BLW - how do you get started?

[Pielette]

I'd like to start weaning my baby. He's 5 and a half months and very interested in food so thought I would try BLW and see what he does, that way if he isn't ready he just won't eat it. Plus I did TW last time and I just can't face all that mess and faff!

So how do I get started? I take it soft vegetable sticks and things like that?

 

[missk1989]

Soft vegetable sticks are good, maybe some soft fruits even. I know some people say if you start with fruit they wont eat veg but we started with veg and he still prefers fruit!

 

[cocosianelle]

Our LO is nearly 7 months so we've been trying BLW for a couple of weeks. So far she has had toast, brocolli, green beans, carrots, sweet potato 'fries' (these are a winner!). How much she eats is a different story but thats the fun of it

Fruit wise we've tried banana, cooked apple and thats about it.

 

[Rachel_C]

Just give LO whatever you're eating... BLW is really about family meals from the word go rather than doing things specially. At first you might want to cut some things into shapes that are easier to pick up e.g. sticks but don't go crazy over it. Don't give LO honey or whole nuts, uncooked eggs etc and watch out for salt content... that's it really!

My first LO's first meal was a snacky lunch - rice cakes with soft cheese, cucumber sticks, fruit etc, which was just what I was having anyway. My youngest's first meal was spag bol - home cooked with baby stock cubes and no added salt. Both went to three meals a day straight away, whatever I was eating as long as it was suitable. Porridge (made fairly thick with a couple of spoons to dunk), toast, Weetabix, rice crispies, shredded wheat, eggs etc for breakfast; sandwiches, salad, fruit and veg, omelette for lunch, cottage pie, meat and three veg, fish, casserole for dinner... whatever you normally eat. If you're eating soft carrots give LO soft carrots, but if you're having them raw with dip offer them raw with dip!

I think people forget that BLW isn't just about letting LO pick up his/her own food, it's about letting LO choose what to eat from your normal meals. Offering one or two foods is more TW style, not that it matters if you want to do that, but if you've read up on BLW and want the full benefits, do it all

 

[sillysapling]

Starting with fruit/veggie fingers is definitely ideal. It's safe for the age, and squishy fun for baby to get the hang of picking up. Avacado and banana are the only ones you don't have to cook, otherwise you should steam or bake it. You can freeze baby food, too, although it's better to use things you're willing to eat so that way your baby can see you eating to get the idea. This site has some good info about what foods are good to start baby on.

Don't expect immediate results. Babies have to learn a lot of skills to be able to do BLW. First they have to learn to recognize it as food, how to get as much in their mouth as they want at a time, to bite off as much as they want, to chew, to move it back into their mouth, and to swallow. It's pretty common for babies to start eating more slowly on BLW than TW because of all the skills they have to learn- but once they get the hang of BLW, they can do way better on self-feeding and also textures much earlier than TW babies.

If, for some reason, you feel that a mix of BLW and TW is best- you can do a combo.

Just give LO whatever you're eating... BLW is really about family meals from the word go rather than doing things specially. At first you might want to cut some things into shapes that are easier to pick up e.g. sticks but don't go crazy over it. Don't give LO honey or whole nuts, uncooked eggs etc and watch out for salt content... that's it really!

People who do BLW still need to be just as concerned about dietary concerns of babies as TW folk. It's best to start with safe foods for the age range (there's a chart here) and also to introduce one food at a time. Eggs are generally advised to be avoided until 8 months or so, especially if there's a history of allergies. Pediatricians advise starting nuts anywhere from after 1 year to after 3.

It doesn't matter for all babies- the guidelines are just rules of thumb based on what most babies can be expected to handle at a certain age. Some babies can handle more, others less. But especially with sensitive babies- following the rules is VERY important. It lets you know exactly what the problem is if they have an allergic reaction/intolerance/sensitivity, it avoids stomach problems, etc.

BLW does not make it any easier to tell if a baby who had a bad reaction to shepherd's pie is intolerant of some of the spices, the mince, or the potato.