BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[polaris]

Hi Jenny, maybe he just needs milk at the moment. Maybe his digestive system just needs to take a little break from solids for whatever reason. The good thing with BLW is that baby is in control so he will only eat as much or as little as he needs at that particular time (worrying for us mummies though!). If what he needs is milk, then it is actually a good thing that he is not filling up on purees, but is getting the nutrition that he needs at this time by taking more milk.

I think the most important thing is to try not to worry or get too stressed about it and just trust that he will not allow himself to go hungry. If you keep offering foods but without putting pressure on him to eat if he doesn't want to, then I guarantee that he will go back to eating properly when he is ready. This is just a phase that he is going through, just trust him that he knows best about what his body needs at the moment. I think there is even a bit in the Gill Rapley book that mentions that most babies go through a phase like this and they normally start eating better than ever at the end of it.

 

[jenny82]

Thanks Polaris! Actually that makes sense. I hadn't been panic-ing too much as he had upped his milk, but then I think dinner just got a bit too much for me as he was so upset and I was upset and eugh...horrible

I vaguely remember reading that part of the book. I may just get a good sleep tonight and relax...

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I need some food ideas. LO has barely eaten these last few days and his milk intake has gone back up - which I suppose is a great thing, because then he isn't starving :/

He doesn't like porridge/weetabix, chucks toast & other bread items on the ground, hates pre-loaded spoons, won't eat casseroles/curries/stews, doesn't like meat. I'm so confused as a few weeks ago he was shovelling the food in. I was having to give him more of mine! And now...nothing :/

Does like tomatoes and cheese, but he can't survive on those alone! He does like pears & baby corn but doesn't get much off them so they won't be filling him up. I managed to get him to eat some natural yoghurt at lunchtime, but only a few bites! (actually, now that I remember he ate a bit more when I dipped a pear in)

I got so upset earlier and he was just screaming, almost in agony, at the table at his dinner. I ended up going upstairs to have a good cry while OH sorted him out. Was almost tempted to get him jarred food tomorrow just to get him to eat. He ate nothing then, but at least drained an 8oz bottle...

So yea - food ideas. I tried roasted veg but he just kept squishing them without eating. Won't eat bread or meat.

Remember that loads of BLW babies weren't even eating at all at this age. (Ruby included) I think it sounds like C does well with food when he wants to eat so I would assume he just isn't very hungry or is teething?
When Ruby was about 9 months I think she went about 4 days with no solids for no reason that I could see... by all means experiment with different foods but don't have any expectations that he will eat.
Actually, the ONLY food Ruby will eat for breakfast is Shreddies. Not the most holier than thou for sugar content but not the worst either, has he tried them?

 

[Shiv]

i agree with Polaris. As hard as it is, we have to try to trust that our babies will eat what they need and will get the nutrition they need one way or another. you know that your LO can eat as he has been doing so previously, so there is obviously something that makes him want milk. Teething/ Growth spurt (there are more calories in milk than solids). I really do empathise with how hard it is to trust them, but I think your LO is still fairly young in terms of "needing" lots of solids, so try to relax, keep offering foods and I bet he will pick up again with gusto. A lot of people on this thread have found that their LO's started eating properly after a bit of a fussy/ill period where few solids were eaten.

As far as alternative foods go, have you tried mince? As in make your own burgers or meatballs. Sophia couldn't manage to actually bite any meat off to start with so burgers were easy for her to break up in her mouth.

massive hugs, please try not to stress. I remember when I first started BLW I said to myself "I will give Sophia until she 7 and half a months to get the hang of eating before I will let myself worry". Ok so obviously i worried (still do sometimes) but becasue I had set myself a "deadline" i woudln't let myself actually do anything about my worry! If that makes any sense!

 

[jenny82]

I don't think hes teething. He has actually had a good few days even though the foods been off. I'll just try not to worry about it.

He does like mince although I made spag bol the other night which he didn't take to at all (although liked the pasta to play with). I might make burgers tomorrow actually. We went to a BBQ last week and LO loved the slice of burger I gave him so that ain't a bad idea

Thanks ladies. I feel tonnes better. Read out your replies to OH too - not that he was stressed...hes just glad that I ain't stressed!

