Baby Led Weaning Support Thread - Part 10

[*Ali*]

Well Steph the feta cheese I have says it is 3% salt which means a 35g serving would contain their entire daily recommended intake of salt. I guess it depends on how much she would be getting in a muffin (I'm guessing not 35g?) and how often she would get it. If it is just a little bit once in a while I expect it would be fine.

And would anyone like to join me in sharing some pics of BLW on this thread? I have posted some of Colby.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178354.msg2436554#msg2436554

[amayzie]

OOh!! I'd love to!! I as just going to say e should have a thread of 'funny moments in BLW' as there are soo many!! But messy photos is good too!! I'll put some on tonight i think!

[creations]

Are you/did you all start doing one meal for a few weeks before you added a second and then a third?

No we had to go straight to 3 meals because DS spent ALL day asking for food and I kept responding with extra milks and he kept telling me how STUPID I was at offering milk when he wants REAL food lol
Initially it was not full meals though, it was one or two types of foods at each sitting.

FWIW he's been offered salmon perhaps once per week for 6 months or so and still doesn't like it.  He will put a piece in his mouth but after moving it around a little he spits it back out.
I found he LOVES canned mackerel and canned tuna (also likes smoked mackerel. won't eat fresh tuna which is a real shame, I hate the canned stuff!) so I always had to really really limit the amount I gave him because of the salt and not give anything else with salt in at all in the same day.

[amayzie]

Creations- have you tried the salmon in a potato cake? I put fresh cooked salmon, cheese, potato, spinach- and whatever else you can cram in there- into a little pattie and bake it- he INHALES THEM!! Sometimes i use tinned salmon and watch the salt content

[*Ali*]

Is canned tuna salty? I didn't realise. We get the one in spring water for sandwiches and jacket potatoes. Is that salty too or just the one in brine? I haven't given it to colby yet but cadan loves it.
Oh we live fish cakes here. Hope colby does too.

[amayzie]

The brine is worst- as in don't even put it in the same room as the baby- but the others are salty too.. not as much. I couldn't find a plain one in the cupboard... it is pretty easy though to poach a bit of salmon, and a small fillet goes a long way. If you get them on sale too...

[creations]

It's advised to use the stuff in oil rather than spring water when they are very young although I reckon if you already use the spring water tuna then it's not likely to make a massive difference.  For sure what Katy said the brine in the worst, but yes the others are quite high in salt too.  It's so nice now DS is over 12 months that I can relax just a little on how much he can have.  for example I used to make pasta with veggies and sauce then give DS about a teaspoon of tuna or mackerel to go with it where as now I whack the whole tin in, stir it up and serve him a portion from it.

Fish cakes didn't go down that well here, he doesn't eat potato! (OK he will eat 1 or 2 roast or home baked chips but certainly not mash).  It's funny how he shows clear dislike to certain things, I know it isn't just fussiness or being picky, he just doesn't like them.  I keep offering of course thinking one day he will get a taste for those things he won't eat right now.

[eshea]

Hi ladies, jumping on as my LO loves to push away the spoon and would rather eat everything from his tray.  Hoping to get some more ideas for good foods to serve him (I'm always worried about choking). 

C isn't a fan of most green veg.  Anyone have a "can't miss" way to serve up something green?  My daughter always loved them and C is good at hiding them in places other than his mouth. 

[Papaya]

Funny Creations, your LO seems to dislike all the things that F loves the most! Fish cakes, broccoli, rice...

The one thing I've ever offered her that she really seemed to dislike was pineapple, so I just didn't offer that again for months as I know it can be an allergen and I thought maybe she was telling me that it made her mouth feel funny. Well, now she's over 1 and DH and I had fresh pineapple yesterday so I gave F a little...and she scoffed it down and asked for more. So now I don't think there's anything I've ever offered that she just won't eat ever, although of course she has days where she won't touch something that she loved the week before

Eshea, can you hide veges in meatballs or fishcakes, like Katy was saying above? I add peas to meatballs, if you mush or puree them first you can't see them at all (although there may be a slight green tinge to the whole thing). I've made patties from mashed pumpkin and tofu with lots of chopped, steamed broccoli added (not that I need to hide that here, it just seemed like it would go well and it did!). Grated courgette fritters? Or courgette muffins are really tasty too, think like carrot cake. You can make them with fruit to sweeten, rather than refined sugar. 

Ali, I had heard that BLW was being recommended more in the UK now. Wish it was in NZ! Last I heard, which was admittedly a year or so ago, the official Plunket line was still to intro solids at "4-6 months", and that BLW "wasn't adequately researched to recommend without reservations". From what I read of their guidelines, it would put mums who hadn't done much research off BLW. Sure, maybe it's not for everyone, but I didn't like that they seemed to be implying that it might not be safe (similar to your experience perhaps, Creations). Not sure if that's changing.

[creations]

Funny Creations, your LO seems to dislike all the things that F loves the most! Fish cakes, broccoli, rice... Cheesy

I could prob make some fishcakes without potato and I think he would eat them.  I do make batches of things when I can but some things feel like more hassle than they are worth if he doesn't touch them at the end of it.

I made some mixed bean fritter type things the other day, DP and I thought they were pretty dull and bland on a taste test, DS scoffed the lot in two snacks.  The next day I 'improved' the recipe by adding steamed red pepper (a big fav of DS) and finely chopped spring onion to add more flavour (both batches also had some curry paste for seasoning) and the results reversed.  But I'll be taking a load out to play group for his large morning snack today so I hope he decides to like them after all!

Erica - DS loves spinach mixed up in pasta with a cream cheese and garlic sauce.

[amayzie]

Hamish won't come at pasta! It is really frustrating when you make stuff and they don't eat it!

[*Ali*]

Katy that is why I like just feeding him stuff off my plate without the salt or hot spices because than I haven't spent time making it and he turns his nose up.

Erica how old is your LO?

Nuala, here blw is only recommended if you wait until 6mo to introduce solids. When the weaning age was 4mo they only recommended sticking to purees from 4 to uno anyway and the finger foods could be added from 6mo. So I guess this is just cutting out the purees stage.

[Zoey]

Hi ladies... I'm interested in this approach as Wyatt dislikes purees, and seems to prefer finger foods (tries to finger food the puree...).  Are there any good sites around to help walk me through this approach and do your LO's appear to choke/gag on the foods much?  Do they take huge bites?

Thanks

[amayzie]

Welcome zoey! this is a good site to get you going: http://www.babyledweaning.com/. They will gag a bit as this is part of how they learn, but gagging isn't dangerous-just unpleasant, but the babies don't seem to be phased by it!! They learn pretty well what they can handle and how much food they can put in their mouths!

[*Ali*]

Welcome zoey. I agree with Katy, colby doesn't gag much and when he does he just carries on munching. It is just the way the bring the food back into their mouths if they start to swallow before the food is ready/gummed enough.