How long did it take for your baby to eat (BLW)

[nevernormal]

I'm not expecting him to eat a lot, but goodness!! We are doing a combo of purees & BLW from the start. I wanted to only do BLW but my husband really really wanted to do purees so some meals we give him a bit of puree, others he just has a few bits of what we've got.

The thing is, when I give him something suitable, he just smashes it in his hands! This kid sticks EVERYTHING in his mouth. Everything that isn't food, that is! I think he's just exploring the new texture with his hands, as we don't typically give him things he can mash up, but how long is this going to go on before he'll start tasting things too? We've given him some raw veg to gnaw on before, that he couldn't really eat (like a strip of raw bell pepper, and green onion), and he had no problem putting them in his mouth and gnawing on them. If we let him play with/"use" the spoon, he knows which end goes in his mouth. So I really do think it's just a texture thing!! He had a sweet potato "fry" (baked in the oven) last night and a stick of banana today, and all he did was smash them.

I probably wouldn't even care but as my DH remembers his younger siblings being TW he's not really in favor of BLW at this point and while the gagging doesn't bother him (LO has gagged on purees), the mess does I think. I don't want him to nix LO being able to learn through exploration of finger foods, but I guess I just want some reassurance that there is hope in sight and LO will start eating on his own fairly soon!

 

[HKateH]

We started BLW at 5.5 months. LO began by tasting and sucking and generally just making a mess. By around 6.5 month he was eating bits by sucking. I made sure his food was easy enough to mush with his gums and easy to pick up. Now at 7 months, he's taking bites, chewing and eating loads. He's dropped a bottle and just adores his food. I haven't encountered a single food he doesn't like - he'll eat gnocchi, stir fry, herbs and spices, every fruit or vegetable I put in front of him, fish, meat, cheese - you name it.

Here's how it goes:
- playing, perhaps a bit of tasting
- sucking and smushing but generally spitting out anything that goes in
- swallowing some/gagging (this really isn't like choking I found. My LO hasn't choked once, although there has been one instance of projectile vomit)
- chewing
- swallowing
- combining chewing and swallowing
- taking bites

 

[sillysapling]

Are you offering the same BLW foods as purees? I think this really got my LO into the idea of "Hey, this is food"- having carrot puree for lunch and then being offered steamed carrots at dinner.

You're eating with him, right? Even if you typically eat the foods with utensils- try eating it as finger food as well.

Are you using store-bought purees or home made? Home made purees have more texture and flavor (and are just better all around), so using those could help your baby get used to other textures so have an easier time with the finger foods' texture. You can freeze them in single-serving sizes (we use an ice cube tray for this!) and store them, too, so you can make large batches that'll lost a long while.

Keep in mind that BLW is teaching a different skill set than TW. It's not about getting as much food in the belly as possible- it's about getting your baby familiar with feeding himself and with textures early. We're doing both as well and had a similar problem- kiddo would eat purees, but not finger foods. Now we have the opposite problem- kiddo will "eat" finger foods (though not swallow much), but refuse purees. At least until we've offered finger food, then let the baby spoon-feed himself. Only after we've acknowledged him as a self-reliant, independent, grown-up type person will he accept spoon feeding.

There are still days when kiddo just isn't hungry for solids, and it did take far longer for BLW to catch on than spoon feeding. TW requires far fewer skills on the baby's part, so it proceeds faster. The texture is very similar to what they're familiar with (esp. if you're using store-bought purees, but even home mades are more liquidy), there's no chewing required, no hand/eye coordination, etc. The biggest adjustment is the different tastes.

In contrast, BLW requires the following:
-Recognizing something as food
-Bringing food to the mouth
-Chewing
-Getting used to new textures
-Moving chewed, non-liquidy food to the back of the mouth to be swallowed

Does your husband know about the value of BLW? Have you talked about it with him much? He might have more patience if he recognizes that his baby is learning valuable life skills early, meaning you'll have less to teach down the road. There's going to be a mess when you introduce "Real" solids no matter what you do- he can either have the mess now or he can have the mess later.

 

[nevernormal]

My husband really doesn't care about the reasons for BLW. He and his 4 siblings were all TW, none are picky or overweight, etc. so he doesn't see a point in doing it differently.

I guess I should clarify that I don't really care about how much he eats. I guess I'm just curious as to what is the average for them to catch on to realizing it's food, or maybe how long it takes for them to get over the new texture to play with in their hands, and then they start exploring it in other ways (their mouths!).

The sweet potato we gave him was a french fry/chip, except it was just baked in the oven, not fried. So we were eating the same thing with our fingers.

The purees are store bought, but only because he's on WIC, and that's what they give. Honestly, if I didn't have WIC, I would probably do solely BLW as I'd prefer homemade purees if I have to do them and even though my husband is pro puree he wouldn't do the work. My husband is unemployed as of the week of Thanksgiving so I don't think it's a wise decision to forego what we're given on WIC, unfortunately. It was the right decision for him to quit his job and find a less demanding one so he could focus on finishing his master's degree by May but it means we'll have to dip into our savings. I'd rather feed my baby store bought purees now if it means we'll have that bit of extra money later when he's really eating.

