6mths and BLW, is this about right?

[bambino156]

Ds has just turned 6mths and we're going down the blw route. So far i've given him broccoli, carrots, pear, toast, bread, scrambled egg, spaghetti and Oatibix. He is very good at getting the food up and into his mouth and when its there he will bite a piece off and will make chewing movements but will then pull a face like 'what the heck is this?' and blow raspberries until it all comes out again, he also drools loads when he's 'eating' - is this quite normal?

Also, at 6mths and having just started blw, can I give him meals? Eg if we're having shepherds pie can I give him a portion or would it be too many flavours etc?

We're having chicken breasts for tea could I give him some fingers of that?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks x

 

[sillysapling]

I read somewhere that BLW and TW differ in this way:

-Traditional weaning teaches the baby to swallow first, and then baby learns to chew
-Baby led weaning teaches the baby to chew first, and then baby learns to swallow

I think what you're seeing is quite common. Also, the gag reflex is still very forward in the mouth, so it doesn't take much for baby to start gagging and push food out (this is good! it decreases choking risk!). I've read that it takes 10 times of offering food for a baby to figure out whether or like they like it. It's possible that's part of what's going on.

How long has it been? If he's only just 6 months, it probably hasn't been long that he's been doing BLW. I don't think you should expect results too quickly. We've been doing an (admittedly quite lax) combination of TW and BLW for over a month, and it's only these last two days that our baby's getting the hang of food.

On the chicken- I don't know for sure, but personally I've been taking pieces of the food, putting it at the back of the gums where I don't have teeth and see how the food does with just being gummed. I don't imagine chicken would be that great being gummed. It might be safer after your baby has the hang of eating.

On meals: I'm pretty sure babies aren't supposed to have salt or sugar so make sure your meals are without that (and definitely no honey). Beyond that, the guideline is to only introduce one new food every 4 days, so that way if your baby has a bad reaction to something you know what's causing the problem. If your son isn't going to swallow it anyways and right now he's just getting used to different tastes- that isn't a huge concern. It might be too much for him- but you'll only know once you try!

 

[Rachel_C]

If you're doing BLW, yes definitely give proper meals. That's kind of the point really! You don't need to worry about how many new foods you can give per day or week; if you're eating it and it's not too salty (total daily intake should be 1g/day max for a 6-12 month old), doesn't have honey or whole/chunks of nuts, eggs are properly cooked etc, give LO some of the same and see how he does... enjoy it My youngest's first meal was spag bol at 26 weeks and she loved it! Made a bit of a mess but she had so much fun, it was a joy to watch.

You can absolutely give chicken too. I think in the BLW book it gives advice about which way to cut meat (either going in or against the direction of the meat 'fibres', I can't remember and I don't eat meat so not sure myself) - one way or the other will make it easier to chew so maybe try both ways yourself and see which is easier. I've never really bothered with 'sticks' unless something is for dipping, chunks is fine, or whatever's easiest to cut up really.

Try not to worry or even think too much about what he's doing, how he's managing etc. Some kids pick up food and eat like a pro at 26 weeks, others are still getting the hang of it at a year old. He'll get there, the most important thing is that he enjoys it and you're relaxed

 

[MindUtopia]

Yep, all that sounds exactly right. Yes, you can give proper meals. You might find early on that things that aren't in stick or round shapes (like cottage pie) are harder to pick up, but there's no harm in letting him try. Maybe just have some things you know he's able to pick up as well so he doesn't get too frustrated if it's difficult at first. And yes, chicken strips work great. I find my daughter can't get much off them as they are a bit hard, but she can scrape them with her teeth and suck the juices. That's plenty at this stage. They don't need massive meals. I read something the other day that really the portions they should be getting are like a teaspoon of fruit and a teaspoon of veg a day. So lots will go in, but most will come back out. But you'll soon see it start to come out the other end and you can be assured he's eating plenty for what he needs. BLW is great and so rewarding! We've been doing it 3 months now and I'm amazed at the foods my daughter will eat.