BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[Shiv]

God I must be awful. LO gets a teensy bit of toast every other morning. He loves it so mch though!

A bit of toast won't hurt! your LO's are nearly 6 months anyway! Your lucky Sophia wouldn't touch anything bread related until she was about 7 months old - she just couldn't manage to eat any of it for some reason! She loves it now though (well as long as it has cream cheese on it!)

Sophia has started gagging LOADS recently. She had only ever gagged once when we first started BLW but now 3 months in she gags most meal times, she seems to just stuff so much in and move it straight to the back of her mouth where she gags! ithink she is just too keen to get it down her!

 

[jenny82]

Toast is about the only thing my LO wil never gag on, so I enjoy giving it to him as he knows how to handle it.

My dog keeps circling the table though...just waiting...for bits of flyaway food

 

[dom85]

Hi everyone :wave:

Haven't popped in her in a few weeks, we had a few set backs to begin with. I think it was about 2 weeks after Brady started BLW he had an awful week with teething (still no blimmin teeth though!) so just wasn't interested, and the week after had some kind of bug and was having temperature spikes for about 4 days, and the week after that I had tonsilitus really badly and we had to stay with my Mum as there was no way I could look after Brady on my own. My Mum tried her best bless her, but Brady wasn't exactly having three meals a day.

We've both been ok the last couple of weeks though thank goodness and Brady is now really into his food! He hasn't quite developed a pincer grip yet but he's definately better handling food and picking up smaller pieces and I've noticed him kind of using his fingers to move the food more into his mouth if that makes sense? I found it really difficult at first, but I'm getting better at just relaxing and letting him get on with it, and I've redisovered my kitchen and recipe books which is lots of fun, I'd forgotten how fun proper cooking was.

There are still a few things that I find myself reluctant to give like grapes, my friend said that they're fine if they're cut in half but I'm still not sure, can they choke on them in halves as well? I also got some cherries today as they were on offer, is it ok to give him those cut in half? How do your LO's get on with them?

Also, it might sound strange but I haven't given him mince yet, as he hasn't got any teeth he does find meat quite difficult but he can still get some bits off of chicken, pork and beef but would mince just be too small and fiddly? He does get frustrated after a while if there is something he cant get at too much.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Hi Dom85, glad you and Brady are feeling better now.
I haven't actually given Ruby mince meat yet either! Or I think I offered it once in a chilli but she just picked the beans out and ate those. However my mum is giving her bolognaise in the week and I think she'll just mix it with pasta, so the sauce will coat the pasta and she'll get some that way. (although tbh Ruby is pretty much able to spoonfeed herself now so might do that too, you could maybe give him some on a loaded spoon?)

Grapes are fine cut in half, as are cherries, ooh cherries I might get some if I can find them at a reasonable price! Ruby tends to chew grapes and suck the juice out, then spit the rest out. Mind you I haven't given them for a few months!

 

[dom85]

Thanks hun, will see how he does later. I got mine from asda, they've got 2 for £3 on cherries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

Out of interest, when were peoples LO's able to get food onto a spoon and feed themselves? I imagine it takes quite a lot co-ordination so probably a few months off just curious.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby did it a week after her first birthday, but still makes a huuuuge mess.

Might have to head down to good old Asda then

 

[kelly342000]

Hiya, we don't supplement with any other "iron rich" formula etc as although they are iron rich the iron in them is not as easily absorbed as the iron in breast milk. I personally think that breastmilk is sufficient on its own (probably until baby is well over a year old) so was happy to let baby play and get used to solids through baby led weaning whilst continuing to breastfeed on demand

brill, that's what i hope to do! what age did you find you LO demands for breast milk reduced and intake of solids increased?

To be honest I haven't really noticed Sophia having less breastfeeds but they are definitely shorter snack type feeds during the day than proper ones (iykwim). i would say she properly started eating at about 7.5 months and took a little less milk then but mainly she is just pig and has both

thanks i wont worry as much now. was in panic that she would need lots of extra iron as soon as she hit 6 months!

 

[kelly342000]

We were a bit naughty this weekend and gave LO some toast for brekkie - he loved it!!!

am just looking into and preparing for blw and haven't read the book properly yet,but why is toast so bad???

 

[Mary Jo]

Adam has minced beef regularly, usually in cottage pie or lasagne; he manages it fine on a preloaded spoon. He also has grapes, which I only cut in half if they are big, because he copes with whole smaller ones ok.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We were a bit naughty this weekend and gave LO some toast for brekkie - he loved it!!!

am just looking into and preparing for blw and haven't read the book properly yet,but why is toast so bad???

It isn't. It's just not recommended to give any food containing gluten until after 6 months, and some people start weaning before then, so technically should avoid it. Apparently babies under 6 months can have trouble digesting gluten.

 

[kelly342000]

We were a bit naughty this weekend and gave LO some toast for brekkie - he loved it!!!

am just looking into and preparing for blw and haven't read the book properly yet,but why is toast so bad???

