BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[CloudyDay]

Oh! I will admit, though, if an allergy pops up, it might be very hard to sort out if you are doing BLW.

Otter developed an allergy .... and in the day until I figured out what it was, I kept thinking, if this is food, how will I EVER figure out what food it was????

But it turned out to be penecillin.

That's what I'm worried about... how would you deal w/ it if it turned out to be a food allergy? I guess the only thing we can do is slowly narrow it down... a pain, but I suppose it's a sacrifice worth making for the benefits of BLW??

see I never understood this with TW and it's part of why I chose BLW; if u just add 1 food at a time at what stage do you take the plunge and just let the kid eat? You could introduce new foods individually for years

Yeah... that's what it felt like to me, as I waited 4 days between each new food!!

 

[CloudyDay]

Oops... double posted. Something's wierd w/ BnB today! (Is it just me?)

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Hi Ladies ,
I have a bit of a question for you .

How long did it take before your little one's really started to eat any substantial amount of the foods you offer ?

We started weaning Willow at 6 months , I'll admit we tried doing traditional weaning at first but quiet quickly saw that that just wasn't going to work . She hates being soon fed but will quiet happily feed herself . We've been doing BLW ever since .I've noticed she is eating more but not a whole lot . I know that babies primary source of nutrition for the first year should be milk . She's healthy , happy , gaining weight well and meeting all her developmental milestones but being the perpetual worrier that I am I still worry she's not eating enough solids . We've been offering three meals per day and a snack or two . I'd say 90% of her diet right now is still breastmilk .

Don't worry about her mostly having milk, think my LO started to eat substantial amounts at about 7 and half months, that was 2 months after we started. He was poorly for a week, then and all of a sudden he wanted to eat ... all the time. We have to do snacks some days now!
Is just seemed to click with him one day what food was, and he dropped two bottles almost at the same time!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Hi ladies, hope you don't mind if I join you! Leyla is 6 months in 2 weeks time and I'm so excited about starting BLW and my husband is too. She has had a few sneaky tastes of things (she loved licking a salad leaf!) but I'm really glad I've ignored what my mum and MIL said about traditional weaning at 4 months.

I'm a veggie so we (well, I!) have decided that Leyla will be vegetarian too until she's old enough to make her own decision, but my husband eats meat at least four or five times a week. Is anybody else in the same situation? How would you deal with it? I think mostly Leyla will eat with me as her dad gets home at about 8pm during the week, but there's bound to be times when she sees what he's eating and wants to try. Don't know how I'd handle that! I'll definitely try cooking more proper meals (as opposed to the naughty ready meals we often eat now) and hubby will eat those but he'll never give up chicken wings!!!

We're raising Theakston veggie My OH eats with me so Theakston doesn't witness meat meals but presumably it will happen eventually. I eat biscuits and chocolate in front of him but never let him have those, but he mainly eats "with" me anyway in that he watches me etc. I don't think he'd really notice what OH is having and reach for it but I could be wrong.

We're not veggie, but we used to eat stuff quite often that we didn't want Ruby to eat. She really didn't care at first if we were eating something different to her, or eating a snack she couldn't have like a biscuit/chocolate, but now at 10 months, we can only eat in front of her if she can have some too, she will get really upset otherwise. So that could possibly be an issue for you in the near future.

We just eat stuff Ruby can't have when she's in bed.

 

[Mary Jo]

I have a few questions...

1. Adam seems to concentrate better and eat really well when he is offered one piece of food at a time. If he gets more (even 2 pieces of the same food, for example 2 quarters of plum) he will take a bite of one, drop it, grab the other - etc, he is scattered (as well as the food) and seems distracted/over-excited. If he gets a choice of different foods for example chicken, potato wedges, broccoli and carrot, he wants to taste everything before going back and concentrating on one particular thing. But if I give him one thing he'll sit and munch through it, not dropping it, not really making a mess either. I'm just concerned that he *should* get choices each time he sits down for a meal and that he doesn't get the choice if I only let him have one thing. Also we're not having one thing at a time ourselves at a meal. But he seems to do better that way. Don't know what to do for the best.

