BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Feeding Solid Food => Topic started by: ~inbalance~ on January 07, 2011, 14:01:37 pm
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Continued from: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=175926.435;topicseen
Carry on! :)
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wow!! Here we go again :)
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here we go!
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Well Elise has started to help me by clearing her tray when she is done eating :P It also can signal she wants a different food instead of what she has been eating the turkey!!!!
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Oops!
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tried steamed courgettes (zucchini) today and loved them! He ate all the insides out and left the skin...
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I want to do BLW with DD. DH is not in favour of it - he is freaked out by babies choking.
With DS we did purees and he is a wonderful eater. However he couldn't handle finger food until he was over a year as by the time he was 6 months he had 8 teeth and he would take huge bites and then try and swallow! so now DH is freaked out - is there any article that I could get him to read about how wonderful BLW is and how he should be scared? thank you
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Hi amy - good luck with BLW! My MIL was not convinced at first (there was a fair bit of gagging at first!) but now she says she is utterly converted!
This is the website: http://baby-led.rhgdsrv.co.uk/ You can download the brochure that has everything in a nutshell. The book is great (VERY comprehensive!) and the cookbook has all the info at first and is followed by recipes (that even if you don't do BLW would still be great for your toddler & DH and YOU!). I borrowed both from my local library!
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Ugh. We're back to not eating after a few delightful days of great appetite. More teeth? This morning I tried ALL her favorites and she wouldn't eat more than a bite or two of anything. At 7 we did egg and waffle (our standard breakfast). At 8 we tried pear and toast. At 9 we tried peaches and yogurt. At 9:30 she FINALLY ate something - cheerios and raisins ::) Grrr.
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Sorry I've been MIA lately. J has had 2 months of intermittent snotty coughing bugs. S had a chest infection and the Christmas travels have made things very hectic around here.
J has not quite got this food thing yet. He's a one chew wonder, he'll suck/ bite on a wedge of something once and spit the rest out, then he will not entertain it again! Some foods he really enjoys like sausage, he'll suck/ chew all the flesh out and deposit the skin. He's also nowhere close to developing the pincer grip (S had that well under control by now) I tested him with some peas, he got them in his mouth individually, then smiled and they fell back out! But I'll let him off because he's cute, also he's not been interested in solids while he was ill.
He's also a bit fussy, I'm trying to make sure he has lots of savoury foods to avoid a major trend on sweet things but pears are definitely the number food of choice just now!
Hugs Megan, I hope she eats again soon. Not long until your baby is due now, exciting ;D As I've discovered they are so different, you may find your little boy is a total pig for solids. I'm just so glad I weaned S first, she made it very easy!
Hi Amy, I've only read the book. I found it very reassuring about choking issues, definitely get a copy for your DH to read.
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Thanks for the info, will order the books and join up when DD is 6 months :)
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Hugs Megan, I hope she eats again soon. Not long until your baby is due now, exciting Grin As I've discovered they are so different, you may find your little boy is a total pig for solids
yes, I'm hoping so!!! I'm sorry you've had such a rough go of it lately!! I'm glad it's getting better for you!
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Things are still going well here! T will try just about anything. We are going to try yogurt this week- I'm excited! Went to the ped FINALLY and T is off the growth chart he is so tiny. The ped said that his weight is fine for his height- he is just really small! Made some soup the other day, and he loved it. I'm going to see if I can find the BLW recipe thread and put it on there!
Megan- So excited that you will have a new little one soon!! Hope your lo eats for you again!
Amy- I read the book also, and I convinced DH. However, a month into it, MIL found out and freaked. At 8 months, she was fine with him eating real food. I think the big chunks freaked her out. Good luck!
Sarah- I was in the same boat with illness and travel!
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Here it is Amy:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178221.msg2019928#msg2019928
And for any feeding photos this is a good place to share your mess:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178354.0
I have a few pictures to put on, he doesn't like to spread it on his face, just on the floor!
I have decided J is not going to be a vegetarian, anything meat based and he sucks it to death!
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I'm here please :) :-*
Feeling a bit lost with it all as for DD it isn't a case of 'give her what you are having' as she is currently dairy, soy, gluten and egg free ::)
So if anyone has any food ideas apart from fruits and veg that I can make for her to make things a bit more interesting then let me know :-*.
Today Megan had no breakfast, rice cracker and banana for lunch, and chicken, broccoli and fruit puree for dinner (although she screamed at DH when he didn't give her the spoon and he ended up holding the pot in her reach and helping her dip and eat ;D, she was SO SO pleased with herself!).
She didn't think much of the broccoli ::)
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Wow, Liz, hugs! All those intolerances must make feeding so hard for you!! I complain about simple pickiness!! Can you feed her rice? It's one of the things Ellen really likes.
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Neither of my kids like rice...I think it is a texture thing.
Today I gave Elise seaweed and raisins on her tray...she threw the raisins off and ate the seaweed snack!! Too funny
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Feeling a bit lost with it all as for DD it isn't a case of 'give her what you are having' as she is currently dairy, soy, gluten and egg free ::)
Neither of mine have been in this category either. It does make BLW harder, but in fact it makes any feeding harder.
I've always done lots of patties. Just veggies mixed with rice flour or mince mixed with rice flour or rice or mashed potato. We do variations of those a lot, and then strips of meat, roasted or steamed veggies, custard made with rice milk (or could be a good way of introducing her to the formula you want her to drink - though while both of mine drink/drank Neocate, neither would touch anything with Neocate cooked in it).
What about chickpeas?
Have a look at the end of this thread where Eloise has posted heaps of her ideas: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=175107.msg2109674#msg2109674
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Liz, T had some tummy issues when he was younger, so I went really slow in introducing foods. His starting foods were: soft fruits, spears of squash and sweet potato. I also made a lot of mini stews for him with meat, potato, carrot, etc in a small crock pot until everything is tender. You can make mini meat loaf- leave out the egg, you can use oatmeal instead of bread, and grate in some veggies. You can find rice pasta which is gluten free. You could also try quinoa as a grain. I know it is overwhelming with diet restrictions, but I still found blw to be do-able. It's so fun watching them chow down on their food while you get to eat your meal while it is still warm!
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Liz, Olly is off the same foods - I started this thread http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=182009.0 HTH
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BIG HUGS, Liz - you are such an inspiration, though. Even with all the intolerances still blazing through and being a fab mum!
I don't know if you saw it on Dragon's Den, but there is a frozen dessert called Worthenshaws: http://www.worthenshaws-freedom.co.uk/
It's free from diary, sugar, gluten, soya, egg nuts, & artificial colours/flavours. It's on offer at Tescos at the moment for £2 a tub. I don't know whether this is suitable for Megan, but it seems to tick all the boxes!
I've also done some googling and found some sites you might look at:
http://www.thesensitivepantry.com/recipes/
http://www.godairyfree.org/Table/Recipes/
http://withoutadornment.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/gluten-dairy-soy-and-egg-free-carrot-cake/
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It does make BLW harder, but in fact it makes any feeding harder.
That is certainly true Jenny.
Thanks for the ideas Amy - I think stewed meat and veggies is a GREAT idea. And it IS funny watching Megan eat - especially when her 2.5 yo brother is failing to eat next to her. He is a very poor eater and always has been.
For Breakfast today she had peach slices, Lunch was banana and rice cracker, and Dinner was roast potatoes, peas and mango
That thread is a great idea - I will come and join you.
Kim - that is SO kind of you - and that desert sounds fab for ME!!! Thanks so much for mentioning it. I miss my deserts.
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Just wondering what your kiddo's ate yesterday. I'm looking for some new ideas.
Timmy had yogurt (we are trying dairy for the first time!) peas, fruit cocktail, clementine, mango, pineapple, broccoli, half an avocado, chick peas, rice puffs, cherrios, pasta fagoli (pasta, ground beef, zuchini, tomato, carrots, kidney beans, great northern beans), and some Earth's Best organic oatmeal cinnamon cookies.
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I find it hard to come up with ideas for F as well, but he scoffs at most of what I offer so maybe that's why I don't try so hard. ::) Dinners are easy because we usually have really great stuff anyway and he can just have some of what we have, but breakfast and lunch are tricker. I always just end up giving him organic O cereal and fruit for breakfast, maybe some toast but he never eats it. :P And for lunch he usually ends up with more fruit, vegetables from our soup, and organic pasta. He actually quite likes the pasta, but I feel like he's getting bored because I always give it to him!
It is funny though, as F hardly eats anything but it doesn't really bother me. I figure he will eat what and when he wants. But if T was ever picky, I would have freaked out! I think it's a second kid thing really, to be more relaxed. So Megan, I know you worry about Ellen not eating much now, but I guarantee you won't worry as much with LO #2! ;)
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That is to cute about the seaweed Sarah!
Martina, I totally agree with you about the 2nd child thing! I don't panic as much if she decided not to eat, but with Baker I would try to stuff him full for fear of him starving. lol
Breakfast we do alot of milk free pancakes with fruit,english muffin with cinnamon on it, raisin toast is a fav. Lunch we do cheese quesidillas with green/red peppers, pasta, she loves chicken breast with avacado and mild salsa on it, tuna sandwiches, grapes...and supper, it's what we eat which is usually chicken or pasta or roast and veggies. Hope that gives some ideas!!
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Hi all-
I have chatted with a lady on another BLW site who is here in the Seattle area attending one of the local holistic medical schools here. She is doing a thesis on BLW and she needs some volunteers to help her out. It is basically keeping a food diary for 3 days when you start and 3days around 9mo. The kicker is she needs your input BEFORE you start (which most of us have). So if you know of anyone who might be starting and would not mind helping with some research, can you let me know...I will put you in contact with her.
Thanks a bunch!!
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I find it hard to come up with ideas for F as well, but he scoffs at most of what I offer so maybe that's why I don't try so hard.
This is totally me!!! Thanks for the encouragement - I'm just hoping DS will be a pig and eat everything in sight!! lol ;D The only reason I care is that it's just so frustrating to plan and prepare food all day long only to have it completely refused no matter what. That and I'm always afraid of NF starting, but I guess I should relax about that since it hasn't really happened yet, I guess it's probably not going to.
Sarah - did you have to start with BLW from the very beginning? I probably have records, but I started with purees first and then switched to BLW.
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Great ideas everyone! I was stuck eating the same things iykwim!
Sarah-I may also have records from the start. T has rice cereal for 3 days then I found BLW. He turned 9 months yesterday, so that one would be easy.
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Thanks ladies! I sent her a message and asked if that would work..so sweet of you for wanting to help! I am the same way :)
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Amy J had pear for breakfast, prunes & some cucumber for lunch and prawns, peppers & frozen blueberries for dinner! He's not eating a lot and as you know not much out the other end so trying to keep it stodge free!
We discovered frozen blueberries today, he LOVED them! I only got out a handful & he was looking for more once he'd eaten them all!
I've been watching him closely and he knows exactly what he's doing with his hands now. He's very precise in what he picks up, his ability to swallow is improving too. Just need to get him actually eating more now.
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F is really starting to get the hang of it now. Some of them just take a little longer to get going. :)
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not much out the other end so trying to keep it stodge free!
You've probably had tons upon tons of suggestions and tried everything, but white grape juice always seems to work really well for Ellen. I only give her an ounce or two and it seems to help...
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Cheers Megan. Yes the lovely ladies on the birth clubs have given lots of tips. Today is day 8 :o He's happy, sleeping well (well last night anyway) and feeding normally (for him) he just has a very inactive bottom right now!
It's obviously bothering me as I was having all sorts of weird dreams last night! More laxative foods and massage today!
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Wow!! Day 8??? Are you thinking about taking him to the Dr? Good luck, I hope it starts up soon! I'd be worried too!!!
Lisa - was going to tell you, I think maybe you're right about the texture thing you mentioned... or maybe it's just my cooking... haha!! ;D but we've started back up on baby food b/c she will eat it when she won't eat other stuff. She's doesn't eat much of that either tho, so it might also be the teething I keep suspecting, but I'm surely starting to wonder about texture too.
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Marsha-how are we doing on poo watch 2011??
Thanks again ladies who offered to help with the research. I guess it will not work as there is VERY specific criteria so it counts toward the research. But I guess if you think of anyone just starting, let me know :)
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Yay he pooped twice yesterday. A small one, then slightly bigger a few hours later :D They were a little sticky (sorry bad subject) so I guess a little bunged up. Hopefully the fruit will help him on his way. I've introduced dairy to my diet so maybe he's just adjusting to that.
Well he's going on eBay now, the night waking lottery is seriously p1ssing me off now :'( He better start eating properly soon!
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Oh girl. You can post "2 Jacks for the price of 1" if you'd like. I can't count the NWs and he's been crying ALL DAY. :(
Re: poo watch... I was going to ask if you were giving "growing up milk" formula...but remembered that you're incredible and still bf-ing! Nevermind! The growing up milk bungs J right up...
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Kim he's more breast fed than anything right now, I swear he tries to suck me dry some nights!
I just keep telling myself it's BLW proper this time! S was on formula during the days by now & I tweaked her routine with solids to do that. It looks like he may have to suffer 'cold turkey' when I return to work in two months!!!
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Marsha - don't shoot me for this - but have you thought of trying something on a spoon?? Not pureed baby dinner that I know you HATE - but something we all eat off a spoon anyway - like ready brek or something. I want to suggest yoghurt but I don't know how far you are in to dairy yet.
He might just have some textural issues and prefer to try this way. You could move very quickly to him feeding himself a preloaded spoon if he liked it.
I've partially BLW'd 2 children - it took Jacob until he was over 12 mths to eat anything other than toast and rice crackers. He wouldn't even pick up anything wet or slimy until he was closer to 15 mths - so no fruit, no veggies. He would chew on meat earlier than that. I think he started with fish fingers at about 12 mths as well. But that obviously meant night feeds (and he was FF by then as well). Megan is totally different - she will pick up anything and try to eat it! Anything at all - small, slimy, strange, whatever, in it goes.
That is partly why I have offered 2 different types of feeding to both of them - although I have never been one to puree a cottage pie - yuck! As you know Jacob never took to spoon feeding either - but he did have a little bit. Mainly fruit purees - but the feeding team said even little tastes of things are good to help develop their taste buds and increase their curiosity about the whole process. But I guess J is getting enough from BLW to do that.
Although I guess the issue might actually be the distracted BFing rather than the solids.
It gets really tough at this age when they are still waking a lot at night. I know!!
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Cheers Liz, I'm always open to suggestion. SA has finally arrived in full force so I'm thinking now the long nw'ings are partly due to the onset of that, having never suffered it with S it takes you by surprise!
DH fed him solids this morning and I think he had a fair go at it. I do hold some foods so he can have a suck on it when he struggles to pick it up. I will introduce some food on a spoon as and when we have it and see how he does.
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El is a few months ahead, but she is loving feeding herself with a spoon/fork. I preload for her and she even dipped her spoon into yogurt yesterday and fed herself. ::) But, if I give her a bowl of something, she throws it to the floor. I really think we have teething issues as she has become a fussy eater.
Glad about the poo Marsha. I hope that you get J's feeding worked out (and NW's too)
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Yeah, Ellen is starting to like her fork now too!! I have to help her spear things and then she gets it to her mouth herself and is so proud of herself ;D I'm just completely surprised she lets me help her - with *everything* else it's either I do it completely or she does it completely. If she's trying something and I move to help her, she'll back off completely and refuse to even try anymore. But she'll let me put my hand over hers to guide her fork.
Yay for the poo, Marsha!!
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Had spaghetti bolognese last night... went down a storm! ...but you should have seen the nappy this morning! :o :-X
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DH gave El grapes yesterday...holy mess today!!
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Megan is being a bit grumpy with it all this weekend - I think she is working on her top 2 teeth now though.
Question - what do you ladies do to help constipation along?? We are really struggling here (and TBH always have done - she has always been very irregular).
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Liz - prunes. I boil them and puree them and stir through his morning porridge. Only a spoonful - don't want any explosions!
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Liz- I was making sure that T had pears and peas everyday while we were having trouble! I've also read that the following foods stop them up so I try to serve only one of these per day:potato, rice, apples, and bananas. When he was really stopped up I gave him some apple juice and it cleared him out by the next day. The doc said I could give an ounce per month old. At the time he was 7 months. Good Luck!
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Sweet potatoes always are the trick here
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I would LOVE some poop explosions ;D :-X
Interesting about the sweet potatoes - I stopped those as I thought they were binding.
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Liz the spoon is a non starter! I tried yesterday, he just wrestled it off me and sucked on the handle ::)
Js having bowel issues still. He's going in short bursts, 3 little ones on Sunday & 3 little ones Monday. It doesn't look very hard, but he's crying when he poops so obviously bothering him. I'm not sure if it's pain or he just doesn't like the sensation?
The last one Monday was a little softer so I'm hoping the fruits are working! He has a pear every morning & prunes too. Although he's discovered sesame breadsticks and loves them, I'm not sure they'll help!!!!
He actually seemed to eat and swallow properly last night at dinner. I was hoping it may reflect in his sleep, alas no, he's just had feed number 2!
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They all do that with a spoon Marsha - you need one spoon for baby and one for mummy - and feed in the gaps when you can ::). Spoon feeding is NOT a simple mess free affair either :P.
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Can I join in? I've started giving whole foods to E (much earlier than I did with the girls), and I'm giving her a bite of this or that before her purees. I guess at this point, I'm doing combined blw and glop feeds. Watermelon and rice crackers worked really well. I'm going to try some banana at lunch before she gets her puree. Oh and baked apple was just not well received lol.
Can I give her chunks of squash? Or fingers rather? What's the best shape to give at 8 mos?
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At 8mo any size or shape that was at least fist size worked for us.
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Ok, she took a huge bite out of the banana and choked on it :o. A little scary but did ok with smaller pieces.
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If she can pick up smaller pieces, I think you could probably give her bite size pcs at 8mo if you wanted to. I did with Ellen and she did great with them. Now I give her spears and bite size pcs of the same thing and let her choose. I cut bananas into slightly thick slices and then cut the slices in half and set the little "boats" out in front of her. This way they don't get stuck to the tray and she can pick them up really easily and they are the perfect bite-size.
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Hi Vicki.
The choking thing is normal and scary to watch! It'll take her a few goes to figure out the size of food she can handle at once. Also they often gag pretty violently as opposed to choke, choking is silent and when you need to think about helping out :o Tbh both of my kids have dealt with actual choking fine, they make a few silent efforts before getting it out. The funniest was a week ago when this little piece of pear got coughed across the table, his eyes watered a little and he carried on! Big gagging noises are her figuring out how far down her throat she can shove it, which at this age isn't very far for a dramatic reaction. Does that make sense? Just try not to look worried when she does it or it might make her think she should be scared!
I agree with Megan, give her various sizes and see which she copes with better.
J finally mastered the pincer grip today and picked up a pea very gently ;D He placed it gently in his mouth, sucked it, then smiled and it fell out!! He managed to chomp one into pieces before expelling that too, then he had a quick game of tiddlywinks with a few!!!
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Marsha-Yay for J!!
Megan-you are a much nicer mommy than me. Bananas are broke in half and given to each child to eat as they wish. No time for cutting anything more than I absolutely have to.
Elise has a new favorite food, onions! Raw and cooked!! She has had them both ways over the last 2 days and loves them. She also had kind of stopped eating a lot of solids but the last 2 days has been back with a vengeance. She had almost 2 chicken legs last night for dinner with carrots and potatoes and tonight she has had pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and onions.
Thank goodness my eater is back! I thought I lost her
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My three-bite-sweetie is eating again!!! Tonight she ate 1/2 pc of pb toast, 1/3c yogurt, a few bites of rice, and almost half a banana!! That is a TON for her and she ate just as good for lunch today and lunch and dinner yesterday!! YAY!! I hope it lasts!
And she used a spoon all by herself for her yogurt tonight - she'd dip it in and put it in her mouth. She didn't get that much on her own (I had a spoon too) but she did really great!
Megan-you are a much nicer mommy than me. Bananas are broke in half and given to each child to eat as they wish. No time for cutting anything more than I absolutely have to.
Lol I sit with her while she eats most of the time and either eat too or pretend to eat. She takes FOREVER and I have lots of time to cut pcs. Also I find she eats more and better and makes less mess when I put a few pcs on her tray at a time. Glad El is eating again too!!! :)
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Ok who knew babies could eat so much???? I sure didn't!! For lunch today, she ate 1.5 eggs, 1 whole pc cinnamon toast, 3 oz baby food, 1/4 banana, and almost 1/8c yogurt!!! Then 2 hrs later (it's a 1nap day) she ate 1/3 pc pb toast, an adult-size handful of green beans, and 4 slices of cheddar and then an 7 oz bottle before bed!! A week ago, I wouldn't be able to get her to eat that much of ANY ONE THING (except banana or yogurt). :o :o Is there a GS at 12mo or something??
