BLW - Baby led weaning support thread

[moggy]

I wonder if anyone can help me....I've been BLW now fully for maybe 2 weeks, I did start weaning early with purees but she stopped taking the spoon and fighting for it , strong willed and knows what she likes. Actually I have a couple of questions.....how long did it take for your LOs to actually start chewing and swallowing food, I know the early days are for practice and play I just wondered.

Also my DD has stopped wanting her milk (FF), taking a max of 4 oz per feed (still 5 a day), has anyone got any suggestions to this at all?? I think she is cutting a tooth but I am concerned she is getting no sustenance at all. I am seeing the Dr tomorrow for something else so I will ask I just wondered if anyone else had had the same worries! Thanks and sorry for the waffle.

 

[helen1234]

julie rhys has a small nuby cup and a tommee tippee he only drinks if he's thirsty which isnt often lol, i ahve to admit as soon as he starts throwing it around i take it off him lol

mog it took rhys till about 6 months 3 weeks to start chewing and swallowing he ust suddenly started doing it, they soon learn though

xx

 

[Lu28]

Helen, just wondering how you made the switch from purees to BLW? Planning ahead here! I'm just wondering if I'll need to stop the purees gradually to make sure she's eating enough through BLW so the poor thing doesn't go hungry - worried about the gap between her not figuring out exactly what to do yet!

 

[saraendepity]

well daisy is now 14 weeks and took part in her first family meal today we were at OH's mums for dinner and i thought it'd be good for her to sit at the table with us n have a chat etc, she was totally into it n watching everyone eat n slapping my plate etc...now if i were watching for the usual cues the grannys say so she'd be getting weaned now!!lol .... anyhoo heres a piccie of her playing with a chopstick at the table!!!lol



doesnt count as proper BLW but its in prep of it tho !!!!

sara

xxxxx

 

[helen1234]

Helen, just wondering how you made the switch from purees to BLW? Planning ahead here! I'm just wondering if I'll need to stop the purees gradually to make sure she's eating enough through BLW so the poor thing doesn't go hungry - worried about the gap between her not figuring out exactly what to do yet!

i gave him toast with his porridge in the morning for the first week and byt the second week i'd load the spoon and then give it to him sometime he got it in his mouth sometimes he missed but he got most of it to his mouth.

i only used puree's for a few days and then ditched them all together.

sometimes not often he has a lazy day and i do help him by me holding the spoon but he'll clearly tell me when he'shad enough as i've learnt him to shake his head lol so he's still in control of his intake.

in the early days he did have an extra bottle late afternoon before his tea, i also found giving him a bottle before meals helped with the frustration.

breadsticks are good too, with puree dipped on the ends, and giving familiar puree's not puree'd that he alreasy has so he knows the taste, eg. rhys loved sweet potato so i bake one in the oven and cut it into wedges now he eats the lot and lobs the skin on the floor now lol.

xx

 

[Lu28]

Thanks hon. How did you teach him to shake his head when he's full? That's a brilliant idea!

 

[helen1234]

Thanks hon. How did you teach him to shake his head when he's full? That's a brilliant idea!

well.. when i give him food i say "more" and i sign to him opening and closing my fist to him,

when i think he's done before i take the tray off the high chair i say "no more" and make a no shake with my head iykwim. took him about 4 weeks to pick up. i ot the idea off tezzy

i should video him. he doesnt hand sign to me but the head shake is funny

 

[XKatX]

Thanks hon. How did you teach him to shake his head when he's full? That's a brilliant idea!

well.. when i give him food i say "more" and i sign to him opening and closing my fist to him,

when i think he's done before i take the tray off the high chair i say "no more" and make a no shake with my head iykwim. took him about 4 weeks to pick up. i ot the idea off tezzy

i should video him. he doesnt hand sign to me but the head shake is funny

Oliver rubs his eyes when he is full. Not sure where he got it from We used to think he was tired, then we suddenly clicked that he does it when he's had enough! If we put food or a spoon towards his mouth, he rubs his eyes quickly then takes his hands away. If we show him food again, the hands go straight back up. So sweet!

 

[Faerie]

Sofia has suddenly in the last couple of days started taking an interest in food. She's only just 5 months so I wasn't planning on starting her on solids yet.

How do you know when your baby's ready? Sofia can sit up quite well, but not unsupported. We haven't bought her a highchair yet (planning on buying the stokke one which says it can't be used before 6 months, sales man wouldn't even let us put her in it!) and I don't know if that means she's not strong enough?

Also, does anyone know if it's any different with prem/low birth weight babies? I'm so worried about starting her before 6 months incase her digestive systems isn't ready.

So many questions!! I don't have a midwife or hv and my next chance to ask the Dr will be at her 6 month jab so might just carry on how we are until then!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Hi, we're starting BLW in a few weeks...has anyone gone from FF to a regular routine to BLW? I'm slightly worried that as Ruby doesn't 'ask' for a milk feed, I'll have problems letting her regulate how much she takes. Should I just continue to offer the same bottles, on the assumption that she'll just take less (or refuse) as she eats more food? Thanks.

