BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[Brockie]

They sound like good starters hun. It is a bit scary at first but once you've seen them gag and bring stuff up easily a few times, it's much less nerve racking.

Hebe liked and still likes steamed pear or apple. Just enough to take the hardness out of it. Cut into baton shapes and off you go! Same with carrot, parsnip, sweet potatoe etc etc.

I think bread and bread sticks are way worse for hiding in the roof of their mouths. fruit and veg slide down easy - not claggy and pastey like bready stuff

ok will try those!! agree breadsticks accumulate in the roof of their mouth, i was like 'wow you have eaten loads!' er no its now a ball of dough in his gob!

so do you offer this at mealtimes and just let them have what they want?

 

[Mervs Mum]

We have 'set' mealtimes and I offer 'snacks' in between now. We are only just on 3 meals a day in the last few weeks and she's 8 months in a weeks time!

Timing wise you can just do the same as you would with traditional weaning.

 

[Pyrrhic]

MervsMum, yep that's who's book I have.

Honestly if anyone is interested in BLW, you HAVE to read this book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244383518&sr=8-1

 

[Pyrrhic]

so I have been doing this a little with Fred, but im still scared he will choke and I always end up scraping his mouth out of any food! what did you start on giving them at first? I just don't know whats suitable?!

have done things like banana, avocado, breadstick, but i get scared!! he has mainly sucked on these and swallowed a little but not much x

Definitely don't worry about choking. True choking is very rare, and gagging is all part of babies learning how to move food around their mouths. The gag reflex in a baby is MUCH stronger than an adult, and they will gag a lot sooner than an adult would, in order to protect their windpipe. If they cough or gag, leave them and they will be able to sort themselves out. It's hard, but if they are coughing or gagging then they are still breathing, and ok.

atm Niamh just plays with cucumber, pear and melon. I think these, plus steamed veg are ideal first food. Niamh isn't ready to wean yet though, and she'll show me when she's ready.

The easiest way to start BLW is to sit your baby on your lap when you eat. Make sure they aren't hungry as at first they won't be interested in you food as food, it'll be them exploring and playing. When they start to grab food off your plate, and show it in their mouths, then they are ready

 

[Mervs Mum]

Like Nic says the gag reflex is really strong in babies esp under 12 months which is also why it's a great time to get them swimming underwater! It's that same reflex shuts their throat so they effectively hold their breath. Hebe did her first underwater swim this week and it's amazing how they just know what to do - I think it's much the same with BLW.

 

[alice&bump]

i could never understand BLW at first, OH finds it really funny that i'm dead into it now, cos i was really against it at first! but i started weaning early and she wouldnt have been able to do it herself. just beore we started kinda BLW, i made up a whole month worth of food, all purees. took fookin forever and she wont eat them now!!

i was so scared at first with fingerfoods cos we'd had a choking experience, but she eats so wel now and we only get a bit of gagging every now and then!

and right now daddy's feeding her spag bol with proper big lumps of chicken cos the meat was freshly minced so wasn't in the set "lines" like the packed stuff and she's chewing away!!

 

[sparkswillfly]

MervsMum, yep that's who's book I have.

Honestly if anyone is interested in BLW, you HAVE to read this book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244383518&sr=8-1

thats the book ive got

 

[Pyrrhic]

MervsMum, yep that's who's book I have.

Honestly if anyone is interested in BLW, you HAVE to read this book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244383518&sr=8-1

thats the book ive got

Have you started reading it yet?

 

[Brockie]

on a slightly different note I tried just giving Freddie breakfast and lunch as I wasn't sure he actually wanted a third meal, tho i started giving him one a few days ago. also, and it is selfish i admit, i didn't want him to go off his tea time bfeed as im only doing 2 a day really now and he hasnt been bothered with it since 3 meals xx

so just bfed him instead off his tea and he whinged and cried through it, got a puree out that i had made and he practically inhaled it

so guess he does want the 3 meals! oh and Rafwife yep he grabs food off us at every meal and puts it in his gob, he gets mad too when i take food off him!

really miss him just being happy with a boob feed?! and feel like im the only one whose baby is not wanting boobie anymore?

 

[Mervs Mum]

It's the same here darling. That's why I dropped the bottle for a BF so we still have 2 BFs a day. She's not interested in her mid afternoon one now unless I offer it and even then it's just 5 mins max.....

 

[sparkswillfly]

MervsMum, yep that's who's book I have.

Honestly if anyone is interested in BLW, you HAVE to read this book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244383518&sr=8-1

thats the book ive got

Have you started reading it yet?

yeah Ive finished it. Its really good.

 

[charliebear]

MervsMum, yep that's who's book I have.

Honestly if anyone is interested in BLW, you HAVE to read this book

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-W...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244383518&sr=8-1

I've got this on order from the library - just waiting for them to ring to say its in.
Cant wait to read it, hopefully it'll give me a bit more confidence to follow the BLW route.