And she is definitely showing interest in big peoples' stuff. She is insisting on her spoon and fork (and getting better and better at it each time!!) and she doesn't want her sippy anymore - she wants a real cup. Today she got my cup off the table herself and took a drink before I knew what was even happening. She did great the first time and then tried again and spilled everywhere. Changed her clothes, and she did it all over again, hehe ::) :)
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YAY for Ellen!! I love it when they eat good. I think I do remember a GS at a yr. I think El might be in one herself. After not eating last week she is trying to make up for it big time this wk.
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Yay Sarah and Megan, it's great when they eat.
J won't swallow any chunks of skin, he'll suck all the flesh out of a chunk of sausage and then expel the skin! Grapes are pointless, although it was amusing this afternoon when one shot across the room as he'd finished with it!
We're on poop watch again ??? He last went properly on Monday! He had some activity yesterday, made a real effort straining away. On inspection there was the smallest piece of poop ever that wasn't that hard? I've started him on low dose lactulose today and taking him to the doctor next week!
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And poof! It's gone, just like that. No more good eater. :(
poo vibes Marsha!!
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Megan they do say babies love to feast & famine, fingers crossed she feasts again soon!
The vibes must have worked, lots of poop has appeared! He must be a pound lighter now!
Oh he clearly loves bread with a tiny bit of cream cheese on, he guzzled it down ;D
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Welcome Vicki!
Sarah- glad El is eating for you!
Sorry Ellen isn't eating again! T loves adult things too. I use the lid to one of our bottles, and he drinks water out of that at the end of dinner every night. He is pretty good with it- but it always gets spilled on him some. That's why I do it at dinner- because his bath is next!
T has really good small motor skills and loves his food in little peices. He is really good with the spoon too! I wish his verbal skills were as good lol. I'm still waiting for mamama!
I haven't given T anything with skin lately as he used to collect it all on the roof of his mouth and I would have to fish it out.
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We tried toast fingers tonight and she LOVED them!!! She gobbled them right up :D
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Marsha-are you drinking enough water?? El can have some issues and when I think back it can almost always trace back to me not drinking enough. Also, have you been adding hidden milk? Somtimes that can make them bind up even if they don't react with spit up. Just thinking ahead in case you run into more poo problems
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Sarah he actually 'slowed' in that area when I introduced cheese to my diet. That seems to be the only adverse reaction which is why I am now starting him with a little bit every so often to allow his body to get used to it! Plus he seems to LOVE it!!!
He's turned his attention to oranges, he was very animated this morning waiting for me to peel one! I certainly don't need to give him fruit juice to drink as he sucks the fruit to death!
The dehydration is probably a very good point, I have been a little slow in my fluid intake just recently. And that is saying something for someone who usually drinks three litres of water a day!!!
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Hi Everyone. We started C with purees but I believe he is more than ready for more solid foods. He loves cheerios and already has the pincer grasp. He loves everything so I want to keep up with the purees for dinner and breakfast but would like to encorporate some more finger foods for lunch. The only reason I am going to continue with purees is that I have a lot in the freezer I need to use up.
one question. I could not find much info on blueberries or peas. Because they are round can they be fed? I can cut the blueberries but what about peas?
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Blueberries and peas are fine. Peas are really tiny, no need to cut. You could also try frozen blueberries, which here are the same size as peas, so you don't need to cut those either. Both my boys love them. They are messy though, so I reserve them for dinner when I know they'll be going in the bath after! :P
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Martina- I am glad you said that about the blueberries. The ones here are much bigger than a pea, and I've been wondering how you all give your lo's frozen ones since they are so big. Makes sense that they are the size of peas!!
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maybe a bad mommy here but if it is bigger than a pea, I give it whole anyhow. They smush to nothing with one chomp from El. (blueberries) But I think I give much bigger pieces of everything by the sounds of it.
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maybe a bad mommy here but if it is bigger than a pea, I give it whole anyhow.
Me too. I only worry about round things if they are big enough to fully block her throat, like grapes. I've never seen a blueberry big enough for me to worry about (not that she will touch a blueberry anyway ::) )
But I think I give much bigger pieces of everything by the sounds of it.
That's the benefit of having a great eater!! You don't have to pamper them!!!
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I give big chunks Sarah - I though I was supposed too so she could hold it and chew on it??
I do give peas and blueberries. Grapes I cut into quarters but she chews them and spits the skins. Meat I give as long thin strips.
I guess I could try smaller bits now she is older but they makes me nervous if they can stick them all in their mouths.
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The size of food also depends on what it is too, I mean if it's something soft and mushy then you'd give a different size than if it's a little more firm.
I've always tended to do small bits because F has always been able to pick them up. Also, he is weird. He will stuff his face but won't spit stuff out if he can't manage it, so just sits and cries with his mouth open for me to take it out. ::) So I find if I do small pieces that are more manageable for him, he is happier.
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Hi ladies! I was wondering how you deal with dropping food off the high chair, and yelling during meals, and ripping off bibs? I think the food dropping thing And bib thing is that he is done- so maybe watch for him to start and stop him in the act? The yelling thing is just that he gets really loud sometimes-he's not upset, just stretching his vocal chords. When do you start teaching what behaviors are not okay?
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When do you start teaching what behaviors are not okay?
I always ignored improper behaviour from babies until they are old enough to talk about it. It worked so far for us, although certainly raised some eyebrows from time to time. Throwing was the worst but was broken quickly by simply ignoring. I looked after a little girl who was a big thrower and the parents finally had to take the dog out of the room as he was just eating everything she threw and it was an immediate reward for her.
HTH
OK so we're up to banana 'boats', toast fingers, rice crackers and a sippy cup. Still doing tons of purees and I'm glad this time I'm combining the method of feeding. She's so contented to sit with a piece of toast and gnaw away. :D
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Oh, and ignoring was very painful at times to do lol.
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xx will be reading back, but as a first question, what foods did you start with?
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Hi Hester! We started at the VERY beginning with some roasted pumpkin, actually! He loved it! The following morning, we all had french toast as a family, but made his with: 2oz formula milk/breast milk, mashed banana (I added some vanilla and cinnamon), then dipped bread in it on both sides and cooked like french toast! When cooked, cut into 4 vertically and let him go for it! He really liked that, too!
From there, literally anything went. Did lots of al dente carrots or broccoli. He loves meat, so gets whatever meat we eat (we don't salt anymore). We're introducing pasta, rice, and noodles - that's quite an adventure! We've also started with a few cheerios on his tray after the yoghurt to practive pincer grip and dealing with smaller things.
HTH!
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Oh I love the idea of 'french toast'. I'll have to try that one :)
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So with BLW you don't do one food for a couple of days? i.e. Carrot sticks for 4 days and then cauliflower etc?
I did get some brinta, which is a wheat based cereal, since he'll be eating that a lot :) We also eat oatmeal and things like that, so I guess I would feed him then.
Pumpkin is a good idea. I was also thinking sweet potato, squash etc.
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So with BLW you don't do one food for a couple of days? i.e. Carrot sticks for 4 days and then cauliflower etc?
Not really. The point is that if you're waiting until 6mos, then your baby's system should be able to tolerate anything really. They really don't swallow enough for it to have that big of an effect for quite some time anyway. :)
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So with BLW you don't do one food for a couple of days? i.e. Carrot sticks for 4 days and then cauliflower etc?
Both my 2 have had issues which have meant I have been cautious about adding foods (both intolerant to various things through BM plus DD had skin reactions when starting solids and DS has digestive issues) and so I have done minimum 3 days for each food before adding another. It's a bit boring at the start but doesn't take long to add more foods.
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If it makes any difference, I did purees first and then the blw next. Purees are something I can measure. Then if she's been on carrotts as puree for a couple of days, then I give cooked carrott sticks.
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Hi all. Hoping for a little support and/or advice.
My LO is 8.5 months old and has never been a very good eater or sleeper. We're having to do BLW because she refuses spoon feeding almost all the time. We went to Australia in November and she started eating purees there, but refused again when we got back. Last week she had a cold and couldn't breastfeed well, and I got her eating some chunky purees again, but now she's stopped again.
She enjoys BLW, but hardly actually eats anything, just mooshes it around and spits it out. I know this is pretty much the point of BLW, but she is really getting NO bulk or calories from solids. Shouldn't she be actually eating stuff by now? We've been doing this for over 6 weeks now...
I know everyone says milk is the most important food for babies until they're a year old, but how on earth am I supposed to drop the dream feed, for example, if I can't get her to eat more during the day?
Feeling discouraged and more than a little tired. :(
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Hey Zoe, she may be eating more than you think. I hear your worry though, my DS2 was very much the same, and it was only recently around 8mos that he's started to eat anything in any real quantity.
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Hi Ladies,
With DS I didn't start solids until almost 6months purees and he wouldn't eat lumps until well over 1 year of age!
So with DD I was planning on BLW from 6 months. I have the two books and the full bibs etc. She is 5 months and 1 weeks old. This morning when I was eating my food she started to cry cause she wanted some, she was reaching out to grab it. I didn't give her any. But the last week or so I started to think that perhaps she is hungry. Dr said to wait until 6months but he is only going by the recommendations.
I really really want to do BLW as it makes COMPLETE sense to me! So I am wondering what should I do - should I hold off for another few weeks? should I offer her a cereal? or a puree? what are your thoughts?
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At the moment my LO eats approximately half a grape and about 3cm of breadstick per meal. She sometimes gets some carrot or avocado down, but mostly she seems to just like to squish the food around in her mouth and then let it fall out again. She also likes to drop the mooshed bits on the floor when she's done with them.
There seem to be plenty of foods she's fond of "eating" but very little actually makes it down her throat. She's already small for her age and I really worry about her not getting enough, especially since it's so hard to know how much breastmilk she's getting.
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By the way, just for a bit of light entertainment, I thought you ladies might get a giggle out of this: Ella doesn't like apples
This is my Ella eating apples. She REALLY doesn't like them. :P
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oh bless her!!! That's too funny! In contrast, here is Jack LOVING some fajitas:
http://youtu.be/4290cp_yVsU (I can't figure out how to embed... ???)
Zoe, I know how you mean - that most of it seems to be spat out... but I think as she carries on she will figure out what her tongue, cheeks, and throat all have to do at the same time to get it down her - soon after that she'll learn that doing that will fill her tummy, too. Wish I had more help!
Amy, I'd say give her a bit! If it were me, I'd start with something very plain that will not upset her tummy - like maybe squash or parsnip. I'd cook it al dente and let her have a go -just make sure she's sitting upright - maybe in your lap with DH sat opposite so he can watch that everything is ok, or vise versa.
My own thoughts are at her age, she'll not equate what you're doing to something solving her hunger - but more curiosity... but I'm happy to be wrong!
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Zoe, very cute! Sometimes you have to be patient with BLW as it's really up to them when they will start eating. I would say give it another month and you will probably see some more progress. :)
Amy, I think it's recommended to wait right until 6mos because LOs really need to be ready developmentally, which includes sitting safely on their own and having the motor skills to pick up the food and get it to their mouths, and also losing the tongue thrust reflex. I think a lot of waiting is from a safety standpoint as well, so in that case I think I would wait just a bit longer. With that said, maybe you can give her a large piece of something just to suck on to keep her happy while she's eating. Probably something really safe that she can't bite big chunks off yet.
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Amy-it is recommended to wait until 6mo according to the BLW book, but it also lets you know you should follow your LO's lead so my DD had her hands on solids before 6mo about 5.5 I think and she did great!! You do just have to give nice big soft mushy things like avocado chunks or really ripe fruit to start with
Good luck
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Zoe and Kim- I loved watching you videos! Your kiddos are so cute!
Zoe- I have a little guy too. He loves to eat, but his is tiny. Just the way he is. Also when we first started I wasn't sure how much he was getting, but I could see what he ate in his diapers. He is a very adventurous eater!
Some bad news- T choked on a graham cracker yesterday. Not gagged- but choked as in not breathing. He got a funny look on his face and started crying. I flipped him over my knee and patted his back. It didn't come out of his mouth, but it loosened it and he reswallowed it. I was with a group of friends and it freaked us all out. I guess that is why you learn the heimlich maneuver! Can't believe it after 4 months of BLW and 2 months with Graham crackers!
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Oh, Amy! How scary!!!! :(
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Amy that is scary!! But things happen... Elise tried to kill herself on a tiny craft star at school 2wks ago! SHe had it caught and tried to get it down then tried to get it up. it was all just not so good. But throw up took care of that...and a big mess for me to clean up!
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what BLW book are you all refering to?
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It's Baby-Led Weaning: Helping Your Baby to Love Good Food by Gill Rapley, Tracey Murkett. VERY good read! If you're wanting recipes as well, the Baby led weaning cookbook has recently come out - by the same author, and it has all the BLW info at the beginning, so you don't have to buy them both, you can just buy the cookbook if you want!
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Yeah Kim that makes more sense - the curiosity part about the food - there is no way I am giving her finger food yet LOL way too scared! Dh is not quite on board yet with the BLW but luckily he isn't normally here at meal times!!!
Kim is that you in the facebook pic? if it is yummy mummy for sure :) you are stunning!
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Ha ha! It's not me, I'm playing doppelgänger week on Facebook! I'll change it back to actual me...
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There, NOW it's me!
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Kim, you're way prettier than that 'fake' you you had up there! ;)
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I agree with Martina ;)
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Oh bless girls! Thank you very much!!!
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Good news! Ella ate two baby carrots, a bit of breadstick and two bits of avocado tonight. She also seems to have learned to clap hands and decided to demonstrate with avocado all over her hands. Splat! Hehe. It was too cute.
Also she took it in turns nibbling her avocado and then holding out for me to take a "bite". So cuuuuute. :D
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HOORAY, ELLA! Bless her! And good for you, Zoe, to stick with it!
Also she took it in turns nibbling her avocado and then holding out for me to take a "bite".
I LOVE when Jack does this! And I ALWAYS oblige, no matter how minging whatever he is holding looks!
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ALSO, don't forget about this thread! http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178221.new#new It seems I'm the only one going for it there! :(
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ok thanks!!! I think I'll start with carrots, sweet potatoe, squash, avocado those kind of things.
I tend to introduce veggies first, then the rest. I know you can mix and match, but we have some sensitivities in the family and so far my kids are ok. Except for a lactose intolerance, so I am sticking to the introducting for three days and then a next one.
I am SO excited to start and I think Noah is soooo ready, but I am waiting for his shots. He is getting his shots this next week (15th) and he is so crappy from that, I don't think I want to mix that with starting solids...
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Oh I've been MIA for a while, lots of new faces!
Lots of photos here to enjoy:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178354.0
Hi Zoë, my LO is 8.5mo too and a habitual spitter! Food gets sucked to death and expelled, some is going down though as it appears out the other end! I'm trying to figure out if he needs smaller pieces to swallow or bigger bits to suck! He is quite funny though as he'll stick his tongue out until whatever he is done with drops off!
Hi Hester, that BLW book is excellent.
I've never done the 'introduce one food at a time' policy with either baby. S was a pig and gobbled every item put in front of her, except egg. J has been a much bigger challenge, I'm taking it slow with dairy as I've suspected a dairy intolerance since he was 11 weeks. I'm adding more and more now though, I ate cheese for a few weeks (he got quite bunged up) now he's eating cheese. I'm starting on yogurt, but he's bunged up again. It's a good job he likes prunes!!!
Amy that's scary about the choking, but we're all capable of getting something down the wrong hole, it just shows they need to be watched all the time while eating! Saying that we were away last week and J got hungry so I was passing back chunks of rice cake for him to nibble on! He's still in his baby car seat so not ideal, but it kept him quiet!
As for what age to start 6mo is the 'guideline' It's when most babies are developmentally able to 'eat' In the book it compares the signs of readiness between BLW and spoon feeding, for BLW they need to be able to get things in their mouth and are able to sit with support! If I waited until J could sit unaided he still wouldn't be on solids!
We've started giving J raisins, another theory is if they're able to pick it up then they're able to cope with it! Like the book says if you put a raisin in front of a newborn it wouldn't have a clue! J still sucks and spits a raisin out though!
Amy J throws food off his high chair when he doesn't want it! It's no accident, he just chucks it off! We had throwing issues with S for AGES, ignoring is the best course but VERY hard (and messy) to do!
Manners and rules change as they discover cause and effect. S currently enjoys making hand prints with her food and sticking her tongue out covered in half masticated pulp! Both habits are strongly discouraged. Oh using her drink as a hand wash is another annoying habit ::) She hates sticky hands though, the mentality of a 2.5yo is a difficult one to master!!!!
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Very exciting, Hester! Hope the jabs go ok!
I never did introduce-one-at-a-time either, because J is a piggy too and eats EVERYTHING. Even eggs! I've not come across something he WON'T eat, yet! We don't have a lot of intolerances in our family, so I felt comfortable doing it that way. DH is allergic to peanuts, so I'm careful not to give anything with trace peanuts yet, and DH & my mum are a bit lactose intolerant, but J seems to be just fine with it!
I bought loads of purees when they were on offer before J was weaned, and I'm just starting to use them! I'm using them as a sauce for pasta or rice. If it's fruity, then as a spread for toast! It's going down a treat!
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This might be a stupid question, but how do you do BLW with yoghurt? Do you just let them go crazy messy? Ella can't handle a spoon on her own, even with just a little dip. She just gets it everywhere but her mouth. She also doesn't like sticky fingers and wipes them on everything. I'm trying to be brave about the mess, but I struggle when it comes to flinging and smearing liquidy stuff like yoghurt.
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We just didn't give runny foods to DD! It was my child minder that introduced yogurt, she was more relaxed about the mess!
You could try putting a little in a bowl and giving her a spoon with a little on, she may try a put the spoon in the bowl. Or you could just wait a little longer!!!
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Um, I preload the spoon and let him grab it and shove it in his mouth - that way, if anything else - it's consensual!! If we strain the yoghurt longer and it's thick like cheese, I let him go for it...
AH! He's eating yoghurt for breakfast on my avatar! With cheerios & a grape...
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Zoë I love your avatar, I have an almost identical picture of DD!
Kim have you added an i to your name?
I'm thinking of trying some some cereal on J tomorrow, maybe shredded wheat soaked in oat milk, he's getting more fussy by the day! But hey, still no teeth, so maybe he's thinking about sprouting one soon!!!!!
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I added some Spanish exclamation marks! ¡Arriba!
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Do u have to wait until exactly 6 months to blw? Or can you start say at 5 1/2 months?
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Sorry don't worry I just read the rest of this thread!!! Lol
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Welcome, I know you've read back but this is all you need
for BLW they need to be able to get things in their mouth and are able to sit with support!
We started DD at 24 weeks, just had her sat in our lap to start with as she was too small and got lost in the high chair. Plus it's easier to help them out if they choke at all. DD struggled once with a bit of carrot but figured it out after that.
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Great, thanks. Did you sit her up the table before hand just to observe ? I guess I will need to do this to stArt with breakfast and lunch as we have dinner after he goes to bed at the moment.
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No. She probably sat in our laps while we ate, but I never put her in her chair to watch us. I think mostly she would just roll around on the floor while we ate.
We never started with 'meals' either. She wouldn't have solids until after her first nap. Bf first then solids about 11ish, then again in the afternoon.
DS hasn't been quite as easy, we just offered him as and when. DD got food immediately eating every morsel put in front of her. DS cried after his first solids and the first few weeks were difficult, but he's getting there now, slowly! Don't be surprised what end of the scale your LO lies, it really is a lottery!
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Hi to all the new faces! Just a quick update- I have been trying to teach T sign language. So when he starts to rip off his bib, I grab his hand and do the all done sign with him and clap. Then I take off his bib, and take him out of his chair. He occasionally does the more sign- although I think that maybe just him playing with his hands haha! The food dropping off thing is definately a sign that he is either done, or doesn't like that food. At my mom's, his booster seat has some room next to him, and he just makes a tidy little pile on the seat lol! Also- he is finally starting to share his food with me. I guess he is finally sure he will get plenty to eat! When he is done eating, he'll offer it to me rather than drop it on the floor. Too funny these babies! ::)
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Quick question, when you give carrots, do you steam or boil a whole carrot and then just give it to munch on? Or do you cut it in some way. i ordered the book, but it's not here yet...
