BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[seaweed eater]

I think if the spoon feeding has helped her understand how to eat on her own, great! Why not? Soon she'll be able to feed herself with a spoon, anyway!

I have a question for the BLW experts. I try to give LO pieces of food about the size of my thumb, the idea being that he will grip one end and bite pieces off the other. However, he doesn't really get how to bite pieces off or how to chew them. This was fine as he'd just been nibbling on and sucking most things, but recently he's been shoving the entire thing into his mouth and trying to swallow it whole. Obviously this is far too big for him to handle so he gags and often throws up.

I know it's up to him to learn to bite and chew, but what can I do in terms of the size of the pieces? Bigger, so he can't fit it in his mouth at all? Smaller, so he doesn't have to chew? He can eat small pieces of food proficiently so dexterity is not a limitation. How will he learn to chew?

 

[nikalicious]

It's so funny, after I posted this she started eating better than before and is somewhat getting the hang of consuming more food. We'll likely do a combination of spoon/BLW and let her lead the way. She gets SO upset when we're eating something and she can't have any, I don't think she'd let us stop BLW!

I am by no means an expert, but I tend to give LO bigger pieces of things as opposed to smaller and let her pick up the smaller pieces as she makes them. We try to make the pieces no smaller than her fist (read somewhere that this was recommended). We have also have tried making exaggerated chewing motions to encourage her to chew as opposed to sucking.

 

[XJessicaX]

My LO eats a LOT. Shes only 6 months but seems to have no issues chewing. Just now shes eaten an entire egg, some cheese and a new potato. Shes also on day 4 of no poo. Couple of hard constipated lumps. I breast feed but should I be giving her water with her meals? Do I need to slow her food intake down? Its all so new to me because DD1 just didnt and still doesnt eat much!

 

[Krippy]

WSS...Following Jessica!

 

[charlie15]

My LO has been constipated once, i gave her fruit to help, mostly kiwi and figs (sounds crazy but she liked them and they work so well for me and they did for her!!). I do think that you could cut back on giving a meal and try to breast feed more, if she is taking less milk that is, and that will help. I have also heard a little amount of apple juice diluted in water helps. My LO hasn't been constipated since and i do try and give her fruit with breakfast which she usually eats and I'm sure that helps her bowels as she now goes 1-3 times a day.

 

[seaweed eater]

To follow up on my earlier post, I've tried giving both larger and smaller pieces, and the smaller ones seem to be going over better.

 

[XJessicaX]

My god the girl has got it! She is eating! Like proper eating! She is eating now at just past 6 months like her sister was eating at closer to 18 months! No gagging, proper chewing! She's just demolished a bowl of pasta with loads of sauce and vegetables and cheese! Last night we had a BBQ so I offered her some sausage (skin removed) and half a sweet potato and some cheese and she ate it all! eeeeeee, so exciting! Weaning DD1 was stressful and so complicated with mashing and faffing around with pots and spoons and all that malarkey!

 

[pink80]

My LO eats a LOT. Shes only 6 months but seems to have no issues chewing. Just now shes eaten an entire egg, some cheese and a new potato. Shes also on day 4 of no poo. Couple of hard constipated lumps. I breast feed but should I be giving her water with her meals? Do I need to slow her food intake down? Its all so new to me because DD1 just didnt and still doesnt eat much!

I had the same when we started weaning, about 5 days without a 'proper' poo, but I think it took a while for the body to adjust because he poos a lot now !!L. I do give him a sippy cup of water with his meals - he really likes his cup

 

[Marie000]

Ariane still doesn't poo very often, but at least pooping doesn't seem painful anymore.
I used to have trouble getting her to drink her water, until I realised that she doesn't like cold water.

She is such a little piggy! She has never gotten to a point where she stopped eating because she had enough. She has never refused any food either, unless she is just physically incapable of eating it.

 

[nikalicious]

So at what age is raw/sashimi fish appropriate for babies? While pregnant and BFing, I have taken the approach that if I had it from a reputable source, then it was fine in moderation. LO was given some raw tuna today and she devoured it! I know there is some concern about possible parasites, but has anyone else given LO raw fish and at what age?

