BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[sun]

Florabean1981 - Sorry I didn't see your pancake recipe request!! This is the recipe - Bun loves these. I have made them without the sugar and salt before as well - and my substitutions are in brackets. I have been cutting them into strips lately and serving them with blueberry sauce or making "sandwiches" with them since Bun doesn't like real sandwiches. They are great to bring out as a snack!

1 cup whole milk (I use homemade coconut milk)
1/2 cup sweet potato puree (or pumpkin or yam or squash - all are delicious!)
1 egg
2 tbsp veg oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use barley or coconut flour)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I use a pinch)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg


Whisk together milk, sweet potato, egg, oil, and vinegar until mixed. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg until blended. Stir flour mixture into wet and mix just until blended. Let batter sit for 5 minutes before cooking - it will make them fluffier.

So so delicious!

 

[jenny82]

We're going through a bit of a fork obsession at the miute and its very cute. I tend to help LO prick whatever is eating so the food is on the fork then let him fire away. He is surprsingly good and is trying to pick stuff up himself so I don't think it will be long

We're kindof back on track with our BLW after a few months of wobblyness. This has probably been helped by a massive appetite spurt. LO has started eating so much. Definitely not gonna complain about this at all!

 

[sun]

jenny82 - That is so great that Culann is doing so well!!! Making me think I should try Bun with a fork! He used to only eat from a pre-loaded spoon, but went off it a month ago and now only eats with his hands! The right one for scooping handfuls and the left for little pieces lol!!! xx

 

[jenny82]

We're very funny with spoons at the minute. They are mostly chucked away :/ I got some cheap spoons from the pound shop though and it was only when I brought them home that I realised there were forks (more like sporks) in the packet too. He really loves it though!

Btw - I love your new profile pic. Bun takes such a great photo

 

[florabean1981]

that recipe sounds yummy Sun will defo be using that one; i just showed hubby & even he said yum!

 

[joeyjo]

When do we need to start worrying about our LOs overeating? I mean G is almost 16 months and on the 9th percentile (so small) for weight and just over 25th for height.

He has been eating LOTS for 6weeks plus now, at first I thought it was a growth spurt but it just keeps on going...

Today is a fairly standard day - he was at nursery
B (8am) - 2 weeetabix, slice of taost
S (9:30am) - banana, handful of raisins
L (11am) - standard nursery bowl of chicken & leak casserole with 5 new potatoes & carrots
S (2:30pm) - 4 crackers with cheese
D (4pm) Homous with veg & pitta crudites, banana porridge
S (6pm) - at home 2 bowls of homemade curry & rice (big soup bowls about half full - DH would normally eat 2/3rd of a bowl), a third of a big (500ml) tub of greek yoghurt, 2 organix (full size) gingerbread men, 2oz of milk, a cherry tomato (helped himself from the fridge)

I don't know if to be worried, he isn't fat but I just don't know where it goes or whether I should be worried about underlying issues?

 

[sun]

Wow that is lots of food!!! I really wouldn't be worried though - I'm sure he needs all that energy. My LO is soooo much more active than he used to be. He is on the move all day! They do go through spurts too - my LO was sleeping 17h/day last week... he grew a ton and this week is suddenly doing more. So they need it!

I am on the other end though - Bun is getting pickier and slower with his meals! He used to shovel whatever I put in front of him right in, but now he inspects and drops most of it off the tray - sniff! I am getting frustrated because his old favourites he no longer wants (pasta!!), including veg and meat. He is eating a bit of fruit, but other than that it is all carbs!

Also does anyone else find that their LO eats more if no one is paying attention?? The minute people fuss over what he is eating, he gets all worked up and doesn't want any more food. Then when we stop paying attention he goes back to his bowl and munches away.

 

[hivechild]

Ronan has been the same way and moreso recently, Sun.

The only time he's not like that is if there's a crowd of people he's eating around and then he'll chow down then too. If it's just us at home though, sometimes I find it helps if I just get up from the table and stand in the kitchen doing something (watching him the whole time from behind).

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby is very choosy at the moment and has rejected some of her absolute favourites such as tomato pasta, without even tasting it!

She will not eat if I go away, I have tried that.

However she is on antibiotics for a cough that just refuses to go away so I think she is not quite herself.

 

[sun]

Ronan has been the same way and moreso recently, Sun.

The only time he's not like that is if there's a crowd of people he's eating around and then he'll chow down then too. If it's just us at home though, sometimes I find it helps if I just get up from the table and stand in the kitchen doing something (watching him the whole time from behind).

