New Weaners

[CeriB]

Hi Ladies

I have been kinda weaning Erin for 2weeks, but as she turns 6m tmro I am starting properly. By 'kinda', I mean some finger foods once a day, not every day, but at least 4/5 times a week. From tmro, I am going to do give her something every day at lunch.

I am nervous that she doesn't know what to do and I don't want to push her. She has great hand-eye coordination and the food goes in (and comes out) but I'm worried she won't get it or that I wont be very good at helping her get it. I have tried some jars and she isn't massively keen on them either

Anyone else new to weaning and wanna share? Feel like I may need support with this - feels like I'm starting BF again

 

[Jibber Jabber]

I'll join you, I kind of feel that I am doing it a bit half arsed TBH. I'm exclusively BLW so it feels like I'm just giving him food as and when it's convenient. I know thats fine for now because it's more about developing the motor skills to actually get it to the mouth, gum, chew etc, but it feels, well, a bit boring! Sorry! That makes me sound like an awful Mum!

I feel a bit sad if I don't get it right, I failed at birth by having a c section, I failed at BF because I didn't get help soon enough and I just want BLW to be my thing IYKWIM?! I know that having a c section and not BF isn't failing but it's just how it feels to me. Wow that turned into a bit of a sad rant!!

Anywho!!

 

[CeriB]

Hi Jibber! I understand what your saying - I really hope this goes your way! I started off exclusively BLW, but was worried she wasn't getting anything or much, so added some mashed stuff. Worked ok, until I tried a new flavour and don't think she is keen - now I'm doubting myself again! I know she doesn't 'need' anything atm, but I just wanna get it righ, IYWIM!

Today she had broccolli flourets (which she loves!), roasted courgette and pepper (these are new and she really liked that too), carrot and then a noddle, tomato and chicken Hipp Organic jar (2 tsp). She did not like the jar and kept pushing it out her mouth but sucked and munched the rest fine. I think she likes the other bits - I say she does as she is munching on it all quite well! I just don't know if it is going ok!

 

[Jibber Jabber]

Completely understand, I'm worried that I am adding too much. But then when the theory of BLW is to eat what we eat then I don't eat the same thing all the time (except choc!!)

Max loves broc too but we've ran out, going to get more tomorrow for him. It's really easy for them to hold isn't it?

We've had: apple at lunch, for tea he has just had some carrot, new potato, cucumber and carrot and pumpkin ricecakes with banana for pud! He's done well today, think he gets fed up in the Bumbo so we might just have to get him in the highchair all the time now.

Quick Q, I know in BLW you're not supposed to feed them, but Max loves the banana and it's too slippery for him so it's ok if I hold it for him isn't it?

Ahhh it's a bloody minefield! I got the BLW cookbook today though so going to make some nice bits for us all

 

[DJ987]

Can I join please

I've been offering Naya finger foods for a few days, so far she has had parsnip, carrot, banana, apple and sweet potato I know she definitely swallowed some sweet potato as i saw evidence in her nappy

She has great hand eye coordination and when we had parsnip and carrot mash I gave her a preloaded spoon and she put it straight in her mouth.

I was going to wait a bit longer to start BLW but she stole some of my apple so I figured she was ready

 

[CeriB]

Jibber - Your not supposed to put stuff in his mouth for him - I have tp pick some bits up for Erin but she will take it out my hand then to her mouth. TBH, do what works! I can't be bothered sticking to all the BLW rules! There is no way we could eat all our meals together as DH doesn't get home from work until 7pm and thats her bedtime atm. Just take the principles and fit it to what works best for you two.

Hi DJ :wave: I wanted to wait until 6m too, but Erin was doing the same. Except it was taking choc out my hand so thought giving her good stuff would be better than that

Q - Do your LOs sick up more now? Erin is sick soooo much more now than before. Its not a massive amount of sick, but it is all the time!! She has started having a FF a day too, so don't know if thats causing it?

 

[DJ987]

I've not noticed anymore sick yet, but we haven't been doing it long. She has been doing huuuuge poos though!

 

[summer rain]

We just started BLW 4 days ago (LO was 6 months yesterday); to be honest I just wing it; I was going to buy the Gill Rapley book but for now I am happy doing things my way I don't care if pedantic folks say 'oh no that is not BLW at all because you don't follow Gill Rapleys book to the letter'. Gill Rapley didn't invent BLW, it is the way parents have been feeding their children in many countries, for centuries if not millenia. So far I am giving LO one meal a day, usually breakfast, thankfully he is eating a lot more than I thought he would. It is very difficult to avoid helping him to pick up slippery fruits and veg but I am starting to manage it. I just tried him with Philadelphia today (well waitrose own brand) on bread and he loved it and thankfully he has had no reaction from it at all so it seems he has outgrown his dairy intolerance/allergy completely. My main problem is that strangely for a baby he seems to prefer savoury stuff to sweet, maybe because until very recently most sweet treats were off the menu for me as they contained dairy or soya xx

 

[CeriB]

Hi Summer rain :wave: Sounds like it is going great for you so far! Do you toast the bread? I gave Erin some bread yesterday, but it broke into bits just as she got it into her mouth so she spat it back out Was thinking toast might be easier for her to manage?