 

[Care76]

I was wondering about harder foods like pears and apples. I tried giving him large slices, but he tries to put the whole slice in his mouth then gets it stuck. You aren't supposed to put your fingers in their mouth but he can't always get it out himself. Should I cut these types of food up smaller?

And do you give large pieces of meat?

So far my son eats whole strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, and large pieces of banana, mango, pear, avocado, pineapple plus different foods we are eating for meals. I feed him goats yogurt because I can't afford to waste it, but he does grab the soon and put it in his mouth.

 

[seaweed eater]

Care, you can steam the apples and pears for a little while in the microwave to soften them. Or -- this would be my choice, although I know it's less BLW -- grate them.

 

[cat_reversing]

baby having 3 meals, baby porridge for breakfast and then 2 other meals. still bf 5/6 times a day in-between meals.
Struggling to know what to give lo as only cook 1 meal a day and sometimes it's not suitable as contains to much salt (processed meat etc) am also on a budget.
She eats bread, cheese, potato, yoghurt, cucumber, sweet potato, courgette, green beans, mince meat, chicken, pasta, rice, tomato sauce, fruit, eggs, baby porridge, carrots, parsnip.
feel bad just giving her a piece of bread and some cheese but if I haven't cooked and haven't been shopping I don't what else to give her.
Meal plan ideas?

 

[Twister]

Occasionally we will get take away which obviously isn't suitable or something else will come up which will mean she will have to have something different to us (such as eating late etc). On these days I give her things like:
- Beans on toast, we get low salt and sugar ones.
- Home made chicken nuggets (really easy to make and can be frozen) with peas and/or sweetcorn
- Tuna paste sandwich with some tomato on the side

Also you could freeze baby sized portions of some of the meals you make for times when you're having something that isn't suitable. Such as Lasagne, chilli, Bolognese, cottage pie etc.

 

[DaisyAnne]

I will take one day a week and just steam up some veggies and slice up fruit/veggies whatever to store in the fridge and just pull some out for him as we need it. That way I can use those things for lunches (breakfast I usually make oatmeal/cereal and fruit) and for those dinners he can't have anything of ours. I also try to save some extra food from the dinners I make that he can eat...then he can have it for a couple dinners or so. We've been eating more fresh veggies with our meals, too, and I just won't salt his portion- same with meats, I'll set some aside while I'm cooking if it has too much salt and cook his separately.

For me, fruit like peaches, melon, mango, etc. that just need to be sliced and avocado, cucumber, etc. are my easy meals! Just slice and serve.

 

[purplelou]

hi again ladies,
another question ...

my little girl is almost 9 months and we are offering food 3 times per day (basically when we sit down to eat ourselves) she tastes everything - sucks the sauce off pasta and will eat bit and pieces (we can by what is coming out in her nappy that she is eating - sorry for TMI) etc but doesnt seem to have dropped any of her milk feeds or reduced the amount she is BFing. (I know thats hard to tell but dh is a sahd and gives her expressed bm and she is still taking the same amounts mostly and still feeds off me for the same amount of time.
she is following her centile on the growth charts (97%)

I guess my question is - is this normal?? should I expect her to drop some of her milk feeds?? (one completely self reason is we would like to ttc again and thats difficult when she is still feeding day and night) we also offer water as a drink with meals and in between and offer her solid foods before BF rather than the other way round.

any advice or reassurrance happily recieved!

 

[DaisyAnne]

hi again ladies,
another question ...

my little girl is almost 9 months and we are offering food 3 times per day (basically when we sit down to eat ourselves) she tastes everything - sucks the sauce off pasta and will eat bit and pieces (we can by what is coming out in her nappy that she is eating - sorry for TMI) etc but doesnt seem to have dropped any of her milk feeds or reduced the amount she is BFing. (I know thats hard to tell but dh is a sahd and gives her expressed bm and she is still taking the same amounts mostly and still feeds off me for the same amount of time.
she is following her centile on the growth charts (97%)

I guess my question is - is this normal?? should I expect her to drop some of her milk feeds?? (one completely self reason is we would like to ttc again and thats difficult when she is still feeding day and night) we also offer water as a drink with meals and in between and offer her solid foods before BF rather than the other way round.

any advice or reassurrance happily recieved!