2. What do you talk to your LO about when you eat? It's hard not to mention the food, even say - is that nice? When OH is here it's easier as we have normal conversation but just me and Adam... I have to stop myself. Though I do tell him what each food is and a little bit about it.

3. If Adam is showing signs of tiredness during a meal, even though he is still interested and picking up the food, should I truncate it?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I have a few questions...

1. Adam seems to concentrate better and eat really well when he is offered one piece of food at a time. If he gets more (even 2 pieces of the same food, for example 2 quarters of plum) he will take a bite of one, drop it, grab the other - etc, he is scattered (as well as the food) and seems distracted/over-excited. If he gets a choice of different foods for example chicken, potato wedges, broccoli and carrot, he wants to taste everything before going back and concentrating on one particular thing. But if I give him one thing he'll sit and munch through it, not dropping it, not really making a mess either. I'm just concerned that he *should* get choices each time he sits down for a meal and that he doesn't get the choice if I only let him have one thing. Also we're not having one thing at a time ourselves at a meal. But he seems to do better that way. Don't know what to do for the best.

Ruby's the same - does much better with one piece of food. Although very recently she's ok with 2 or 3. But if I put a load of different stuff down, she would just sweep it all off the table. It won't be like this forever so I would just let him concentrate on a little at a time for now.

2. What do you talk to your LO about when you eat? It's hard not to mention the food, even say - is that nice? When OH is here it's easier as we have normal conversation but just me and Adam... I have to stop myself. Though I do tell him what each food is and a little bit about it.

I do say 'is that nice'? but only if she seems to be enjoying it. Tbh I don't constantly chatter to her at meals. When OH is eating with us, we just talk about whatever really.

3. If Adam is showing signs of tiredness during a meal, even though he is still interested and picking up the food, should I truncate it?

No, I don't get Ruby down from the table mid meal if she's tired but still eating... I get her down if she's tired AND not eating, or just not eating, but not when she's just tired.

 

[TigerLady]

I also say "Do you like that?" or "Is that yummy?" if he seems to be enjoying something. But, like C, I don't generally chatter at him during a meal. Usually DH is there, too, and we have a chat and only chat with Otter some. If I am eating with only Otter I chat with him more, but it tends to be about totally random things. Whatever comes to mind really -- what our day is going to be like, what I plan to do next with him, what the cat is doing in the corner.

 

[TigerLady]

CD, I totally think that the risk of having difficulty sorting out a food allergy is worth the benefits of BLW. I just hope I never have to do it, though!!

 

[ActionCat]

Hello,

I was hoping someone could offer me a bit of advice. I have just started baby-led weaning with my little boy who is 5 1/2 months old. He has really got the hang of putting food into his mouth and sucking and seems to really enjoy it but has real problems whenever he chews bits off. If he gets a bit in his mouth, he will scream and cry for ages. For example, I gave him some banana to suck on today and he must have bit a lump off and immediately started crying really hard. It took me a while to realise the bit was still in his mouth but even when I picked it out his mouth, he carried on crying for a long time afterwards - he seemed really upset by it. Has anyone else experienced this and does it get better? I was wondering if it's worth waiting another couple of weeks and trying again but figured he'd probably still be the same about the bits! Besides, he's started swiping my food now!

Any advice?

(ps I've posted this on the BabyLedWeaning Forum but waiting to be approved!)

 

[candyfloss]

Well, William was ill at the weekend (both ends, not nice!) and now the BLW has kicked in big time! Like he's finally realised what food is!

Today:
7am BF (1 side only)
9am nap
930 BF (refused, only offered as we were about to drive to my parents 90 mins away)
12 solid lunch - about 2 baby rice cakes dipped in yoghurt / 1 'finger' of bread with scrape of marmite / about 10 spoonfulls of yoghurt / sips of water
Naps in the car, too and from shops (about 45 mins)
3pm BF (very little taken, had to express as so full, got nearly 3oz in about 2 mins!)
430 solid tea - fingers of roasted veg (sweet pots, carrot, parsnip) / two slices of nectarine
615 BF for bedtime, had 1 side then tiny bit from second side........!!!

