what babies need when they are teething, the handle is contoured making it easy and comfortable to hold. It’s ideal for self-feeding as the shallow spoon stops your little one from loading too much yogurt onto the spoon and it doesn’t matter if Jack gets the spoon all sticky and messy in the process as when he had finished, you can simply put it back in the travel case roll it up into the bib and that way you remember to wash them all when you get back home.

It has to be said I am a big fan of both of these products I love how practical and useful they both are they are very simple but as a mum I have found they made my life so much easier definitely a lot less mess, and I love that when Jack has finished you can just roll it all up together and go, not only that both the spoon and the bib are of a great quality so they are going to last for a very long time.    

Little Yeo

Let me tell you a bit about Yeo Valley, Yeo Valley Are a family owned business and farm and are the UK’s no.1 organic dairy brand, they make a variety of dairy products and we got to try their Little Yeo’s range. The yogurts are perfect for weaning. They’re organic with real fruit puree and no added sugar! 

The green pack of Natural Fromage Frais is the the newest addition to be added to the Little Yeo range, you can mix in with other foods, like soup, stew, mash, homemade pasta sauce, chopped egg or tuna sandwich fillings. It’s also good for adding to porridge or breakfast cereals to cool it down, which is an excellent idea as waiting around for food to cool down when baby is hungry, which Jack is almost certainly it can be very stressful.

Little Yeo's are widely available in lots of supermarkets including Tesco, Morrision’s and Sainsbury’s , the price is great too starting at £1.00 for a 6 pack. You can find out more about Little Yeo’s over on there Website Here

The Taste 

Jack isn't a particularly fussy baby he really loved every flavour , I had a sneaky spoon or two my self and I must admit they are really nice quite thick in consistency and creamy packed with lots of taste, I love that they have no added sugar, Little Yeos are perfect for puddings to add to dinners my older boys loved them to they fit just right as a lunch box snack or a snack for a weaning baby they are an all round versatile product something all the family could enjoy.

We loved both the OXO tot bib and spoon and the lovely Little Yeo range a big thumbs up from both myself and Jack we will certainly be continuing to purchase these in the future, what are you favorite snacks? have you tried any of the Little Yeo range? I would love to here your thoughts? 

we were sent the Little Yeo range and the oxo tot spoon and bib for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.

  

Cow and Gate veggie pouches #Review

We were recently sent Cow and Gate friends Veggie pouches to try out although Jack is a little over the age of eating puree food, We tried them all the same they are a great accompaniment to add to meals and to get your little one to try vegetables. Vegetables can be difficult to get your little ones taste buds used to little ones are often more receptive to the sweet tastes of fruit rather than bitter tasting vegetables. But, the earlier and more often your little one is given a variety of vegetable flavours during weaning, the more likely they will learn to love them.



Cow and Gate Veggie Friends starts with four different single vegetable varieties these are cauliflower, pea, carrot and broccoli, which is quite a distinct vegetable variety of tastes to be tried in the early stages of weaning. As your little one starts to enjoy and notice the single vegetable tastes. The Friends range expands to vegetable varieties with different flavour combinations including cheese, pasta and chicken. Adding a variety of flavours and textures but still keeping to a strong vegetable taste, means that we can help our little ones hopefully learn to love veggies for life.

I love that each of the beginner pouches have character names Claire Carrot, Chris Cauliflower, Bella Broccoli and Peter Pea, all of the Cow and Gate Friends vegetable pouches are re-sealable to use within 24 hours and made with no added salt, sugar, additives or preservatives. Each Friends vegetable pouch is ready to eat, steam cooked, with no mixing or disguising of vegetables with fruit and can be served warm or cold.

I personally love the weaning pouches they are so easy and convenient to use, they don't take up much room in the changing bag or cupboard they are less money than the jars, I find that I don't waste so much when I have the pouches and they are a lot less messy plus there easier to use when you are out and about. I love that you get what the packet says and it's nothing that I think is a weird flavour combination sometimes with some of the jars and other pouches that are about I do think, yuck why would you mix all that together. The constancy of the pouches are also really good sometimes I find baby food to be a bit watery but the Cow and gate friends are not at all.

Jack really loved the vegetable pouches he didn't turn his nose up at any he liked them as a dish on there own and as vegetables on the side of a main meal.

overall I thought the pouches were great value for money and would definitely recommend them in the weaning stage, they are a simple but an effective way of letting your little one get used to the individual tastes and textures of vegetables.

Have you tried the Friends Cow and Gate vegetable pouches before? What did you think? I would love to hear your thoughts.

We were sent a selection of weaning pouches from cow and gate for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own 

           

#Weaning week, Wow baby cup #Review

Baby cups can be a pain not so much when your baby starts weaning as they don't drink too much juice, but once they get a bit older and they are having more fluid carrying a juice cup in your bag can become a pain, a lot of cups leak or drip you find the bottom of your bag damp with sticky juice.

