BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[Mum2b_Claire]

I think with conventional weaning you start to give finger foods at 6 months anyway, although some are ready to try them at 5 months or just after. As long as she can sit up unaided there is no harm in offering some fruit / veg sticks.

 

[Jolinar]

Well he's still not eating much, today he went to Nursery for the last of his settling in sessions before he starts fulltime on monday and he didn't eat much there either, so it's not just my cooking

The nursery are on board with the BLW and have already had a couple of babies go through on BLW with no problems so I didn't have to provide them with a copy of the book. So it's going to be out of my hands what he eats, except for the weekends of course, interesting times ahead!

 

[chrissie33]

Katie will not eat anything my mum cooks for her... poor mum, she does seperate veg and everything but Katie is just not interested.... I think my little monkey only likes mummies cooking not nannies....lol

 

[Mary Jo]

Does anyone have any recipes for bean/chick pea burgers or something like that, so I can offer these things to Adam without him throwing a wobbly (and everything on the floor)? He is unwilling to pick up food he can't get a proper grip on (witness the failure of the lovely risotto I made yesterday, which he wouldn't even attempt) so I thought I could incorporate these things in more of a chunky finger food format, but obviously stuff that I can serve us all up for dinner.

 

[sun]

Does anyone have any recipes for bean/chick pea burgers or something like that, so I can offer these things to Adam without him throwing a wobbly (and everything on the floor)? He is unwilling to pick up food he can't get a proper grip on (witness the failure of the lovely risotto I made yesterday, which he wouldn't even attempt) so I thought I could incorporate these things in more of a chunky finger food format, but obviously stuff that I can serve us all up for dinner.

Bun is the same! He likes things he can get a firm grip on - he will not eat steamed veg or fruit at all, so I am always making little finger foods. I was actually going to make black bean burgers tonight from a recipe online - https://allrecipes.com//Recipe/homemade-black-bean-veggie-burgers/Detail.aspx Normally I don't like the recipes from that site, but this one looked easy - I haven't tried it though!

I usually make a variation of these lentil-chickpea burgers for us if we want burgers:

1/2 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano ( or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 eggs
2 cups toasted whole wheat bread crumbs

Bring the lentils and water to a boil, lower heat and cook uncovered until tender (about 30min). Heat oil in a skillet and cook the onions and salt until softened, then add garlic, bell peppers, cumin, coriander, and black pepper and cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the oregano and dill and set aside. Mash the eggs and chickpeas until smooth (or use a food processor) When the lentils are ready, add lentils, cooked vegetables and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs and mix well. Let cool so you can handle them. Form mixture into balls (makes 4 large or 6 medium) and roll in the remaining breadcrumbs. You could also make mini burgers if they are going to be small finger food snacks, but adjust cooking time. Flatten into patties and put on lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees F) until golden brown and firm - about 25 min.

I actually have many veg burger recipes - a good tofu/spinach one too if you are into that combo! For me, veg burgers work out best when baked first - otherwise they will fall apart. I usually make large batches and freeze them, then thaw and heat on the grill. This is a good recipe though - and I usually make a variation of it with whatever I have on hand. I have subbed the bread crumbs for brown rice and oatmeal with decent results.

xx

 

[sun]

Hmmm - that recipe didn't show up - can you post links to recipes online?
Again I haven't made this one, but it looked really simple - I was going to try it tonight! We'll see!

Here it is copy/pasted:

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

 

[Mary Jo]

thanks Sun, those look great pretty similar to the lamb burgers I prepared earlier today only without the lamb and slightly different herbs.

 

[kirmal12]

Hello ladies, I'm only a few days into weaning and I'm getting a bit stuck. I'm giving LO exactly what we eat and offering different things but he really doesn't seem interested yet. He seems to "switch off" after 5/10 minutes and finds whats outside in the garden far more interesting is this "normal" for BLW?. The odd thing has made it to his mouth he has even swallowed banana, but he just doesn't seem to want to play with food at all.

I've given him porridge and weetabix for breakfast i just place it on his tray and try to preload a spoon for him, is there a easier way? i have tried a bowl, he just sees that as a toy instead. On a good note he has really taken to drinking from a Doidy cup!!

 

[sun]

Hello ladies, I'm only a few days into weaning and I'm getting a bit stuck. I'm giving LO exactly what we eat and offering different things but he really doesn't seem interested yet. He seems to "switch off" after 5/10 minutes and finds whats outside in the garden far more interesting is this "normal" for BLW?. The odd thing has made it to his mouth he has even swallowed banana, but he just doesn't seem to want to play with food at all.

I've given him porridge and weetabix for breakfast i just place it on his tray and try to preload a spoon for him, is there a easier way? i have tried a bowl, he just sees that as a toy instead. On a good note he has really taken to drinking from a Doidy cup!!