Will offer him breakfast tomorrow.....some cereal I think.....bit concerned though that he's not getting enough milk, he will drink from a cup so should I offer what I've expressed instead of water do you think? Very proud of him but does feel strange! He'll be 7 months old on the 10th

 

[joeyjo]

Think G is really getting the hang of this eating lark now. We've had a fab couple of days where he has seemed to really enjoy everything

yesterday he had porridge & mashed banana; lunch whilst we were out - croissant, cold previously steamed carrots & green beans, tomato wedges and then for dinner he ate virtually all of a 2 egg omelete, some yoghurt and a pear.
It was the first time he'd had omelette, I gave him big slices and as I got the next ready he was really grabbing for it and wolfing it down!

Today he had porridge again, lunch was half a slice of buttered toast, an adult rice cake with basil Philadelphia, 2 dried apricots, steamed carrots, cucumber wedges. For dinner he had chilli, garlic, mushroom & black olive risotto with some veggies, pear & mandarin segments!!!

He's just been wanting to eat LOADS!!!!

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Candyfloss: My Lo did the same was poorly and then clicked what the food was!

 

[CloudyDay]

Feeling so defeated and like a terrible mom today.

I discovered and started BLW late... at around 7.5 months old. I also didn't do it 100% "right" until this week (he's nearly 9 months old now); partly because I didn't receive the BLW book yet and mostly because of my own hangups (see my posts from a day or two ago).

So, I've gotten over my hangups and have been offering DS food from our dinners, and offering new foods at each meal. I've also continued to offer foods he's already seen. As I mentioned in previous posts, DS looooves apples and pears, and now rice rusks. He's happy to wolf down HUGE amounts of apples and pears so I KNOW he wants to and can eat good amounts of food, knows how to feed himself, and enjoys eating when he likes the food.

When I give him anything other than apples or pears, he's willing to pick them up and put them in his mouth to see what they are. Then, he'll turn his nose up at them and sweep them off the tray or just drop them to the floor. I tried to be encouraging and kept putting the dropped food back on his tray but he eventually started to make whining noises when he saw I wasn't offering him apples, pears or rice rusks anymore.

Have I created picky behaviour already??? Is this just a phase he's going through? Should I not offer pears, apples or rice rusks anymore until he's willing to eat other foods (seems so cruel)? What should I do??

 

[TigerLady]

I don't think you have created picky habits entirely, hon. I think he just got used to eating that and associates that with food. It usually takes weeks of proper BLW before babies start eating loads.

Personally, I would try to keep the apples and pears down to one meal. That way you are sure he is eating some during the day. For the other two, I would not offer them. If this means upping his milk for a bit so he has plenty to satisfy him, then so be it. He probably play with the new foods for a bit (maybe week(s)), but eventually start to explore it more and eat it. It will just take some patience and perserverence on your part. Remember, you only started offering him parts of your meals VERY recently. It is too soon to expect miracles.

 

[dom85]

Hello everyone, thought I would stick my nose in a bit early as I'll be doing BLW with Brady in a few weeks.

Kind of looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time I've sussed the milk thing now!

I was wondering if I should start having Brady join me at the table? Not that I completely ignore him when I'm eating but I normally have dinner after he's gone to bed which I'm going to change anyway so thinking of doing it now so we're both in that kind of routine.

In the last few days Brady is showing a massive interest in me or anyone else eating, we were out the other day and he literally watched every bite this lady took of her sandwich and on Sunday at my parents he sat really far forward, looked in my face while I was eating and started chewing (well it looked like it) Of course everyone thinks I'm mean Mummy for not giving him food, but I'm just taking this as a good sign that he'll be ready in a few weeks (he's still satisfied on his milk so I'm not going to start earlier).

I'm wondering if my diet is going to be ok for him as well. I've got severe psoriasis and while my diet is very healthy for me, I'm not sure it will be for him. Basically, I avoid triggers for flare ups like tomatoes, citrus fruit, fizzy drinks, berries, peaches, spices and also gluten and dairy. I know that some of this is fine but I use rice milk, dont eat any cheese or dairy and not sure that this is good for a baby? Is it going to confuse him if we have different meals?

Oh, and has anyone ordered the Tripp Trapp from Kiddicare? Cant afford to get it for a few weeks and dont want to wait long for it as we'll be needing it.