Wow that sounds like Bun! He also will eat if there's a large crowd! But if it's just me or OH there then it's a different story. xx

 

[florabean1981]

Harry doesn't like eating if he feels like everyone's watching him, but if he sees everyone else tucking in & getting on with it, then he starts eating again like normal. He has gotten pickier with age (like at 13 months he's so ancient, lol) & it's hard to figure out what he likes or doesn't like as there never seems to be a pattern to it. He also wont eat if he's tired & goes through phases where he seems to crave certain things (like fruit & carbs) & he wont esat carrots unless their in little squares & silly things like that. His idiosyncrases (sp?) make me laugh & get annoyed in the same breath!

Sun, we had the sweet potato pancakes (plain) for lunch, then also had the leftovers as a snack dipped in with some mushy over ripe blackberries which he loved to, so thanks so much for that recipe

 

[littlepne]

Hi everyone! :wave:

My LO is 23 weeks and is showing signs of being ready to wean. However, her milk intake (bf) hasn't changed for weeks and she's been waking twice in the night for about 3 months and her night feeds are usually at the same time.

Should I wait for her to be needing more milk before starting? Ideally I'd like to wait another 3-4 weeks but don't want to deprive her if she needs food, but equally don't want to force the issue if she's happy (plus I think life is easier while she's ebf and I don't have to worry that I'm giving her a healthy diet!).

She'll put anything and everything in her mouth and give it a good chomping on and can support herself sat up on her hands and can sit unaided for 30-60 seconds at a time.

Everyone keeps asking me if she's eating solids now and as much as I ignore them sometimes I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing even though I know I'm right.

Any advice, ladies? Thanks in advance

 

[Shiv]

Well my advice is you can try her on some food and see what happens...........but don't feel you have to. If you want to wait until 6 months then your LO will be fine and you are not depriving her.

If you do want to try then just put her in her high chair and place some fingers of food in front of her (steer clear of wheat, dairy adn meat until 6 months though) - fingers of cooked veg (brocolli and carrot work well) or fruit (melon, or ripe pear work well - avoid apple) and see what happens. If Lo can get food to her mouth and in it then she is ready to start weaning, let her lead the way!

 

[Mrs G]

Hi

Just wondering what you started off blw with? DD is 6 months but has been on porridge and purees for a few weeks now and I want to try blw too.

Is she ok with things like toast fingers and sticks of fruit and veg? (she has no teeth!) or is she still too young?

Thanks

xx

 

[pinkclaire]

As long as shes over 6 months she can eat pretty much everything! My LO has only recently got teeth and eats everything we do and has done for a long time, you'll be amazed what they can chomp down with using their gums!

Same as above really, fruit and veg are a good way to start, toast, cheese, rice cakes. My LO eats his porridge with his hands from 6 months, maybe you could try her and see what happens? Yes it is messy, but it doesnt actually take as long to clean as you might think and they have great fun and are learning new skills which is the main thing! x

 

[littlepne]

Ok, so not quite started yet (maybe this week, not decided yet!) but what is my MIL's obsession with wanting to give her custard?! Am I missing something here?! I hate custard so I doubt I'll be giving it to LO anyway but every time we see her at the mo she's on about custard after Christmas dinner or when we were out for lunch asking if I'm having pudding with custard? I get she wants to feed her grandaughter (yeah, not really explained BLW yet!) but surely there's something better!!!

 

[jenny82]

My mum is obsessed with custard! I wouldn't mind if she had made it from scratch but she uses the powdery stuff - thats not proper custard!!

 

[littlepne]

Oh no we're on about the ready made stuff from a pack!!!

Oh well!!

 

[jenny82]

How do all your LOs get on with cutlery?

C really wants to be using cutlery - like adult cutlery, his little plastic spoons and forks don't cut it anymore! He screams blue murder until he gets my fork but I'm so worried he's going to poke an eye out :/

He is trying his hardest to spear things or scoop things up, bless

He also never wants what is on his place (despite mine being exactly the same!), always wants what I'm drinking (even wine!). I ended up having to hide my drink behind the piano during the week so he couldn't see it!

 

[sun]

Jenny82 - Bun is exactly the same when it comes to eating his food and not mine. I can have the exact same thing and he wants whatever I am eating. If I want to get him to eat something, I just pretend to start eating it myself - suddenly his mouth flies open and he starts making "ah! ah!" sounds LOL..
He also has decided he only wants metal cutlery xx