BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[CloudyDay]

Lucy_Lu and TL!

I would have let myself get into an anxious ball if I didn't talk about the struggles I'm having. You mean babies aren't perfect little robots?? It looks like I'm too hard on myself and him. I'm paranoid that he'll start associating bad feelings w/ mealtimes if I let him go on and fuss and fume but I like your approaches... there's always the next meal to move on to. And, lo and behold, DS and I had a really good lunch today... he ate a lot of all the things he refused last night at dinner! Who knew??

And it helps to remind myself that he DOES still have the milk feeds to fall back on right now, in case he doesn't get enough in at the meals. I'm a worrywart, though, and I can see myself in 3 months, when DS will be 12 months old, thinking "Oh god... he's SUPPOSED to be off the bottle by now but he barely eats anything at his meals!!" Can I just trust that he WILL start eating enough solids by 12 months?

 

[TigerLady]

CD, remind me... do you FF or BF?

I wouldn't worry about it. Cross that bridge when you come to it! I have a friend that has a LO that is a very fussy eater and teeny tiny, so she is reluctant to force her off bottles when she turns 1 yr 3 weeks from now. I told her not to. (She FFs).

As for me, I BF so if LO wasn't eating enough by 12 months, I would just continue on BF anyway as I intend to let him self wean.

 

[CloudyDay]

Hi TL: I FF but not by choice. I so wish I could BF... it's more in line with how I want to parent and care for my baby but my boobies just weren't up to the job despite all my efforts. It's still painful to think of it... but that's a whole different thread.

TL, you're so great for listening to all my paranoid worries and taking so much time to give me support. Thanks sooo much! Yes, you're right... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Chances are, it won't come to that; and, if it does, it won't be a biggie. We had another great meal at dinner tonight! He ate pretty much everything and not one bit of fuss!

 

[Faerie]

Haven't been on in a while, as you can see by the title I've bottled my questions up!

So at Sofia's 9 month check they took a blood test and found out she was anaemic (and me too). She has to have iron supplements every day, I was really upset because I plan her food to try and get all the right nutrients but it wasn't enough Anyone else found out the same?

Sofia is an eating machine. I mean seriously, tonight I made risotto and she easily ate an adult sized portion, was kinda annoyed with her as I was still hungry but she ate it all The girl eats a lot. Of things she likes that is, recently she's become really fussy about veggies, she'll eat broccoli, peas and red pepper but not much else. Even things like cucumber which she used to devour she throws away. On a side note my floor is so clean these days, she hardly ever drops food unless she means to! DH says I should just give her the foods she won't eat and if she's hungry she'll eat them but I want her to eat so I give her things she likes... viscious circle.

Following on from the eating machine bit... has anyone heard of a baby having an extra high metabolism?? I don't want to see like I complete hypochondriac by asking my Dr but... she eats loads, she still bfs 1-3 during the day and then every 3 hours at night (grrr). I've tried to hold out on the night feeds but I hear her tummy rumbling and she will not sleep until she gets the boob, she has a full feed and then sleeps. She is a skinny minnie. Her Dad is the same.

 

[joeyjo]

Aww faerie & Sofia sorry to hear you are both a bit anaemic. George loves dried apricots which are meant to be high in iron & I rely on the fact that although the level of iron in breastmilk is low it is easily absorbed ... but I've never had him or me tested.

I have to say I agree with your DH about just giving her the foods and if she doesn't eat them then tough - I wouldn't do it at every meal obviously but if she refuses bits of a meal a few times it shouldn't do any harm... I'd also maybe try things similar to those that she eats so yellow pepper instead of red; cauliflower ( ) instead of brocolli...

I can't wait till the day George leaves me with a clean floor!!

As for the high metabolism question... I've no idea! george has 3-4 BFs in 24hours now but I rarely feed him between 11pm and 7:30am. Its probably completely ok but I probably would ask her doctor next time you see him just to double check, especially if you actually hear her tummy rumbling etc.

 

[Faerie]

La la la... umm, her Dr made it pretty clear that Sofia shouldn't be feeding all night and told me to just let her starve a couple of nights... but I guess I'm a pushover. He said to just hold her as she cries. My daughter is particularly stubborn, I tried it for 2 hours and just couldn't cope anymore.

She loves dried fruit too, I guess we're just unlucky with the low iron. She eats meats and leafy greens too.

Thanks hun I don't know if there's an answer... I just need sleep!

 

[joeyjo]

I tried offering George water from a sippy cup one night coz he woke about 2hours after he went to bed....
He gargled, spat it out and SCREAMED!!! Matt & I both burst out laughing at the gargle and now gargling is his fave sound!

Does she want a full feed everytime she wakes? Is she still in the cosleeper? I bet you're exhausted, i was bad enough at that stage of pregnancy with G when it was just me no other baby to look after!
I'd be feediing G too - I try for 10min to settle him then feed if he isn't settled

I guess if your iron is low then the iron in the breastmilk will be lower than ever..

