Is everyone against traditional weaning?

[Mum2b_Claire]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious as to what people mean when they say they do a combination of BLW and TW? With BLW you don't give any purees, don't spoon feed mashed food (if LO will feed themselves yoghurt etc from a preloaded spooon then that's fine) etc. My understanding of TW was always a combination of purees/mashed food being spoon fed and giving them finger foods. So I guess I don't understand how you can combine, it's either one or the other? I haven't heard of anyone who TWs without also having finger foods

I think the confusion is that some people think BLW is the act of offering LO finger foods, not the idea of weaning them solely on normal food rather than purees.

To me, saying you combine TW and BLW is like saying you do a combination of exclusive breastfeeding and combination feeding...doesn't make sense.

I agree the label you put on how you wean doesn't matter, but it helps if we're all 'singing from the same hymn sheet' when we talk about stuff!

 

[Caroline]

Just come across this thread, with my DS you could wean from 3 months, with DD1 it changed to 4 months then with DD2 6 months.

I weaned all around 4 months as that was when they were ready. I don't think the new addition will be ready that early tho.

TBH I weaned ds as hv told me to but with hindsight I think we could have waited longer. Was told to wean due to his weight but tbh his slow weight gain was just they way he his.


Anyhow to get to the point I got a letter in the post for research study which I would have participated in had it not required trips to London (too far/ too much hassle & expense), however they are looking into delaying weaning @ 6 months & think that may be children should be weaned b4.

Link if anyone is interested.
https://www.eatstudy.co.uk/

 

[Blah11]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious as to what people mean when they say they do a combination of BLW and TW? With BLW you don't give any purees, don't spoon feed mashed food (if LO will feed themselves yoghurt etc from a preloaded spooon then that's fine) etc. My understanding of TW was always a combination of purees/mashed food being spoon fed and giving them finger foods. So I guess I don't understand how you can combine, it's either one or the other? I haven't heard of anyone who TWs without also having finger foods

TW dont usually give their 6 month olds raisins and blueberry etc At lunch times I just cut up a load of fruit, veg and sandwiches and put them on her tray and let her play around, make a mess, gave her a spoon and yogurt to let her practise... I'd say that was more BLW than TW. My friend TW'd and her 14 month old STILL struggles with food I saw her choke and gag on beans cos she didnt chew them properly.

 

[Lu28]

To me, saying you combine TW and BLW is like saying you do a combination of exclusive breastfeeding and combination feeding...doesn't make sense.

I agree the label you put on how you wean doesn't matter, but it helps if we're all 'singing from the same hymn sheet' when we talk about stuff!

This is the analogy that came to mind for me too! I agree what things are called don't matter, it just helps to understand what people mean!

 

[Lu28]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious as to what people mean when they say they do a combination of BLW and TW? With BLW you don't give any purees, don't spoon feed mashed food (if LO will feed themselves yoghurt etc from a preloaded spooon then that's fine) etc. My understanding of TW was always a combination of purees/mashed food being spoon fed and giving them finger foods. So I guess I don't understand how you can combine, it's either one or the other? I haven't heard of anyone who TWs without also having finger foods

TW dont usually give their 6 month olds raisins and blueberry etc My friend TW'd and her 14 month old STILL struggles with food I saw her choke and gag on beans cos she didnt chew them properly.

2 of my close friends have TW and they would both give things like raisens etc as snacks

 

[Blah11]

At 6 months? Usually they're just starting to introduce toast and stuff at that age

p.s. you quoted before I finished mye dit

 

[Lu28]

At 6 months? Usually they're just starting to introduce toast and stuff at that age

p.s. you quoted before I finished mye dit

No, it would have been later than 6 months but then Aisling didn't start eating things like raisens til about 9 months and we BLW

 

[Sherileigh]

Slightly off topic but I'm curious as to what people mean when they say they do a combination of BLW and TW? With BLW you don't give any purees, don't spoon feed mashed food (if LO will feed themselves yoghurt etc from a preloaded spooon then that's fine) etc. My understanding of TW was always a combination of purees/mashed food being spoon fed and giving them finger foods. So I guess I don't understand how you can combine, it's either one or the other? I haven't heard of anyone who TWs without also having finger foods

TW dont usually give their 6 month olds raisins and blueberry etc At lunch times I just cut up a load of fruit, veg and sandwiches and put them on her tray and let her play around, make a mess, gave her a spoon and yogurt to let her practise... I'd say that was more BLW than TW. My friend TW'd and her 14 month old STILL struggles with food I saw her choke and gag on beans cos she didnt chew them properly.