 

[DJ987]

Sounds great Summer Rain!

I'm looking forward to playing with dairy/meat/bread etc when LO reaches 6 months

 

[summer rain]

The bread I have given him so far is challah (a Jewish type of bread that usually has honey but this one from a bakery in N. London doesn't) that has quite a croissant-y texture so doesn't crumble or go soggy quite so easily, though I did take the harder bits of crust off as they seemed to peel off and get stuck on the roof of his mouth. Also pitta bread both seem to hold their own quite well; though I do lightly toast pitta bread generally anyway. The pittas we get are genuine turkish ones so they are quite a bit more chewy than your typical supermarket ones xx

 

[Jibber Jabber]

Summer Rain & CeriB, I know what you mean about BLW principles, I don't put the food in Max's mouth I kind of hold it for him and he dives on it IYKWIM? It's only really banana as he gets frustrated that it keeps firing out of his hand! We won't be able to eat with my OH either as he gets in at 6.30pm so we have just started doing something when he wakes from his nap at about 4.30pm as he is chirpy then.

I'm having a stay at home day tomorrow (mat leave is soooooo busy!!!!) so we might have some brekkers. i've got some Mangoes that should be perfect tomorrow.

 

[CeriB]

Mango!! Erin actually loves it! I gave her some straight from the fridge to help with her teeth and she suck on it for ages

 

[lovealittle1]

Can I join please?? LO is 6 mos in 9 days and have started giving him bits here and there. Like most of you I wanted to do Blw but also don't want to stick to all the rules. I don't plan on doing purees but if LO wants me to hold his food or pass it to him so be it. Yesterday we gave him some cucumber and banana. He did great with the cucumber. We were shocked at how much he ate. The banana was way too slippery and he was getting so frustrated so we put a bit in a mesh feeder so he could at least handle it. He loved it. I also feel overwhelmed. Be great to go through this together!

 

[Farie]

Please may I join?
I'm doing TW but with 60% finger foods, my LO has to many aversions and issues and 'full' BLW just doesn't suit her.

TBH I'm just kinda doing my own thing She has 3 tiny incy meals a day, still rice cereal based and also noms through baby rice crackers, pear and root veggies which she feeds herself.

Honestly tho, weaning is so stressful and such a mine field .. are we sure they cant have milk right up to their teens?

 

[violetsky]

I just started too *waves* I'm wanting to do BLW but there seem to be so many rules and Dos and Don'ts that I'm terrified of doing something wrong!

So far LO has had banana (has trouble holding it because it's slippy so I half peel it and cut the excess skin off, leaving her a "handle" iyswim), cucumber, pear, & apple.

Problem now is she has got her first tooth in already and now bites chunks out of things and keeps nearly choking herself - not sure what to do about it

 

[summer rain]

Don't worry too much about the rights and wrongs of BLW you won't harm your LO if you bend the rules for whatever personal reasons. My LO has no teeth yet (been nearly through since 9 weeks though, its ridiculous!) but he still manages to 'bite' chunks off everything, I think when your LO gets older she will be able to handle it better, its normal for babies to gag slightly even when older as their gag reflex is further forward in the mouth than an adult's xx

 

[lovealittle1]

My LO gagged on cucumber tonight. It freaked me out. Guess I should get used to it though.

 

[CeriB]

Honestly tho, weaning is so stressful and such a mine field .. are we sure they cant have milk right up to their teens?

Yes please!!!!!! It is easier and less stressfull!!!! I hope Nim is doing well - I remember your stress filled days from BF! Her pic looks so cute!!

Hi Violetsky :wave: Erin doesn't have any teeth yet but manages to get chunks in her mouth! She gags until her eyes start to water, but I can see the bit in her mouth and its in the middle of her tongue so I knows shes not choking. I leave her to it, reassuring her, until she sorts it out for herself. The one time I tried to 'help' I ended up pushing it back further and she swallowed it. I guess I helped a bit, as she stopped gagging but not my intention for her to swallow

Well, today is anyother day - lets see what it brings!

 

[Jibber Jabber]

It's hard not to stress about gagging isn't it, I just keep telling myself that gagging and choking are completely different things. He's a bit of a grouch this morning and had a bad night so going to see how he is at lunch and offer him something then.