It isn't. It's just not recommended to give any food containing gluten until after 6 months, and some people start weaning before then, so technically should avoid it. Apparently babies under 6 months can have trouble digesting gluten.

brill, thanks! i don't plan to start until at least 6 months which was why i was confused! doesn't take much tbh!

 

[Tacey]

I've not posted on this thread in a while. Alice seems to be really developing her skills and has started using her pincer grip accurately now. The only thing is, she seems much more picky. She'll still try anything, but generally only really eats meat, cheese and sometimes carbohydrates like bread and muffins. She's not fussed by fruit and veg at the moment. I remember something about babies going through phases where they eat lots of one thing, like protein. I wonder if that's what's going on. I'm not worried, but just interested. Did anyone else's baby do this at around 9 months?

 

[Shiv]

I've not posted on this thread in a while. Alice seems to be really developing her skills and has started using her pincer grip accurately now. The only thing is, she seems much more picky. She'll still try anything, but generally only really eats meat, cheese and sometimes carbohydrates like bread and muffins. She's not fussed by fruit and veg at the moment. I remember something about babies going through phases where they eat lots of one thing, like protein. I wonder if that's what's going on. I'm not worried, but just interested. Did anyone else's baby do this at around 9 months?

Sophia is doing exactly this at the moment - some things she loved a couple of weeks ago she barely touches now (mainly fruit and veg) I hop eit is just a phase and she goes back to loving her 5-a-day!

 

[Tacey]

Ah, I'm glad it isn't just Alice! I'm sure they'll get over it. It must just be what they need at the moment. Maybe a bit of a growth spurt ahead!

 

[jenny82]

OUr feeding window at the minute is about 45 seconds before the screaming kicks in. I've tried everything - leaving him to it, helping him along, finger foods, PL spoons, me feeding him, singing etc. Every mealtime ends in tears

the only thing he'll take are yoghurts and toast. Even old faithful raw carrot doesn't get a look in. I don't know what to do!

 

[Shiv]

OUr feeding window at the minute is about 45 seconds before the screaming kicks in. I've tried everything - leaving him to it, helping him along, finger foods, PL spoons, me feeding him, singing etc. Every mealtime ends in tears

the only thing he'll take are yoghurts and toast. Even old faithful raw carrot doesn't get a look in. I don't know what to do!

hmmmmmmm could it be that he is hungry when you sit him down? or tired? Perhaps try to shuffle round his routine to feed him his solids at a different time/ hope it gets better, he is still only ickle so I am sure it will improve

 

[jenny82]

Hmmm maybe. He gets brekkie at 8.30-9 and tea at 5ish. I could try breakfast after his 10 bottle tomorrow and see if that makes any difference. He literally will not eat anything in the form of fruit or veg..

Sorry for moaning! I honestly didn't think it would be this difficult. I was so excited too about introducing this new part of his life and I just feel like I'm doing a horrible job :/

 

[Shiv]

Hmmm maybe. He gets brekkie at 8.30-9 and tea at 5ish. I could try breakfast after his 10 bottle tomorrow and see if that makes any difference. He literally will not eat anything in the form of fruit or veg..

Sorry for moaning! I honestly didn't think it would be this difficult. I was so excited too about introducing this new part of his life and I just feel like I'm doing a horrible job :/

You aren't moaning - don't worry and you aren't doing a terrible job either. It could just be that he isn't that interested in solids yet as he has only just turned 6 months. As long as he is still havinghis milk then he is getting everything he needs. Just keep trying him on solids and one day it will click!

brainwave - he isn't teething is he? Sophia won't eat much when she is teething and cries a lot x

 

[Tacey]

OUr feeding window at the minute is about 45 seconds before the screaming kicks in. I've tried everything - leaving him to it, helping him along, finger foods, PL spoons, me feeding him, singing etc. Every mealtime ends in tears

the only thing he'll take are yoghurts and toast. Even old faithful raw carrot doesn't get a look in. I don't know what to do!

If I were you I'd keep it really relaxed and try not to take any notice of what's going in (or not). I know that's easier said than done, but at 6 months, he really only needs his milk. What is he sitting in? Could it be that he doesn't like that? In the early days with Alice she sat on my lap and nicked bits off my plate as she seemed scared of the highchair. I hope it gets better soon.

 

[jenny82]

Thank you ladies

You're totally right. I need to relax a bit more. Hes in a highchair that attaches to the dining room chair and its not the comfiest, although I have put a small towel underneath for his tooshy!

I also got into a routine of feeding him at certain times, although this wasn't necessarily when I was eating so it ended up me trying to get him to eat, when maybe he wasn't even hungry? Tomorrow I'm going to give him brekkie when I eat my brekkie, and lunch when I eat mine. And relax...

We're going on a teddybears picnic tomorrow, so I'll pack some sandwiches and a few bits of fruit and see how we go.

He just seems to only want yoghurts and surely that can't be good for him?!

ETA: Oh, I don't think hes teething Shiv, as that usually makes him go off his milk and hes loving the milk at the mo!