Anyway, that was a bit off point! Thanks for your input HKateH and sillysapling.

I've got to get a cheap shower curtain or painter's drop cloth or something to put down before we let him play with the spoon. We're renters and want as few stains as possible on the carpet! Overall he's doing well with spoon feeding and he's eaten non pureed things from it. We had quinoa one night and he took that from a spoon. So he's still being exposed to the different textures and all. Even with the purees we're trying to be as "baby led" as possible. Of course it's only been a few days but I've been able to explain to my husband that distraction is/can be a fullness sign, so when our son starts paying attention to other things more than the food then he's done for now, even if it's just been two small bites. He needs milk more than anything, and we don't need to force feed him!

 

[sillysapling]

Make your own teething biscuits! You can use the purees and cereal off of WIC to do it, and my kiddo loved them. They're a bit messy (all finger food is for babies) but they're my kiddo's favorite finger food. They're great for teething. We're on WIC as well which is part of why I ever bother with canned purees.

Suggested recipe for a teething biscuit:
1 cup flour (you can use gluten free if you're worried about gluten, be careful with rice)
1 cup baby cereal
1 mashed fruit OR 1 cup juice OR puree (or mix and match as desired- you may need to steam the fruit unless it's banana)

Mix together. You may need to add more cereal/flour if you think it's too goopy (although it will be sticky, this isn't normal dough), or you may need to add water/juice if it's too dry. I've done 1 cup flour, 1 cup baby oatmeal, 1 cup apple juice (needed more flour/oatmeal) and also 1 cup ground oatmeal, 1 cup baby oatmeal, 1 banana, apple juice as needed.

Either roll it out and use a cookie cutter, or just use your hands to shape it into the right size. If you don't know what the right size is- try a few different ones and see what your baby goes for. Because this is such a sticky dough, I suggest you just make shapes- I tried rolling it out and it was just a huge headache.

If you have a blender and want to do this with fruit- you can cut up the fruit (you might need to steam it first unless it's banana or avacado) and toss it in the blender with the flour and cereal. This is what I did with the banana.

I'm not quite sure the exact temperature, I've seen different suggestions. 350-475 F for 8-25 minutes (go on the low end of time for 475, higher end for 350. If you're baking something else that's in that temperature range, use that temperature and check on them every few minutes). If you can, put down aluminum foil on the cookie sheet.
You can freeze extra dough instead of having to make it all at once.

Fruit purees obviously work, but you can try vegetable purees as well, especially sweeter vegetables, or a mix of fruit and veg. If you use fruits/veg that your baby's familiar with, the smell and taste will be somewhat familiar and it might go over more easily.

I'm sure you can find other finger food recipes that use purees as well. The older your baby gets, the more recipes that will be safe to let him try. You don't need to let them go to waste to do BLW!

And if your husband has a problem with you using all the puree on home-made finger foods, point out that he's perfectly capable of making puree if he wants your baby spoon fed.


You can let him feed himself with the spoon without a mess if you hold onto the spoon. Keep a gentle grip- gentle enough that he's moving it on his own and without any impediment. You can even hover your hand around the spoon so your fingers aren't quite touching it, but if he tries anything you'll immediately be able to grab it and the spoon will knock into your fingers before it can go too far. We started doing this after the first time kiddo grabbed the spoon and flung it around. He doesn't seem to mind.

If you aren't- let him play with clean spoons. I've seen people suggest doing this while feeding so he won't grab for the spoon you're feeding- but that just results in a spoon fight with us. Treat the spoons like a toy, just let him play with it. If you let him use the clean spoon, he'll get familiar with it, figure out how to get it into his mouth, and it's also a great teething toy. Then when he grabs a spoon full of food, he'll more easily be able to put it in. My baby tends to put the spoon in upside down because it's easier for him to lick the purees off (when he puts it in sideways, his mouth won't close around it so I can see him lick it off) so don't be alarmed if yours prefers putting it in sideways or upside down.

 

[nevernormal]

Thanks! I've been thinking about finding recipes to use the purees in, but we just got home from traveling so I've not had the time to sit down and do that (then again, I spent the time on BnB writing this post... )

I figured I could mix the fruit purees into oatmeal and also in healthy cookie recipes (so like in place of the applesauce and/or fig butter in this recipe). The meat jars I figured I could spread on some kind of bread at some point, like potted meat. Well we don't eat potted meat, but I'm just trying to guess how we would eat it if we did. The veggies I wasn't sure of really but I guess once I introduce pasta I could really use any of them as a sauce for that -- he won't know that peas aren't pasta sauce =).

