BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[purple_socks]

sounds like ur doing a great job jayleigh...silly MW.

hope u get something sorted abt ur neighbours tho x

 

[purple_socks]

few quick questions...what rice cakes do ur LOs have?

and does anyone ever use the organix goodies toddler snacks range? i notice quite a few mums out and about with them but i wondered abt the salt content (just looked at a few on tesco.com and they seem a bit high to me). just wondered what the general concensus from everyone here is?

and what yogarts do ur LOs have?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby usually has Yeo Valley organic natural yoghurts cos I can buy a pack of 4 small pots, but I'd be happy to give her any plain yoghurt really. She's had various own brand natural and greek yoghurts. She'll eat it plain or with fruit spread mixed in.

Hmm the Organix Goodies. My friend (who BLWs) recommended them so I bought a pack.(tomato and herb flavour) Ruby does like them but I like them more. I end up eating most of them myself, doh. No they probably aren't the most saintly in terms of salt content so I wouldn't give them regularly. I do find them useful though if OH and I are having crisps or biscuits or something and Ruby is trying to grab them.

I've given Ruby boots own rice cakes, Organix, or Kallo (these aren't specifically for babies). Tbh Ruby isn't mad on rice cakes, she tends to just suck them for ages, eventually bite off a chunk, then spit it out.

 

[kirsten1985]

I get Tesco's Organic rice cakes, they have no salt in. And Alpro Soya or goats natural yoghurt.

Freya loves rice cakes, but only with a tiny bit of marmite on so she doesn't have them too often because it is salty. Probs twice a week.

I am trying to stay away from things like Organix snacks, I kind of don't think they are necessary, I can find loads of things to use as snacks at home which don't have salt or anything in and that are nicer. I have never tried them though, so that's just me guessing, lol.

 

[faille]

Violet's had a cold since new years eve and she seems to have gained an appetite for food
Milk, however, she's difficult in getting to take that at the mo.. Think it's because she can't breathe through her nose whilst having it the poor thing.

I give Violet the Amore yogurts but not that often.. Our supermarket is really bad with the selection - everything else is low fat / diet or the pro biotic so our choice is very limited!! And there's no way I'm using "kids" yogurts as they're mainly made from sugar.

 

[kirsten1985]

I thought probiotic yoghurt was fine? I always make sure I get the soya with the probiotic in.

 

[TigerLady]

I was going to try some probiotic, too... is it not okay??

 

[faille]

I *think* probiotic is fine, I just personally don't wanna offer Violet anything that plays about with your insides like that!

When my OH and I started taking the drink versions, he got really bad stomach cramps from it so I'd just personally rather not.

 

[FsMummy]

hi everyone. i want to try the babies with some proper food tomorrow and just had a few questions.

1. is it ok to sit them in thier high chairs round the table wih me or is it better to have them on my lap? its a bit of a problem having them on my lap, it doesnt bother me holding one when im eating but oh finds it difficult and won't so i dont want one on my lap and not the other iykwim.

2. im thinking about offering them dinner but should i offer them breakfast and lunch too (or bits and pieces through the day)?

they have a long bf in the morning when they wake up so shall i try them with a little bit of porridge or something afterwards (i want to see the mess they get in )

3. the dinner i have got planned for tomorrow is chicken and veg basically. but the chicken will be cooked with this jamaican seasoning stuff that i found, its really yummy and only a tiny bit spicy,i never eat spicy food but i can tolerate it, even if i use quite a lot. will that be ok for them or shall i leave theirs plain seeing as we are only just starting out? (plus ive got a feeling it may be quite salty)
i'll also be doing peppers which i would usually fry with the chicken, shall i leave theirs raw (i saved the yellow pepper so the flavour isnt overwhelming, i find the yellow ones much sweeter)
or shall i just give them some steamed carrot and broccoli to start of with as we will be having those too.

long post i know but i dont want to mess it up. im still really paranoid about the choking thing too but i guess i'll get over it

also, if you dont think porridge is a good idea, what do you suggest for breakfast? and lunch? i'm not expecting them to actually eat anything but i want to get it right, i saved some of the beef stew i made last night and froze it for a dinner another night if oh and i eat something that isnt suitable

 

[faille]

FsMummy;

If they can sit in their highchairs well then I'd personally put them in there.

Just offer them food when you know they're content. We only started on one meal a day but it didn't take long before we started introducing lunch. It isn't like traditional weaning where you have to gradually add more meals as they don't eat for a while and the more opportunities given to eat, the more likely they are to learn how to eat faster. So if they're happy and not hungry at lunch/breakfast then go for it!!

If you're unsure about the salt in the seasoning then personally I'd leave it off theirs. Spices aren't a problem though and LOs often like spicy things!
We found raw peppers good, it might be easier for them to pick up too?
I wouldn't get carried away with offering too many different things though - I'd stick to 3 different things at most when starting out.

Hope you have fun tomorrow, it's so exciting isn't it!

