BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[sun]

Still trying to get this BLW thing to click!
After a slow start, Bun got a cold and went completely off anything but milk. Now he still won't eat a thing I offer. Especially not in the highchair! We tried to give him some applesauce - which he has managed a tiny spoon of in the past - but not anymore! So far I have tried him with avocado, sweet potato, potato and broccoli. Oh - and banana! Are there any other first foods that worked well for your LOs? Thanks!

xx

 

[joeyjo]

Tbh after the first couple of weeks I just gave G what we were having most of the time; he was much more interested in proper food than steamed veggies. More basic things he enjoyed were pears, roast veg and raspberries

 

[Mary Jo]

Adam is another who's suddenly become fussy/picky over things he used to gobble up indiscriminately... am putting it mostly down to teething with a bit of contrary baby added in.

What is more annoying is that my husband gets so stressed over the vagaries of Adam's appetite and his fussiness... I keep explaining that it's ok if he toys with the food or doesn't eat much, just as it's ok if he stuffs his face with a big portion... but I can feel him getting stressed and even angry (frustrated) and I hate it. Not sure what else I can do, other than go get Adam weighed, to prove he is doing just fine. (Even though I am sure he is without knowing the exact number.)

 

[Shiv]

Still trying to get this BLW thing to click!
After a slow start, Bun got a cold and went completely off anything but milk. Now he still won't eat a thing I offer. Especially not in the highchair! We tried to give him some applesauce - which he has managed a tiny spoon of in the past - but not anymore! So far I have tried him with avocado, sweet potato, potato and broccoli. Oh - and banana! Are there any other first foods that worked well for your LOs? Thanks!

xx

Melon was a good one for us at the start

 

[dom85]

Still trying to get this BLW thing to click!
After a slow start, Bun got a cold and went completely off anything but milk. Now he still won't eat a thing I offer. Especially not in the highchair! We tried to give him some applesauce - which he has managed a tiny spoon of in the past - but not anymore! So far I have tried him with avocado, sweet potato, potato and broccoli. Oh - and banana! Are there any other first foods that worked well for your LOs? Thanks!

xx

I was the same hun, just perservere. Brady wasn't really interested until a couple of weeks ago, I just give him what I'm eating now as he likes to give everything a hold and squidge before eating it.

 

[TigerLady]

Still trying to get this BLW thing to click!
After a slow start, Bun got a cold and went completely off anything but milk. Now he still won't eat a thing I offer. Especially not in the highchair! We tried to give him some applesauce - which he has managed a tiny spoon of in the past - but not anymore! So far I have tried him with avocado, sweet potato, potato and broccoli. Oh - and banana! Are there any other first foods that worked well for your LOs? Thanks!

xx

watermelon (or whatever melon is in season) and steamed carrots were good early ones for Otter.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

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?

Ruby started having more definite likes and dislikes at about 9 months. She isn't too keen on veg but then I am not great at offering a variety of it - we tend to onlyhave a limited few veg in the house because OH doesn't like it
So I'm trying to start varying the fruit and veg as much as poss.
Ruby does has a huge bias towards meat/fish, and carbs. So she obviously has a lot of need for these nutrients at the moment. I do find it interesting!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Still trying to get this BLW thing to click!
After a slow start, Bun got a cold and went completely off anything but milk. Now he still won't eat a thing I offer. Especially not in the highchair! We tried to give him some applesauce - which he has managed a tiny spoon of in the past - but not anymore! So far I have tried him with avocado, sweet potato, potato and broccoli. Oh - and banana! Are there any other first foods that worked well for your LOs? Thanks!

xx

Ruby was not interested in the typical 'first foods', like plain veg and fruit. She was far more interested in proper meals.

 

[jenny82]

Would Moroccan chicken be safe enough for LOs?

I have some leftovers for tonight that I might try culann on. He had a suck of the chicken last night which he enjoyed for a short while before the tantrums kicked in. There is no salt in it but there is cinnnamon, cumin and errr some other spice, I forget now which one.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Yeah Jenny that would be fine for him. Anything is fine for a 6m old apart from honey, whole nuts and shellfish. Ruby has always preferred things with a bit of flavour so maybe he will like it.

 

[jenny82]

Cool he can have that then!

I'm starting this new thing today - where I don't freak out! He's had a bit of a sandwich and a suck of apple so far and I'm not going to worry about him getting enough

 

[jenny82]

I could kiss you Mum2b_Claire!!

Today was soooo good! I was so stressed all week and today, and when I try to think the least about what we're doing and how hes getting on, it is a breeze in comparison

LO loved my dinner! He sucked on loads of chicken, I mushed down some of the sauce & chick peas and he loved the cous cous. I am so proud that we finally have made some progress

 

[sun]

Jenny82 - Glad things are going better! I also have to just sit back and let Bun take things at his own pace and not worry. But he doesn't eat nearly what Culann does! We were getting somewhere with a little bit of veg, but since he had a cold it is back to square one! He isn't interested at all! I am trying to relax and let him play - he will get into it eventually!

xx

 

[jenny82]

Yea I think relaxing is key to it going well. I had one sly eye on LO to see how he was getting on but mostly concentrated on talking and eating my own dinner. I think he was definitely more chilled out watching me eat and maybe trying to copy me in some way?

I don't think he likes just veggies on their own either which is why he liked dinner tonight. Might make a very mild green curry tomorrow and see how he gets on with that...

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Yay, so glad he liked it!

 

[Shiv]

Quick question for you please

When your LO is being a bit fussy and only eating certain parts of their meal, do you indulge them by giving them more of the bits they like (as long as they aren't too salty etc) or do you say "eat what your given"?

Sophia is being very fussy at times, and I know I could keep giving her more and more of the thing she IS eating but part of me feels like this is teaching her that if she refuses to eat some stuff then she will get more of what she does want. Bad habit? So at the moment she gets what I have prepared and if she is being fussy she doesn't get anything else (except booby later) but this means sometimes she doesn't eat very much.

 

[Punky79]

Jenny pleased things are getting better.

Shiv I would say at this stage don't offer her anything else (apart from boob) but others may disagree!

 

[Punky79]

Things are going well here. We were in Ireland last weekend and I found BLW very difficult to do when away so he had mostly purees so we are now officially doing a mixture! He LOVES toast but that's the only naughty thing I've given him (oh and some cheese - mature chedder which he just laughed at haha!)

No gagging incidences so far (fingers crossed)

 

[Tacey]

Shiv, I'm going to be awkward and say that I do give Alice more of what she seems to be eating. One of the things about BLW is that they choose food that they need, so for example, she's currently eating lots of meat and cheese, but largely ignoring veg and fruit. I guess she's probably needing the protein at the moment. Although I keep offering a range, I give her more of what she finishes. I think it's too early for them to form bad habits yet (remind me of this in a few months time...)

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We offer a few different items at each meal and then some fruit or yoghurt afterwards. If she doesn't eat much of the savoury but is clearly enjoying the fruit and yoghurt, I get more for her. Like Tacey I'm a firm believer that they take what they need. If a food is offered that Ruby hasn't tried before, or has disliked in the past, they'll be other parts of the meal that she can have if she doesn't want that. i.e when tried giving her risotto for the first time, we also served a side dish of roasted veg in case she didn't like it. I think it's important to try and offer something from all the food groups at a meal.

I definitely don't do the whole 'if you don't eat your main course you can't have your pudding' thing. A meal is a meal, I trust her to take the components she needs.

What I DON'T do is get an alternative meal if she doesn't want the meal I have prepared. If I've served a selection of foods I know she usually likes, then she will eat it if she is hungry.

When she eats no dinner I just give extra milk at bed time.