BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[Shiv]

Sorry not been in this thread much but it's lovely to see all the new faces & I hope you enjoy BLW as much as we have

I'm after some feedback from the "oldies" if there are an around please. We had the night from hell - g (fully bf) woke for a feed at 11 (not too unusual but he fed more vigorously than his usual night feed) but then woke again at 1, starving hungry, sucking really really hard and fed on & off for 2 hours, rejected water but dived on the ebm I offered and also some yogurt. Nursery said he ate all of all 3 of his meals but I'm thinking perhaps they just offered normal portion & no seconds?

Anybody else experienced sudden night hunger like this?

JoeyJo - YES! sophia has been a food and booby monster for teh last week! Eating SO much and having many more breastfeeds including during the night. She has calmed down a bit last night (slept 7-6 again) so I am putting it down to a growth spurt! i hope that George goes back to sleeping better for you

 

[Donna35]

JJ had some watermelon last night and loved it.

Gave him scrambled egg for the first time today - he seemed to really enjoy it and was feeding himself it from the tray of his highchair - he tipped the bowl up over and over so in the end I served it on the tray...but...just a couple minutes after eating it he started rubbing his face and I checked and it was covered with a hive-like rash all over his face and neck. So obviously he's now also allergic to egg as well as dairy. Feel so bad for him, just spent an hour keeping him from scratching and BF and cuddling him til he fell asleep. I feel so guilty too for giving it to him

 

[cassysuri2010]

sorry if it has already been mentioned - but i love the idea of BLW. Im still unsure of how you do it - do you still give them milk feeds and then they sit down to lunch and dinner with you and eat finger foods?!

Help!

 

[dom]

Hey all

Wow, there seems to be loads of new people in here, so a big hello to you

We went away for a week last week, and oh my word!!!!!! Baby Led Weaning is just the most amazing thing I have ever come across

Gabriella is Breasfed too, and it was sooo easy going out and not having to think about whether there would be somewhere to heat food up, or whether there would be anything suitable for her. We spent 2 full days on the beach and it was great - she just ate the same sandwiches as we did, and I just lifted my top up when she needed milk - in fact I was very impressed how unexposed I felt feeding her with so many people around - it was wonderful. When she was sat in her bumbo eating a sausage roll, an elderly gent walking past even commented on how much she was enjoying it!!

We did get a couple of funny looks when she was eating an egg-mayo sandwich in the supermarket - but I think thats because she looked so diddy in the baby seat bit of the trolley.

I also got my first "eating your words" incident this week - one that Ive been waiting for ever since I started BLW. I was at my Mums for a BBQ and my Uncle was there - his daughter had a baby a couple of days before I had Gabriella. Anyway, when it came to tea time he said to my little sister "are you going to feed Ella" to which I replied - "No she feeds herself" - to which my mum answered "Yeah, Dom's too lazy to feed her so she makes her feed herself" (I dont get on very well with my mum but thats a whole other issue!!!!!) Anyway, Gabriella sat in her Bumbo and happily munched her way through a sausage, a buttered finger t-cake, a cheese slice and some chicken meat off a chicken thigh. She then drank water from a cup - all by herself (Im mega proud of her for this) To which my uncle - looking very sheepish - muttered something about him and his daughter taking his grandaughter out to the beach for the day where his daughter fed her food from a jar and milk from cartons. My Mum also looked very embarassed but didnt dare say anything about it.....I felt ever so smug (Just let me point out here, I gave my little man the odd jar when he was a baby and Gabriella is also having some formula as Im back at work in 3 weeks, so Im not against them in any way)

Sorry for the long post everyone, but Im just so happy and proud of Gabriella for doing so well with her eating Now if I could get her to enjoy formula as much as she enjoys food Id be even happier....

xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Yay! Well done you and Gabriella! That's fantastic.
Love hearing the positive stories. You've done a great job.

 

[Xinola]

We started letting Sini 'play/try' some food already, as she has been eagerly looking at us while we eat, and our HV told us to give it a go. I started last week with a piece of banana, and Sini was very happy to play around with it, and eventually managed to put some into her mouth and spit it out. We were very interested in her reaction to food, because her first reaction was not to put it into her mouth, but played with it, smelled it, and licked it. That is a behaviour completely opposite to anything else that is no food, like toys or books, she would put them immediately into her mouth without doubt.

We tried a piece of fruit & veggie once a day for a few days. Then, since yesterday, we started sharing our mealtime with her. She has been very curious and yesterday she had had some of our foods (toast, pita, banana and peach, I'm not really sharing my cooked meals, just the basic things to get her started). She seems happy, asks for more once she has moisten the bread or the fruit so much that it is impossible to be grasped! Of course, she doesn't really eat much of the solids she tries, yet she manages to swallow some of it. Besides, we are only giving her mini-bits at this point, as I think she is still very young (5 months and a week old).