Thanks ladies

 

[CloudyDay]

I don't think you have created picky habits entirely, hon. I think he just got used to eating that and associates that with food. It usually takes weeks of proper BLW before babies start eating loads.

Personally, I would try to keep the apples and pears down to one meal. That way you are sure he is eating some during the day. For the other two, I would not offer them. If this means upping his milk for a bit so he has plenty to satisfy him, then so be it. He probably play with the new foods for a bit (maybe week(s)), but eventually start to explore it more and eat it. It will just take some patience and perserverence on your part. Remember, you only started offering him parts of your meals VERY recently. It is too soon to expect miracles.

Ohhh, TL!! I felt less pressure on myself after reading your post. You're right... I have to remember that I'm basically starting from Square One right now, despite doing BLW "part-time" for a month already. If I think of it that way, it makes it easier to see why he may be behaving the way he is.

To top it all off, we had a really great dinner tonight! He was willing to take small bites of all the new foods I offered from my dinner. And, I went on a hunch and boiled some of the veggies he usually tosses to the floor, to make them softer. When I originally prepared those vegs, I purposely cooked them just "al dente". He tried them and actually ate them! I guess they were just too hard on his little gums or he just didn't like that harder texture?

Anyway, I will celebrate this success but expect steps backward as well.

TL!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Hello everyone, thought I would stick my nose in a bit early as I'll be doing BLW with Brady in a few weeks.

Kind of looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time I've sussed the milk thing now!

I was wondering if I should start having Brady join me at the table? Not that I completely ignore him when I'm eating but I normally have dinner after he's gone to bed which I'm going to change anyway so thinking of doing it now so we're both in that kind of routine.

In the last few days Brady is showing a massive interest in me or anyone else eating, we were out the other day and he literally watched every bite this lady took of her sandwich and on Sunday at my parents he sat really far forward, looked in my face while I was eating and started chewing (well it looked like it) Of course everyone thinks I'm mean Mummy for not giving him food, but I'm just taking this as a good sign that he'll be ready in a few weeks (he's still satisfied on his milk so I'm not going to start earlier).

I'm wondering if my diet is going to be ok for him as well. I've got severe psoriasis and while my diet is very healthy for me, I'm not sure it will be for him. Basically, I avoid triggers for flare ups like tomatoes, citrus fruit, fizzy drinks, berries, peaches, spices and also gluten and dairy. I know that some of this is fine but I use rice milk, dont eat any cheese or dairy and not sure that this is good for a baby? Is it going to confuse him if we have different meals?

Oh, and has anyone ordered the Tripp Trapp from Kiddicare? Cant afford to get it for a few weeks and dont want to wait long for it as we'll be needing it.

Thanks ladies

Pre weaning I ate most of my meals when Ruby was asleep because it was a nightmare otherwise. She did sit on our laps if we went out for meals, or at someone's house or whatever. But as soon as we started BLW I moved my breakfast and lunch forward so they'd be at suitable times for Ruby to join us. We still eat weekday dinners after she's in bed because we eat too late, but at weekends we all eat at 5pm. (she eats at 5pm in the week too)

Rice milk is not recommended for babies, there is a risk of it containing arsenic apparently (there was a thread a few weeks ago in this section, maybe have a look for that for more info)

I have made my diet more suitable for Ruby by pretty much eliminating all ready prepared foods, but I do still eat a reasonably low fat diet so I just give Ruby a few extra bits.

Yes I bought the Tripp Trapp from Kiddicare, it arrived 2 working days after we ordered it.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

CloudyDay, you certainly haven't created picky behaviour, but like I did initially, you've got your baby used to handling a limited selection of foods which he will of course go for over other unfamiliar foods because he knows them.

I had to limit bread and toast to one meal because it was all Ruby knew how to eat. She'd eat it no matter what I put on it, but ignored most other foods. Luckily I stopped this before she was eating large amounts, so she could learn to eat other things without going hungry. Don't worry!

 

[dom85]

Thanks Claire, Kiddicare have always been good when I've used them before. Did you bother with the table mat thing?

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Thanks Claire, Kiddicare have always been good when I've used them before. Did you bother with the table mat thing?

Not sure what that is, so I guess not! Ruby just eats straight off the table at the moment.