Oh, and I bought shreddies a few days ago, but he didn't take to them. Tried it with yoghurt, and then milk this morning but he didn't seem fussed

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Oh and remember to keep re trying foods he didn't like the first few times, my mum has Ruby for a few hours 2 days a week and when she tells me what R has eaten, I'm always like 'but she doesn't like that!'

 

[sun]

Well I am still hoping Bun will start eating soon! I was offering him several different things, but he always starts crying every time something non-toy (or pacifier) goes in his mouth. I don't know if it is the taste or texture - but he is definitely not impressed. I do notice that it is a little better if we have him on our lap and offer him 1 thing. He sucked on a cookie (the only thing he has been really interested in - sniff!) and I did get him to test out some mushed avocado on a strip of toast. We were doing the puree/cereal combo and preloading a spoon - but he has decided that he only likes spoons with nothing on them!

I was actually considering traditional weaning since I am getting lots of pressure from people asking why he is over 7 months and doesn't eat. But I tried to feed him a few times and he has a complete meltdown! He is much happier when he controls what goes in his mouth. I am relieved it didn't work out actually, since I feel like BLW is the best way for us - especially since he is older and is capable of feeding himself!

xx

 

[TigerLady]

Sun, have you tried yogurt in any fashion? Or cream cheese on toast/bread? For some reasons Otter has always loved those. And yogurt seems to be a huge hit with lots of babies. I know Otter is super sick when he refuses to eat even yogurt. Otter's favorite dessert is yogurt cubes (I used ice cube trays to freeze yogurt and then give the frozen cubes to him).

 

[sun]

Thanks everyone for all the helpful comments!

Tigerlady - I did try some plain yogurt but he wasn't so keen. I only tried once though - so I will definitely give it another go! I do notice that Bun likes things one day and not the next, so he might be into it soon. Do you flavour the yogurt, or just give it to him plain? I will try the cream cheese too - so far I have only tried avocado on the toast. Are those laughing cow cheeses just as good as cream cheese?? They are pretty bland and similar in texture.

 

[dom]

I just wanted to bump up and ask again about gorging if you dont mind

Does anyone else's Lo's do it? Like to excess??

Gabriella ate a whole big tin of peaches the other day, bar one, which she dropped on the floor. If Id offered more she'd have eaten them. And yesterday she ate a whole punnet of strawberries, bar 4 which the OH stole . Thats on top of other foods at a mealtime.

Sometimes its like I just absolutely cannot fill her up, she eats SO much its quite scary. OH thinks I should limit what Im giving her as "she cant possibly need all that food" .

As far as i understood it your supposed to give them as much as they want?? And its not like its fried nuggets Im giving her??

I was even getting worried about prada-willie syndrome but I think im just getting myself into a pickle about it all and doubting her.

Heres a typical day ~ She's almost 8 months. She doesnt currently eat breakfast, as shes just not interested at all when I offer it (although it has been about 2 weeks so I may offer it again tomorrow) . She eats a MASSIVE lunch (usually where she gorges on loads of food - normally fruit) and then she eats a good sized tea. I BF her first thing (5.30 am), I offer formula at around 10ish, although she doesnt really bother with it, and takes between 2 and 4 ounces. She eats lunch at around 11.30 and then i offer more formula at aound 2.30, but again she doesnt really bother with it - normally 2 to 4 ounces again. We eat tea at between 5.30 and 6.30 (depending on what time OH gets home from work) and then she has formula at bed time - normally between 7 and 8 pm - and for the last few nights she has taken between 6 and 9 ounces.

What Im asking really is should I keep feeding her until she seems full?? Should I give her lots of one particular food if thats what she wants, or offer less of lots of different foods until shes full? And is 1 BF, 2 tiny formula feeds and 1 big formula feed enough in 1 day?? And also, when she starts nursery in 2 weeks Im sure she wont just be able to eat as much as she wants as portion sizes will be set out ( will double check with them tomorrow when she we're on a visit) - what should I do about this? Should I send in extra food??

Sorry for the long post I think Im feeling a bit insecure

xx

 

[joeyjo]

I go with what George wants - I try to include major food groups at all meals and I will get more of whatever he's eating but if he's avoiding everything I don't get a different meal etc.