 

[Rebaby]

We're still here

Been (horribly) busy moving house and haven't had internet access but yes we are still here and still BLW

I must admit there have been quite a few occasions in the past month where i have considered giving up with BLW (we had a horrible choking episode which nearly made me run out and buy some purees there and then!) but then i've thought "Yeah- and then what?! Weaning is weaning- you'll still have to wean him and just think what TW involves!" and that idea would put me off, and i'd think "Ok, we'll see what tomorrow is like" and i guess we've just taken it one day at a time and a month later things are going a lot better

Our main issues were tantrums, which have mainly subsided, and are a much rarer occurence now, and constipation, which is still an issue but we're trying to tackle it with juice! Although Toby still gravely misunderstands his doidy cup and left to his own devices is more likely to drown himself than actually drink anything!

I think a lot of the problem was my lack of confidence...we don't know anyone else in "real-life" doing BLW, there were a couple of mums at one of our baby groups who i remember talking about it when Toby was tiny but then their LO's got older and they stopped coming to baby massage so it's not like i have been able to chat to anyone about it in person. A couple of our friends have an LO 6 months older than Toby and they started out BLW but switched to TW so they didn't seem the best people to ask about it as obviously they'd had their own issues. And of course, both our families are just as annoying about it as ever, so it's felt a bit lonely struggling through by ourselves.

We seem to have come out of the other side of it now anyway and now that our new kitchen is starting to resemble something more like a kitchen, rather than heaps of boxes and nonsense i am trying to make an effort to offer Toby things to eat more frequently and to try offering new things (as we seemed to be stuck in a rut for a couple of weeks with me always falling back on rice-cakes because they're easy and he can manage them and we always have them in) Last night we had meatballs and pasta and i made a tomato sauce (which i know is no big deal but we've always used the pre-made jars so i felt quite good about cooking it all from scratch

Anyway the pasta wasn't well received but the meatballs and sauce were a big hit and it was nice for us all to sit down and have a meal together, i think at times like that i really feel like we have made the right decision

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Well done Rebaby, I had times I doubted BLW (because Ruby ate nothing for aaages) although this thread helped massively, it was also v helpful that I have a RL friend with a LO 8 months older than Ruby who was also slow starting solids.

I guess we all have to remember that the baby led aspect of this type of weaning is just that - our babies might tell us that they aren't quite into eating yet. So they'll be a massive variation in how much babies of the same age eat.

Xinola - glad things are going well so far. Ruby was the same initially - she didn't put food into her mouth for a little while, she wanted to squash it, feel it, smell it first.

Cassy - yes, you carry on with milk feeds as usual, and sit LO down at the table with you, and offer a bit of whatever you're eating, providing it's suitable. It helps to cut food up into strips so LO can pick them up easily but the idea isn't just to give 'finger foods' - you can offer anything, even runny / sloppy foods, most babies will find a way of eating all foods with their hands.

 

[Mary Jo]

Yay, Rebaby, welcome back, great to hear things are going well.

I've been thinking about making meatballs, were yours homemade and if so, mind sharing the recipe?

Also, I know this isn't a specifically BLW question but... for those of you whose LOs have mastered the sippy cup/doidy, how long before they stopped spitting the water straight back out (if this was something they did)? Adam manages really well, and he does drink his first few mouthfuls, but then he just wants to carry on holding the cup and drinks and spits all down his bib. There's usually tears as I attempt to wrestle the cup away once he's soaked himself...

 

[jenny82]

I still mostly hold the doidy cup for my LO as he hasn't mastered holding it properly or drinks too much and is sick :/ I probably should be letting him take more control now...whats one more mess eh?

 

[polaris]

I still mostly hold the doidy cup for my LO as he hasn't mastered holding it properly or drinks too much and is sick :/ I probably should be letting him take more control now...whats one more mess eh?

I kept meaning to let him practice in the garden when the weather was nice - think I missed my chance there as it has been lashing with rain here all day.

 

[jenny82]

Culann discovered chucking the water into his tray the other day and moving all the food around so that it created one mass of disgusting mess

Oh - btw, he has also discovered that he can lean over the edge of the chair and hand the dog food. I would've scolded him had it actually meant something to him, or had I not been laughing so much. I'm going to have to start locking MAx in the kitchen...

 

[polaris]

Culann discovered chucking the water into his tray the other day and moving all the food around so that it created one mass of disgusting mess

Oh - btw, he has also discovered that he can lean over the edge of the chair and hand the dog food. I would've scolded him had it actually meant something to him, or had I not been laughing so much. I'm going to have to start locking MAx in the kitchen...

Oh yes we have had the 'mush all your food into the water you've just poured on the tray' game a number of times, it is great fun!

at Culann feeding the dog!

 

[dom]

Yay! Well done you and Gabriella! That's fantastic.
Love hearing the positive stories. You've done a great job.

