BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[juliespencer9]

How do you make bowls work? We have those sticky suction mat things and they worked for about a day until he figured out if he pulled hard enough they'd come off. It's difficult to encourage him to feed himself when the bowl just gets picked up and thrown on the floor and smashed against the table. I'm trying Weetabix for breakfast tomorrow but no idea how to approach it, any ideas? Do I just add enough milk for it to go mushy and hold the bowl while he chucks his hands in? Or mush it up and try on a pre-loaded spoon? (ooh the cleaning tomorrow is going to be epic!)

i tried with weetabix this morning, I gave it on a preloaded spoon, although maybe i should have just let her eat it out the bowl as i bath her in the mornings not at night.
I will try in the morning again, shes not intrested in food really, just pushing it on the floor!

 

[Mary Jo]

Kitten, I added milk till it went mushy and then started with the loaded spoon then moved on to the whole hands in method. I use a heavy, non-baby-friendly bowl and keep one hand on the back, he can't move it then, definitely can't lift it like he could a plastic bowl Good luck with the cleaning - Weetabix sticks to things like bits of concrete.

 

[Kitten]

Oh God I figured as much. Ah well I thought tomorrow is a good day for trying as we have no plans for the rest of the day so I can spend hours cleaning if necessary!

 

[joeyjo]

I keep offering bowls at the end of meals once he's had some preloaded spoons. I use very small light bowls - they are actually the plastic tubs sold for transporting portions of baby food. He tries very hard to eat the bowl

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

We use bowls some days... and he is pretty good at not throwing it on the floor. Have to watch him though cos as soon as he starts to get full he'll toss it! lol

 

[juliespencer9]

How long from starting BLW do they actually start eating it more than playing with it?

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

We started at 5 and a half months and Joshua wasn't really eating significant amounts till about 7 months! Maybe even 7 and a half months. before that he would eat a tiny bit and play
For weeks on end he literally ate nothing!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We started at 6 months, Ruby started eating significant amounts at 7 months.

 

[kirsten1985]

We started at 6 months, Freya started properly eating at about 8 months.

ETA, she ate loads for about a week when she turned 8 months ish, then was ill for 5-6 weeks with various sicky things, didn't really eat at all and has just started eating properly again this week.

 

[Kitten]

We started 6 months and I'm still waiting at 7.5months.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Kitten, about weetabix, I add just enough milk to make it go mushy, break it into rough pieces and put them straight onto the tabletop, Ruby just picks the pieces up like any other food.

It is messy though....but she gets fed up with pre loaded spoons very quickly, i think she resents that level of interference from me, lol, so for us it's the best way to go.

Ruby liked Shreddies today! I know they have sugar in them btw...but please, if anyone finds a suitable cereal without any in, let me know!!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We started at 6 months, Freya started properly eating at about 8 months.

ETA, she ate loads for about a week when she turned 8 months ish, then was ill for 5-6 weeks with various sicky things, didn't really eat at all and has just started eating properly again this week.

Yay, great that Freya is eating again!

Ruby has been teething badly and has had a cold, she has not eaten for a few days but started again yesterday tea time. It is a relief because part of me worried she had forgotten how to do it!

 

[kirsten1985]

Thanks yeah I can come in here again more often now! Felt a bit strange when she was only on milk for so long, lol. Still drinking heaps of milk though, 45oz ish most days

 

[morri]

At think geek there is a gyroscopic bowl

 

[kirsten1985]

That bowl looks amazing! What a weird thing to make!

 

[Tacey]

Glad to hear that your babies are eating well! I wonder if any of you seasoned BLWers can suggest how I can make the mushroom risotto we're having tonight baby friendly. I thought of giving her chunks of mushroom and cheese, but I'd like her to try the rice too.

 

[joeyjo]

Will she take a preloaded spoon? I'd just cook it without salt and give G preloaded spoons for half of it & then let him try his best with his hands/ the bowl for the rest.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Tacey, risotto is a meal I always wonder how I would make baby friendly but still tasty...the stock is so important. Do you make your own stock or use baby/low salt cubes?

I would probably dish mine and OH's portion out, then overcook LO's slightly, it might clump together a bit more and be quite easy to pick up in handfuls.

 

[Tacey]

I've not tried preloaded spoons yet, so that's probably worth a go. I make my own stock and won't add salt to it, so it should be ok for her. I like the idea of overcooking it a bit for her as well. Thanks ladies, I don't know what I'd do without this thread! I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[candyfloss]

Very chuffed today! Took W to meet my parents at a garden centre and they've not seen him feed himself before....he was perfectly behaved! He had some peppers from our salads, some jacket potato from me (ate a fair bit I think!), sucked on some veg and some poppadom with an end dipped in chicken korma!

He then 'drank' from his doidy, and had some natural yoghurt with mango puree from a preloaded spoon for pudding Then when we had tea and cake later, he sucked on some melon slices! Was so good, first time he's eaten out!

Was pleased yesterday too as his weight gain had slowed right down, but in the last 4 weeks he's put on 1lb 3oz, so think he's taking in enough doing weaning this way (his poo's tell the same tale!)