BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[Vee_Bee]

I know, although it relieved me to notice with my son that as soon as he had thrown up his food, he was reaching for the next bit!

Get the Gill Rapley book - its like the BLW bible and just makes sense of it all. Lots of success stories and photos too

X

 

[canadabear]

The gagging can be a bit frightening at first. I haven't read the book yet, but one thing I have noticed that helps is me controlling my own expression. If I look happy and relaxed, then Matthew doesn't get worked up about it.
I also make chewing motions, or eat at the same time. Saying yum, yum... and silly mum things while he is eating. It has helped a lot I think with his attitude and ability to deal with any gagging situations.

You could also give it a break for a couple days or a week and then come back to the food. I find that helped us at first, and when I re-introduced eating/food again, He was suddenly much better at it.

 

[2ndtimeluckyX]

Quick question...

My lo is only 4 months so not ready to start BLW for a while but I plan on going down that route.

We are starting to adjust our diet now as it wasn't suitable for a littlen and I was just wondering if herbs are ok? Normally I would sprinkle my sweet potato with rosemary and thyme and also in spag bol etc. should we be excluding that now????

 

[purapura]

Need reassurance...
My lo love veg, fruit and toasts. But he doesn't touch any mains. I dis some meatball with spagetti, fish, chicken with couscous... And all he ate was the spagetti, couscous and the potato but no meat/fish/chicken. He didn't even touch it. Will he even be interested in this? I hope he will not become vegetarian... Lol

 

[mistyscott]

Quick question...

My lo is only 4 months so not ready to start BLW for a while but I plan on going down that route.

We are starting to adjust our diet now as it wasn't suitable for a littlen and I was just wondering if herbs are ok? Normally I would sprinkle my sweet potato with rosemary and thyme and also in spag bol etc. should we be excluding that now????

Herbs are fine and used to season instead of salt (according to my BLW cookbook)

 

[mistyscott]

The gagging can be a bit frightening at first. I haven't read the book yet, but one thing I have noticed that helps is me controlling my own expression. If I look happy and relaxed, then Matthew doesn't get worked up about it.
I also make chewing motions, or eat at the same time. Saying yum, yum... and silly mum things while he is eating. It has helped a lot I think with his attitude and ability to deal with any gagging situations.

You could also give it a break for a couple days or a week and then come back to the food. I find that helped us at first, and when I re-introduced eating/food again, He was suddenly much better at it.

Hi there
I saw your post about starting BLW and how well it's going
I wondered, when you're eating your dinner, do you just give LO the bits of veg you mentioned? I've started cooking from the BLW cookbook but I can't give him much until he's 6mths can I? We were trying to give him bits of what we are eating, but should I first start him on avocado etc?

Thanks! I'm so excited about the whole Thing - unfortunately LO doesn't share my excitement yet

 

[canadabear]

The gagging can be a bit frightening at first. I haven't read the book yet, but one thing I have noticed that helps is me controlling my own expression. If I look happy and relaxed, then Matthew doesn't get worked up about it.
I also make chewing motions, or eat at the same time. Saying yum, yum... and silly mum things while he is eating. It has helped a lot I think with his attitude and ability to deal with any gagging situations.

You could also give it a break for a couple days or a week and then come back to the food. I find that helped us at first, and when I re-introduced eating/food again, He was suddenly much better at it.

Hi there
I saw your post about starting BLW and how well it's going
I wondered, when you're eating your dinner, do you just give LO the bits of veg you mentioned? I've started cooking from the BLW cookbook but I can't give him much until he's 6mths can I? We were trying to give him bits of what we are eating, but should I first start him on avocado etc?

Thanks! I'm so excited about the whole Thing - unfortunately LO doesn't share my excitement yet

Hey :wave:
I have just been sharing fruit and veggies with LO so far. As I am concerned about gluten, due to family history of bowel troubles etc, we haven't been including LO in our foods yet, except for breakfast, which is fruit for us. I don't let him have toast or oats yet.
I have been steaming some hard veggies for him and keeping them in the fridge until meal time as well. Then I don't have to worry about having something suitable for LO to eat. We do eat healthy, but tend towards spicy flavors, so not going to introduce them to LO until he is a bit older.

LO is now getting upset in the morning if we don't have breakfast. He will have a sip of the boob , but fusses until we put him in his highchair with a banana/apple/pear etc.

We started a bit early because LO was SO SO ready. He is already eating most of the food we give him, not just moving it around and then spitting it out. My thoughts are, if you think your LO is ready, then give it a try.
We started a bit early, then backed off for about 2 weeks due to some serious gagging etc.. when we started again, LO was SO into it, just picked up the food and started eating. It has been so much better for all of us now.
I don't think there is too much harm in letting LO explore fruit and veggies before the 6 month mark if they are showing all/most of the other signs that they are ready. Not much, if anything, gets eaten and food is for fun in the first year anyways.
Hope that sort of answered your questions.. rambling on

 

[StarlitHome]

We had avocado with our dinner last night and of course Molly had to join in - it was adorable, she was sitting on my lap with her chunk of (delicious, lovely ripe) avo and her eyes were fixed on her Daddy eating across from us. She has no teeth yet, but she was mimicking his chewing movements with her mouth! So cute. (Most of the avo got mushed into the table but she had fun and is learning!)