Aw thanks Claire, Im just so proud of Gabriella for how well she has done. I TW my little man and BLW is a million miles away

Gabriella also pours water from her cup onto her tray, but rather than mush food into it she enjoys to splash in it It took her a good couple of weeks to be able to drink from her cup, and she still doesnt know how to breathe and drink at the same time - she kind of suck and sucks then lets go of her cup and lets if drop to the tray whilst gasping for breath. I suppose its much different than how a boob works though eh?

As for meatballs, Annabel Karmel has a fantastic recipe that goes down exceptionally well with my family....(I know you didnt ask for mine, lol, but its just so yummy I wanted to share)

Meatballs:
oil for frying; 1 onion-finely chopped; 50g red pepper-diced; 450g lean minced beef; 1 apple-peeled and grated; 50g fresh white breadcrumbs; 1tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1 chicken stock cube-finely crumbled; 2tbsp cold water; salt and pepper; flour for dusting

heat some oil and sautee onion and red pepper until soft. mix with all other ingredients and chop for a few seconds in a food processor. Using floured hands form into about 20 meatballs and fry in a little oil until browned and sealed.

Tomato Sauce:
olive oil; 1 red onion-peeled and chopped; 1 clove garlic-crushed; 600g chopped tinned tomatoes; 1.5 tbsp ketchup; 6tbsp water; salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and saute red onion for 5 mins. Add garlic and cook for 1 min. Add other ingredients and season. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Add more water if it thickens too much. Ass meatballs, half cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 mins or until cooked through.

Serve with rice (Obv, you may need to omit seasoning according to the age of your child)

Sorry for the long post, hope somebody enjoys the recipe, Ive made it time and time again and it always gets hovered up in no time

PS its suitable for freezing too

 

[candyfloss]

We've done BLW and so proud of my little man! Only things he hasn't liked has been chili, cucumber and banana! He eats really well and has jumped from just under the 25th percentile to over the 50th in 2 months

My question is, when do they start loading the spoon themselves and dipping food into pots etc?! Have tried a couple times with W but he's really not even close! I know more practice is probably key but just wondered about what age they often acquire that skill?

Thank you!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Candyfloss, Ruby started spoonfeeding herself yoghurt in a haphazard kind of way just after her 1st birthday. She never ate from pre loaded spoons.

 

[Shiv]

I thought I would do a quick update seeing as I have just got back from getting Sophia weighed.

We started BLW about 16 weeks ago at which point Sophia was
Weight - 25th centile
Height - just below 50th centile

16 weeks on she is
Weight - 60th (ish) centile (gulp!)
Height - 80th (ish) centile

SO that is where she puts all the food (not to mention milk) she gobbles!

BLW is goign well for us at the moment. Sophia seems to have 2 out of 3 meals a day where she will eat a good amount of food (whatever that is!) and one meal where she will just pick and play. I am happy with this, as when she does go for it, boy does she go for it! She can easily eat a ceral bowl full of pasta

Good to see some new faces in here, BLW really is great, even if it can take a while to get going with it.

 

[Mary Jo]

yay! good for Sophia! sounds like she is really enjoying her food and doing great. does she like your cakes and muffins?

I had Adam weighed yesterday, too - first time in 10 weeks, second time since starting BLW - and he's moved up the chart as well, from about 35th centile at 25 weeks to 40th at 33 weeks and now about the 60th at 43 weeks. I don't know how I feel about it! In a way I am happy that he's doing well but the woman who weighed him (which was an utter nightmare, he is far too active to want to sit on a scale for more than half a second ) said I had to talk to the HV and discuss feeding! I did have a chat with her (it was the one who used to come to our house after AE was first born, the one who is terrifed of Betty ) and she didn't say there was a problem, just asked if he is eating what we eat, which he does and wrote in the red book "good weight gain", so I'm trying to think positive. it was just a shock as he's always hovered around the 35th-40th, though he was about the 60th at birth.

as for height - he's never been measured. they tried yesterday for the first time but he wasn't having any of it, refused to lie down. think that's it for measuring till he is able to stand up by himself.

 

[Shiv]

sounds like Adam has increased similarly to Sophia. the HV was really pleased with Sophia and said as she is mobile now she will be getting muscly. Adam is practically walking so must be strong as an ox. Try not to worry - I know it's hard, I am mega paranoid about sophia getting fat. Adam doesn't look the slightest bit fat in his pictures

 

[Mary Jo]

Thanks Shiv. Chris said he thought it would be muscle, too. He is definitely very strong - think he gets some of that from wrestling with us at nappy time.

I feel AWFUL for being concerned Adam will be short and fat (when he is a grown up, not a baby) but I am. Me and C are both average height, I am 5 4 and medium build, he is about 5 9 and slim build, so genetically he ought to be average as well. I come from a tall family, though, have always felt a bit peeved for being the short-arse. AE has definitely chubbed out over the last few months, he was long and slim up to about 6 months old. Ack, as long as he is healthy, that is ALL that matters.