We were sent the Wow cup to review the cup has 306 degree drinking edge meaning your child can drink from all the way round the edge and it is completely spill free. The cup offers a water free spill guarantee - which for mums like us means no more sticky bags or damp clothes in fact in the past I have thrown some clothes away because juice has leaked on them in the changing bag and I just couldn't lift the stain.



The cup is exactly what it says "Wow", I thought it was amazing, when I first got it out its packaging I did wonder how it worked, the Wow cup is aimed at children nine plus months and Jack is only just getting used to his sipping cup, I did try to get him to have a go but he is just too little so I got Adam to trial it he is three and seemed really excited when I gave it too him - the Cup has no spouts levers or buttons, I gave it to him as it was, I wanted to see if he could work it out for himself. He did straight the way I asked him if he liked it and he said yes - he also asked if he could keep it! so it was a thumbs up from him and from myself you can hold it and shake it upside down and it doesn't leak at all!.



Wow Cups are BPA free, Phthalate free, PVC free, and dishwasher safe. The valves are made of a soft food grade silicone and easily are removed from the lid by gently pressing on them from the inside of the cup. There is a convenient lid on every cup to keep the drinking surface clean when storing.

The Wow Baby Wow Cups are clear and hold up to 7 ounces. There are measurements along one side of the cup to easily track how much your child has drank. There are two types of cup available there are the Wow kids Cups which hold nine ounces of juice and the Wow Baby Wow Cup this is slightly different because not only does it have handles, but the rim of the cup is wider, giving baby a more natural edge so they don't need to apply much pressure while drinking.

I think that a baby would take some time to get used to the cup as you have to make a straw type shape with your mouth on the edge and also I noticed that Adam held the cup up slightly higher than a normal cup, but really these are no problem! I actually really loved this product and so did Adam I am so glad we have found the Wow cup and I will be investing in two of the bigger cups for the older boys! 

To find out more about the Wow cup or any of there other fantastic products you can visit there website www.wowcup.co.uk

We were sent the fantastic Wow cup for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own

#Weaning Week, Drinks and your baby

Whilst weaning its a good idea to always offer your baby a drink with a meal start off with a few sips of water from a sipping cup make sure the cup you give them is one that is within the right age group for you baby for example if your baby is six months give them a cup that states on it six months plus and so on.

Once they have got used to having water you can try giving them sugar free diluted juice or fruit juice one part juice and ten parts water, things like orange juice are a good source of vitamin C for your baby.

When you first start weaning baby milk will still be your babies main source of nutrition they should still be having around a pint of milk a day.

If you are breast feeding, babies may still have around five - six feeds a day but you may find they will gradually reduce this themselves, as once they start having more food they will need less milk.

Babies should not have cows milk until they are over 12 months old but cows milk is fine to cook with until then.

Some drinks are bad for your baby and should be avoided as they will cause tooth decay and can cause dihorrea not only that they can leave your baby feeling full so that they don't want to eat there meal meaning they are not getting the nutrition they require.

Avoid fizzy drinks, flavoured milk, tea and coffee, undiluted fruit juice.

This takes me to the end of my weaning week I hope it has helped you along with your little one if you missed anything you can find the stages below and let me know how you get on!

• How do I know my baby is ready for food?  
• What do I need? (Equipment)
• How to get started?
• Do's and Dont's & food Safety
• Food Choices
• Baby led Weaning
• Drinks and your baby

#Weaning week Ella's Kitchen The first food book #Review

If you want to have a go at cooking your own baby meals there is no better place to start than with Ella's Kitchen, The first food book "The Purple One" not only is it a recipe book, but all the way through there are top tips on how to start weaning your baby what foods to give them and when to start introducing lumpy food.

The book is actually fantastic - I am not really a book kind of person, but this recipe book is really easy to use, the book starts with purees and works all the way through to toddler meals and finger foods for older children.

At the beginning of the book there is an introduction page it tells you all about weaning and some great advice and tips, this follows through the book and there is an introduction at the start of each stage of weaning which tells you things like which foods the baby can start to try, how much on average they should be eating and other useful hints and tips for that stage. The book also has a really helpful weaning chart that you can stick up on your fridge or wall as a quick weaning reference when your cooking. The chart includes a really nice section where you can record all of you babies weaning milestones and food preferences.

The Recipes 

There are no weird recipes in the book or ingredients that you will have trouble finding, the recipes are mainly things that you would always have in the cupboard so no need to go out spending copious amounts of money on things haven't heard of which is often the case in a lot of recipe books.



The Recipes are really simple to follow I love that they have a little clock next to them so you know how long they will take to prepare and cook, it also tells you how many portions that the recipe will make or how many ice cube trays it will take up so you could make your little one meals in batches to last the whole week.

There are a variety of recipes too choose from in each of the weaning sections something to suit everyone, there are your basic fruit and veg purees to pies curries and pastas a lot of the recipes that are further on through the book could be used for the whole family, I love that the book is so adaptable and has so much helpful information.