I'll have to try that recipe soon, or come up with something similar anyway. I haven't yet introduced wheat to him (actually, the only grain he's had is quinoa) but I guess I'd better soon if we're going to before he's a year (the ideal time is before 7 months, right?). I just bought some white whole wheat flour so I could use that. Hmmm...

Thanks sillysapling!

 

[sillysapling]

Oof, the meat jars... We don't get those because we were getting formula. Do you have to get them? Maybe ask if they could give you more fruit and veg from now on? You can probably find recipes that use them anyways... You could try making stews out of them and using the puree instead of small pieces of meat? Or maybe make meat sauce using puree instead of ground meat? I really have no idea. I'm not finding any recipes, either....

There is at least one study showing that introducing wheat/gluten early, preferably while still BFing, reduces the chances of gluten intolerance later in life. You can find it if you do a basic google search. If there's a family history of it, you should talk to your pediatrician for advice, but if there isn't and you feel comfortable- go for it. That's why we're introducing it to LO (although carefully, not like every day)
If you have a blender, you can grind up the quinoa into flour. https://homemadeadventure.wordpress.com/how-tos/how-to-make-quinoa-flour/

 

[nevernormal]

I have no reason to be afraid of gluten, as we have no family history preventing it. I've just heard a few things recently about soaking grains, which I haven't had a chance to look into. And I do make my own breads sometimes so was thinking about making him something myself rather than give him something store bought. Didn't get to it this week.

I guess I could say we are vegetarian and not get the meat? We're not though, and I don't like to lie. I think spreading it on breads or putting it in soups, sauces, and stews should be okay. It's winter so soup season is upon us. I like to be fairly creative in the kitchen, so surely I can come up with something!

 

[sillysapling]

I'm honestly not comfortable giving our baby pureed meats (well, maybe we'd try home-made, but something about the jars just rubs me the wrong way)- so personally I'd say that. If you don't have that problem, I'm sure you can find a way to use them that will work. You could make meat sauce for the pasta!

 

[nevernormal]

I can't say I'm super comfortable with it, but then I'm not much more uncomfortable than the other jarred stuff, really. It's still no added salt & sugar. And still not in a form resembling it's natural state. But, at the same time, it's something that I *could* theoretically make at home. Why I would want to, I don't know. He hasn't had any of it, as of yet. I'll check the expiration date of it and if I can't make myself use it I'll donate it it to somewhere and just give him bits of whatever meat I'm eating. . It'd be nice if WIC gave me $70 worth of fruits, veggies, and meats for him each month (well obviously he wouldn't eat that much at this point) to cook from scratch rather than $70 of purees & cereal (I got half last time and the total was $35 ). Really I'd take less money if I could get fresh or frozen veggies and stuff to give him.

 

[sillysapling]

100% agree. WIC isn't about the best options- it's very helpful for people who can't afford anything else, but it is NOT best or even most cost effective. An apple is about 4 oz (same amount as in a jar of puree) and costs about $.30. A jar of baby food costs more. I'm also not sure if it's safe to freeze the jars of puree, so I end up throwing out WAY more. Home-made purees I freeze in baby-size servings (I use ice cube trays) so I barely have to throw out any.

Studies show that home made fruits and veg lead to kids enjoying fruits and vegetables more when older. Teaching parents how to make their own babyfood is an investment in these babies' futures.

 

[Rachel_C]

Regarding the smooshing of food, have you tried giving him non-foods to mess around with? Maybe he just wants to mash stuff! Some home made play-doh, some bubble dough, give him a washing up bowl of water and bubbles to splash in, snow dough, some beans in the bath etc?! All fun and if you're worried about mess just put down a shower curtain or put him on the floor in the kitchen (assuming a tiled floor!).

 

[sillysapling]

There are also recipes for homemade finger paints that are baby safe to try! https://theimaginationtree.com/2011/03/homemade-edible-finger-paint-recipe.html

If you want to go with that- a lot of kids do better with the paper taped down so it doesn't move. You can put the paper on the highchair or on the shower curtain on the floor. I think, with babies, it's better for one or both parents to hold the jars of paint and offer them as the baby seems to need, rather than giving baby the whole jar.

It CAN stain, so do this carefully!

 

[HKateH]

I always said I wouldn't use any purées but I buy the Ella's Kitchen fruit pouches as they are organic and they have no extra ingredients (except a dash oh lemon juice in some as a preservative - bananas etc). I use them mixed into oatmeal which LO then feeds himself, mixed with Greek yoghurt (far less sugar and way tastier than marketed children's varieties) and I spread them on toast/crumpets/croissants instead of jam. The way I see it is LO gets loads of fresh fruit and vegetables in his meals and as snacks so using a purée pouch is just super convenient if you want to get vitamins into other things!

 

[nevernormal]

Brilliant ideas ladies. I definitely need to incorporate some sensory play into his days. That might help! Our kitchen is tiny but I could probably do a lot of it right in the bathtub, so any cleanup would be easy peasy. I'll also be picking up a cheap shower curtain at the store tomorrow!