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Had two crummy meals in a row: last night's dinner and breakfast this morning. DS kept getting cranky and angry at me, angrily swiping at his tray and rocking back and forth in his high chair. He didn't like any of the new foods I offered him then stayed mad until I gave him some foods he likes.

I don't want him to start learning that he doesn't need to eat things that he doesn't want to and then will get foods that he does like if he stays mad. But, I'm reluctant to end his meals early when he gets like this because he hasn't gotten much in and still seems hungry. What should I do if he gets into these fits?

I've also been giving him practice using a spoon at breakfast w/ his yoghurt. I've been trying to show him that he can't throw the spoon around or wave it around like a toy. So, when he throws it to the ground or waves it around playfully, I say "No" then take it away for a few minutes. He got so angry at me every time I took it away.

Is he too young for "No" right now?? He seems to understand it because we've worked on him drinking from a cup and were able to teach him not to shake the cup by saying "No" and taking it away.

I keep hitting these bumps as DS and I go through BLW together... it seems so much smoother and enjoyable for all of you when I read about your experiences.

It was not smooth or particularly enjoyable for us at first either!
If Ruby doesn't eat something that I know she likes, then I don't offer anything else. However, all our meals tend to involve a few different foods so she never eats nothing.

I've never let Ruby shake her cup or wave a spoon around, I've just taken them off her as soon as she does it, and she has never been bothered. With Ruby though, she eats it if she wants it, and if she just plays with it she's not hungry / thirsty so I get her down from the table. They're all different though!

 

[purple_socks]

Hello guys.
Haven't been on here for a while.
i have a quick question...

Kian really turned a corner with his eating lately. He suddenly really started eating. Less things r coming back out 9he used to spit a fair bit back out if it took too long to chew) and loads less things r landing on the floor. He eats a ton 4 breakfast...it actually freaks me out a little! he nearly doubles what i could eat!, He's never too fussed on lunch and will eat a shocking amount at dinner. But since this started (been abt a week now) He's dropped loads of feeds. He was doing a 8oz bottle in the morning, then a 7 at 11am ish, then one at 3ish then a betime one which he's always been a bit fussy with. Now he's doing 8oz at breakfast then refusing anything until 3/4pm (he'll have abt 7oz then) then usually refusing a bedtime one completely but we sometimes manage to get a few oz down and have a couple of times tried a DF but gave up coz he refuses that too- he sleeps until 7am still tho. so he's gone down to 2 bottles all of a sudden (3 if he hasn't eaten much food). anyone else LO did/doing this?

also lately he's completely refusing water! He used to love it but wont have any now. I offer him it all the time in the hope i'll find a time of day that he's thristy but no such luck and i've tried different kinds of cups. He sometimes has a little bit if its a normal cup (not with a sippy lid anymore) but he usually just spits it back out. is this a phase? with the sudden drop in bottles i'm concerend he's not getting enough liquid.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby went through a phase of not drinking water - she'd just blow bubbles into the cup then put it down again. I ignored her completely when she was doing it and one day she just started drinking properly again. I don't think there's a lot you can do really. You could offer lots of juicy fruit tokeep him hydrated.

 

[Tacey]

I need a bit of advice. After her 6 month growth spurt, Alice is now tucking in to everything with gusto. I try to check her mouth when she has finished, but she keeps her mouth tightly shut as soon as I go anywhere near her. I had a real shock the other day when an hour after her food I saw her chewing on a bit of carrot that must have been tucked away in her mouth. How do you go about checking to see that it's all gone?

 

[purple_socks]

I need a bit of advice. After her 6 month growth spurt, Alice is now tucking in to everything with gusto. I try to check her mouth when she has finished, but she keeps her mouth tightly shut as soon as I go anywhere near her. I had a real shock the other day when an hour after her food I saw her chewing on a bit of carrot that must have been tucked away in her mouth. How do you go about checking to see that it's all gone?

i gave up trying to check coz Kian wont let me...he does stash food in there all the time tho and it pops out later (guess he's keeping it for a mid morning/ mid afternoon snack?!) i try and make him laugh and see if i can spot anything and i've also tried offering water to wash anything away but mostly i just keep an eye on him after meals 4 a bit incase some foods been stashed away. I don't think theres much else u can do

 

[craftymum]

I tried offering Jacob some fruit again as I was a bit scared after the last time - I gave him broccoli and he started gagging (which I expected) but he also started coughing like mad and then threw up everywhere so I left it a while and tonight I offered him some banana and pear - the banana he found hard to keep a grip of as it gets so slimy so quickly but the pear was much easier for him. He really seemed to love the pear and kept munching away and then as expected spitting it out again. But he started gagging and then threw up again. I did expect the gagging but it's the throwing up that's bothering me, do all babies do this at the beginning and how long can I expect it to last for? Sorry for the silly questions

 

[TigerLady]

PS, Otter decreased his milk intake significantly when he started eating loads. I can't really tell you in ounces as he BFs, but he dropped feeds and is taking much much less when he does feed.