 

[helen1234]

Hi, we're starting BLW in a few weeks...has anyone gone from FF to a regular routine to BLW? I'm slightly worried that as Ruby doesn't 'ask' for a milk feed, I'll have problems letting her regulate how much she takes. Should I just continue to offer the same bottles, on the assumption that she'll just take less (or refuse) as she eats more food? Thanks.

i would give her her feeds as you do now,maybe give them half hour or so before food, this helps with the frustration. if rhys was really hungry he'd just squeeze the food up in his hands and cry, he's 8 1/2 months and has milk still before meal times and sometimes a little bit of the bottle afterwards too.
take it as it comes, take your time, and let come naturally, she may not do very much to start with.

x

 

[elm]

Sofia has suddenly in the last couple of days started taking an interest in food. She's only just 5 months so I wasn't planning on starting her on solids yet.

How do you know when your baby's ready? Sofia can sit up quite well, but not unsupported. We haven't bought her a highchair yet (planning on buying the stokke one which says it can't be used before 6 months, sales man wouldn't even let us put her in it!) and I don't know if that means she's not strong enough?

Also, does anyone know if it's any different with prem/low birth weight babies? I'm so worried about starting her before 6 months incase her digestive systems isn't ready.

So many questions!! I don't have a midwife or hv and my next chance to ask the Dr will be at her 6 month jab so might just carry on how we are until then!

It does say in the bible, if I remember correctly, that it can be different for prem babies. Where do you get your baby weighed? Can you ask there for some advice about it? It's probably going to depend on her weight and things? Don't really know but I'd check it out x

 

[Faerie]

Thanks, I'll just wait until her 6 month check with her paeditrician and see what he says (that's also when she'll next be weighed).

 

[CountingDown]

Wonder if anyone can help, I am struggling to find a time to offer lunch and dinner opportunities to offer Olivia food.

Her normal daily pattern tends to be:

6.00am bf
7.00am offer breakfast
7.30am Sleep
9.00 ish bf
10.30am offer snack
12.00pm bf and sleep

Then her afternoons are hit and miss, sometimes from 12pm she will sleep until 1pm then other times until 3pm! If she is up at 1pm I offer food about 1.30 and then she wants a sleep again at 3.30pm until about 5.30pm and a 6pm her bedtime routine starts! If she doesnt wake until 3pm I offer food at 3.30pm but this seems a long time after her 10.30 snack.

I dont offer food just before her 12pm nap because she is too cranky...

Should I just got with the flow for the moment or regig when I offer food? xx

 

[Lu28]

Counting Down, I've often wondered the same, where do we find the time to squeeze the food in!

Aisling still isn't gaining much weight despite being on solids for 3 weeks so the HV has said it'd be best not to go to full BLW just yet as we need to be sure she's getting something in. The compromise is doing one meal a day and I was going to do dinner at 5.30pm.

Am I right in assuming that I should just start with veg sticks etc and move on after a few weeks? I'm getting really stressed about there being too much salt in the food as we use a good bit of jarred pasta and bolognaise sauce etc - are they completely out of the question?

Thanks ladies

 

[kirsten1985]

Counting Down, I've often wondered the same, where do we find the time to squeeze the food in!

Aisling still isn't gaining much weight despite being on solids for 3 weeks so the HV has said it'd be best not to go to full BLW just yet as we need to be sure she's getting something in. The compromise is doing one meal a day and I was going to do dinner at 5.30pm.

Am I right in assuming that I should just start with veg sticks etc and move on after a few weeks? I'm getting really stressed about there being too much salt in the food as we use a good bit of jarred pasta and bolognaise sauce etc - are they completely out of the question?

Thanks ladies

Hey, I have always used jarred pasta sauce, but in preparation for BLW have been making my own sauces with tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic, bit of veg thrown in and some cheese mixed in - sounds a bit gross now but they are so quick and really nice!

 

[Arcanegirl]

after trying purees for a week and a half im thinking BLW may be more suited to us, Alex will be 6 months in 2 weeks, will i need to wait 2 weeks to start him?

 

[Faerie]

I haven't read "the bible" yet as waiting for it to be delivered.. but surely the whole point of BLW is the baby telling you they're hungry? Hope someone with some knowledge can answer you AG!

 

[Babyshambelle]

Hi AG! I'm no expert yet, but having read 'the bible' I would suggest that a good idea would be just to sit him with you at the table and offer him a few bits....I'ts not likely he will actually eat anything for a week or so anyway! I'd go for it hun! xxx

 

[kirsten1985]

I agree with babyshambelle, it's a while since I read the bible (ought to re-read it really ) but I think he would be ok to join you at the table and play with bits of food if you want him too. It will most likely end up on the floor anyway!