I had a go at cooking the oats, banana + mixed spice the preparation time states in the book five minutes and the cook time ten minutes the recipe took me just a little over five minutes and the cook time was as stated, I wasn't sure about the mixed spices as it smelt quite strong, But Jack really enjoyed the meal and I really enjoyed that I had made the recipe myself I felt a sense of fulfilment.

I have to say this has got to be my favourite cook book, just because of how busy life can be and this book makes cooking really simple its a great way of knowing your little one is getting something healthy to eat, I can honestly say I am looking forward to Jack growing with this book and cooking more of the lovely recipes found within it.


The First Foods Book from Ella's Kitchen retails for £14.99 which, in my opinion, is great value for money as this book will last us way into the toddler years.

Visit Ella's Kitchen on their website here to see their full range of Cook Books.

I was sent a copy of this fantastic recipe book from Ella's Kitchen for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.

#MySundayPhoto

Liam, Adam and Jack's weaning photos 

#Weaning Week, Baby led Weaning

Baby Led weaning has been around for years most parents do this without even knowing they are doing it, the confusing thing about baby led weaning is probably just by the name of it, So what is it? it basically means no purees, no ice cube trays, no food processor, no potato masher, no baby rice, no strange fruit and vegetable mixtures its just you and your child, eating food that you enjoy with you and your family.

The difference between baby led weaning and traditional weaning, is only in the order that children learn to eat, with a puree, they learn to swallow first and then chew, which works fine until they meet a lump. With baby led weaning, the babies learn to chew first and swallowing might come some time later.

How to get started with baby led weaning. 

The best time to try giving your baby finger foods, is when you and your family all sit down to eat. Remember never use this method before six months not only will most babies not be able to pick there own food up but there digestive system wont be ready and they won't know how to chew.

The easiest foods for babies to pick up themselves are the ones that have a natural handle about them like broccoli as they have a long stork, carrots that have been cooked so they are soft cut into stick shapes, you could even try bananas cut into strips so they are easy for your baby to hold.

Your baby might not eat them to start off with and just play with what you put in front of them, they might just suck on them but eventually once they learn what they like they will eat them. This method will also help them to learn how to use there pincer grip this is where they hold food in between there forefinger and thumb but to start off with they will just clasp food in there fist.

What are the benefits of baby led weaning.

By using the baby led weaning its encouraging your baby to try food for themselves they learn quicker about different tastes and textures, they learn how to handle food and eventually learn how to use there pincer grip effectively. It will also help to feel more independent and part of the family. Hopefully this will be fun, increase your babies confidence and your baby will develop a positive attitude towards food.

#Weaning Week - How do I know my baby is ready for food?

This week - for the whole week I have a special feature all about baby weaning as Jack is now weaning onto food, I have some top tips for weaning, some great products to show you and accompany you on your feeding journey. I hope you will all find it useful, and you find the weaning journey as exciting as I do with your little ones.

Guidelines recommend that you don't feed your baby before six months of age - now of course it is up to each individual and some babies are ready before others, this recommendation is made because there digestive system just isn't ready for food and in a lot of babies there digestive system isn't developed properly, waiting until there older, also reduces there chances of developing allergies or picking up an infection, but still you need to bare in mind that all babies do develop at different paces.

I made the choice with all three of my children not to wean them until at least six months, partly because of guidelines that were in place, and the other part because I wanted them all to stay babies for as long as possible, I do remember feeling really excited when Liam got to four months and thinking about feeding as it was something new to do with my baby, but I did managed to hold off until six months, not only that it is far easier to take a bottle out with you than to carry all the bits that go with you when you start to wean.

Knowing your baby is ready,

Once you baby hits there six month milestone, they should now be able to hold there head up by them selves, they loose the reflex that makes them just stick there tongue out, are able to control this themselves. meaning they are probably ready to now take more than just milk, you might also notice that they are watching you as you eat, eyeing up your dinner or reaching to grab food off you.

• Co-Ordination - Babies should be able to pick food up and put it towards there mouth and get it in.
• Gained double there birth weight - most babies once they have done this are ready to start eating, most babies will have done this before there six month milestone or just a bit after.
• Can hold there head up - babies need to be able to hold a steady upright position to have there first foods
• Sits well - Can your baby sit well when supported? some times high chairs can be a bit slippery when a baby starts to wean you find them slipping down, so it might be easier to sit them on your knee or even in the pushchair, if it is one that has a good upright position.
• Makes chewing movements - You may notice your baby is mimicking your chewing actions when your eating. they should also be able to push food to the back of there mouths with there tongue, as your baby learns this you might notice them dribbling less.
• Pays attention -  does you baby watch you move your food from your plate to your mouth are they reaching over like they want to grab it - this is another good sign they are ready to be weaned.

Babies also do things that can sometimes be mistaken for being ready for food when they're actually not, chewing their fists, waking in the night when they have previously slept through, or wanting an extra bottles/feeds, these are all things that lots of babies do, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are ready to be weaned, it could be that they are growing or teething and also babies explore through putting things in there mouths.

If you do want to wean before six months or are unsure as to whether you baby is ready to be weaned or where to start contact your health visitor as they are always there to help and support you.