 

[JacquiKeren]

i started weaning lo at 18 weeks under consultant advice, with puree foods, but now he has hit 6 months i tried him with a strawberry and he loved it! so i have now switched to blw and i love it!! So far he has had toast, avacado, cauliflower, strawberry, pasta shapes, mash potato and lentil and mashed egg yolk on toast (that was very messy!) hes also tried cucumber.

Is there anything he shudnt have at 6months? i havnt introduced meat or fish yet, and he hasnt had yogurts or cows milk. i really want to carry on with the blw as its so much more fun for him, but im worried im going to run out of ideas of what to give him. x

 

[StarlitHome]

Apparently, Mama’s steamed carrots at home, are not as exciting as steamed carrots at Granma’s house.

 

[purapura]

My lo love one thing per day lol. Yesterday it was weetabix and toast.
The day before it was "I only eat cucumbers" day.
So weird.
But still will not touch pasta or meat

 

[ashley2pink]

I really want to try BLW with my youngest. She is 6 months. I have never heard of anybody who has done this before. What is okay to give? Only soft foods right? So no apples? Can I give carrots if they are steamed. Do I cut it into small pieces or just give a hunk of steamed carrot? What if I make something like chili or spaghetti for dinner, can she eat it too? What is off limits? So so many questions? Any website with lots of help and advice?

 

[chysantheMUM]

On the whole we've been taking this BLW thing pretty slowly and LO only has 1 or 2 types of food a day and its been going pretty well. But today when she was stuffing a potato wedge into her mouth, she started to choke, so we didn't jump up immediately because obviously she needs to learn to bring it up herself but she seemed to be struggling and making funny noises so I hit her on the back and she brought it up (a huge bit of potato) then she vomited a little. So we panicked I guess, just took her out of the high chair and cleaned her up. It did scare me a little, even though she was obviously ok afterwards because she was trying to scoop the potato (plus vomit) up to give it a 2nd go but its made me feel apprehensive about BLW now. Has this happened to anyone else before?

 

[canadabear]

Yes.. this happened with us with apple. It was really scary for OH and I. But LO wasn't fazed at all. :srug:... we ended up slowing down a bit with BLW, but now LO is getting VERY upset when we don't let him feed himself or if we don't share meals with him. So we are back on track and haven't had another choking moment.. some gagging, but not much of that really either. LO is a very good eater now... though I have to admit, we haven't tried apple again.

 

[chysantheMUM]

It happened again yesterday, this time with the yolk of a boiled egg. It wasn't as bad as the last time but its really making me question whether we're doing the right thing by doing BLW. That together with the fact that she doesn't seem to be actually eating any of it. Most of the food ends up on the floor, she probably spits out what she tastes and chews, so I'm pretty sure shes barely eating anything. So now I'm concerned about whether shes getting enough nutrients because we're in the process of gradually introducing follow on milk but it says on the box that the milk complements weaning and the introduction of foods.

 

[mistyscott]

Hiya
Yes, we had a couple of gagging episodes, once with a rice cake when I think he was so hungry he tried to wolf it down! I've learnt to always boob feed before solids now....

Saw your ticker and your LO is just over 24wks? We started offering the odd bit of veg stick a week or so ago when LO was 24/25wks and tbh he ignored most of it and certainly nothing was going down. Now, in the last couple of days he seems to have really got the hang of it better and nearly everything we give him goes straight to his mouth - and some is even definitely going down!! We've seen th evidence in his nappy

Keep at it, or hold off for a week or so but try BLW again then maybe? The last skill they learn is actually swallowing, so most of it will end up on the floor/mashed into the tray, but it's all a learning experience for them. Serious business for babies, this playing with food

 

[mistyscott]

Forgot to say, LO seemed to do a lot better when we gave him actual meal food, like lamb patties and sweet potato wedges - as opposed to raw veg sticks

 

[canadabear]

I would also say to either keep with it, or leave it for a couple of days/ a week. We started.. then had the scary moment and backed off for almost two weeks. Still let him explore food, but not often and no meal times etc.
At close to two weeks after said incident, LO was getting SERIOUSLY frusterated with us for NOT including him in meal times so we started BLW again.. AMAZING the difference. He was SO excited and happy..
He still has gagging sometimes, but that is normal..and he is eating TONS.. a lot more than I expected, as they say Food is for FUN in the first year.
There is a lot of mess with BLW.. but the look of happiness, confidence and pride in LO's little face when he feeds himself is priceless. Worth all the clean up, and it is SO nice not having to make something different for him, and then feed him at a different time. He LOVES being a part of the whole eating experience with us.

I would also second what another poster said, always do a milk feed before BLW feed. Sometimes, in the afternoon and evening meal usually, I will do a half milk feed before BLW meal and then the rest after the meal. LO responds really well to that.. though the morning I always give a full milk feed before BLW breakfast.

You are doing GREAT

 

[Connah'sMommy]

how do we all give wheetabix? i tried mashed with his milk but he wasnt keen so i thought maybe give it to him to hold and chew/gum?

Really struggling with what to give and whats off limits xx

 

[Lauki]

I soak weetabix in a couple of tablespoons of milk before giving it to her. So she can hold it and eat it, but it's not soggy and falling apart too much! At 6 months+ they can have just about anything apart from:

-Not fully cooked eggs
-Honey
-Whole nuts
-Shark, swordfish and marlin
-Raw shellfis

Obviously take care with sugar and salt and give whole fat foods instead of low fat ones .