It's my understanding that introducing solids shouldn't replace their breastmilk or formula for awhile...there's the saying "[solid] food before one is just for fun."
My LO is 8.5 months as hasn't yet dropped any milk feeds. All babies are different, too. Basically what I understand is that you still want them getting all their breastmilk or formula for as long as possible, but especially before about 1 year old. I just figure my LO will do what is natural to him. I'll keep offering solids and BF on demand, he'll eat what he wants and wean gradually.
Sorry that's all I can offer!

 

[purplelou]

hi again ladies,
another question ...

my little girl is almost 9 months and we are offering food 3 times per day (basically when we sit down to eat ourselves) she tastes everything - sucks the sauce off pasta and will eat bit and pieces (we can by what is coming out in her nappy that she is eating - sorry for TMI) etc but doesnt seem to have dropped any of her milk feeds or reduced the amount she is BFing. (I know thats hard to tell but dh is a sahd and gives her expressed bm and she is still taking the same amounts mostly and still feeds off me for the same amount of time.
she is following her centile on the growth charts (97%)

I guess my question is - is this normal?? should I expect her to drop some of her milk feeds?? (one completely self reason is we would like to ttc again and thats difficult when she is still feeding day and night) we also offer water as a drink with meals and in between and offer her solid foods before BF rather than the other way round.

any advice or reassurrance happily recieved!

It's my understanding that introducing solids shouldn't replace their breastmilk or formula for awhile...there's the saying "[solid] food before one is just for fun."
My LO is 8.5 months as hasn't yet dropped any milk feeds. All babies are different, too. Basically what I understand is that you still want them getting all their breastmilk or formula for as long as possible, but especially before about 1 year old. I just figure my LO will do what is natural to him. I'll keep offering solids and BF on demand, he'll eat what he wants and wean gradually.
Sorry that's all I can offer!

ahh ok, thank you Daisy.
The only other person I knew who did blw has a little one 3 months older than my LO and he dropped feeds gradually and is a really great eater. so I did wonder.

thanks again

 

[Sambatiki]

Hi Ladies,

Popping into say Hi and hopefully get some meal ideas etc. I know true 'blw' would be her eating whatever we eat, but to be honest we're not always the healthiest of eaters so I'm making an effort to make us all nice healthy meals. Tonight I made a Chilli from scratch and the little tinker hardly touched it! Typical isn't it! I've made quite a lot so far but always looking for ideas.

 

[keese22]

We started tw about 3 weeks ago. Lo was doing great he was really enjoyin his food and we had made our way through lots of fruit and veg and was waiting till he was 6 months (which is Tuesday) before we started to introduce protein and dairy.

As of Monday he's completely refusing food. When the spoon or sippy cup goes near his mouth he clamps his mouth shut. I don't want to push him and have him associated eating with feeling pressured. I think it could be down to his teeth as he's showing lots of teethibg signs. I spoke to the health visitor and she wasn't too concerned and suggested I tried finger foods and to come back next week If I was still worried.

We've tried some finger foods today (banana, rice cake with pear puree(from the freezer!) and carrots. He mushes it up a bit and throws them on the floor. Is this normal? Will he eventually eat them? What other foods would you suggest as first finger foods?

I'm a bit worried that as we have tw lo has learnt to swallow before
Chewing that when he had finger food he will just swallow and choke.
Has anyone who has switched from tw to blw able to shed some light on this?

Those who have done blw have you all read the books or just gone for it? I feel a bit out of my depth and I don't really know what in doing!

Do I still need to introduce one food at a time or does it get to a point where you just go for it?

Sorry for all the questions I'm
Just a bit lost!