Taste the difference

There is lots and lots written about babies' tastes and the profound changes a mother can inflict. Much learned from observing rats, incidentally.

If you were to believe all that is written, the following are true:

1) babies "learn" flavours from the amniotic fluid, therefore they will have a fondness towards that which the mother enjoys during pregnancy.

2) flavours must be introduced during the weaning process.

I beg to differ.

My twins, obviously, shared the same amniotic fluid. I ate a very limited diet during my pregnancy with them as I couldn't eat much. I drank gallons of milk and ate a lot of cheese. I ate pasta with tomato sauces, and a lot of fruit. I didn't like sweet things at all.

At weaning, I introduced new foods to both of them at the same time. If both babies didn't eat a food, I would amend it for both of them. For example, Rob wasn't keen on broccoli or other veg, so I combined them with pear, which he did like, and both babies got the mixture. They ate the same thing at each and every meal until they were able to pick out items they didn't like. For them, this was quite old.

Based on this they should have the exact same tastes.

Nuh uh.

R loves cheese and fruit. He doesn't like vegetables of virtually any description. He adores ham and has an extraordinarily sweet tooth. He doesn't like pasta much and he loathes tomatoes in any form other than ketchup.

O likes nothing more than salad. He will eat tomatoes and cucumber in favour of most things. He loves vegetables, he is particularly fond of mange tout. He would eat pasta with tomato sauce every night for tea. He isn't hugely keen on cheese and can take or leave milk. He can't stand ham and likes sweet things fine enough, but not as much as kids usually do.

Not the same at all. What they do share is more or less the tastes of their parents. R likes what daddy does, and O likes what mummy does. This is not because they have copied, they still don't eat with us for logistical reasons, and daddy has not been involved in weaning or very much feeding - I am in charge of food.

I can therefore conclude on the evidence of my limited study that the evidence from rats and conjecture is bull and that tastes are largely genetic.

Which does give a lot of credence to baby led weaning. The main argument against the premise of giving the baby a selection of foods is that they will not try all the foods but will go for the ones they know they like. If this can't be changed, then how brilliant to let them choose and decide from an early age.

I shall have to read up on it, the whole concept of baby-led weaning goes against the weaning principles of 5/6 years ago. I fear a wee mashed banana may figure before 6 months however which is the recommended (puree free) time for baby led weaning. I liked my purees!

We'll see, I've got more reading to do first.