BLW how to find the time?

[charlie15]

I have a 7 month old who I started BLW a month ago and it's going great! We have a regular breakfast, so she has a milk feed when we wake up then we have breakfast, she's eating fruit, porridge, rice cakes with spreads and she seems to love it so much so t takes at least 1 hour before she's done. I have absolutely no problem with this but would like to start a regular 2nd meal every day as think she's ready for this. Just wondering how others fit it all in, naps, getting ready, breast feeding/bottle feed,play, food and getting out. It seems like getting out of the house for anything more than a walk in the park is a thing of the past!! Today we had a late lunch, early supper and that too took an hour.

Is it just me or are there not enough hours in the day?

 

[Rachel_C]

You might find she speeds up when she knows food is something that happens more often! It may just be the novelty of it at the moment. We started on three meals from the first day so I'm not sure if that makes a difference, I think breakfasts were probably half an hour or so including clean up, lunch has always been a leisurely affair and dinner is only stopped when it's bath time. If she's enjoying it, eating can count as play and learning too, so don't worry about that! Especially during the summer, meals can be taken outside too (picnics are great) so it can be part of getting out to the park for some fresh air, or you can go to a cafe or something. Even now (my kids are 3.5 years and 21 months), if we need to go out for a few hours in the afternoon we will have a small quick lunch then get a snack when we're out. Once LO is having three meals a day, you won't feel so bad about cutting a meal short to go out/get ready/have a nap etc because there are plenty more meals to come!

 

[Sproglet]

Robyn still takes about an hour to eat a meal (and for me to clean up after)
Typical day:
6:00 milk and I try to get her back to sleep!
7:30 breakfast
8:30 get dressed and ready for the day
9:00 activity (usually singing my way through my chores while Robyn follows me round)
10:00 milk and nap
10:30 activity (might go out at this point)
11:30 milk
12:00 lunch
1:00 activity (again, might go out)
2:30 milk and nap
3:30 activity - I try and fit in a dog walk at this point
4:30 milk
5:00 dinner
6:00 activity- something in the house like singing songs, or nappy off time
7:00 bath and bedtime routine

I do sometimes have lunch while I'm out, I'll give Robyn something fairly simple like a small sandwich, rice cakes and fruit, that I know she can eat without making too much mess. And I'm happy to nurse her in public, in which case we'll go to a cafe and she'll have her milk right before she eats.

I make sure I get out the house with robyn at some point during the day, she is happy to nap in the pushchair while out or fall asleep in the car on the way back. So it's not like I have to be back in the house for nap times. And she's fairly flexible, I can swap things round slightly without it bothering her too much (eg if we go to baby group at 10, she'll nap at 11 and then fall straight back into her usual routine)

I keep the changing bag well stocked so all I have to do is grab a nappy and go, this saves on getting ready time.

I either put a coverall bib on Robyn (roll sleeves up underneath!) or if it's warm enough I strip her and she eats in just her nappy. Then after I cart her to the sink and clean her with a washcloth, it's much quicker than wipes if there's a lot of mess.

 

[charlie15]

Yep I think picnic ideas are a great idea, just need to get more organised! I think the problem for me has been preparing meals on top of everything as well as trying to give a breast feed first. As well as this I haven't been well for the last month so we have pretty much been at home a lot more than before. So since then she has developed very fixed nap times in her room, if we go out she naps a little but not as well. Before I Was unwell she was an awful napper, so I have welcomed this change but find it a bit restrictive to get out especially with food as well as less naps mean cranky bubs. But TBH she has started having a 2 hour nap mid morning over the last few days which should work well for me to prepare a lunch to take out, I have become paranoid about salt content and additives in food so prefer everything to be made by me not bought out. And Rachel you're right, feeding is play time too, so I should stop thinking she's not getting enough play time and think of it as one of the same! Today we are having an easy lunch after nap and boobie!

 

[Twister]

I'd like to know the same! LO usually has breakfast and dinner, we are starting to introduce a lunch now but it's a challenge trying to fit it all in. Especially if we go out, usually unless we go out to eat that means having to skip a meal although at this stage i'm not to worried about that. I'm sure it will get easier as they get faster at eating!