Just keep offering and trying different things. They will get more interested when they are ready and often would rather play with the spoon than eat. They'll get it in time though. Bun wasn't interested at all until he was 7.5 months, but then he caught up in a hurry! Good news about the cup though - still trying to get my LO to drink water!!

xx

 

[chrissie33]

Katie was a bit slower to show interest in the beginning, she did love brocolli though and carrots. She still wont eat porridge or weetabix, but is getting better with other foods and particularly likes things with strong flavours.
My suggestion is not to get hung up on this at the moment, as long as baby is still having their milk, they are getting what they need. They do get more into it as they get more practice and then the mess really does take over. Lasagne / Spag bol is still Katie's favourite as she manages to rub it in her face and hair.....

 

[jenny82]

The one thing that I remember from the BLW book, is that our LOs don't know that food is supposed to fill them up at the start. I suppose if someone sat us down - and we didn't know what food was - we wouldn't have a clue either! It takes them a little while to know what the food is for.

 

[Shiv]

as the other ladies have said, try no to worry or stress about it. I tried tried to look at meal times as play time for Sophia an di set myself a target of not worrying if anything goes in until she is 8 months old. She picked it up really quickly but becasue i had set an expectation that she wouldn't actually swallow anythign much for the first 2 months i didn't stress out (much )

As long as LO is still getting milk then no need to worry, they pick these things up in their own time, thus BABY led weaning, your LO will show you when they are ready!

 

[MissTanya]

Hello ladies, I'm only a few days into weaning and I'm getting a bit stuck. I'm giving LO exactly what we eat and offering different things but he really doesn't seem interested yet. He seems to "switch off" after 5/10 minutes and finds whats outside in the garden far more interesting is this "normal" for BLW?. The odd thing has made it to his mouth he has even swallowed banana, but he just doesn't seem to want to play with food at all.

I've given him porridge and weetabix for breakfast i just place it on his tray and try to preload a spoon for him, is there a easier way? i have tried a bowl, he just sees that as a toy instead. On a good note he has really taken to drinking from a Doidy cup!!

HI Kirmal,
I'm fairly new to this BLW too, we started a couple of weeks ago when my boy reached 5 months (he was grabbing at all our food). I try to offer food twice a day, he does do really well and sucks/eats some, but after about 10-15mins, then he has had enough (I think he hates sitting in his bumbo!).

I tried weetabix for the first time yesterday and OMG! I wont be trying that again any time soon. He made such a mess!! And barely ate/tasted any of it...was more interested in chewing on his new rubbery spoon. (But he did awesome last week when I gave him preloaded spoons of yogurt!).

Why don;t you try sitting him in your lap and giving some toast crusts for breakfast and see how he goes? My boy is pretty happy with that...espeically if there is cream cheese on it. I don't want to get into the habbit of giving toast every morning though and am trying to find a brekky cereal he will be happy to eat. If you find one, let me know?? lol.

Good luck! I think you LO is completely normal. And as the weeks go by, you will see him develop and change and start sucking/gumming more food.

 

[chrissie33]

Katie is 9.5 months and it is only now that BLW is really seeming to click into place. She has always been good with food, playing with it and trying food but the last couple of weeks, she has actually started to properly 'EAT' the food. It is strange but it seems to have changed overnight and she now eats a fair bit of her food, although does still have her milk too (bf). She is not great with a spoon though and is more interested in chewing the spoon bowl or handle but if I dip both in her yogurt, she at least gets some I actually poured her yogurt onto her tray the other day and she made lots of mess but did manage to eat a fair bit as she kept rubbing her hands in the yogurt and then sticking it her fingers in her mouth So much fun indeed...

 

[kirmal12]

Thanks for all your ideas ladies, I'm just losing a little bit of heart. He isn't interest in food at all for tea, I've bought tea forward to about 5 o'clock so we eat together and he just cries now. We are generally out and about at lunch time so i can only really give dry finger foods, so he isn't getting much practice in which is worrying me.

I was given a book yesterday and it states if you delay your baby eating after 6 months it can cause Allergies new research has found?. How much truth is there in that statement? as OH has a intolerance to milk so i really don't want LO to have that issue.

It doesn't look like LO is going to be eating anytime soon should i really be worried??

 

[sun]

Thanks for all your ideas ladies, I'm just losing a little bit of heart. He isn't interest in food at all for tea, I've bought tea forward to about 5 o'clock so we eat together and he just cries now. We are generally out and about at lunch time so i can only really give dry finger foods, so he isn't getting much practice in which is worrying me.

I was given a book yesterday and it states if you delay your baby eating after 6 months it can cause Allergies new research has found?. How much truth is there in that statement? as OH has a intolerance to milk so i really don't want LO to have that issue.

