If I can give you one piece of advice about weaning your baby it is buy this book! When my baby was about 3 and a half months old my health visitor mentioned weaning and said I should start thinking about it. She also gave me a couple of pamphlets which were a little use but after I had read them I was still left with lots of questions.

I was looking through Amazon one day and I came across this book, it seemed to have really good reviews from other parents so I took a chance and brought it. The back cover states

"The new complete baby and toddler meal planner is even better than before, and will make sure you get it just right. It includes :
Advice on weaning and when to introduce new tastes and textures
Recipes for your toddler to enjoy with the whole family
Menus to help you plan ahead and save time
Freezing and microwaving guidelines"

The book does actually 'do' what it claims to do. Even though I am now getting the hang of feeding my baby I still refer to this book at least 3 times a week, I would even go as far as saying that it is the best money that I have ever spent! I knew I wanted to prepare my own food as not only is it far cheaper than the commercial food you know exactly what you are putting into it. I spend one afternoon every 6 weeks or so preparing food for my baby and then I freeze it in ice cube trays in freezer bags. This ensures your baby always has a variety of food to eat. When I come in from work I just get a cube out of the freezer and defrost it in the bottle warmer. To add variety you can mix ice cubes e.g. broccoli and cauliflower, nothing could be easier - even twisting the lid of a jar.

The book itself is hardcover, very bright and colourful and easy to read. It is split into 6 chapters :

Introduction
The best first foods for your baby
Four to six months and weaning
Six to nine months
Nine to twelve months
and Toddlers.

It expl
ains in an easy to understand way thing like why you wait until 4 - 6 months is the right age to start to wean your baby, why you reduce the number of milk feeds slowly, the argument of fresh and then frozen against commercial baby foods.

It then goes through your baby's nutritional requirements, vitamins and minerals, water, allergies - and the 'common' foods which can carry a risk of allergic reaction.

There is a large section on preparing baby foods and the different equipment that you do and do not need. Also there is information on cooking and freezing the food.

In my opinion one of the most useful items in the book is the meal planners. They are there to give you only a general guide but they help you ensure you don't wean your baby too fast. The meal planners take a weekly form and then as your baby gets older a monthly form.

One of my most pressing questions was yes I know I have to start giving my baby solids but how much do I give? The book addresses this - in tablespoon and 'ice cube' form, which also takes into account the amount spit out and spilled. This was very reassuring to me and after a few weeks of feeding your baby you begin to know when your baby has had enough - like so many other things!

The book also advises on how to stop your baby getting a sweet tooth. I have followed it to the letter and when I gave my baby some sweet apple the other day she spat it out and refused to have any more! Although I realise this may be a coincidence her favourite foods do seem to be broccoli and cauliflower - either alone or together.

Although many of us are 'experts' at how to prepare vegetables or fruit when I thought about preparing my babies I was left a bit clueless. The book basically goes over how to prepare many vegetables and fruit in the correct way for your baby’s age. It also includes more unusual fruit and vegetables like butternut squash or papaya. Again
immensely useful.

The book also includes recipe ideas for each age band. Although when your baby is very young you may just like to feed them one vegetable the recipes give you ideas for mixing them together, for example in the 4-6 months section there is Avocado and Papaya puree and Courgette and banana puree plus many others. Personally I don't think I would have thought of either of these combinations. It does of course also cover the more 'normal' things like Apple and Pear. From the nine to twelve months section onwards it gives recipe ideas for the whole family so you can all eat the same food - making life a lot easier.

You may think you don't need a recipe book for your baby, you may be quite right! I would not have been able to 'live' without this book. It gives me interesting and varied ideas for food for my baby ensuring she will never get bored of food and also reassures me that my baby is eating a full and varied diet full of all the correct nutrients and vitamins for healthy development. If you want the best for your baby buy this book now! If you buy it from Amazon.co.uk it is £9.34 instead of the cover price of £10.99.