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I don't have the book, so I don't know what that says. But I just cut the carrot into sticks and boil them until they're soft but not mushy. :)
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Hester I usually chop them into little batons before boiling or roasting them. I always make sure they are still quite firm though.
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so why are you both making sure they are still quite firm?
BTW, Noah hated the carrots :) shivers all over...
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I'm thinking of doing baby sign too! Check here: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=165991.210
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I guess if they're too soft then they may have been over cooked and difficult to handle. I actually avoided cooked carrots for a while as it's the one food S choked on!
Kim I love your new avatar picture.
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Sorry, completely forgot about the carrot question!
I prefer to steam my veggies, I rarely boil. For me, I think steaming loses less nutrients... so I cut into batons and steam until "al dente".
And same as Marsha with keeping them firmish, if they're too soft, I find J will accidentally bite off mre than he can chew (literally!) and end up choking a bit. He did this with a soft apple just yesterday, it was softer than he expected and really had a hard time with it!
And thanks, Marsha! It was actually you that inspired me to do a back carry! I'm having a h3ll of a time doing it, though!
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havent got much time to read all and post a lot but im a big supporter of BLW my 1yo eats anything except tomatoes, which he used to love. is also struggling with lactose but there are some good products out there if you can source them
i find its caused him to become much more dextrous at an early age, he could pick up peas and raisins at 7m and feed himself with a loaded spoon.
hes just mastering dipping a spoon into yogurt and getting it to his mouth with some still on..up until about 10m he used a small rice cake. he still drops most things off the spoon, so when hes had enough just uses fingers for whatever hes eating
he never choked, gagged a bit...apple was there usual prob in the early days
he can take his milk in a doidy cup if less than half full without majot disaster!!!
i think its a great way to wean x
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Regarding the carrot thing; I cook them so that they're soft enough for her to mush up in her mouth, but firm enough that they don't squish and fall apart in her hand. :)
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Well so far Noah spits most out :). But he does enjoy the fact that he CAN eat...
Banana is a bit too slippery, but he likes it when I mush it a bit and he can lick it...
Most pieces come straight out, which is quite funny, but he finds it also frustrating, since he is hungry and acts starved, so he gets upset.
Anyhow, it's still fun, tomorrow we'll try sweet potato :)
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Well so far Noah spits most out
SO SO normal! It's literally only in the last month or so that I noticed the food DISAPPEARING rather than being "rearranged"! Only this morning I noticed that all of the food was...GONE, not just down the side of the highchair/on the floor/in his bucket bib!
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Ok, so what do you do if he seems hungry, but gets super frustrated that he can't get his food in his mouth. He gets very angry and impatient when feeding himself, so I gave him some oat cereal in the morning and some mashed apple i the afternoon and he was very happy, but this is not BLW.
I do put the cereal on the spoon and give the spoon to him and he sucks it off. After that he gets something to chew on, but then he's not so super frustrated.
And another question, I got squash and sweet potato for him, but how do I make those? NEVER had them myself :).
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Hester what age was Noah when you gave him some finger food - Cassie is SO SO ready but I am holding off in case she chokes......but not sure how much more she will develop in the next two weeks??
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just wondering how long you steam the veg for? going to offer some carrots today and see how she goes
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Depending on the vegetable, I usually go between 7-10 minutes, but I think I do them a bit softer than some of the other ladies here. I guess it also depends on how big you make the pieces. I usually just stick a fork in one, or eat one myself to check the texture.
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Hi girls!
Hester, do you milk feed first? When we first started with Jack, we did milk feed then about 1 hr later had solids. This way he was getting the nutrients he needed from milk first (which is more important until he's 12 mo) and then he's not distracted/frustrated by hunger when he's "playing" with food.
MMM! Squash and sweet potato! I LOVE them! When I make squash/zucchini/courgette for myself, I cut into thick rings and steam until soft then eat (skin & all) with butter & salt. When making for a little one, I would peel and cut into spears like a cucumber (about the size/width of your index finger) and steam. Because Noah is so small, I would not steam it too long because squash can become very mushy!
For sweet potato, when I make it for myself, I will peel & cut into big chunks, parboil, and roast in the oven with honey. DELICIOUS!!! (DO NOT DO THIS FOR BABIES! Before 12 mo, honey is not recommended!) For Noah and babies his age, I would say to peel it and chop into thick sticks (they will shrink in the oven!) and roast. When he gets a bit older (like Jack's age) I would say cook it like a potato, mash the inside, and let him go for it! I do mini baked potatoes for J all the time! He loves it!
Amy, I have no idea! I cook them until when I spear them with a knife whilst cooking, the outside is soft, but the inside is still firm. I'd say that if you spear them and they fall right off the knife, it's too done!
HTH!
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Hester- my little guy has had a combo of preloaded spoon and finger foods and he is doing just fine! He has terrific fine motor skills and loves to eat. Although lately he's been boycotting his veggies ::). Hth!
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i make sweet potatoe wedges, jakob coped fine with these from 7m, and butternut squash rissoto (loaded spoon or rolled into balls to pick up) or bake cubes/wedges. the wedges can get sharp corners on which i just snip off.
i think loaded spoons are still BLW as they are controlling the pace and amount, jakob can now eat think spoon mixing between dipping bread and using a spoon ()often turns spoon upside down in mouth but is q successful lol
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Thanks ladies! I do BF first, but he still gets frustrated. I'll do a combo for a bit, untill he's calmed down a bit and then hand it over :)
Amy, I started 3 days ago. Just observe her and if she seems ready, try some, if she's not ready she won't choke, she'll use her tongue reflex to push thingsback out...
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Did some carrot today - it was too soft as it fell apart as soon as she picked up a spear - she got so frustrated! tried banana but she bit off a huge part. She was getting very very frustrated! will try again tomorrow with broccoli I think that might be a bit easier to hold.
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My LO loves broccoli because she likes to suck the excess water out of the leaves first. :D It's very cute. She also really liked brussels sprouts, but I think that might be unusual, since most of my friends do the jaw-drop face when I tell them. :P
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ok, so today he got some rice cookies (mum mum) and oat cereal and some applesauce. MAN that kid get SUPER angry if he can't get enough fast enough. Every time he dropped the mum mum he would SCREAM as if in pain. Then as soon as he got it back, he did the big sigh and kept eating. So I shoved some cereal in there and that calmed him down enough to enjoy his mum mum. Then I fed him BF about 30-45 minutes later (it's Sunday, the day was a bit messed up)and he took a full meal as well. I think I might have been starving him before I started solids. My goodness, it looks as if I haven't fed him in days!
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E loves rice cookies and anything she can get her hands on right now. Not eating a whole lot due to being sick but she still likes to play and chew. Breathing? I'm sure she'll go back to normal soon.
Oh and Hester, you can get much cheaper rice cookies at Superstore in the natural foods section than what mum-mums cost. They're also in a bunch of different flavours. I get mine at Sobeys but I don't think you have that chain out west. I got a pack of 90 cookies for what a box costs. Sorry if OT Martina but it's a great deal :)
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Frustration reigns supreme here just now ::) Meals are NOT fun. He's still doing the suck and spit technique although occasionally an item will disappear with a huge effort!
This is how this lunchtime went. Offered very lightly toasted pitta bread with cream cheese on, first piece vanished, second piece sucked, third piece ignored as he was watching us eat ours. I offered him a tiny amount of tuna on a fork, after the look of shock he swallowed and bounced like he wanted more. I offered more, he smashed my hand out of the way and got mad! I put it on his tray, nope, he smudged it off the side of the chair. I tried a drink, he went to drink it and then tried to smash that out of my hand ::) I offered the cheese on my finger, the first bit got sucked the second smashed away in frustration! He then sucked a small orange to death and deposited the majority of it down his bib!
This boy is a challenge, on one hand he acts like he wants more before then saying 'no, I don't want that' I never had any of this with S, she just stuffed her fat face with everything put in front of her!
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Marsha - could it be teeth or textures? The twins wouldn't chew properly until they were about 14 months. Not even lumpy purees. Very annoying. Can you give fruits that he can suck on? Hugs.
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I think teeth or textures too Marsha. Hope it's not the textures..Ry has issues and it stinks!!
Remember BLW...go at his pace. I now it stinks as S took right to it, but you have to give him the same respect and patience and it will work out how it should.
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Marsha - that sounds JUST LIKE Ellen. I stress out so much about what to feed her b/c I'm always trying to guess what she'll eat and I she doesn't have a big repertoire of things she'll eat to begin with. I'll ask her if she wants something, she'll get all excited and "say" yes, and then will eat ONE bite. ::) It's especially bad when she is teething - the past few days she has eaten almost nothing and won't even finish her bottles. Could your LO be teething?
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Hi - just wanted to join in on this thread. My little girl is almost 8 months now and about a month ago started to refuse to be spoon fed. I think she was plain bored of purees so I've been trialling BLW. So far she's doing pretty well but sometimes I do worry that she's not getting enough so I am helping her a little bit (I know technically I'm not supposed to).
Her favourite foods so far are strawberries (I try to limit due to acidity), cooked spinach leaves (that was a surprise) and onigiri (Japanese rice ball snack - homemade). I am fast running out of ideas to keep her interested so thought I'd tag along.
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Megan he still hasn't got a tooth yet so teething is a high probability.
Vicki he lives on fruit, sucks the juice out of everything!
Sarah I am trying to be patient, my child minder will have her job cut out for her in March!
We're having more swallowing now, I gave him a handful of frozen blueberries yesterday and he ate everyone. He likes peas too. The only problem with small food is he eats them slowly one at a time. The peas I fed him, he either took them off me and ate them or ate them out of my hand ::)
He'll get there!
GTG he's trying to get down the stairs!!!
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Welcome milas_mum :)
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Hi girls, I am thinking of starting BLW with my DD so wondered if I could join you all for some advice and ideas please? We have so far done a mixture of purees and finger foods but she has never been keen on solids unless it is fruit or yoghurt or anything sweet really! She seems to do a bit better with finger foods and certainly likes to be in control so thought BLW might be the way to go. Will read along if that is ok?
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I thought the point of BLW was that they ate the same as we do???????
i dont make special meals for Jakob, may have prepared it a bit differently (ie thick fingers instead of small chunks) initially.
I think one of his 1st meals was meatballs, just chopped it in half and he sucked, chewed and threw and enjoyed it. Its been a while since i read the book but im sure it stresses that 'food is fun before theyre 1' and milk remains the main bulk of their diet and nutrients.
i think bananas were problematic when he got his 1st teeth as hed bite big chunks, but as long as you are close enough to step in i tend to leave him to work it out....but i appreciate it can be worrying if its your 1st, some of my friends thought i was completely mad, but im so glad we did BLW :)
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and onigiri (Japanese rice ball snack - homemade).
hi milas_mum! whats your recipe for this? tia!
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Welcome Milas_mum and Bex.
I thought the point of BLW was that they ate the same as we do???????
It is, but in the very early days you have to do them different things to eat if what you're eating is inappropriate. Say if we have curry with rice then we would do some veg for DS as he can't manage rice yet and he gets bored very quickly so needs a variety of tastes.
Well it appears J is eating just fine. Had him weighed today and he's gained 2lb 6oz in five weeks :o He has suddenly started eating more, there is less being spat out just now. Tonight we had fish and chips, J enjoyed peas (cooked for him and S) fish cake, sausage, a few chips and a pot of fromage Frais. In fact he got angry at me not feeding that too him fast enough! Then he figured out he wanted to do it so would grab the spoon off me, suck it clean then throw it at me for more!
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Hi Megan - the onigiri is really simple. I just cook up one cup of Japanese sticky rice in the rice cooker, then when it's done I mix in a mixture of shredded seaweed and sesame seeds (I buy this in a packet from the Japanese section at the supermarket). I scoop a small amount into some cling wrap and roll it into a small baby-sized hand roll before rolling onto some nori (seaweed) paper to cover the outside. I keep it in the fridge and give it to her cold straight from the fridge. I also make it for myself but I make bigger triangle shaped snacks so we can eat it together.
Seaweed is supposed to be high in minerals and vitamins but I have noticed it does soften up her poos nicely so I only give her onigiri every few days or when her poop gets a little bit hard.
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Hi Mila's Mummy (sorry, love! Don't know your name yet!) - that sounds a great recipe! It sounds very much like a regular sushi roll - and DH and I LOVE sushi!
I don't know that I would have given him the nori as well, but thanks for the heads up on the benefits! I'm excited to try that now!
Do you add the vinegar/sugar like for making sushi rice?
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Hi Kim - my name is Kate. I don't add any vinegar/sugar to the rice. If you use the right type of rice there's no need.
Today we are going to try out noodles. Mila is fascinated by any type of cord at the moment (including electrical cords - eek) so I'm hoping she'll like them. I'm going to toss them in a veggie puree to try to get some more nutritional value into them, and to use up all those purees in my freezer ;)
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Can anyone give me some new ideas for easy (preferably no-cook) breakfasts? I have been giving Mila fruit and trying to get some cereal in when I can with a spoon. I used to have much more luck but now she won't let me get away with it. I have tried dry cereal on the tray but she hasn't yet developed the pincer grip so she has quite a bit of trouble picking it up and actually getting it into her mouth.
On a separate topic, do BLW babies learn to use a spoon okay when they are a bit older? I'm worried that she'll always want to finger-feed (like when she's 15 months) but friends' babies who are that age can feed themselves with a spoon.
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Actually at 11mo my DD is way better than DS was at 11mo with a spoon. She is BLW he was not. By letting them feed themselves with their hands, I think they develop better coordination of hand to mouth. At this point DD feeds herself well with a spoon and really makes no mess. Today she was scooping her oatmeal out of the dish herself. Before today, I would just preload the spoon and she would hand it back. It was perfect practice for signing more and thank you.
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Oh-forgot to say, just keep giving the dry cereal. They develop the pincer grasp really quickly when they are ket to practice. I think DD had it totally under control by 7mo (we started BLW a week before she was 6mo)
Sorry-no better answer. If I don't give cereal, I have to cook something.
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On a separate topic, do BLW babies learn to use a spoon okay when they are a bit older? I'm worried that she'll always want to finger-feed (like when she's 15 months) but friends' babies who are that age can feed themselves with a spoon.
There's nothing wrong will still using hands at 15mos, and all of them learn to use a spoon eventually. :)
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Thanks Kate!
And for breakfasts, there was a similar thread a while back: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=186379.msg2135685#msg2135685
I do a lot of toast & yoghurt for J (we make our own yoghurt). I wonder, could you make a batch of pancakes/waffles/french toast and then freeze? Pop it in the toaster to reheat?
With cutlery, in the past I would load the spoon and hold it up to him for him to grab and put in his mouth... but he'll chew on it the rest of the meal, so I have to take it back myself. I've only just started putting it in the bowl for him to grab out and feed himself...but it is a bit messy!
I read...somewhere!... that forks were a bit easier for babies to use (if appropriate! ie, not for soup,etc!) because "spearing" is easier than scooping, and I think they have a point (no oun intended! HA! Fork?! Point?! nevermind...). I'm going to get J some better forks that aren't SO blunt that you can't get anything with them and try that... though he is still extremely distracted by them...
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Thanks Kim - I think I'll try making up some pancakes and freezing them. I hadn't thought of freezing that type of thing.
Noodles today got Mila very excited. She had a great time dangling them and shaking them but didn't actually eat much. Might try again once she has teeth and can chew them a little more easily.
I'll try preloading a spoon too. I have the same problem as you though - once she gets the spoon she just chews on that and doesn't eat anything, so I have to wrestle it away from her so she will actually eat.
Can I also ask how do you BLW when you go out, like to a restaurant? I am fine with Mila eating off her tray at home but not sure I would like her to do that in a restaurant high-chair that probably isn't as clean as at home.
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Kate~ I have a Kiddopotomus Tiny Dinner place mat. It suctions to the table and has a little food trap. It wipes down easily and it roll sup and fits in your bag. I have used it with both kids and I absolutly love it for eating out! Not sure if they have them where you live, but google them!
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I'll try preloading a spoon too. I have the same problem as you though - once she gets the spoon she just chews on that and doesn't eat anything, so I have to wrestle it away from her so she will actually eat.
I started with 2 spoons. That way she could give herself a bite and chew on the spoon, but I had one to reload. She got the idea pretty quickly that when the spoon is empty it is not as good as one with food. Now she just gives it back for more.
I do pancakes and waffles on the weekends and freeze them for the week. I do a lot of eggy toast, but I make that fresh every time. That with some fruit and you are good to go
Posted while Lisa did...we have the same plates and the kids really do like them, but, Ry's highchair has a rough surface and it does not stick quite as well
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Hi, just popping in. I like the idea of seaweed, J's is still struggling in the poop department ???
I have a little squirty bottle in my change bag filled with Milton for when we go to restaurants, I just give everything a quick wipe before we eat. But TBH the drawback of BLW is they develop the pincer grip early, I caught S sucking on a seed pellet that a bird had pooped out at 8mo :-X J has sucked on a small muddy leaf walked into the kitchen! Makes you worry less about a high chair tray, lol!
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Hi guys - I am finding it difficult to get the soft/firmness of the finger vegs right - they always just fall apart in her hands.
I steam my veg - can anyone tell me how long they steam their veg for as a guideline? I have an electric steamer - thanks
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I do 2 spoons and I exchange... we go back and forth :)
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Amy-we roasted most of our veggies..DD liked that taste a lot better (I did too) so not super sure on the time for steaming. Basically al dente is what you are shooting for.
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Hi Amy - I steam carrots and broccoli in my rice cooker (it has a steaming function). I'm not sure on timing as I think it depends on how small you cut the veggies up, but I wait until I can smell the veggies in the kitchen, then open up and check. It's usually just right once the aroma comes out.
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Thanks Lisa and Sarah - I will check out the kiddopotomus place mat. I usually buy most of my baby stuff online as the selection here in Shanghai is not great. Ebay usually has what I'm looking for.
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Kate this is what we used with S at home for a while:
http://www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/sp+Tiny-Diner-Place-Mat+B6301
It sounds identical to the kiddopotomus place mat.
Amy we just boil our veg, it's trial and error really. My test with broccoli was to pull a fork prongs through the tips of the florets, if they come off with a little effort then it's perfect, if it falls apart easily it's been cooked to long.
Well J is VERY constipated, he's pooping most days so he's going regularly but it's getting more painful for him. Yesterday and today he has screamed every time he has gone :'( The doctor said last week about trying to increase his fibre intake so we've been managing to give him a little weetabix in the morning, with his increased ability to swallow he's getting more fruit and things down. A few days ago his poop turned really dark green, I thought this was due to eating lots of peas, well it's still very dark green and he's not eaten any green food lately so I'm worried something more sinister is going on. He has been trying some fromage frais (which he LOVES) so yesterday he went dairy free again to see if that helps, today I started him on Lactulose. His poor little bum bled a little after this mornings poop so he's off to the doctors this afternoon.
Yesterday his breakfast consisted of prunes, apricots, pears and a little weetabix, how can he still be bunged up?
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OK, I've just googled a kiddopotomus placemat, they are identical!!!!
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I just ordered one on ebay - just have to wait about 4 weeks for it to get through China customs ::)
Made blueberry pancakes tonight to try at breakfast tomorrow. Hope she likes them!
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We have that kiddopotamus placemat too. Brilliant!
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Marsha, I know you do purely BLW, but it might be an idea to give him some high fibre cereal in the morning mixed with water.
for example, All Bran cereal, softened in water and you feed it to him. This way he gets water and fibre in and with you feeding him, he would get a bit more then when he does it himself.
Just and idea, feel free to ignore obviously, but constipation usually clears up with more fluids and more fibre.
Also you can add some probiotics to his diet, this will help the green poop, which is sometimes a bacteria, it will enhance the good bacteria,which will help with any inflammation and with constipation.
HTH!
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also: green poop + constipation = too much iron? When I put our J on 6 mo+ formula, it bunged him RIGHT up (C&G) but SMA seems to be ok.
Increase magnesium intake? Maybe some: broccoli, green beans, oatmeal, yogurt, banana, wheat germ, rice, lentils, or avocado? (yes, I googled/copied/pasted)
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skip dairy when green poop though. And no rice, it will constipate.... ;) Banana's is a hit and miss depending of what kind of constipation you have, which is hard to tell with babies, since they can't tell you what they feel.