Doidy cups work best for drinking for us. I also offer more than just water (maybe I am a bad mom! ) But I offer juices sometimes, too. I just dilute them with loads of water. Probably about 25% juice, or even less. And I tend to stick to apple and white grape.

T, I don't have the same trouble with checking Otter's mouth, he'll let me a little, but won't let me do it REALLY well. The water after the meal is usually a good trick. Last night an entire bean bit (about 1 in long) washed into the cup! Also, I tend to lay him back (to change him or something) shortly after eating. I try to get him to talk and/or laugh and that usually provides another chance for a look.

CM, I think most babies gag and then vomit at some point. Otter has done it once. Some babies do it more than others. I know another girl who has a baby that has a SUPER sensitive gag reflex and she is struggling with the LO vomitting almost every time she does BLW. She seems to do better with some foods as compared to others. It should get better with time as the gag relfex goes back further and they get better at moving food around in their mouth.

 

[craftymum]

Thanks TL - it's just a bit scary as I've only gave him food twice and it's happened both times, but I really want to keep up BLW so I'll persevere for a while and see how it goes.

 

[NIfirsttimer]

ruby did it quite a lot at the start, but she soon learnt how to control the food in her mouth better, and now she pushes it forwards instead of backwards if its too big.. hang in there, it will come!
hes maybe just not quite ready? have you tried any of the organix snacky type things? or a wee breadstick even? they organix things just turn to mush as they suck them, so theres nothing to gag on, and at the start ruby would just suck her breadstick (6 teeth later she just bites off huge chunks lol) apple and pear are quite 'gaggy' foods as they are quite hard, so maybe steam them first? or you could try some toast too.. easy to hold and unlikely that he will bite off huge bits at the start...
also.. he doesnt have a stuffy nose or anything does he? Ruby still coughs & vomits when shes eating if shes got a blocked up nose, or is mucusy...

re the food left in mouth thing... i give ruby a good drink of water from her doidy cup, and usually any chunks left will fall into the cup when she drinks, or get swallowed as she drinks. do you use a doidy at all?

 

[Poppy7]

I never realised this thread existed (I tend to only stick to a few areas in the forum). I am intending to do BLW with Elliott. I bought the Gill Rapley book and it is brilliant. People are finally starting to "grasp" the idea better and the book has helped me to build up a base of responses and facts to their questions and comments.

I can't wait to get started (6 months minimum though for us) and see little one gumming on some "Mummy and Daddy" food.xx

 

[craftymum]

never thought of the organix things, might have a look tomorrow. I'm not really giving him much just the odd wee bit of fruit or veg, the pear was very soft, would be wary of apple just yet though.

 

[CloudyDay]

It was not smooth or particularly enjoyable for us at first either!
If Ruby doesn't eat something that I know she likes, then I don't offer anything else. However, all our meals tend to involve a few different foods so she never eats nothing.

I've never let Ruby shake her cup or wave a spoon around, I've just taken them off her as soon as she does it, and she has never been bothered. With Ruby though, she eats it if she wants it, and if she just plays with it she's not hungry / thirsty so I get her down from the table. They're all different though!

M2BC: Once again, it was comforting to hear that I'm not alone on the "bumpy road"! Thanks for letting me know it's not just me.

I've started TigerLady's strategies for dealing with DS's fussiness and it seems to be working. If he starts wiping food off the tray, I just calmly clear the tray for him, let him calm down, then offer the foods again, one at a time. If he still gets mad, I calmly tell him that's what he has for dinner tonight. While I turned away to eat my dinner, he quietly munched on some of the food he'd swiped away.

I've read the posts about clearing food out of the mouth with interest! I'd read this bit in the book and have always forgotten to do it! It could be a choking hazard during naps so I'm going to make a point to remember to do a check after each meal!

 

[Faerie]

I tried offering George water from a sippy cup one night coz he woke about 2hours after he went to bed....
He gargled, spat it out and SCREAMED!!! Matt & I both burst out laughing at the gargle and now gargling is his fave sound!

Does she want a full feed everytime she wakes? Is she still in the cosleeper? I bet you're exhausted, i was bad enough at that stage of pregnancy with G when it was just me no other baby to look after!
I'd be feediing G too - I try for 10min to settle him then feed if he isn't settled

I guess if your iron is low then the iron in the breastmilk will be lower than ever..

Yep, full feed every time, furious sucking until the milk comes in and then insists on second boob too. We haven't coslept for a couple of months, she's been in her own room.

She's ill again now anyway so won't be getting sleep for a while!