 

[FsMummy]

brilliant thanks, think im getting over excited i'll try them with a bit of porridge in the morning after thier first feed then give them a little bit of veg at dinner time, maybe some pepper an broccoli. does that sound ok?

 

[FsMummy]

or ill start with just porridge actually. if i just introduce one meal first how long should i do it for?

 

[kirsten1985]

I have just read a fair bit on various sites about probiotic yoghurt being really good for babies, helping with colic, eczema and things. Theres loads of info about it. People actually buy probiotic supplements on their own for babies, so I am def going to keep giving her the yoghurt with it in.

 

[Pyrrhic]

or ill start with just porridge actually. if i just introduce one meal first how long should i do it for?

They best thing I found, after trial and error, was to cut up some things and offer a bunch of different textures and tastes.

So when we started BLW, Nim had a couple slices of toast, melon, pineapple, cheese and cucumber on her highchair. Then she just picked each one up and chewed it a bit and played with it. In the end buttered toast was the winner for us.

 

[FsMummy]

or ill start with just porridge actually. if i just introduce one meal first how long should i do it for?

They best thing I found, after trial and error, was to cut up some things and offer a bunch of different textures and tastes.

So when we started BLW, Nim had a couple slices of toast, melon, pineapple, cheese and cucumber on her highchair. Then she just picked each one up and chewed it a bit and played with it. In the end buttered toast was the winner for us.

thanks! do you think i should leave the porridge and just give them a few bits at lunch or dinner time?

 

[Pyrrhic]

or ill start with just porridge actually. if i just introduce one meal first how long should i do it for?

They best thing I found, after trial and error, was to cut up some things and offer a bunch of different textures and tastes.

So when we started BLW, Nim had a couple slices of toast, melon, pineapple, cheese and cucumber on her highchair. Then she just picked each one up and chewed it a bit and played with it. In the end buttered toast was the winner for us.

thanks! do you think i should leave the porridge and just give them a few bits at lunch or dinner time?

Personally I wouldn't do porridge unless you're going to let them feed themselves. At first, they will probably play with everything with their hands a lot, then in their mouths. They are unlikely to eat any great amount of anything and will just want to play and explore.

A few people seem to have had success with buttered toast (when I was starting out on this thread) and cucumber. Any sort of food which is easily sucked or will break up easily is good. Seedless watermelon for instance.

 

[TigerLady]

I agree with holding off on porridge. I still haven't tried that with Otter yet - more because it will be harder for him to feed himself than anything else. We'll be doing fruit and toast for brekkie when we start it in a week or two.

By the time Otter is 6 months I intend to be offering him 3 meals a day whenever possible. The only reason I started with just dinner is because we started early.

We had tuna and cheese on toast last night. I gave Otter a go at a bit and he LOVED it. Loved his sweet pickle, too. I really need to order that doidy cup today, he just can't get the hang of the sippy, but does really well when I take the top of it.

 

[FsMummy]

ill hold off on the porridge lol (i was going to let them feed themselves) i dont know weather to start them off with lunch or dinner.
at lunch time we usually have sandwiches/toast and some fruit (grapes, apples, bananas and oranges are what we've got in atm but i get melon, bluberries, pineapple , pears etc quite a bit as faith loves all fruit)and faith (who is 3)usually has some chunks of cheese (she likes mature cheese though) with hers.
for dinner tomorrow it's chicken and mixed veg (inc peppers, carrots and broccol)

 

[nikkip75]

im gonna start BLW this weekend, im so excited!!!

how sad am i?????

just wondering when it comes to things like ham and chicken do you give things like strips of chicken breast and cooked ham joint or do you offer the ones from the packs? i usually get daisy packs of fresh chicken goujons or cooked chicken strips, are they the best to give?

the packs are processed arent they? and do they have salt in them, sorry i know i sound dumb but we usually get sandwich meat from the deli but im not spending a lot on meat thats gonna be flung on the floor! lol

oh and sausages, which ones do you all get? i always check the ingredients to make sure i get them with a high meat content so are normal old sausages ok?

or am im jumping ahead of myself with meat??

arrgggg im scared!

 

[faille]

FsMummy - to start with, you'll want things that are easy to pick up to at least let them explore so porrige will be quite tricky for them.

Either toast at lunch with slices of apple, pear, banana etc will be great or some veg/salad/fruit/meat for dinner (your girls are 6months arent they? If not, I'd only do 1 meal a day for now and leave the meat until 6m). So just go with what they seem happy with, when you've got most time and when you and they are most relaxed.



Nikki, I was exactly the same when we started, soooo excited. So excited I started a couple of weeks early
Note about ham, sausages and bacon - they all have high salt content so should only be offered once or twice a week. We don't do ham or sausages so cant help there, sorry!
As for chicken, we'll either get packs of frozen strips or fresh chicken which is pre-diced - they're already a brilliant size and as they're small, I don't have to worry about whether they're cooked enough etc.. as they cook really quick anyway.

We started with meat from 6m, there's no reason not to as far as I know.