Noah is stuffing his mouth lately, which makes him gag like crazy and frankly, freaks me out a little. What to do? He needs a fairly big sized stick to be able to hold it. But he'll shove it in all the way...
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For us as soon as constipation hits...I need to start drinking Massive amounts of water and by the next day she is back to normal.
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you drink massive amounts of water? I should try that...
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you drink massive amounts of water? I should try that...
Yup..that has fixed the problem every time! I can almost tell if she will be constipated by the amount of times I fill my water glass. I love love love coffee...not for the caffeine but the taste...and some days I can tell I had too much and not enough water.(too much being more than 2cups)
I have a cup that looks like a take out cup (with lid and straw) that is reusable and I try to drink 3 of those a day (plus other drinks) one of those being overnight. I drink if I get up to pee which is about once a night and then as soon as I WU in the a.m.
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hmmm, I drink WAY too little water and too much coffee. LOVE the taste as well. I'll try that.
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Hester we've been trying to feed him cereal in the morning. Weetabix, porridge, shredded wheat, anything he'll accept! He's VERY suspicious of the spoon though! DH discovered if we give him the bowl to dip his fingers in he's a lot more cooperative and actually feeds it to himself too. It's a mixture of getting the spoon in his mouth or letting him feed himself with a loaded spoon!
Oh he won't drink water, from anything! I've tried mixing in some prune juice to sweeten it up but he just battles it off me! I'm just leaving the sippy cup lying around and letting him have a little suck when he shows interest!
Sarah I guzzle water at night, but really need to push myself to remember during the day! I'm rubbish, I know for my bladder health I need to drink three litres of water a day! I'm drinking water here know though.
My doctor has said to give him Lactulose twice a day for a week, she wants to avoid him retaining it through fear of going. He did quite a lot of poops yesterday so hopefully his bum will have a day off today and a chance to recover a little, hopefully by then things will have softened up a little.
Oh I got a really good tip on the birth club which was to soak dried prunes in a little boiling water, leave over night and you have prune juice ;D What a simple idea! In the UK tinned prunes are in apple juice and it's pointless buying a litre of prune juice when he only needs a few teaspoons of the stuff!
Hester Noah needs to learn how far to shove food in his mouth, keep offering the same sizes of food, he'll get it soon.
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I hosted my mothers group today for a playdate and was totally shocked to see how much the other babies ate! Miss M is one of the oldest in the group but the other babies chowed down huge quantities of mush - much more than I know she eats. I know I shouldn't compare, but it did make me worry for a minute that maybe she's not getting enough. Then I gave her a bath and realised I was being silly. She still has fat rolls on her arms and legs and a nice big belly! Mila is 8 months old tomorrow and very mobile so I am just waiting for some real eating to begin.... it usually kicks in around 9/10 months right?
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Kate bear in mind that mush probably has a lot of water added to it!
As for when they get eating it really is how long is a piece of string! My DD got it straight away & ate immediately. DS has only just started getting to grips with swallowing, he was spitting everything out for ages! I'm glad I weaned DD first or I may not have trusted this style of weaning!
Stick with it, she will get it!
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He's VERY suspicious of the spoon though
LOL on that one, I can just see his face eyeing that spoon...
Hester Noah needs to learn how far to shove food in his mouth, keep offering the same sizes of food, he'll get it soon.
OK, I'll try and suck up my own fear of him choking :) Thanks!
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OK, I'll try and suck up my own fear of him choking
If he's making a lot of noise he's probably just gagging, quite dramatic but not harmful. When he's being quiet is when you need to worry!
Well J has done some more poops today, absolutely nothing wrong with his regularity! He didn't scream quite so bad and things are moving better, phew. The green tint has gone too, I can only assume (again) that he's not ready for a lot of dairy yet so I'll slow it down and give it less often!
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Marsha, with DS2 I didn't do dairy till 18 months and even now he is still lactose intolerant. He can't have normal milk, dairy products seem ok though...
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We're giving it very slowly. He's had (and LOVES) cheese, that seemed ok so we tried fromage frais, not so good. Stopping it now for a while, will try it every so often.
The thing is here I get no support from my doctor on this issue, which is why I'm continuing to feed J when I return to work, I'll just have to pop home at lunch time for a while!
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Hi liz how is Megan with finger foods? Onto things like gf pasta yet? Meats?
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its good to read others have some lactose issues but not affected by all dairy.. Jakob just cant tolerate yogurts but is ok with cheese and has butter. just trying lactofree milk and yogurts on his brek but still having hipp organic formula for drinks
anyone else tried them...and are you all planning to wean onto normal milk slowly????
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Hey ladies, hope you don't mind keeping most of the allergy/intolerance chat to the FA boards, unless is relates directly to BLW... ;) :-*
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Ok so going to go full BLW as of tomorrow!
I have avocado which I know she likes! going to cut that up into finger size pieces.
Also going to roast carrots - do you put a little olive oil on them first??
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do you put a little olive oil on them first
I do before and after...before to keep them from sticking and drying out and after bc some of the health benefits are lost when heated and also I needed El to consume all the cals I could get into her.
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Great thanks - gave her banana, avocado and a dip of a spoon in yogurt this morning (DS was eating a yog beside her!)
Do you put anything on the avocado to stop it from slipping?
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I didn't just cut it the long way and let her go at it. She figured it out pretty quickly, but she is a determined little thing and nothing was going to stop her from eating what she wanted!
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i might but a hole in a chunk for her thumb would that work?
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Ok so for breakfast - well brunch!! was late today!!
cuecumber - loved it -
chedder cheese - loved it
pear - loves it but can't manage the slippyness - any suggestions?
Also put a bib on her but she was so distracted by it that i just took it off!
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Jumping in here... DD2 is 6 mos and while I would much prefer her to do purees (DD1 was all about purees and I'm just one that hates change... ::)), it seems as though she doesn't care what I prefer and would much rather do BLW. So here I am. ;D
We started solids a few wks ago - right after she turned 5 mos, but I will readily admit that it's been more half-hearted than anything. I usually get one meal in per day, although not necessarily the same meal (i.e., not always breakfast or lunch)... and she hasn't really taken to it. At least not the purees. We've done pears, avocado, banana, sweet potato, rice cereal and carrots. At first I thought it was just that she had a strong tongue thrust reflex still, but now I think it's more taste/texture than anything else.. because she sits and chews and swallows toast just fine! :P
We had stroganoff tonight - and since she was having none of the pureed carrots I offered her - I gave her a tube of rigatoni, which she enjoyed chewing on... and then I decided to get clever and stuff a tube with the carrots.. and she sucked it all down! So that's how she finished her carrots..
But anyways - I digress. Have some questions about BLW - and that is, mainly, do you just become accustomed to the gagging? She's scared me a couple times with banana and avocado... got chunks that were too big in, and then had to cough them out.. turned red, eyes streaming, that kind of thing.. Is that just par for the course with BLW and they just get better at it??
Also - is there a sticky or thread here about good foods to start doing BLW with? With purees, you sort of have that stock list of fruits, yellow veggies, green veggies, etc... Is there a comparable list with BLW? Things to start that are either easy to chew/swallow, yet easy to hold?
TIA! :-*
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Have some questions about BLW - and that is, mainly, do you just become accustomed to the gagging? She's scared me a couple times with banana and avocado... got chunks that were too big in, and then had to cough them out.. turned red, eyes streaming, that kind of thing.. Is that just par for the course with BLW and they just get better at it??
Yup..and the more you let them do it..the quicker the gagging tends to stop. They figure out pretty quickly how much they can get in there before it starts to cause problems.
So far as foods go...pretty much anything goes. Avocado, banana, pears, roasted apples, roasted/steamed veggies, pasta, chunks of roasted meat. Crock pot meals with meat. Meat loaf, any veggie cut into a spear shape. Pretty much anything that is cut longer than their fist. In the beginning the bigger the better I found. Eggy toast, waffles cut into strips.
That should be a good start for you!
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And Cheese :) DD loves her cheese! also a yogurt, but I dip the spoon and give it to her to lick - best doing this one before a bath :)
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noah does not like beans. He doesn't seem to be a big veggie lover. He did some protectile vomiting after avocado, now I am not sure if it was the avocado, but am a bit scared to try it again.
Any fruit is a big hit though! I tend to hold off on grains/carbs when they are little, except for oats and barley. I also hold off on any dairy, but that's just me. Too many intolerances around me.
Do you give your kids rice? What about peas? Are they too little? And one more :) How to prepare squash?
I think I might need to get a steamer, I boil now, but food does lose it's taste.
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Hester - I give my LO peas and corn kernels and she picks them up and eats them individually. It's slow going but I think it's good for her fine motor skills. I also give her rice in onigiri (Japanese rice balls) - I use sticky rice and wrap in seaweed so she can hold onto it. I prepare most of my veggies in the rice cooker using the steaming function.
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Jumping on as well! Even though C is almost 7 months, GI wanted us to wait until 8 months before starting any solids because then she'd be 6 months adjusted. She's had so many tummy/gut issues he wanted her to develop more before we made the transition. But I think she has other plans. Anytime we are holding her and putting anything into our mouths, she reaches for it! Just to see how she'd do I gave her a thick stick of celery and she really enjoyed sticking it in her mouth and sucking on it.
Aimee, I came searching for a sticky on what to start with, too!! I did BLW with H and I've already forgotten how I did it ::) I may have the book around somewhere. I just don't remember what to start with, do I have to do the 3 day rule...I'm guessing yes with C's issues....And with the gagging, you just get used to it. They learn really fast. I don't tend to overreact to that stuff, though...I'm of the trained mind "if you are coughing you aren't choking. when you stop coughing, you stop moving air...then you are choking."
Hester, I used to give H peas and corn and little things like that to get her fine motor skills/pincher grasp working.
So what did you all start with? C is no gluten, dairy, soy, or egg....so.....give her fruits and veggies???!!! I'm worried about all the gas that she may get...she has an awful time with gas.
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Erin, the thing about BLW and gas and the 3 day rule and all that is, realistically they don't actually swallow very much at the very beginning. So I don't think you have to worry too much about gas, especially if you're just doing basic fruit and veg. Also I find it's hard to do the 3 day rule again because they are not actually eating a lot, often not enough to make any sort of difference. I don't think the 3 day rule technically exists with BLW! But I can see how you would want to go slow with C's intolerances and sensitive tummy.
FWIW even with F's tummy we didn't wait 3 days and just kinda started giving him stuff. I can't remember what we started with though. ::)
Aimee and Erin, how are K and C already ready for solids??? :o
There is a BLW recipe sticky, but it's more for recipes and not single foods really. I'm sure the ladies here can all share what they do. :)
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::) Duh, me! Have I really been out of it this long to not realize she's probably NOT going to get much in her tummy :P MIL gave her a plan pretzel twist yesterday and she managed to slobber off some of the coating. Of course, this was all done without my permission >:( That is NOT one of the foods she is allowed!
And I know, how are they ready for solids already! :o Aimee, where did our babies go ???
But, let's roll on the fun messy food times! ;D
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Hi ladies, been busy lately trying to find ANYTHING that J will eat! I've come to the conclusion that he's having a solids hunger strike so now if he doesn't eat it I give up!
Still got poop issues. He was so badly constipated Saturday morning I had to put him in the bath to stop him screaming! The hot water helped soften things and I had to catch his poop as he finally did it :-X He's been off all dairy for a week now and things have improved, but he's also on Lactulose twice a day! Funnily enough he's gone off prunes now!!! Fingers crossed his poor bum can have a rest now. I've taken it to the health boards now to see if anyone else has some ideas!
Welcome to all the new mums, I'll try and read back a little.
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"if you are coughing you aren't choking. when you stop coughing, you stop moving air...then you are choking."
Ahhh - I like this rule of thumb. Will keep that in mind.
So I bought a nice butternut squash last wk to bake and puree... any suggestions as to what I should do with it now??
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So I bought a nice butternut squash last wk to bake and puree
Use it on some cooked pasta as a sauce...great way to get veg in while still letting them handle their food
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I lovek putting purees on toast fingers. Less dry and extra 'stuff' for them.
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Aimee, can you still cut it into sticks and steam that way, or even roast it?
What do you do for a lo who can't really grab anything? I still have to hold things out in front of C and help her grab on...and the whole getting it to her mouth is pretty hit and miss....probably more hit the cheek or eye instead of the mouth ::) :P So far she loves to gnaw on celery, carrots, and cucumber. And we've done frozen peach in the mesh baggie thing.
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Yes - sorry - I wasn't clear earlier...I *haven't* pureed it yet.. it's still sitting in all its glory on my kitchen table.. So maybe I'll do as you suggested, Erin - cut it into sticks and steam it...? Hmm.. I don't do much with squash, so I'm not even sure how I'm going to do *that*.. but I guess I'll figure it out.. =P
As for grabbing, Erin - K was like that just a wk or so ago, but she's gotten better quite quickly.. so maybe C will surprise you soon.. just give her a bit more time..
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Roasting it in long chunks makes it really sweet tasting..so I cut the skin off before roasting and cut into the sticks I want..dribble with EVOO and roast for about 20min at 375 (I think that is the temp I use) just keep checking so it does not get to mushy
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mmm, now I'm hungry for squash!!!
We gave C some fingers of watermelon today...she liked that...until she got a huge chunk and Dh fished it out of her mouth :P
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Hi everyone,
I'm jumping on here now as we started DS (one week away from 6 mo) on solids BLW-style today! I'm not sure we got it right though..
Decided to start with carrot, after his lunchtime milk. Peeled the carrot, chopped it in half then quartered the two halves lengthways to give sticks. Steamed the sticks for 10 mins. Left them to cool until just warm.
DS happily took an offered stick and jammed it straight into his mouth, no problem ;D Sucked at it a bit, then dropped it. Offered another stick which he took and again jammed into mouth, only this time he managed to bite a chunk off (about the size of a pea) and must have swallowed it, as he started crying then vomited it up :( Tried again and he swallowed a larger piece which also had him crying and then up it came - poor boy :'(
At that point I mashed up the remaining carrot with a little water, and put some on a spoon. He was very happy to take the spoon and put that in his own mouth, although the carrot bits dropped out. Did this for a while and think he may have sucessfully swallowed a couple of little bits! The rest was everywhere else ;)
So, a few questions: Did I cook the carrots for too long because they were able to break off in his mouth? Would he have been better off with them harder so he could only suck them? Is it ok to give him raw carrot sticks instead?
We're doing butternut squash next (in 2 days time) and I'm not sure how much I should cook that for either in terms of how hard / soft it should be?
Apologies for being so clueless - can anybody advise?
Huge thanks in advance :-*
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Hi everyone,
I just started BLW today after my 6mth old little boy refused the spoon - I first tried when he was around 5mths and persevered a few days before deciding to stop and start again at 6mths. But a few days in again, I've come to the conclusion that he wants to do it all himself. He'll look at the spoon and immediately try and take it off me, but will turn his head away if I try and put it to his mouth. A headstrong thing!
I love the concept of BLW, but it's obviously a bit daunting at first and there are the inevitable worries about choking and gagging.
I know it's best to offer stick shape pieces at first, but how big is too big if he manages to suck off a chunk and therefore will be risk for choking and similarly how much is too small?
Would be interested to hear about anyone's experiences with steaming carrots too, as per the question above. I might try carrots tomorrow.
Anyway, any tips and advice for a first timer would be lovely! Thanks in advance...
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So yesterday CAssie had for breakfast
Yogurt (she has the spoon won't open her mouth for me!)
Cucumber
Cheese
Pear (a whole one, she ate about a quarter)
Lunch
Strawberry (a HUGE one)
Sweet potato chunks
Dinner
Left over yogurt from breakfast
Mashed potato (she used her fingers for this!)
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p.s. am I right in thinking there is no need to peel (or lightly cook) fruits like apples and pears?
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Carrots day 2:
This time I only steamed the sticks for 5 min :)
Again DS had no trouble grabbing and stuffing them into his mouth ;D This time when he broke a piece off he managed to spit it out :) :) :) Got through one carrot just stuffing it in, sucking and chewing, then dropping out the bits. A small bit did go down and he got slightly upset, but I gave him water and the carrot stayed down this time!
I'm wondering if the upset is just because he's not used to feeling solids going down his oesophagus?
I don't think he digested any of yesterday's carrot judging by today's nappy, so I hope he's able to break down what he swallowed today or it could be an effort to get out tomorrow :o
So far no adverse reactions, so at least that's one food he can have :) More carrot tomorrow, then we move on to squash sticks. I'll have to take a guess how long to cook it though... unless anyone can advise?
Thanks!
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I didn't do one veg each day - I just started with giving her what I was eating - like the veg I prepared for dinner - I think with BLW there isn't a need to do a veg every three days - but please correct me if I am wrong :)
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Hedgehog - I'm actually doing squash sticks as I type - they're in the oven! - so will let you know how they turn out, but I have a whole trayful and I'm going for 375 for maybe 20-30 min...
So with purees, I'd do big batches at a time, throw them into ice cube trays to freeze, and then pick and choose cubes to give DD1 at each meal.... with BLW, do you lose out on that convenience? I mean, sure - there's the ease of feeding them what you're feeding the rest of the family - but at this early stage, I'd still like to give her time and exposure to the "basics" - "stage 1" fruits and veggies, if you will... and those are NOT things that my family eats on a regular basis. Like squash for instance - every once in awhile, I do a squash casserole... but not often! So is there any way to do BLW with "make-in-advance" stuff? Or do you just steam/bake/roast before each meal?
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Hi Amy,
I'm doing 3 days per new food as DS is MPI, has eczema & there is a family history of allergies & intolerance. Otherwise I wouldn't have to be so careful :-\
Hi aimeeL, yes I'd love to know how your squash sticks turned out please! Did you put oil on them before roasting?
I needn't have worried about the swallowed bit of carrot - it appeared 3.5 hours later in his nappy, still looking like it did when he ate it :P When do they actually start digesting stuff rather than just transiting it through? ???
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p.s. am I right in thinking there is no need to peel (or lightly cook) fruits like apples and pears?
I peel apples and I used tinned sliced pears as the pears here are tiny. My LO doesn't have any teeth though. Perhaps with teeth they can handle the skin more easily. I don't cook either.
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The squash sticks turned out FABULOUSLY! I even had a couple and I'm not a big fan of squash!! :P And I did just that - baked them at 375 for 25 min...I drizzled olive oil over half of them because my plan is to freeze most of the sticks and I wasn't sure how they'd do with the olive oil on them... anyways - they turned out great. K gobbled down two of them tonight!
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Will have to try the squash sticks! - I did sweet potato and she loved that!
Did you peel the squash or leave the skin on ?
Yesterday Cassie had Pork! we were having chops so I cut a big finger of it and she happily sucked on it!
This morning I dipped a weetabix in her left over milk from her bottle (story for another board!)
and she gobbled that up too!
ETA - I am doing bread sticks with hummous today - I know she likes hummous so will see how the bread sticks go!
she had some cheese on toast fingers this morning and they were a hit!
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Hi, I started BLW with my 7mth old for around 1 month already. She has 2 bottom front teeth and can bite off chunks of veggies and store them in her cheeks! The problem is even though she has chunks of food in her mouth, she continues to gnaw at the veggies and end up with alot of food in her mouth. Sometimes, she cries out and I have to intervene by digging out these chunks. She hates me doing this!
Does anyone face the same problem? Any solutions??
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Hi, I started BLW with my 7mth old for around 1 month already. She has 2 bottom front teeth and can bite off chunks of veggies and store them in her cheeks! The problem is even though she has chunks of food in her mouth, she continues to gnaw at the veggies and end up with alot of food in her mouth. Sometimes, she cries out and I have to intervene by digging out these chunks. She hates me doing this!
Does anyone face the same problem? Any solutions??
I used to have this problem with f. ::) It takes awhile for them to learn how to swallow, so until then they end up with all this food in there and don't know what to do with it! Some of them just spit it out, but F never figured that out so would just panic and get upset until I fished it out for him. He did get over it around 8mos when he learned how to swallow. ;)
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Hi Martina, your LO sounds like what mine is doing. So you just monitored him and fished out the food whenever he is upset? Did you find that some foods are less of a risk? My LO seems to be stuffing herself with soft foods, e.g. steamed apple. She was ok with avocado in a feeder.