I've always given my son our food as well as given him purees he always refused 'solids'. Even slightly lumpy purees he will throw up. I can't force food into him, he's just not into it! I don't think it's the method sometimes it's just the baby. My son is deciding what he wants and what he doesn't. They all get to the same place in the end.

 

[TattiesMum]

Only in the last 50 years have we started weaning so young and alot of the later generations are plagued with problems such as obesity. allergies and irritable bowels.

I would disagree with this actually - my own Grandmother was a Nanny back in the 20's and 30's and I had to listen to a great deal of 'old fashioned' baby advice when I had my kids .... they always weaned young back then and the pre-war and immediately post war generations didn't suffer from such problems

IMHO the change is down to WHAT we feed LOs and ourselves in the last 50 years (less home cooked foods, more processed, higher fats etc) rather than in weaning age.

Add in the facts that we have progressively become more over protective so our children are not running off their energy and burning calories like they used to, a decrease in physical jobs and increase in home entertainment so that adults lead more sedentiary lives and a modern obsession with allergies and allergens and the picture becomes a lot less simplistic.

As I said - I personally weaned mine later than the, then recommended, 4 months but that wasn't down to purist beliefs ... just that they were small babies who didn't really need weaning or appear to want food and a marked reluctance on my part to have to change mixed feeding nappies

[
Its common knowledge over here in the UK. Also WHO reccommends 6 months exclusive BF then BF with solids until atleast 2.

When dealing with WHO recommendations it is always helpful to remember that they are the World Health Organisation .... which means that their advice has to cover a wide range of countries including those where hygiene is poor and food is scarce or of poor quality.

It stands to reason that if you live in such a country then weaning onto a nutritionally poor diet is going to cause growth and deficiency problems such as rickets etc, whereas breast milk will be of a pretty even standard as it will be the mother who's body takes the strain ....WHO have to take this into account when issuing blanket recommendations.

 

[CharlieP]

Just come across this thread, with my DS you could wean from 3 months, with DD1 it changed to 4 months then with DD2 6 months.

I weaned all around 4 months as that was when they were ready. I don't think the new addition will be ready that early tho.

TBH I weaned ds as hv told me to but with hindsight I think we could have waited longer. Was told to wean due to his weight but tbh his slow weight gain was just they way he his.


Anyhow to get to the point I got a letter in the post for research study which I would have participated in had it not required trips to London (too far/ too much hassle & expense), however they are looking into delaying weaning @ 6 months & think that may be children should be weaned b4.

Link if anyone is interested.
https://www.eatstudy.co.uk/

My HV also mentioned this to me and said that as a result of the study it is likely that the recommended age for weaning will revert to an earlier age.

I think that as advice changes so regularly each person should feel free to wean their children, free of guilt at the age they feel appropriate (and based on consultation with their health professionals).

On the point of TW versus BLW - I have a group of 9 NCT friends all with babies around 6 months and of that group only 1 person is BLW...all others are TW and giving their babies finger foods as well.

 

[Mynx]

When I weaned my first daughter 17 years ago, there was no label on what type of weaning you were doing. The recommendation was baby rice at 4 months, moving onto purees and then lumpier stuff etc etc.. what is now called TW. This is how I weaned her BUT I also used what I now know is BLW - as I say, it didnt have a label at the time, and I was just letting her play with finger foods such as chunks of cucumber (great for her gums) brocolli, toast, all the usual stuff. I even let her have a go with spaghetti hoops and mash a few times and it got everywhere.. much more on the floor than in her tummy lol, but she had fun with it This was coupled with giving her pureed, then lumpier versions of my food and she coped really well with the whole experience. This is exactly how I will wean Evie too.
She's on pureed veg atm and I've tried her with toast but she ended up squishing it up, sucking on it then chucking it on the floor... every single time I've tried it But she'll get it eventually.. the pureed stuff she loves, but I will persevere with the finger foods too.
I think wether you decide to go TW, or BLW or TW with finger foods, we all have the same goal. To get our babies eating healthy balanced diets