Every baby is different, says new mum Helen
Coronation Street actor Helen Flanagan has hit back at “negative” mum-shamers who criticised her for weaning her baby daughter Delilah, at five months.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday morning, the 28year-old wrote: “So this morning I posted about weaning my baby girl at nearly 5 months and I got quite a lot of negative comments.”
“I know a lot of mums follow me, so I wasn’t being irresponsible posting that I’m weaning my baby who’s nearly five months. I’m not an expert but I do think each baby is different. Matilda was walking at 11 months and some little ones take longer with that but she wasn’t great with her food,” she added, talking about her elder daughter Matilda.
“I suppose they all go at their own pace and Delilah is loving little baby fruit purées and is really interested,” she added.
Flanagan said now she is giving her little one only little licks of the spoon. “No mum shaming please that I didn’t boil the fruit. I am still feeding her myself and will do as long as she needs,” she said.
She continued: “I breastfeed and my toddler is still in my bed but what works for me won’t work for someone else. It doesn’t make you a better mum what ever your choice of feeding. I do think as mothers we’re all in it together, we should support each other, it’s not a competition.”
Flanagan had faced criticism after a previous post where she had written: “We are weaning. With Matilda, I waited until she was six months before I started weaning her.”
She explained that Matilda wasn’t interested in food until she was a year old, so she wanted to start earlier with Delilah.