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I can't remember any specific foods being worse than others. It was more an issue he didn't know how to swallow it. Soft foods are easier to mush up in their mouths. He just kinda outgrew it when he figured it all out. I tried to give him as much chance to deal with it as I could but would remove it if he was upset. Also I would only give him one or two pieces at a time, or else he'd just keep shoving it all in! :P
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Good idea, I guess I will have to limit her food. Sometimes, when I know her mouth is full, I would give her a teether instead...
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Hi Hedgohog17. I found carrots a bit of a difficult food to start with, it's rock solid raw (although a great teether) and slippery cooked. It's the one food my DD choked on.
Potatoes and broccoli are good first foods, they crumble easily when eaten and can be swallowed 'accidentally' whereas hard foods like carrots need to be actively 'moved' back and swallowed. It took DD about a minute to figure out swallowing but DS until he was 9mo!
As for digesting it, it takes MONTHS! Expect to see undigested food for a while.
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I have a question -- I see people offering cheese -- are we talking chunks or fingers of cheese? or melted? also, what types of cheese?
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i do mature sticks of chedder cut from a block
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Thanks Marsha!
We moved on to cucumber yesterday and he loved it - sucked the soft bits off the skin and swallowed some of it no problem ;D
Interestingly there were 4 chunks of carrot in his nappy this morning (having come out in the middle of the night), so they must have been hanging around inside him for a couple of days :o sorry TMI ;)
Anyone tried Sainsbury's 'Free From' bread as toast sticks? I need to avoid giving DS dairy and wheat and other allergens, so this should be a better option. Not sure when to introduce it though as he's only had 3 days of carrot and 2 of cucumber so far... should I wait until he's had a couple of weeks of veg & fruit first?
I hope the poor boy isn't too frustrated at me taking this weaning thing so slowly but with his and the family history I don't want to take too many risks!
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Derryanther we gave DD cheese in any form, melted in a pitta bread and cut into fingers (difficult without teeth) or plain old cheddar sticks, but the favourite was cheese triangles, she would gently take each little chunk that was offered and eat it. She had the pincer grasp mastered at 7mo! DS has constipation issues so limited dairy is given, but when tried he LOVED cheddar and happily sucked cheese triangles off my fingers!
Anyone tried Sainsbury's 'Free From' bread as toast sticks? I need to avoid giving DS dairy and wheat and other allergens, so this should be a better option. Not sure when to introduce it though as he's only had 3 days of carrot and 2 of cucumber so far... should I wait until he's had a couple of weeks of veg & fruit first?
That bread sounds fine. I would say toast it VERY lightly, too crunchy and they have to work at softening it for ages, but too soft and it gets stuck in the roof of the mouth!!!
I've never done the one food every three days thing with either baby. Even DS and his more delicate bowels. So I don't know the best option for you.
I've read in Gil Rapleys book that offering every three days is more important when giving purées as you're basically starting the digestion process by mushing everything up. By time it hits the baby's bowel it has already been 'chewed and pulverised' so the body absorbs the nutrients maybe before it is actually ready to do so IYKWIM?
With BLW the baby has to do it all, pick it up, swallow it, digest it and so on. As you've already seen in the nappy they don't do it very well to start with and most of it comes out completely unchanged. Therefore allowing their bodies to learn and adapt to the process in their own time. This also reduces the chances of allergic reactions. I know with DD we had a selection of fruits that her body took for ever to handle, things like grapes, raisins and dried apricots would pretty much clean her out. So we offered them every month or so until her body got used to them. She's making up for it now by eating all three in large quantities!
I know you have a history of allergies so I understand your concern, but I do think this style of weaning is a much more relaxed approach.
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Marsha-love the new avatar pic!!!
(sorry for the OT Martina :-* )
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Cheers Sarah. Love yours too ;D
Well J seems to have found his appetite, he's scoffing loads just lately! Tonight he sat and fed himself a large portion of peas and sweetcorn, as well as some sausage and pasta. I love it when he eats, it's taken him a while to get the hang of it!
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we haven't really "officially" started yet, just gave C stuff we know she couldn't eat just to practice. Tomorrow I think I'm going to steam or bake some apple wedges and see how that goes and I have to do out grocery shopping and asparagus, squash, broccoli and cauliflower are all on the menu for the week so she'll be able to try those, too.
Tonight after dinner I was holding her and clearing plates from the table and she reached down and grabbed an apple wedge from H's plate! :o :D She's definitely ready to try. She has ZERO skills when it comes to picking things up or seeing them on a tray in front of her. If you don't put it in front of her face so her hands can grab it, it may as well not even exist ::) Hopefully that'll change soon!
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Hi, can I have some reassurance please? I am having a BLW wobble :(
Having been really interested in food for a good month, L is suddenly interested in hardly anything. Finger foods just get thrown on the floor and she gets really angry and upset. She'll take off a spoon ok (I preload the spoon and let her take it to her mouth herself) and she'll take a lot more this way than if I leave her to do it with her hands. This has been perhaps the last 2 weeks, before that she'd try anything.
She hasn't grasped the pincer grip yet (although I am trying to give her lots of opportunity to practice) and is reluctant to put her hand in anything soft and mushy and wopp it up to her mouth. At the moment I'm offering her dinner, it gets shoved around and she gets upset, then i end up putting bits on a spoon and letting her eat it off there. Her swallow is great, she'll swallow huge chunks now. She has porridge for breakfast, finger foods only for lunch then the mixture at dinnertime.
Am I hindering her progress by giving her the spoon? Should I just let her get on with it and if she doesn't take it then so be it? I'm so unsure and indecisive and its starting to stress me out :(
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Hey Erin she'll get there, obviously her actual age has no reflection in her ability just now, I'm sure in a month or so she'll catch up. I used to offer S my finger and she would grab it and shove it in her mouth, good training for the real thing.
Hi, can I have some reassurance please? I am having a BLW wobble :(
Reassurance coming your way!
Babies do go through feast and famine stages. It's totally normal for her to just not want any for a while, although it doesn't do your nerves any good. We've just had a week of famine followed by a week of absolute gluttony! Just keep offering and hopefully she'll start up again soon.
As for pincer grasp try and put some peas and sweetcorn on her tray and see what she does, or hold a pea in front of her. J just picked one up one day and off he went!
Keep encouraging her. I don't think offering her a pre loaded spoon will hinder her. x
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Thanks, Marsha :-* I really do think when she gets the hang of grabbing stuff off her try by herself we are going to have to hold on tight because she is going to TAKE OFF with eating! Last night I handed her a Mum mum and she LOVED it! She took it and shoved it in her mouth and went to town on it like she knew exactly what to do :D This morning she had a bit of pear and even managed to gum off a bit. I think the jury is still out on pears :P
Bexandlucy- just like Marsha said, hang in there! If you feel more confident offering finger foods and still giving her something on a spoon then do that. With C, I will put melon pieces on a fork so she can taste them that way. She can't pick things up herself yet so we have to hand everything to her ::) But the kids like to make us moms go crazy....one week they'll eat you out of house and home and the next week won't put a bit of food to their mouths! My DD1 did this all the time. They won't starve themselves.
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S is the exception to that rule, she only ever declines food when very ill, otherwise she is a complete pig! Always has been, I don't know where she puts it all ::)
J has a serious case of constipation ??? It's been going on for a while now but it's just getting worse the more he eats! I am constantly wondering if he's intolerant to something but apart from the odd green poop he has no gas, no bloating, no discomfort apart from when he's pooping, no loss of appetite and is sleeping great! WTF is bunging him up? He's still breast fed, but only sips water, he's on Lactulose twice a day but still has concrete poops! His poor bum bleeds and he screams each time he goes :'(
I'm so worried he's going to hurt himself or start holding it in :'( He eats EVERYTHING that should clear him out but nothing works, I'm so worried it's upsetting me :'( :'(
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Marsha - could you put sugar on anything he eats or boil sugar and water to make a syrup to drizzle on his food?
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I have added sugar to some steamed apples. But not on anything else, how does excess sugar work?
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Marsha I am sure you have been to the dr. but what have they said? Has he been tested for a variety of medical issues that can cause constipation? I don't want to worry you more, but I do think this is important.
My heart just aches for him and you, it's so sad when our LO's are in pain and especially when we don't know how to fix it! :'(
I am just going to mention some things, I am sure you have done these, but just in case there is a new one in there:
~ massage, preferrably by a registered massage therapist that has done babies before
~ chiropractor, with my DS2, his constipation was due to a turned in tailbone. Go to a chiropractor that does "torgue release". Very non invasive.
~ the usual, more fibre, more fluid, you've done the foods...
~ Epsom salt baths, the ones without fragrance, take him in the bath with you for skin to skin contact, which relaxes. It's gross when they go :-X, but hey, relief will be instant... ::)
Anyway, these are some of the things I can think of for now! :-*
As for Noah, this kid is eating like stink! Tonight he had a slice of bread with some babyfood on it (from a jar :-[ I bought one that I took to the park since I didn't want to deal with the BLW mess over there ::)) A slice of papaya, half a pita bread, some peas, some squash and then nursed before bed a TON!
Should be interesting with this one, I might have to stock up with three piggy boys in the house!
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Hester I didn't want to hijack this thread with bum issues so I answered you here
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=187697.new#new
Thank you very much for your tips, they're greatly appreciated. x
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I have added sugar to some steamed apples. But not on anything else, how does excess sugar work?
Sugar works by osmosis, the sugar solution draws water into the bowel making the stool softer.
Thanks guys. I know really I just got to stop overthinking and follow her lead but I have very few friends BLW and mil and family really don't like my 'style' of weaning so are constantly criticising me grrr. Anyway. I'm stubborn! hehe. I shouldn't have worried. She seems to have taken a liking to hot cross buns and yesterday devoured meatballs and pasta so seems I was worrying for nothing.
I have also found that dried prunes are really good if shes a bit bunged up (perhaps a bit too good) she loves sucking the soft gooey bit and spitting out the skin.
xxx
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My inlaws thought I was CRAZY when we did it with H. MIL just about had a heart attack any time I fed H over there, she thought she was going to choke. ::) First time she ever did gag and cough MIL grabbed her from the high chair and started whacking her back >:( Luckily, DH had my back on that one and took care of it. :D
C has been doing great with not choking and moving the food around by herself. I'm afraid, though, that she's getting a rotten belly from what she's eating. I think the only things she's actually ingested are pear, apple, and mum mums. I am going to eliminate the mum mums and just stick with fruits and veggies. She just seems SO hungry, like she's not getting satisfied from just gnawing. I'm contemplating making a few small batches of purees and giving some of those *with* the finger foods.
I have to find a recipe for teething biscuits or something of the like that she can gum and chew. All the ones I have found have dairy or soy or wheat. Other than fruits and veggies, I don't know what to give her ???
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Erin, don't mum mums have milk in them??
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not the ones that I have....I don't think?! :o ??? Oh crap, I'm going to feel like a FOOL if they do. I swear I read the ingredients and did not see anything milk related. But I will check again!
OMG OMG OMG :o :o >:( >:( :'( :'(
Just went and read the ingredients:
Japonica Rice,
Potato Starch, Sugar, Banana
Powder, Sea Salt, Natural
Banana Flavor.
Down further: May contain traces of milk.
In my hurry in the store I must have just read the ingredients and said "no milk!" I'm a FOOL, FOOL!!!! Now I feel awful. :'( :'(
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Erin, it happens to the best of us. Some companies have that as a generic warning and some actually have traces.
If you go to the natural food section of your grocery store you can buy rice crackers that are just like mum mums without the milk or soy in them. I know they don't for sure as E can eat them and she's extremely sensitive. A mouthful of milk had her in eczema and hives for a day. They're also cheaper than mum mums and there's way more flavours. Watch the salt though. They're also made by 'Hot Kid'.
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Don't get mad at yourself Erin, it's SO hard to see every little warning. She will be fine. :-*
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Erin: I found the toddler mum mums ( strawberry flavour) didn't contain milk, but the baby mum mums did! My DD was MPI, and she could have the toddler mum mums with no issues:) Hope that helps!
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Lisa, thank you!!! I was going to check the toddler ones but I didn't know if they dissolved as easily as the baby ones or not??
We saw the ped today and she thinks we should take a break from solids as it is really bothering c's belly. We'll try again next week I guess.
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Actually I find the toddler ones dissolve better! And they are shaped in a circle, so easier to eat in my opinion. I found with the baby mum mums shaped like rectangles, Baker would bite off a peice and it would be to big for him to move around in his mouth. I prefer the toddler ones:)
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Hi Ladies, been a while since I posted! BLW is going well
Cassie LOVES humous and guacamole LOL
I gave her some pork and she enjoyed sucking on that.
This morning she had some Brie and she also enjoyed that. She doesn't seem to be swallowing as much now as she did at the beginning, but she does seem to be still keen!
Strawberries are a def hit as are pears!
Do you toast the pita bread before you give it?
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Hi Amy, glad she's doing well. Pita bread is quite a difficult food when they haven't got teeth, as it's quite firm and takes some sucking to get anything from it. You could try it fresh and lightly toasted and see how she gets on? If anything you could use it toasted and either dip in in houmous for her or let her have a try and see what mess she makes ;D Warning, have camera at the ready!
J has turned into a total pig! He started with the child minder last week when I returned to work and is eating just about everything he is given, even a pickled onion has been gobbled!
I have put him dairy and egg free though for a trial to see if it helps with his bottom issues!
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Hi I am new here I just posed on feeding solids as my ds is completely refusing the spoon.
I have tried everything you possibly can!
Could you pls give me an idea how I should start blw? I am scared he will choke?
Any help please!
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Hi Jen, welcome to BLW. How old is your LO?
The best foods I found were broccoli, potatos, cauliflower something that crumbles easily when they put it in their mouth. Broccoli needs cooking to the point where you can just pull the green bits off, cut them into chunks your LO can pick up.
If you're worried about choking sit him in your lap for the first few meals, if anything to reassure you that you can help him if he needs it. Just have a cloth or two handy to clean up when he's done.
Be prepared that they gag a lot in the early days and generally make a meal out of it, they're only truly choking if they're not making any noise at all.
Other food you can try is strips of tomato, cucumber, very ripe pears, banana and so on.
I hope that helps?
BLW is fun, but dam messy ;D
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going to make the famous sausage recipe today.
DD had some home made chicken burger at a BBQ yesterday and LOVED it!
She also had some tomato for the first time and swallowed loads (saw this morning LOL)
She is eating and swallowing strawberries as well.
ALso she ate almost a whole pear this morning.
Still refuses the spoon, I try every so often.
I got her a Doidy cup so going to start offering water now - I always forget!
I am getting the impression that she is beginning to know what she wants to eat and what she doesn't????
I offer her a rusk and she is not interested, I show her a strawberry and she gets super excited....am I imagining it??
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I don't think you are imagining it... I have had to stop giving DD strawberries. I used to give her one or two at the end of a meal, then she stopped eating her meal and just waited for the strawberries. I do NOT want a fussy eater on my hands so no more strawberries :(
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Fads are normal though, we had to hide bananas for ages and refer to them as 'the yellow fruit' or S would go bonkers until she had one!
If strawberries are in, then keep plenty in stock! She'll go off them soon enough.
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hi ladies.
Currently doing a puree lunch but would love throw in a bit of BLW for good measure. Its all very new to me so bear with me. The bub can have pretty much what we have for dinner right? SO tonight its beef stew. OK or no?
She did have a bit of garlic bread with last nights dinner and gummed ot down to a mush just lovely! ALthough my heart was racing at the the thought of her choking. ::)
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Hi Emma! I love seeing you pop up on threads I'm on! ;)
D is 6mos already right? You should be able to give her anything healthy you make for the family. I know the thought of choking is scary, but it's actually very unlikely for an LO to choke. They have reflux mechanisms to protect agaist this. Gagging on the other hand is almost inevitable and very normal! Try not to panic. :)
Go slow! There is no rush to get her eating a lot, it's all about having fun with food.
My boys both love strawberries, well fruit in general. I don't hide anything or hold it back. I find that sometimes with meals if I just put the fruit on the table, sure they will both eat that first but then they will go on to eat other parts of their meal too. And there's nothing wrong with fruit, it's healthy!
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The only reason to hold back on foods is if you are either not comfortable with it or if there are food sensitivities in the family.
So for example, in my case, I am not ok with giving them meats before they are 1. Just my own feeling, I am not comfortable with it. I also stay away from citrus, berries, tomatoes and milk products, since the other two boys have sensitivities to those.
If there are no sensitivities and you are comfortable with the foods you're making, go ahead, there's no limit :).
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I too love seeing Emma on the threads - esp when you type with your accent :) I tend to read them with a Scottish accent - a rather bad one at that LOL
So this morning Cassie had
Cheerios - pincer grip is good!
toast - sucked
Broccoli - sucked and swallowed a little
Tomatos - ate
Pineapple - ate and swallowed
Strawberry - ate and swallowed completely
Sweet potato - sucked
Carrot - sucked
Banana - sucked and ate until it fell from her hand - then she got too frustrated!
She isn't gagging anymore- at least she hasn't in a few days!
Any one have any tricks on getting them to eat potatos???
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Aw Thanks My Lovely Ladies! :-*
Last night I didn't give her any of the stew as it was made with a stock cube ( too salty maybe?) and also had beer in it! I gave her cucumber sticks at first and then some carrot and a big dollop of mashed potato which she loved! I think she ate quite a bit of it actually but she was certainly happy mushing it all up in her hands.
Its great as it its her fussy time when have dinner but this seems to keep her amused and its very funny watching her try so hard to pick up the bits of food with her podgy wee hands. :)
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Hi Emma the stew would have been ok as she probably wouldn't have eaten that much anyway, plus a stock cube is mixed with 190ml water to make quite a salty stock for anyone but mixed into a huge stew would have watered it down. As for the beer I'm quite sure the alcohol is burnt off in the cooking process leaving only the flavour (someone correct here if I'm wrong)
I never worried about anything I gave S, she guzzled the lot down (and still does) As for J I've only held back on the dairy products, everything else is fair game. He loves meat, initially I gave it in long strips for him to hold and suck the juices, now I cut it into tiny pea size pieces so he can just swallow it down as any foods he can't 'eat' straight away get thrown!
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Well tonight its Swedish meatballs. Not too sure whether or not she should have it. We dont normally eat so much meat but we are packing up the house and emptying the freezer dregs! HAving it with broccolli so she'll be having some of that for sure and more mash!
Amy have you tried mash pots with her? Messy but fun!
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Yes mashed potatoes are a winner here too! I try and form them in to mush bricks if that makes sense! she will try and eat as much as possible and then suck them off the table LOL!
I am finding though now that all of my pics of her are of her completely covered in food!!!
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We like pictures of babies covered in food ;D take a look here
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178354.0
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Hiya! Been a looooong time, so thought I'd pop in!
Emma, Heinz do stick cubes now that are suitable for babies if you're worried! I got one through as a sample in the post after signing up for their baby club!
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Hi ladies - been quiet from me here to for a while!
Things still going well - she is getting pickier with her food though :(
Knows what she wants and what she doesn't want and I am beginning to recognise when she is finished or when she actually doesn't want to eat!
She is biting huge chunks of cuecumber and trying to chew them but because she has no molars she isn't getting further than the chunks!
doing some veggie burgers for dinner later so going to see how she likes those and some sweet potato french fries mmmmmm
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Hihi
BLW has been great. But now my 8 month old baby loves self-feeding and it's hard to get her to accept food from a spoon. When should i start getting her to use a spoon herself? She's not really interested in holding the spoon. Occasionally, I get her to use her fingers to self-feed mushy food, like porridge and some purees.
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Hiya!!
I'll be honest, I'm in exactly the same boat! Jack will be 11 months (!) on Saturday and I'm too chicken to start properly with the cutlery - because I know it's going to be messy!
Anybody out there successfully transitioned? I'm trying to offer a spoon or (very blunt!) fork with mealtimes, and we're not particularly getting anywhere...
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I have done a yogurt with a spoon from the get go - very very very very very very very messy LOL and always done right before bath! it goes everywhere but I have to say she is improving she knows now which end has the goods on it! LOL
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Ooo cutlery is fun :o My childminder gave S a spoon long before I dared as I didn't want the mess! But J has been playing with the cutlery since he started, mainly because he's very whiny at meals and having something shiny to play with seems to keep him happy!
I'd say just give it to them, or leave it on the tray to play with. If you're eating sloppy food dip it in a little bit and give it to them with only a tiny amount of food on. J likes to take a loaded fork/ spoon off me and generally gets it in his mouth but he also like to bang it on the side of the high chair and I have to battle it off him before the food goes everywhere! His high chair is in front of a book shelf so I try to avoid food being launched!!!!