We usually get a huge breakfast (he had more than me today!) a one of the other meals will be good but the other more picky. We tend to have 4-5 hungry days followed by a couple of picky days.

He will def gorge on raspberries but is better since he made himself sick

at 8 months he had dropped to 3BFs a day so your milk intake sounds fine.

 

[florabean1981]

at what stage did your LOs start 'eating' 3 meals a day> Harry eat fine at breakfast & has a lot of gusto with his evening meals (eating about 50% of whatever's offered; the rest is either smushed or thrown, lol), and sometimes will eat/play with a piece of toast (about 1/2 a slice of normal sized bread) or a fromage frais around lunch time, but he is totally uninterested in any other types of food at any other point in the day. I'm not overly worried about his intake, as he is still having at least 8 (more if he has a crappy night sleeping) BFs per day, so it's not a major issue, but I was just wondering approx when other BLWers started to need that 3rd meal?

 

[sun]

My LO is over 7 months and we are still working on 1 meal!
Bun is slowly starting to be a little interested, but doesn't swallow anything yet! xx

 

[babysols]

My son will not really bother about lunch, it depends what mood he is in. Breakfast he loves though and whinges for it now and his evening meal he loves too.

I have always offered him 3 meals a day though from when we started BLW, i just let him decide if he wants it or not

 

[Shiv]

dom - Sophia gorges fairly regularly - mainly on fruit as well. I was too worried but was told by the girls in here to relax and trust that your LO will take what they need. It is hard but I think itis good advice. I think your LO sounds like they are doing great for such a young age

Flora - Sophia will eat 2 good meals and pick at the other, although it does vary which is her picky meal.

 

[dom]

Thanks Joeyjo - I too try to avoid getting her something else if she isnt eating what I put in front of her. I dont want to get ino the habit of "if she doesnt want that Ill make her something else". I dont do it with my little man, so dont really want to do it with her. Of course there are lots of different foods on offer at every meal, and we havent come across anything that she doesnt like yet - although she has only just started eating bananas - she wouldnt touch them before but I think its because they're slippy.

Thanks Shiv I know that she will take what she wants, but like you say it is hard to trust them sometimes. I just do not know where she puts it! I mean today for instance, for lunch she ate: Half a buttered t-cake, a sausage, a slice of cheese, a yoghurt, a banana (a big 1 too!!) and 2 scotch pancakes. I think she'd have eaten more if Id given it to her, but she was tired and rubbing her eyes, so I put her down for a nap as we're on a nursery visit at 1.30pm

Also, how much water do your Lo's drink at meal times? Gabriella can easily drink a full cup full throughout her meal - 6oz. Do you offer it throughout the meal (like I do) or only offer it at the end??

xx

 

[jenny82]

Gosh Dom you sound like you're doing so well! My LO eats pittance in comparison and has 1oz at the very most of I'm lucky :/

grrr I constantly feel like I'm doing something wrong or missing out something really important with his weaning..

 

[sun]

Breakthrough!!!!

After almost 6 weeks of BLW, Bun brought a piece of toast up to his mouth and took a bite!!! He spit it out after, but chewed it a bit and sucked some of the avocado that was spread on it!!! I gave him a toddler cookie after and he chewed that too!!!

This is the first time he has been interested since we started - he didn't actually eat anything, but it's a start! All the LOs I have been reading about seem so into their food and I have tried everything - even pureed food (he has a complete meltdown if anything pureed or mushed is in his mouth - I have to spread the avocado on his toast so thin you can hardly make it out). So this weekend was a good start! Hope he keeps trying!!!!

So excited I had to post a pic! xx

 

[sun]

Gosh Dom you sound like you're doing so well! My LO eats pittance in comparison and has 1oz at the very most of I'm lucky :/

grrr I constantly feel like I'm doing something wrong or missing out something really important with his weaning..

jenny82, my LO is over 7 months and we just got him to put food in his mouth at all!!! (see above post lol) I think some babies are just ravenous about food right from the start, but others like to ease their way into it! And some like Bun really REALLY take their time. I think you're doing well!!

xx

 

[Shiv]

Yay WELL DONE BUN He will probably fly with it now!