It doesn't look like LO is going to be eating anytime soon should i really be worried??

Hi there - I really wouldn't worry yet! I know it is hard, but all babies go at their own pace. My LO would not eat a thing until almost 7 months (he would have tantrums in the high chair - he was not ready). I thought it was something I was doing wrong, since I read about babies who were eating well at 5.5 months and Bun wouldn't even taste a bit of food. After 7 months he would sample a bit, but had very little patience for eating and at 7.5 months I started to see tiny bits of food in his diaper. But really tiny amounts. TBH I probably would have tried switching to TW at 7.5 months had he been willing to eat anything pureed. Lucky for me he had no interest, so I just kept offering small bits here and there. I am so glad I persevered though - as he is such a great eater now at 9.5 months!!! He was eating much better by 8.5 months and it has just been soooo amazing to watch him since then... I just had to wait until he was ready to eat.

Honestly, you are offering little bits of food and your LO will slowly get the idea. I don't know how old he is or how long you have been weaning - but for us it took a good 2 months before Bun was actually eating. I wouldn't worry about food intolerances because it is taking too long either - as your LO is getting exposed to little bits of food. Also I have done tons of research on food intolerance/allergy and when to introduce food and have come to the conclusion that "they" really don't know. Parents were advised to introduce peanuts at after a year - then 2 years - now some are saying 3 years, and there are other studies that *may* show that earlier is better... but there has been no concrete evidence for any of it. It is common for infants to have minor intolerances before a year (usually wheat, nuts, eggs, or dairy) but they usually grow out of it as their system matures. Bun has a dairy intolerance, but it isn't due to him eating later - he was exposed to milk proteins when he was exclusively bf through my milk. He has had it since he was much younger than weaning. You can try giving your LO yoghurt before cheese and milk, since it is cultured and easier to digest (and lots of babies on here love it). If he is sampling he is getting exposure to it!

xx

Edit: The first thing Bun would really work at eating was toast. It is easy to bring out and offer, and will teach him that if he is hungry, then food will fix the problem! Try some toast and cream cheese or hummus. Bun would scrape off the hummus at first and slowly gum the toast. Don't worry about complete nutrition, as your LO is getting everything he needs from you! Right now he is just learning about food and exploring

 

[kirmal12]

Thank you Sun that was really helpful!, I'm going to think positive and carry on and trust him, he will eat when he is ready. He is nearly 6.5 months and been trying just over a week so we have plenty of time!!. I have tried him with yogurt not to impressed but i will keep trying. He does like toast and does suck it, he also loves banana but just can't hold it. Thanks again

 

[hattiehippo]

Tom is 8 months and is only really now starting to get enthusiastic about eating. I've had lots of times I've despaired about how little was going in and whether he'd ever start actually eating but he is definately now getting better.

Toast (buttered or cream cheese or cheese spread or mashed banana) is great to start with. Tom will always eat toast - to start with he would just suck the topping off but now he bites big chunks of and sits chewing them for ages. He also loves strawberries and raspberries and he's recently started eating clememtines - I bite the ends off the segments first as he can't get through the skin into the fruit and juice without any teeth! I do find it hard to present meat in a form he will try - he had sausage yesterday which he loved but obviously its not something he should have everyday.

I would try to keep offering lots of different choices and let your LO play and investigate the food lots. I've also found that it really helps if we're eating the same or very similar at the same time - Tom will often eat the food from my plate but not touch his own portion.

 

[CormacksGirl]

Hi girls hope you don't mind me joining you! I thought I'd do TW but that didn't work out too good so now I'm trying my hand at BLW. FIL gave Adam a chunk of Apple and it was gummed to bits within minutes and I tried him with some toast that too was gummed to bits!! Do you just try Lo with random bits of fruit and veg and let them experiment? Please help as I feel out of my depth here!!!XX

 

[hivechild]

At 6 months, you can give them pretty much anything (other than nuts, honey, unpasteurized dairy) so long as you're mindful of salt and sugar content, just in a size and shape that makes it easier for them to pick up (chip shaped is ideal until they have better manual dexterity). With BLW, you should be able to just give them some of whatever you're eating so you're sharing meals together and you may find that you modify things a little in the beginning. For example, I tend to give Ronan shredded wheat with yogurt on top rather than using milk, and if I'm having jam on toast, I'll spread some organic fruit puree onto his, and so forth.

If you haven't already, I highly advise reading the book 'Baby Led Weaning' by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett as it will answer pretty much most if not all of your questions, as well as addressing particular concerns such as the difference between gagging and choking, and 'is my LO getting enough?' etc. There's also some information available on their website at www.rapleyweaning.com if you look at the leaflet and guidelines they have linked.