They do get it eventually.
J has turned into a pig ;D He stuffs his face now and eats just about everything. Thankfully he's not at the choosy stage, but if he's anything like his sister I'm expecting him to go through favourite fads!
Amy S used to have favourites and she would eat all the current food of the day before scavanging from us! We ended up saving whatever she currently craved on a seperate plate in the kitchen and when she had eaten most of her dinner the favourite was revealed so she did eat all her dinner.
That phase passes too!
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Ooh I have to share... Lucy 'dipped' for the first time today!! To be honest we;e not tried before and I didn't think she'd really grasp what she had to do, but I armed her with a breadstick and she dunked it into the houmous! It was hilarious, I sort of angled the pot so she accidentally dunked it a few times then she cottoned on how it worked. Very proud mummy :-D
I did, however, accidentally give her honey today, was reading the list of ingredients on the houmous after she'd eaten it and it contains honey :-/
At what age do they stop enjoying vegetables? She loves broccoli and courgette at the moment, I'm hoping it stays that way but not going to hold me breath!! x
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At what age do they stop enjoying vegetables?
That completely depends on your baby. This might not happen at all. I must say BLW-ers are overall less picky than PLW-ers. My oldest still eats anything. He has certain things he doesn't like, for example mushrooms, but we all have that. he never went through a picky stage and is willing to try new things and things that he didn't like before, but he figures he might be old enough for it now.
DS2 is a bit pickier but he will also try anything. He eats most vegetables and fruits, just has a less adventurous mind. DS1 encourages him regularly though, "try it, you might be big enough now to like it"
Also NEVER EVER make a fight out of food. I am a firm believer that this will prevent many picky eaters. And never use dessert as a reward. If you have dessert, it's part of the meal and they get it no matter what.
So Noah has two teeth now, and he's sailing through that. He eats anything and everything. I bought a steamer and I must say that is a lifesaver! LOVE it!
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WELL DONE, LUCY! (And well done, mama!)
Funnily enough, Jack is going through a not-mad-about-meat stage! Whatev'!
And SO right, Hester! I think it's a lot about respect, too - respect that LO will eat what they want. If they're hungry, they will eat! If they're not hungry, they shouldn't be forced!!
That's what I love about BLW - I know for a fact that Jack knows how to eat and enjoys food, so if he's having an off day, I don't sweat it because I know that he knows what eating is about - and that it'll pick up! (On those days, I try to offer snacks through the day if he wants and try to make sure he gets all his milk down...)
YAY for BLW!! :D
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I have been giving M a spoon but never put much on it because she likes to flap her arms and fling things everywhere! The last few days I have been trying a fork and she's doing really well with that - she cottoned on right away. I've just been putting tiny squares of bread on the fork and she pops it right in her mouth and then takes the fork out. So spoon not going well but fork is great. Hopefully the fork will help her learn about the spoon.
On a separate note, do any of your little ones without teeth eat a lot? M is just cutting her second bottom tooth but still doesn't eat any great volume of food. We are having a small problem with early waking and I think it's related to her not eating that much. Is there a strong correlation between teeth and volume of food?
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Kate it's very baby dependant, some babies stop eating while teething. My daughter only stopped eating whilst ill, teething never bothered her!
She also eats ALL veg (except fungus) which I'm not bothered about. She's a little fussy, but if I want her to eat meat I'll give her less of everything else so she eats the meat. It works!!
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ALL veg (except fungus)
I don't eat veg with fungus either ;)
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Also NEVER EVER make a fight out of food. I am a firm believer that this will prevent many picky eaters. And never use dessert as a reward. If you have dessert, it's part of the meal and they get it no matter what.
I really agree with this, and sometimes she has something sweeter after her main, sometimes she doesn't and she's never looking for it. The amount of stick I get over telling people (namely MIL) to not coerce her into eating is unreal. Apparently I'm 'mean' because I don't do 'aeroplanes' with her spoons (I' just preload and let her do whatshe wants with it).
And re teeth, Lucy has just cut her first and is working on the second - I've not really noticed any difference between volume before she had the first and since it cut really, i suppose when she has a few more she'll start to be able to chew tougher things a bit more?
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DS is a great eater and at 3 years of age loves all veg and is willing to try new things (this I like, he can say he doesn't like it but he has to try it first!)
So lots of sweet potato in the nappy this morning!that stuff is ORANGE - I think her face is permanently stained LOL
She wasn't mad about the courgette (zucchini).
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Anybody out there successfully transitioned? I'm trying to offer a spoon or (very blunt!) fork with mealtimes, and we're not particularly getting anywhere...
Ellen is 14 mo, so a bit older than yours, but I give her a real fork and have for a few months. We get absolutely no where with the blunt ones b/c she can't get any food on it. She is pretty gentle with everything tho, so I don't really have to worry too much about it... this might not be a good idea for every LO. She's just now starting to get the hang of a spoon too, tho she's very, very messy with it.
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been ages since I've posted but oh my gosh are we enjoying the BLW again! It's so much fun and C really enjoys being able to feed herself. I still give fork and spoons but just load them for her and she does a great job with them. It's really cute. She's going to be my piggy, she eats EVERYTHING...and lots of it! Just trying to come up with things for her to eat because of her allergies. Milk, soy and egg are in everything...and she's a carb lover ::) Just want to share a cute picture of her from last night at dinner...she loves corn on the cob and steak!
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Oh Erin - she's too sweet!! Love that happy face! :)
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Hi everyone,
Just joining in! I started my little monkey on the cereal/puree route but she has started refusing to eat if I'm holding the spoon at all. It started about 3 weeks ago, but I could always manage to get her to eat some food with me holding the spoon. I started putting some finger foods on her tray and that worked for awhile too, but now she wants her food in whatever form I have it in...which today meant a big hunk of banana. I'm actually surprised at how well she ate it :) I am a little terrified about the whole baby led weaning thing...but I know it will be the best for her in the end, since she is such an independent little girl, and meal times would just end up being a fight if I insisted on carrying on with the purees. I'm thinking I'll still offer rice/oatmeal/barley cereal but just put it on the spoon for her and leave the spoon on her tray. She will pick the spoon up and eat off of it if I do it that way, and then I can hopefully clear the cupboard of all the cereal and purees that I have without them going completely to waste :) I'm sure I will need some advice and ideas as we go, I'm feeling completely lost atm...and I really would have liked to transition a little more slowly to self-feeding, but I think right now she's expressing a need for change, and I've chosen to listen and let her lead the way :)
Have to go, my little monkey will be up from her nap soon!
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Hi Brooke, my LO was exactly the same - she's little miss independent all the way! These LO's know what they want don't they?!
Lucy loved banana to start with and it always surprised me how well she ate toast very young. Adnd broccoli was one of her earlier foods and now its one of her favourites!
Someone suggested spreading the purees onto toast, that way they don't get wasted, that might be an idea? Hope it goes well for you, try and relax - I'm having so much fun with weaning and I never worry about how much she's taking or introducing new foods etc etc so I'm a fan!
Lucy's really started eating more recently. She is loving things like bolognaise, and stews and risotto and cheesy pasta bake. She tends to be completely uninterested at lunch time though. Are anyone else LO's like this? xxx
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Here is a few pictures of Tristan at 11 months old (well nearly) ;)
we started finger foods today he did pretty well considering ;D i was well nervous at the beginning ::).
The only one i have pictured him with is bit of fish pie when he had abit of mine :P he didnt really have much mess but this is just the start but the nappy was rancid :o
These pics we have carrot,cucumber,cheese, an 1 chip but i was worried incase he hadnt had much to eat so i gave him 2 yogurts to fill him up after :D x
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Hi
Just popping in as I've been so busy lately. J is feeding himeself with a fork now ;D he's so cute, he concentrates intently to spear the food and then looks up very pleased with himself before eating it! He must have a fork with every meal or he gets quite upset, he's also very much 'must have what you're having' so we can't eat anything different in front of him!
He's also discovered his sister's trait of scrounging, when I eat my breakfast he crawls over, clambers up my leg and grabs at the bowl until I feed him some. Needless to say I have a huge breakfast to share out between both of my piggy children :P
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Bless, Marsha!
Wish I could get my Jack to use cutlery... though a fork IS easier for him. What type/brand are you using?
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Been a while since I posted in here. Cassie is doing well with the blw! No gagging any more! I gave her a hard boiled egg and she loved it - no allergies in either family so read it was ok and she was fine with it.
She generally has what we have. For lunch today she had
Cheese
Tomato
Cucumber
Strawberries
Bread
Yogurt
Her favorite is cauliflower with white sauce ( it is also the dogs favorite too! Who knew of a dog that liked cauliflower!)
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Kim he has any fork going! He generally has one of Sophie's old Tommee Tippee forks (it's pink, very fetching) or a melamine fork for one of the sets we have, if we're out he'll make do with an adult fork, I just have to make sure he doesn't try and take his eye out with it!
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Hi all,
We've been BLW since DS was a week off 6 mo, and he's happily tried most fruit & veg :)
For the last 3 weeks or so, he's been struggling to swallow the little bits of his fruit and veg that he manages to grate off with his teeth (he's got 5 incisors, 6th on the way) :(
He starts gagging and tears come to his eyes, then the food either goes down or comes back up! I thought that after nearly 3 months of practise with finger foods he'd have worked out how to chew (gum) the bits and wouldn't be struggling to swallow ???
I'm constantly showing him how to chew food (we eat lunch together) and he tries to copy, but gives up pretty quickly.
He's MPI so I don't give him any dairy, he hasn't been keen on meat or fish so far, and only gets small amounts of grains due to reflux. He'll happily suck down the contents of a stage 1 puree pouch (as long as it has fruit in, veg only ones are a no-no!) using the spout, but won't take the stage 2 pouches - I don't know if it's the increased texture or flavour that he objects to..
There were problems with BF and I suspect he may have a slight posterior tongue tie, which I know can cause problems with swallowing textures.
Does anyone have any experience or advice? Thanks in advance :-*
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Hi Hedgehog 17 (sorry don't know your name) I would say all babies 'get' the swallowing/ chewing thing at different times. My DD didn't waste time and could swallow a huge banana in about 5 big chunks, that was obvious by the chunks she produced completely undigested out the other end :-X Whereas DS practically spat everything out until it clicked at 9 months! They all figure it out eventually.
I never gave the different stage foods, if you think he has a slight tongue tie perhaps you could get a doctor to see if it really is a problem? Definitely keep giving him veg though, maybe steer away from fruit until the end of the meal to encourage him to eat all flavours.
I hope that helps.
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Hey, we're in a famine mode at the moment :-( Can someone please kick me up the bum and tell me to not worry about this, or maybe I should be? Nearly 12 months and she is quite picky still on what foods she wants, its been worse last couple of weeks cause she's teething and now gota cold. But we've been baby led totally from the start except for breakfast which is usually spooned cereal and fruit. It feels like she's gone back to basics, with the foods that she started off with - banana, broccoli and tomato (these were the foods she would eat at the start of her weaning - maybe she views these as 'safe' foods??) And she seems to like mushy foods like cottage pie, fish pie, even spag bol, but isn't keen on anything dryer like toast or things that I would imagine to be easy to pick up . xx
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Hi Bex, DS2 is exactly the same. He is so picky now, hardly eats anything. ::) It's frustrating, isn't it? I still try not to worry as he is obviously doing fine. I'm just so over the food throwing. :P
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Hi Bex. It is normal for them to feast and famine, it's also normal to have weekly/ daily favourites. I would keep offering different foods, maybe save the 'safe' food until later in the meal, give her chance to try other foods before giving in. S went through a choosy phase, we had to hide the favourites until she was half way through the meal or she wouldn't eat anything else! We even had to hide it on our plates! It was a short live phase though.
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We always seem to go back to the old favourites, and especially the really soft foods during teething or colds. I try not to worry, but it's hard isn't it :)
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Hey oldtimers-Yah, I'm talking to you Marsha ;)
Have your lo's ever gotten to a point were they will feed themselves, but prefer to be fed?
El is eating just fine, but has started wanting me to put food in her mouth or feed her by spoon. I am guessing it is just a phase, but thought I would see if any of you have experienced anything like it once they pass the 1yr mark?
Thanks! :-*
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Sarah, I remember that happened with T! Yeah, it was just a phase. So far no luck with F though, he still won't let a spoon anywhere near him, lol.
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Sarah we have never spoon fed S ever, so she never did that. We had to spoon feed J cereal to help with his constipation, he feeds himself happily but if I dare hold a spoon near him he'll sit and wait to be fed! I guess it's a phase, not a bad one if it means getting a meal over quickly! Sometimes they just take too long to feed!
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I'm sure this question has been addressed before - but there are so many posts for BLW - which is great!
What kinds of foods are appropriate for babies who don't have any teeth yet? My 7 month old DS has not cut any teeth but is much more interested in our food than pureed baby food. I know I don't have to be generally concerned about choking, but I would assume you don't foods that require chewing rather than gumming (ie raw veggies) to a lo without teeth? how many teeth do they need to be able to move to those things??? I have not done my own research in BLW but am starting to read up.
To sum up, although non-pureed/whole foods are desired and permissible, I would assume there are inappropriate foods for older babies who are developmentally ready accept they have no teeth. Perhaps having teeth is another developmental requirement???
I am eager to offer my son a wide range of foods that he is also interested in eating! I just want to make sure that I don't give him something he can't eat or will hurt himself trying to eat.
Thank you for you comments and resources!
Erin
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Hi Erin!
I started my LO with very soft things...very ripe fruits and I also cooked any veggies until they were very soft. I did the mash test with most new foods. If I couldn't mash it with my tongue against the roof of my mouth then she didn't get to eat it. The toughest part was getting grains into her diet, since she couldn't handle bread at first, so I still spoon fed her rice, wheat and oatmeal cereal. She has three teeth now, so she can eat things like pizza crust, toast and cheerios, but I didn't start with the more difficult foods until she had some teeth...And I still do the mash test for any foods I'm not sure of :) I know it's scary at first! She still doesn't eat meat because I'm afraid she will choke!
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Hi Erin!
We had a lot of carrots and broccoli as well as chicken. Carrots cooked "al dente" - just a little more firm than you would want for yourself. If it's too mushy, it may come off on it's own and your LO will literally bite off more than they can chew! Jack had a full Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner with us and will have only been 6 1/2 & 7 1/2 months at the time.
NOW GIRLS WITH OLDER BABIES (yes, this means you Sarah and Marsha!): Did your LOs ever regress? Jack was always a FABULOUS eater, and now he's still very good at eating, but seems to be gagging/choking again... And yes - choking. He'll become very red and struggle to get the food back up. He eventually will do, but then he's very upset afterwards.
He is cutting his molars, so I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Advice would be appreciated!!
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Hi Kim, sorry I've been rather busy these last few weeks my BW time has all but vanished! How is your Jack doing now? Have his molars cut yet? It may just be the teeth moving that is making him eat/ swallow differently and resulting in it going down the wrong hole! Sophie never had these issues at all she would just swallow everything without issue! My Jack is a little more delicate and will get upset if he has a choking incident, but only if he's already in a delicate mood! Generally he just gags it up and carries on!
Let us know how he is doing and I'll see if I can think of anything else.
Hi Erin, welcome to BLW. How is your LO getting on? I would say lack of teeth is not a reason to not give a specific food as you'll be amazed at how strong those little gums are! With that said there are some foods that are just impossible to gum, raw carrot and apple are good examples, but they make great teethers if given really cold! However meat is a great food for gummy babies, if you cut a strip of meat along the grain they can suck all the juices out of it, if you cut against the grain they can gum chunks off and have a good 'chew'! My DD would swallow everything, whereas DS would suck and spit the rest out!
Tomatos cut in strips are great as they can drag the strips along their gums. Broccoli is great but if it's over cooked it will just fall apart as they pick it up. I cook it to a point where you can just pull the little green bits off with a fork. Avocado is also good (but REALLY messy) try a strip on the skin (DD ate the skin too) and some off the skin, see which is dealt with better!
I hope that helps a little.
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Hey BLWers. I'm getting so despondant. Lucy just has no appetite! Until now I just repeated in my head like a mantra "food before 1 is just for fun" but she's now 1........... She just wants to play with everything. She'll take a couple bites of (some - not all) foods then try and feed me, "clean" her table or generally throw food around the kitchen. We're getting so much waste.
I've been spooning her weetabix in the mornings just because we didn't have much time and it was easier and I knew she was getting some extra vitamins, she now has a couple spoonfuls and then just refuses it. Lunch and tea I've always given her a variety of foods and let her choose for herself what she wants, she'll eat mash potato till its coming out her ears. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Just feels like she's got no appetite, but I'm worried now she's not getting enough nourishment :o(
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(((hugs))) Bex. Sounds like my DS2. ::) Not much time now, but just wanted to offer some hugs and support as we are struggling with the same things really. He just went through a really awful phase where he wouldn't eat anything, and now he is doing much better so I hopefully it is just a phase for Lucy too. :-*
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Hi everyone. DS and I would like to join you please.
A little about our BLW story so far as way of introduction...
I haven't read the BLW books and when I was pregnant had thoughts of cooking all my own mush. Then I discovered that the UK NHS guidelines for weaning were to wait until 6 months and that finger foods could be given, I thought what's the point in mushing and pureeing? Then at some point I heard of BLW and decided that was the thing for us. Experiencing textures and flavours is surely more interesting and more 'real' than bland baby rice slop right? Although I haven't read the books I've done some research and I think I have a pretty good idea of what we're doing but I might be looking for a bit of help and support along the way if you all don't mind.
I was in no hurry at all to start, but DS had different ideas. He's shown an interest in food and tried to swipe off my plate for a few months now. The last few weeks he's been more and more interested and eventually got to the point where I had to skip lunch and wait until dinner after BT or eat in secret :/ I kept giving him a countdown that it's 3 wks and 2 days to wait, 2 wks and 1 day to wait, etc and also explained that he had to be able to sit up.
Well, he went from pure wobble to 'I can sit up all on my own' over night about 2 wks ago and then cried whenever he saw food even if he'd just had a bottle (ff since 1 month). Since then I have given in and offered him a taste of banana one day and a taste of melon another day. Both times he opened his mouth like a bird and became frustrated I wouldn't feed him, we agreed on a compromise and he brought his head forward to my hand of food rather than me taking my hand to his mouth.
Then last week (at 24 wks) I suddenly found myself having an un-planned pub lunch with mum and DS and there was no way to hide the fact we were eating! What to do!? I offered him a stick of raw cabbage from the salad thinking at least he will feel included even though he won't be able to eat it. He was happy with that for a while just putting it in and out of his mouth. Then he got a bit cranky and seemed to 'know' we were eating and he was being fobbed off with raw cabbage. I had to decide to either offer food or face public melt down, plus he's always refused a dummy so I couldn't even plug him up to keep him quiet ;)
Anyway, out of what we had (which really wasn't the healthiest of meals!) I decided to let him have a bit of garlic bread. His nana had him sitting on her lap and she helped a bit more than I would have liked although did reduce the amount when I asked her to. He clearly loved the experience. Afterwards I was a little worried that I'd let him have bread with gluten in, but this was 14 days before his full 6 months, and he was born 13 days late so I hope it's balanced the time out and his digestive system could cope with that minuscule about of wheat that he might have swallowed!
I continued trying to hold off since then but again gave in and let him have some melon as long as he picked it up himself this time. He did but not all that successfully, he got a taste and a little mush around in his mouth though.
Last night my mum rang and said we should go out for lunch with her twin sister the next day, so, today (24 wks and 4 days) I thought I better prepare something to take with us. I really didn't want a public melt down with three of us feeding our faces and a crying baby and everyone thinking I'm starving him! Neither did I want to end up offering something unsuitable or unhealthy just because that's all we had at the cafe. This morning I grabbed an apple and a potato from the fridge, chopped them into wedges and shoved them in the oven. Let them cool and packed them up.
Well...I really cannot describe the experience, it was an absolute JOY!