AJ just wont open his mouth for a spoon! But on the other hand can be feeding himself and gets soo stressed out as its not 'happening' fast enough!
The main problem is I just dont seem to have a hungry baby.

 

[XKatX]

Hi ladies, how are we all doing?

Oliver is coming along leaps and bounds. We do have days where he just throws his food around and refuses to eat it, but ho hum, we'll get there in the end!

But he is on 3 meals a day now and I think it's really helping his sleep pattern. To start with, it all went heywire and he was up 2-3 times a night, after sleeping through for ages! Put the last few nights he has definitely improved and last night he didn't wake until 6.30. So chuffed! I hope this is it now. I'm struggling finding exciting things for him to eat though. Such hard work, just thinking of the days meal plan! Any hints from you girls?

Oliver loves porridge, rice pudding and greek yoghurt. Also all fruits and vegetables. Sausages go down a storm, as does chicken and pork. We're going to try lamb today. He's not great with pasta, although, I'll try him again with it this week.
I was talking to someone at a bbq yesterday and when I turned back, Oliver had taken the top off my burger bun and was merrily chomping away! Didn't know whether to be cross with him or not, so just settled on it being cute. He was only doing what he's been taught after all!

So come on ladies - updates please!!

 

[alice&bump]

well we're still mixed feeding, tbh its more purees atm than anythin else - mainly cos i've got a load in the freezer that need using! katie's feeding's come on so so much! we've gone from 2-3 weeks ago having breakfast and that was about it, to now having 3 huge meals and yoghurt/fruit after her meals too! and she's still on 4-5 7oz bottles a day - i'm so scared of getting her weighed tomorrow!! she was already on the 75th centile when she was hardly eating!

her new fave food is mushrooms, which she had for the first time yesterday, she just kept shovelling them in...made for an interesting nappy htis morning tho!!

found what i thought was a really good website for BLW recipes, but having had one of the meals, i'm not too sure!!

 

[Pyrrhic]

Niamh was feeding herself yogurt today Let her to it! Was quite hilarious.

Well we started last week, and now she's happy eating...

Watermelon
Apple
Pear
Toast
cucumber
Pineapple - is this ok to give as it's a bit fibrous?
Yogurt
Cheese

Any ideas for more things we can try? I'm having lasagne tonight - shall I just go nuts and give her a bowl to stick her hands in?

 

[maybebaby]

Hi ladies!! I am considering trying this with London. She won't eat any baby food but does have an interest in adult food... I think we'll start with a banana tonight and see how it goes... wish us luck!

 

[Pyrrhic]

Good luck I find cutting everything into long thick strips helps so they can hold and eat at the same time.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Good job Nic!! Hebe likes breadsticks - I buy the mini ones. They are also good crushed up and roll strips of banana in them - they can hold them better with the crumbs on them so they dont go slimey. Scrambled egg with cheese. Just let it cool obv before putting it on her tray. Steamed carrot and parsnip batons. Asparagus is a great shape....

 

[alice&bump]

yay katie got weighed today, she's 18lb12! just goes to show that blw does really work! even tho we're not completely BLW, its helped so much with her eating!

had a friend round with her 10 month old babies today and omg they were so behind with their eating! katie was sat eating pasta and bananas and they couldnt even eat the pasta!! she was like, they've got teeth, but cant chew! well katie's got no teeth and had no problems biting off chunks of a banana and eating it!! omg tho the food se was trying to get them to eat was so so minging!! pots of pureed fruit that just looked orrible!!

 

[XKatX]

yay katie got weighed today, she's 18lb12! just goes to show that blw does really work! even tho we're not completely BLW, its helped so much with her eating!

had a friend round with her 10 month old babies today and omg they were so behind with their eating! katie was sat eating pasta and bananas and they couldnt even eat the pasta!! she was like, they've got teeth, but cant chew! well katie's got no teeth and had no problems biting off chunks of a banana and eating it!! omg tho the food se was trying to get them to eat was so so minging!! pots of pureed fruit that just looked orrible!!

Well done Katie!!!
I've wanted to say this for ages about purees, but didn't want to offend. So I'm glad someone else did!!! The food does look minging doesn't it!

I was in a coffe shop today - with a friend of mine and her friend that I barely know. She was feeding her 14 month old some cut up crumpet and Oliver was eating an apricot while I was waiting for my pannini to cool down, so he could have half for lunch. She looked at Oliver and said "you never know, if he copes with that apricot, he may be ok with a little bit of crumpet."

I just looked at her and said "actually, he had a lamb chop for teal last night ans is having half my pannini for lunch - he's never had purees".

She nearly fell off her chair and I PMSL!!! It was even better when I told her that he spoon feeds himself his yoghurt and porridge too!!