First I offered him a crust of my toast which he had a little munch and suck on but then it broke in half and wasn't so easy to hold any more. Then mum said she'd hold him while I finished eating so I handed him over and gave him a piece of baked apple. I only really expected DS to lick, suck, maybe mush a bit in his mouth and spit it back out (just as long as he felt included so he didn't get upset). Now he did do those things, but also ate a good amount too. Mum had him on her knee again but this time she kept telling him he had to do it himself. She caught it each time it fell and he picked it up again from her hand. His face screwed up a bit when he broke through the 'baked skin' and got to the softer inner part and I thought maybe he didn't like it, perhaps too bitter? But he tried again and ended up eating most of it! When the bits became too small I offered another wedge, this time potato. And he tucked straight in. At one point he shoved the entire wedge in his mouth and let go. Mum panicked a bit and pulled it out. I told her if she panics then he will panic too so if she didn't feel comfortable then she should hand him back to me. She kept him and stayed calm for the rest of the meal (it worked pretty well like this as it meant I could see him well face on and watch carefully where as it didn't seem quite so easy to observe when it was me feeding him on my lap). It helped that her sister was agreeing with me that puree fed babies can gag on lumps when they are introduced because they haven't yet learned to chew. I was just slightly nervous, hoping he wouldn't gag too severely with everyone watching, but it went super well. The was a time a largish amount of baked potato ended up in his mouth and I briefly saw it stuck to the roof of his mouth, I thought we might have a problem here if he can't move it. But he somehow ended up swallowing it all. I gave him a few sips of water after that big mouth full. He was offered about 2 apple and 2 potato wedges in the end and I think the amount he actually swallowed was approx one of each which amazed me. To be honest he would have kept going all day.
Mum and aunt got ice creams for dessert, DS's eyes watching every move they made and his little mouth opening every time aunt moved her spoon! I thought I better give him another piece of apple - like that was going to satisfy him when he knew full well they had something different!
Mum, aunt and an entire table of elderly ladies next to us were all telling me DS should be allowed ice cream as he obviously wanted some.
Aaaarrgghh!
Well, despite vowing to only give him healthy foods, I crumbled under the pressure! Thought I was being cunning when I said he could only have it off a spoon and if he fed himself. He's only ever held a spoon briefly before dropping it, I thought he wouldn't know what to do and would perhaps just wave it about a bit and flick the ice cream across the table, so I put about quarter of a teaspoon of ice cream on the spoon and held it towards him.
He swiped it out my hand and had that spoon in his mouth so quickly I didn't even get a chance to blink!
Rapturous applause from the old ladies on the next table,
big grins from mum and aunt,
and me utterly speechless :)
The pressure increased, all saying he should be allowed more more more. But I totally put my foot down. He'd had his little taste of the 'sometimes food' and that was enough.
So that's where we are up to. I don't think there's any going back from this so we've started a little bit earlier than planned. I'm very happy with how it all went today, and would you believe it, when we got home he decided to roll over for the first time too (I missed it as I was running his bath!) so it was a memorable day of many firsts.
If you got this far then thank you for taking the time to read about our experience. I've been so happy that I just had to share and couldn't manage to keep this short. x
I do have 2 questions though.
Am I right in thinking we should avoid seeds for the time being (ie seeded bread)?
and
I do know that this food is for fun and I will continue with his milk as per usual, but should I be looking at offering one solid meal per day or going straight to three meals and snacks?
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Hi Creations (sorry - don't know your name yet!)
What fabulous experiences!!! Your DS sounds like an absolute pleasure to feed - which will be such a relief for you in future... one less thing to have to worry about! (Also, don't worry TOO much about not exactly hitting the 6 mo mark - J was about 5 mo when we started occasional puree, then nearly 6 mo when we "converted". Your LO sounds totally ready to go!)
My DS enjoys his food too, but not with the same obvious flourish!, and it is such a comfort to me to know that he's eating as much as he wants and if he is not very hungry... it's because he's not very hungry! He knows how to eat well, so he will when he wants!
In answer to your questions, I think seeds are recommended to be avoided because of the obvious choking hazards there, esp with no teeth to chew, as well as the possibility of allergies? Correct me if I'm wrong, mamas!
Re: introduction of solids, I would recommend starting slow, and giving solids only after milk feeds (to ensure that he gets all the nutrients he needs from the milk first). I think the BLW book says give milk, then wait an hour for that to settle a bit, then give food - which makes sense, because he won't want any if he's got a full tummy from his milk already!
For myself, I think I started with solids 1 hr after milk twice a day... I think! I avoided it around evening/night just in case anything I gave him upset his tummy - I didn't want it to be at bedtime!
I totally recommend the BLW cookbook. The first part of the book is everything you need to know about BLW, and the 2nd part of the book is recipes! The recipes yield enough for 2 adults and 1 child, so it's perfect!
Good luck!
(Also, post delicious photos here: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=178354.msg2143096#msg2143096)
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Well, we ended up with three meals today and I feel like I've been feeding non-stop all day!
I didn't give him exactly what I'm eating, but a sort of variation as a kind of introduction. We are sitting together for meal times though.
I waited an hour after first milk and he had ready brek and then melon.
40 mins after next milk (a bit early for lunch really but he's an EW so it felt like lunch time and we had to go out too) we had a 45 min eating session of lemon and coriander houmous which I dolloped on the table in front of him but then loaded spoons for him from that dollop. I discovered he has no idea what to do with a plastic baby spoon and he just got annoyed like I was telling him to eat plastic or play with a toy whilst I had a lovely sandwich! I got a few regular metal teaspoons and he knew exactly what to do with those! He also tried a little mackerel but I don't think he swallowed any of that. Straight after this session he cried for milk (only 1 hr 25 since last milk E - he usually has E every 3 hrs) which caught me out. Quickly prepared a milk feed and he downed it like he'd never been given food before. I did give him water during the solids too.
3hrs later I expected him to have a milk feed, he just took a tiny bit and refused the rest. Later still (2.5 hrs before BT) he had another solid session, potato and apple again and 2 of those little organix corn snacks (I'd just been out to buy them so of course had to try them out!) followed by milk. And just his milk for BT.
He was SO happy today and I've really enjoyed seeing him enjoy his food so much. Not sure I can always give him 45 mins to eat though as we have to get out to things we can't cancel.
I have another question, or would like your opinions if you don't mind...
He is getting upset that the food is not getting into his mouth fast enough. He is frustrated by slippery food that he can't hold properly (like melon, baked apple) or just by the fact he hasn't got the full coordination to move a piece of food past his palm and into his mouth (ie looks like he's doing well but then eats his thumb) and he really tries but he ends up crying at times. He also appears very frustrated that I won't just feed him. His last session he was getting so upset we had a sort of compromise where by I held a potato and he held my hand. he brought my hand to his mouth to get the potato so he was still in control of how much, when, etc. What do you think of this?
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WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF FRUSTRATION! :D
Soon he'll be frustrated that he can't crawl yet. Then frustrated that he can't keep up with his walking friends. Then frustrated that mummy doesn't always know what "EH! EH! EEHH!" means... With lots more frustration in between!
Don't worry - he'll learn!
I know lots of the girls would keep the rind/skin on slippery things to make them more manageable. I think Martina used to also roll things in something... What was it, Martina?? Wheat germ? Am I making stuff up now?
To make sure he has enough space to practice his aim, I would make sure that the things you are giving are long enough to leave quite a bit poking out of his fist.
I know some mamas had very demanding LOs who were STARVING and wanted feeding NOW!! No time to muck about!! I think some of them would give a bit of milk beforehand to take the edge off and then carry on with solids. Could you give a sippy cup with some milk in at the beginning?
I think your compromise is just fine! Maybe can you do that to help him take the first few bites, and then pass it back to him?
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Soon he'll be frustrated that he can't crawl yet. Then frustrated that he can't keep up with his walking friends. Then frustrated that mummy doesn't always know what "EH! EH! EEHH!" means
:) love this!
I baked the apple wedges with the skin on and let him have them with the skin on, it did seem easier (half way through I suddenly had a fear that the skin would all go in and block his airway and took the skin off one, he never got that one to his mouth again is was way to slippery so we just continued with the ones with the skin).
Rolling things in something, that sounds like a good idea.
I thought (on every occasion) that he wouldn't be all that hungry as he wasn't due a feed (or had literally only just had one and had taken as much milk as he wanted) but he has wanted food for so long that he is just desperate for it now I'm letting him have some! I did keep encouraging him to take the food back into his own hand and we kind of did a bit of one then a bit of the other which seemed to keep him happy. I think longer foods are the best way forward with this.
Sippy cup he has not mastered yet but I do keep offering. The first time he was shown one (mum had just bought it) he put his hands out for it immediately, took it by the two handles opened his mouth and tried to get the sipper in (how did he know to do that?). There wasn't anything in the cup! Since then he's had a few sips of water from one but he's not so keen on it coming out so quickly. It'll take a little time to get used to I think. I can't really put milk in as he has thickener for reflux and it has to be used quickly or it goes yucky.
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Hi again.
All going quite well I think.
Does anyone have any tips about how to dress/cover LO during a messy feed?
I had thought about getting one of those plastic coverall type things but I now think that they are perhaps better suited to babies who are being fed by the parent as I don't see how he would have enough flexibility to move properly in one and get food to mouth.
The past two days I haven't even bothered with a bib as the mess is everywhere, especially with porridge (although he dropped fewer spoons today so much less gunk on the floor) so I've left him in his pjs and then strip him off when he's finished eating. Later when he had lunch I had to strip him off and change him again. Is this what others do? Any tips? Is it just because it's very early days?
I must also add that although the weather has been lovely here the last few days it is really not warm enough for me to strip him down to nappy whilst he eats.
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Hiya,
We use sleeved bibs from Tesco - they have cotton sleeves and a cotton-covered plastic front, DS can move fine in them and I only have to wash his hands and face after a meal :)
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Oh that sounds great, thank you!
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Sorry, I keep asking questions...
for lunch today we had pasta in a tomato sauce and some veggies.
All went well apart from he seemed upset that I was eating my pasta with a fork whilst expecting him to use his fingers. I was trying to show him that my pasta and his pasta were exactly the same thing but it was the fork he wanted. Should I be giving him a baby fork even though he is so young? I'm a bit worried about him poking himself with the prongs. Should I perhaps eat with my fingers to show him it's ok?
He almost never puts toys in his mouth and has certainly made a distinction between toys and food. The spoon I tried to give him the other day was a plastic baby spoon he was most annoyed that I'd handed him a 'toy' he didn't see it as a spoon at all and didn't recognize what was on it as food. Once I gave him a metal teaspoon he knew exactly what he was doing. I can't give him an adult fork though. Any advice?
sorry to be asking so much!!
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I wouldn't give him a metal adult fork yet but maybe you can find one that isn't too baby looking? I have a set that has plastic handles but the fork is metal, but it's kinda roundish and not sharp so it is safe.
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Thank you Martina. I still feel a bit worried about using even a baby metal spoon, I just think he's going to ram it in his eye by accident! I'm going to get a set of baby cutlery that doesn't look too babyish and see how that goes. Will just have to watch carefully with the fork! (not that I don't already watch carefully - this BLW has you holding your breath whilst smiling encouragingly).
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Hey Kim how is your Jack doing now?
Hi Creations, welcome to BLW. I would say it sounds like you have a little pig on your hands, I know my DD was/ still is a pig! She 'ate' from day one whereas DS took from 6-9 months to figure out how to eat. We had to 'feed' DD solids properly within weeks of starting, she cried for solid food. By time she was one she had no more milk during the day only a 5oz bottle for breakfast and breast fed at bedtime! Even though DS was a slow starter he was the same, no milk feeds during the day by one year, just morning and bedtime breast feeds!
Enjoy it, go with it, and try not to worry about allergies, choking and all that. I have given DS seeded bread (Tescos finest loaves) since he started on solids with no issues, some people say it's more an allergy risk than a choking risk. I would say as long as there is no history of allergies in your family crack on. We gave DD EVERYTHING but DS is a little more delicate! Both of mine have gagged when something has gone down the wrong hole and both have learnt to deal with it quickly.
As for cutlery, we learnt very early on that DS would not eat something different from us, likewise he just had to have something shiny like us! He would go crazy if he didn't have a fork or spoon so we gave him one! We started with the melamine sets, but they're just not shiny so gave him one of DD's old Tommee Tippee forks. He could stab and eat food with it by 11 months!!!!! Obviously we watched him like a hawk to make sure he didn't stab himself with it.
We use the long sleeve bibs mostly from Mothercare, but avoid the toweling cheaper ones as the food sticks to it and is a right pain! We strap DS into the highchair first and then put the bib on over the straps (or they get destroyed). We also put a rubbery pelican bib on him as he has a tendancy to spit out anything he doesn't like so this catches the fall out! We have a £10 splash mat (also from Mothercare) under the highchair which catches most of what drops on the floor. Then use cheap flannels for the facial clean up which go in bleach once in a while for a good clean!
{{{{Huggles}}}} Bex, how is she doing now? Just curious is she gaining weight, healthy, meeting her milestones and all that? Does she show any interest in you when your eating? Have you tried feeding her in different places? So let her eat an apple while she's playing or anything like that? If I'm busy I'll put a handful of raisins in one of J's toy dump trucks, he'll happily play taking them in and out of it eating them as he goes. Since he's sprouted top teeth he loves apples, he'll sit in his push chair for about 45 minutes eating one! He also loves to 'scavange' my food, I always eat my breakfast sat on the sofa and he'll stand there waiting to be fed. I feel like a mother bird sometimes with my two kids stood there mouths open waiting to be fed!!!!!
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Thanks for the advice and support Marsha. yes he does seem very keen!
We went out for dinner yesterday (early to suit his BT) and as soon as he saw the table he was fussing for food! We had to wait for the high chair to be brought to us and during that wait he was on my knee, reaching forwards to the table and started banging his hands on the place mat and smacking his lips :)
I took veggies with us so he could have a no salt version of dinner but I did let him have a piece of beef from his Nana's plate. He had a good go at it, munching and sucking, I'm sure a substantial amount was actually eaten.
I've found that he has to have milk straight after a solid feed. I am giving him water during the solids and he is not due a milk feed when we sit down for solids (solids approx 1 hr after milk and he usually has milk every 3 hrs, due to reflux he's never managed a 4 hr EASY, we stayed on 3hr) but he really wants milk straight after.
Is this normal?
Should I go with it (which is what I have done so far but it's only been a few days) or should I just give water and wait until his next normal feed time for the milk?
Sorry I have so many questions!
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Sorry - it's me again. DS threw up today, four times. I'm confused by it. Since he started on reflux meds a week ago he hasn't been sick at all. The first time was after having a little munch on banana which he didn't seem all that keen on tbh although he did try it several times. Many hours later he was sick twice after eating almost a full quarter of raw but very soft juicy pear. The last time was at his BT milk so no solids. Could this be a reaction to banana or pear (but I thought both these foods were good ones for LO's, esp pear) or am I seeing a link where there isn't one? possibly more reflux or just over full?
Also he hasn't pooped properly today. Do you think he might be bunged up from porridge? Should I skip porridge for a few days and see how he goes?
Sorry I'm asking so much. It is all enjoyable but all very new to me.
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Hi,
Are you introducing more than one new food in a day?
If you want to test for reactions, you need to give only one new food for 3 days before introducing another. It's also best not to combine food at first as sometimes the combination can upset them.
There is plenty of time to introduce new foods, so take it slow :)
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Are you introducing more than one new food in a day?
Yes I have done but yesterday there weren't any new foods. He'd had a little taste of banana another day (didn't seem keen then either, think I'll stop the banana) and has happily had steamed pear (it was a hardish one so I steamed a bit) on another day but yesterdays was raw pear, that was the only difference.
I'll slow down a bit and see what happens. You're right, there is plenty of time (he's just SO keen on everything).
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I never did the one food every three days, that's aimed at purée's as the food is already broken down so digested much easier before they're bodies are ready. With BLW they have to chew/ suck the food and actually digest it themselves! If you have known allergies then maybe slow down.
It may be that he got a slight upset tummy and his body just rejected what it didn't like! I'd give him a few days and try them again.
Has he pooped yet? This is one area to watch! I have two opposites in that area, S poops happily up to three times a day and it's always on the loose side (sorry TMI) J poops once a day if we're lucky and it's like a brick! He's on Lactulose twice a day and still off dairy :-\
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Banana will flare up reflux for some, but not for others. I think it depends on the baby, L was always fine with banana, but we had trouble with some more acidic foods like apple sauce (I couldn't let her have as much as she wanted because it just gave her troubles). There is a list somewhere of foods that are better to start with reflux babes, but you should definitely pay attention to how you LOs reflux is acting with all the different foods :)
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Has he pooped yet?
Yes! I decided we'd skip porridge this morning but actually he pooped during/after his milk so I was no longer worried (and tmi very full nappy not hard in the least) but still decided to skip the porridge. He had melon, baked apple wedges and yogurt instead. Only the yogurt was new today. he enjoyed the foods but afterwards kept asking for food, think he missed the porridge. He then only had a 40 min nap rather than the 2 hr nap he's had the last 4 days of porridge breakfast. He continued to keep asking for food, I gave milk which he wasn't best pleased about.
Later he had a full milk feed (left just enough that I knew he was full) but kept asking for food again (really smacking his lips), he was a little sick a few times and I got the feeling he was actually overfull and the excess was coming up. At baby group (just after the milk feed) he asked for food again, I gave a little drink of water thinking perhaps that's what he wanted rather than food, he took a little then threw it up.
Banana will flare up reflux for some
more acidic foods like apple sauce
I didn't know this. Thanks for the info and I'll watch out now. I suppose the baked apple wedges could have been too acidic.
I've kept a list of what food he's had and what reaction if any, like when he's been a bit sick.
The rest of today I decided not to give more fruit or veg so he just had a baby (sugar salt free) rice cake as it seemed mean to introduce him to food and then not let him have any! He woke up after BT which he never does and it sounded like pain, he's usually very gassy but he didn't let any out when I went to him.
I expected some sleep disturbance and some time to adjust to foods etc. Just really surprised by the sick reaction to banana/pear...and maybe apple although apple was fine the other days.
I read the thread on foods for constipation yesterday and have now got some prunes and apricots in case he starts to bung up. I'll look out for the reflux weaning foods info too.
Thanks!
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Hi all,
I just started BLW with my six month old DD and we're both really enjoying it so far. We're on day six and have so far had steamed carrot sticks, well-cooked brown rice, banana, potato and baked apple - all of which have been attacked gleefully, and I think a fair bit is actually getting down, to my surprise! We haven't encountered any real problems yet, but there are a few things I'm curious about and wondered if anyone could help.
So we obviously haven't followed the "three-day" rule - I understood strict BLW theory says this isn't necessary, or am I wrong? I've been introducing a new food every one-two days and haven't noticed any bad reactions, but I don't want to be moving too fast (tempting as it is to let her try all sorts of things...) - what do others think? There's no history of food allergies in either side of the family, but I do have asthma and hayfever which I think some advice says can be related.
For the past week her first awake time of the day seems to have been a bit shorter than usual. It's always the shortest A time of the day, but I've found this week that she's suddenly quite OT at the normal time so I've started putting her down 10 minutes earlier which has done the trick. Seems a bit odd, but I wondered if breakfast requires her to concentrate more than she used to first thing in the morning, and she just needs time to get used to that?? Anyone else experience anything similar when introducing BLW?
Just wanted to say too that I'm amazed at the improvement in her hand-eye coordination and pincer grip, already. This morning she was picking up quite small bits of mushed apple that had broken off, and getting them in her mouth first try. I'm sure she couldn't have done that a week ago. If I had had any doubts that BLW has advantages over puree feeding, that would have silenced them!
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Hello BLWers!!
DS will be 6mos on the 24th, and we're planning on starting solids soon, just wondering what you introduced first, and how often?
I'm excited to get started! DS is grabbing at all my food now, and I've been letting him take sips of water from my cup. I think he's going to love trying foods... he has that sort of personality :)
Looking forward to reading along and learning from you all! Any other tips for a 1st time mom and BLWer?
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Hi DSAN and welcome to BLW. Sorry I don't have much time to post right now but if you get a chance there are quite a few entries on this thread about what foods are good. Anything stick shaped, be it bread, veggies or fruit. Broccoli is great as are tomatoes and cucumber strips, but it's all about trial and error. If you have no allergy issues just try everything and see how he gets on. I started with banana with both of mine DD loved it DS just got all in a pickle and upset! Be prepared for any kind of reaction!!!
Right best I get back to work.
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Just to prove all LOs are different my LO has rejected broccoli, cucumber and banana! Asparagus was a bit hit (and automatically the right shape) other big hits are nectarines and apricots. Baked wedges of potato, sweet potato, apple all go down well. My LO isn't too keen on mushy stuff that goes all over his hands instead of in his mouth, hummous he will eat tons of but it has to be loaded spoons or on toast not a dollop on his tray. He has eaten banana twice now but not 'raw' - yesterday I made the 'no egg eggy bread' (whizz banana and milk together and dip bread in then fry) which was lovely and today he had toasted brioche with mashed banana and yogurt topping.
Had our first reaction today - I sprinkles garam masala on potato wedges before baking. He ate several and seemed to enjoy them, then cried and I wasn't sure if it was the potato or just fed up of being in his high chair. Then I noticed red hive type blotches around his mouth and on his hands/arms...must be where the garam masala touched him. Once I'd got him down from the high chair he was happier and when I washed his hands and face he was fine, the blotches were reduced or gone by BT a couple of hours later.
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I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Just feels like she's got no appetite, but I'm worried now she's not getting enough nourishment Shocked(
My DD never ever wanted to eat either. I had to drop bottles cold turkey after she turned one to get her to finally eat. Now she still doesn't eat much and I'm always worried she's not getting enough, but I'm starting to get it that she just doesn't need to eat much. She still takes 16ish oz per day (sometimes less) and she is eating more than ever. Sometimes it just takes time and as long as they are growing fine, try not to worry (easier said than done I know!). Sometimes (esp while teething) my DD still hardly eats anything all day, other days she eats a lot. How much FF or BM are you still giving your LO? Now that she is 1 you can go down to 16 or so ounces and she'll probably start eating more. You're not doing anything wrong - just keep offering and don't try to force it. She'll eat when she's hungry. Big hugs!!!
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Hi DSAN and welcome to BLW. Sorry I don't have much time to post right now but if you get a chance there are quite a few entries on this thread about what foods are good. Anything stick shaped, be it bread, veggies or fruit. Broccoli is great as are tomatoes and cucumber strips, but it's all about trial and error. If you have no allergy issues just try everything and see how he gets on. I started with banana with both of mine DD loved it DS just got all in a pickle and upset! Be prepared for any kind of reaction!!!
Right best I get back to work.
Thanks! Yeah I've looked through some/most of the posts... just wondering what everyone started with FIRST so thank you for your reply re: banana :)
I'm still not sure where I want to start... I was thinking maybe Avocado as we eat a lot of that in this house, but not sure if it would be to hard to pick up. Maybe something like zucchini would be better? Easier to grasp?
Does anyone here do kind of a combo with feeding purees with a spoon and BLW?
I'm so excited to get started! I think he's gonna love food... I went out for lunch today and he was grabbing for everything! I let him have sips of my water and he just loves it!
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Heather, I also thought our first food would be avocado but it didn't turn out that way. We kind of started by 'accident' in that I had been secretly eating for a few weeks due to DS getting so upset if he saw me with food. One day (still about 2 wks before he was 6 months and I planned on waiting until the actual 6 month date) he'd just had his milk and I incorrectly thought I'd be safe to have a bite to eat - wrong - he was really angry so I let him have a suck on a piece of melon, which I also had to hold for him which was also not what I had planned! Tried to keep him away from food for the rest of the 2 wks but circumstances didn't allow so we sort of fell into weaning instead of the 'big start' that I thought would happen.
As for slippery avocado - I give DS long wedges with the skin still on, the skin helps him to grip and it tends to stay in one piece when he puts it in his mouth and gums on the flesh. I give him other things with the skin left on too, sometimes he eats the skin (and I hold my breath in case it gets caught!) and often he doesn't.
The things he has found easiest to grip so far are backed potato, sweet potato and apple wedges because the outside is quite dry but the inside is soft. Toast fingers are good for gripping (with cream cheese, with hummous, eggy bread), asparagus and steamed carrot batons, all good grippers. He's only been going a few weeks but already his grip has massively improved and even slippery nectarine wedges are handled efficiently as are whole prunes, sometimes I hold the item up for him if he can't get it off his tray and starts to get frustrated (tends to be after his hands have become wet and slippery).
I don't do purees but there are 'mushy foods' he eats from a loaded spoon, porridge, hummous, yogurt.
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Megan thank you, its really nice to hear reassurance that it isn't just me! She seems to go right off food when she's teething as well, but at the best of times for Lucy it feels like food is enjoyable but a eating is a bit of an inconvenience getting in the way of other stuff she'd rather be doing. She's still breastfed so I'm not sure what she's getting, she has 3 feeds a day at the moment.
Marsha - we're doing ok, thanks for the huggles! I'm trying really hard to not worry and just go with the flow with it all!
Yes, she's stayed smack bang on her centile and seems to be healthy and developing well. She seems to have 'favourite' foods and isn't too keen on trying new stuff, but stuff she's eaten and loved she'll suddenly go off. Lumps really aren't an issue, but she likes mushy food that she can grab in handfuls and shovel in, like cottage or fish pie, risotto, saucy stuff with rice and I can put anything in those and she'll eat it (i put loads of veggies in, chopped and chunky) and she's fine. But if I were to give her those veggies in sticks she'd throw them on the floor (the exception being broccoli and cauliflower which she loves). Different places, yeah, she's ok, but if she's not strapped into the hightchair she wants to wander around while she's eating smearing it everywhere (the exception being when tv is on but I don't want to get into that habit really!) She loves raisins too! If I were to give her an apple or large fruit she would throw it around, I've tried eating off it myself and trying to get her interest but not happening! Maybe I'll try it with her in the pushchair, not thought of that. Fruit and veg is my main concern, she's a bit of a carb fiend - loves potato and pasta!
Hi Heather - our first food was banana - I left the skin on so she could hold it, chopped it in half then sliced each half in quarters lengthways (skin still on) so she had little sticks of banana with skin on (does that make sense?) we also tried broccoli very eary - made her gag (It was the one and only time - but she dealt with it and loved it ever since!) and I remember her having a whole strawberry very very early on - I got a lot of stick for this but she loved it, probably the first thing she ever really 'ate'.
I don't do purees either but for breakfast she always has weetabix or ready brek with fruit mashed in, mostly because she isn't keen on toast and I wanted to ensure she had something that was fortified with some vitamins (my babe isn't a hungry monkey) but really that isn't something you need to think about yet. I've spooned this to her (I have carpet in my kitchen - say no more) but now she's starting to feed herself with the spoon - its going gradually. But she's always been one to grab hold of the spoon - she likes to control it herself.
I'm so glad I did BLW - Lucy is so fussy I think if I had gone down the route of purees that we'd be having big problems now with her trying new stuff and textures etc!
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Thank you ladies! Sounds like bananas are a popular 1st choice. I would have never thought to leave the skin on! But I love that with BLW you can start anywhere. I've gotten some disapproval for telling people we are skipping rice cereal (but don't they need the extra iron?! Lol), let alone purées all together. Even DH is a bit skeptical but he'll come around. We went out for brunch today, and DH was shocked that Dylan kept reaching for his water glass. He's been away for 3 weeks and can't believe how interesting DS finds things that are going into mommy and daddy's mouths!
I'm excited to start! Went to buy a highchair yesterday so we could start today, but the store we went to had a fire recently! So we'll try and get one on Monday or something.
I'm so glad I did BLW - Lucy is so fussy I think if I had gone down the route of purees that we'd be having big problems now with her trying new stuff and textures etc!
This is one of the reasons I've decided to try BLW. I worked as a nanny to put myself through university (did a degree in nutrition, actually), and one little one I looked after got stuck on purées, and then his little sister refused them so we just started her on finger foods. It went SO much better!
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Hi, My lo is 24 weeks and 3 days. He is definately ready to eat and has been for a while (he reaches for everything I have when I'm eating or drinking, he puts his hands to his mouth when we eat as a family, he has three teeth etc.....) I want to try BLW so should I wait until he is 26 weeks or could I start now? Also, what are the best things to start babies with?
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Hi, I was determined to wait until the full 6 months (or 26 wks) but it didn't work out that way and we began at 24 wks (I'd been eating in secret for several weeks it made him so upset to see me with food). I still tried not to offer too much for those couple of weeks really but my LO was asking for solids constantly (even straight after milk) and he began actually eating (not just playing and exploring) immediately. We very quickly went to 3 meals per day (although by 'meal' I mean offered solids, not a plate full of food) which I wasn't expecting. You'll just have to follow your LO's cues I think.
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Hi all,
I've been doing BLW with my little one for a little over two weeks now and we're going great - she's enjoying a wide range of foods (so far banana, brown rice, carrot sticks, potato, pumpkin and apple wedges, broccoli, and chunks of beef to suck on). We've had a little bit of gagging but not much. However today at lunch I gave her a piece of chicken, which she was happily sucking on until she started gagging, and instead of just gagging once or twice and moving on, as usual, she gagged three or four times and then sort of threw up (a fair amount of milk, and a bit of chicken!). This happened twice. She didn't seem to be very phased by it but it rattled me a little! I haven't read about this, so just wondering is it common at the start, like the gagging?
Thanks for your help!
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Very common!
DS did this a few times when he was younger, but he hasn't for a while as they do get more used to swallowing and learn not to take such big chunks of food down!
If LO is struggling you can pat her back to help her cough up the food :)
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Very normal, but don't pat on the back! If the food is in the wrong hole, you might accidently pat it down instead of up. As long as they're gagging their body is doing it's job of getting the food out. Just let them do it on their own.
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DS has done that several times too (no milk though just a chunk of food), it's always when he swallows a piece thats way too big, like a whole prune (why he swallowed it whole I have no idea as he'd eaten several on other days in a very well mannered way taking a little at a time), once it's back up he is usually willing to give it another go straight away. I usually 'ignore' it or just say well done for managing. I always offer some water after a gag or after a big swallow that goes down but was kind of big. For this purpose I have a bottle of water as I know he can get as much as he needs to help food down etc where as the cup he is not good at yet so I don't want to deny him the drink he needs.
Would be worth attending a child first aid course or watch some on line to see what to do with an actual choke (head should be lower than body to get object moving forwards and down to avoid patting into wrong hole like pp said)
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Thanks everyone for the quick responses, good to know it's normal! About to try our first lunch out since starting BLW. Highchairs in restaurants are unheard of where we live in rural Thailand so we'll see how she goes on my knee...could be messy... :) I'll take some food for her as they add copious amounts of sugar and MSG to almost everything here!
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You might want to look into getting one of those fabric harness type things that goes on any chair to keep LO safe on a chair. They don't raise the height so she wouldn't be able to reach the table unfortunately but you might be able to hand her an item at a time? Or fill a pelican bib with finger foods and let her dip into it herself? Perhaps crazy ideas, but just ideas.
I have never used one so can't say if they are good or not (maybe whizz over to hoggwatch and ask for reviews?) and there are likely different sorts if you google it but here's an example:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=travel+high+chair&hl=en&client=ubuntu&hs=Qtw&channel=fs&prmd=ivns&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=804&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12069280060737672807&sa=X&ei=tqY1Toy3IMih8QOSoIChDg&ved=0CIEBEPMCMAA
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No, all good ideas, thanks! I'll have a look at those harnesses, and I've also been checking out the portable sort of highchairs that clip onto the side of the table, like this: http://www.thesleepstore.co.nz/shop/SHOP+BY+BRAND/phil%26teds/phil%26teds+metoo+portable+chair+-+red.html.
She managed fine yesterday on DH's knee - although she was too interested in all the faces around the table to want to eat very much!
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Personally I wouldn't trust the clip on high chair because they need such a good stable table. My memory of Thailand is wobbly tables and uneven ground making for even wobblier tables - unless you eat in particularly high class places :)
If you aren't bothered about carrying something around (which if you're thinking of clip on high chair you must be prepared for the 'luggage') there are booster seats which you can put on a regular chair to raise height.
http://www.amazon.com/Mutsy-Infant-Child-Booster-Chair/dp/B000X1QJKG
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2607093&CAWELAID=107523547
I'm sure she's fine on a knee, I've done it with DS, but it is quite nice to be able to have a meal and be 'hands free' so you can all eat and enjoy together.
There are silicone pelican bibs these days which squash up to be more compact for taking out than the old style solid ones. Could be worth a look. Thinking of getting one myself. I read that someone's LO quickly learned that's where food dropped too and would fish it back out and continue eating.
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Helloo Everyone! I have a quick question for everyone - we started out with BLW last week (thank you all for your replies to my first question!), and so far DS has 'tried' avocado, banana, sweet potato, and gummed a hard carrot. I say 'tried' because not much makes it in his mouth, but when it DOES, and he gums a piece off, he gags!
Now, I know it's all part of the learning process and doesn't really bother me... but is it a sign he isn't ready? Should I back off for a week or two, or just keep on going like we are?
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Heather, he probably just needs to work out that he has to chew/gum a bit more. I think the gagging is part of the learning process isn't it? Learning that they can't swallow big things. Maybe try some really soft stuff like the sweet potato or carrot but quite well steamed so it sort of goes to mush in the mouth without much gumming?
I'm no expert, not even read the book, just going on the few weeks experience with DS.
You could also try holding a piece of something for him to encourage gumming with the front of his gums if that makes sense rather than him putting it too far in his mouth and ending up biting off a big chunk? Depends how you feel about holding for your LO, I don't mind it but it isn't totally baby led is it?
I think continue if he is interested and you're ok with it.
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I'll be honest Heather and tell you I still don't give raw hard carrots to my 2yo and 1yo. They still will gag on them and cough and choke...maybe it is just my kids :P
I think it is recommended to at least par boil carrots.I say 'tried' because not much makes it in his mouth, but when it DOES, and he gums a piece off, he gags!
This is perfectly normal. NOt much actually gets "eaten" in the first few weeks..maybe longer depending on the kiddo.
Should I back off for a week or two, or just keep on going like we are?
Nope, just keep going like how you are unless you are freaked out. They will get it sooner than later if you just keep providing the opportunity.
HTH
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Thanks ladies! Yeah it doesn't bother me to much... But he's not to keen on it! I guess he'll get the hang of it eventually.
Sarah the raw carrot was more meant to be a teether type thing, not really intended as 'food' per se, he doesn't have any teeth yet so he wouldn't be able to get a chunk off it. I also freeze baked sweet potato and let him gnaw on that as a teether too... not sure if thats consistent with BLW but its a great trick and he loves it! Especially now that it's actually warm out (we've had the worst weather so far this summer!).
Maybe try some really soft stuff like the sweet potato or carrot but quite well steamed so it sort of goes to mush in the mouth without much gumming?
hmm good advice! I'll try that!
I'm no expert, not even read the book, just going on the few weeks experience with DS.
I haven't either... just going with the flow. For those of you that have the book is it worth it to have a read?
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For those of you that have the book is it worth it to have a read?
IMO yes. It is a very quick read and most of it is intuitive but it definitely help with knowing what to worry about, what is normal, why and how you introduce/give foods. All in all I would recommend it
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I was going to ask that. Am listening in as i didn't do blw with k but plan to with b. What age did you start?
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Another question for you BLWers :)
DS has reflux... for those of you with reflux bubs... how did BLW affect this? He had peaches the other day and had a spit up after that had a few chunks of peaches. And then today after eating he spat up pretty much ONLY clear liquid...
Any way, our Dr suggested we do rice cereal as it might help his reflux but he basically will have none of it after having 'real' food first. Which I'm OK with... except that I bought a whole box that I won't use :P
Oh and an update: he's not really gagging so much and goes to town on sweet potato and peaches... other things he hasn't quite figured out yet... :)
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Hi Have a look in food FAQs, there's some info on solids and reflux. I also found the page on constipation foods really useful (I know you didn't ask that, and my DS wasn't actually constipated but it does of course change their BM when on solids and I like that I can now offer foods to loosen or stiffen depending on how things are moving iykwim, also because sometimes DS sicks up when he has a BM as the pushing makes him reflux!)
Solids certainly seems to have helped DS's reflux. The only thing is he now drinks water with meals and the water can come back up again as it's so 'watery'! His milk is thickened with carobel which helps to keep it down. i found if he had something like rice cake (quite dry) then a drink of water, he would sick up where as veg, fruit, porridge, pancakes all stay down. One thing that surprised me was a big sick up after a raw pear, he had been fine with a steamed pear (it was quite hard so I steamed it, and it was in the early days of BLW which actually was just a few weeks back but things move on so FAST!) and I thought pear was an easily digestible food. Paed said the raw pear could have been too acidic (it was lovely and ripe, soft and juicy).
My mum bought baby rice when she was supposed to get porridge. As we had the box I thought we should try it as I hate the thought of it wasted...DS totally refused it so we are also stuck with a box. Some people use it to thicken sauces. You could also mix it with a flavour of something (steamed fruit, mashed banana or a dollop of natural yogurt) which will make it more appetizing just to use up the box because that sort of thick stickiness does stay down well (we have baby porridge for breakfast about 5 days per week).
Sorry for the waffling!
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That waffle was very helpful actually thanks. B also has reflux so good things to consider.
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What age did you start?
I was determined to wait the full 26 weeks (6 months) but for weeks and weeks before hand I had to either starve or eat in secret. Literally stuffing junk in my face hiding in the kitchen whilst he played in the living room!! it was ridiculous and I was being SO unhealthy when usually I make quite good food choices. The occasional time I tried to eat in front of him (after he'd had his fill of milk) he got so upset I just couldn't continue. On one of these occasions I did not offer what I was eating (not suitable) but gave in and went and got a piece of melon. He couldn't hold it but I held it and he leaned forwards to gum it and just taste. Another day I did the same with banana but he appeared to not like that. I think this was around 23 wks. At 24 wks we ended up in an unplanned pub lunch and I knew he'd kick off seeing me and his nana eat. I thought I could con him with a piece of raw cabbage from the salad so he felt included but couldn't actually eat it. That didn't work so he got a small piece of garlic bread - really not my idea of a healthy first food but what can you do? A few days later we had to meet up with my aunt at a cafe and I thought I better not be caught out again so baked some potato wedges and apple wedges to take out with us. I thought he'd just taste them - no he ate them. So our weaning officially started. And rapidly went into 3 meals per day which I totally struggled to fit in. I really hadn't expected him to EAT so much so early on. He is now 7 months (so we've been at it about 6 wks) and had over 100 different things, it utterly amazes me and I enjoy watching him so so much.
I have not read the book. I've read some info on-line but basically doing my own thing and using common sense. I also attended one session of a first aid for babies course (DS was ill the second session so I missed it but I feel I have some basic knowledge of what to do if he did choke on food or a toy/button etc)
I gather (but hands up I could be wrong) that the idea is for LO to do it completely on their own, ie if they can pick it up and get it in their mouth they can eat it. And my LO does do this but he also has times when he asks for help or gets frustrated that he can't pick something up and wants to EAT not play, I follow his cues, when he wants help I give it - maybe holding something up for him to take off me, may be loading a spoon (or fork as he wants that now too) for him to take or may be spoon feeding him (breakfast porridge) if that's what he wants. I also follow his cues to stop helping and just back off too, when he growls and turns his head away it's a pretty clear indication to stop handing him stuff and just put it down on his tray and let him do it himself. He has similar cues when he wants me to get out of the bedroom so he can go to sleep too. That is my idea of 'baby led' to follow his lead. The vast majority of what he eats he does himself though.
The other thing is I am more likely to join him in HIS meal rather than him join in MY meal if that makes sense. So for example I don't want him having toast every morning (salt content) so I have changed my breakfast to wheatabix and ready brek so his baby cereal (salt and sugar free) looks just the same as my cereal. And his third meal of the day I just cannot make a family meal for 4.30 pm as we only just get home that time so I give him food and I just eat a token amount so he doesn't feel he is eating alone and I eat my proper evening meal after he's in bed when I get time to cook.
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I remember from DS1 that I had to have a meal that at least looked like his else he only wanted mine. It did help me to make healthier choices though.
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Hi all,
I have a question that's really about sleep but I'm putting it on here because I think it's BLW-related so wanted to get your opinions and see if anyone else has had a similar experience.
My DD (7 months yesterday) has been STTN for almost three months now, with a dreamfeed. About 6 weeks ago we started moving the dreamfeed earlier until it was at 8pm, and she was still sleeping through fine, 7pm-6.30am. Then for about a week she was up every night with teething pain - I was comfort feeding her a little so I stopped doing the dreamfeed as she was sometimes getting a small feed in the night anyway. So once teething was over (two shiny whites to show for it) I dropped the dreamfeed completely and she slept through for two nights in a row. However, since then, about a week now, she's been waking up at odd times and WILL NOT be consoled by anything other than a feed (and she's usually great at settling if she does have the odd night waking).
Could this be a growth spurt, and could it have anything to do with the fact that we're doing BLW instead of spoon feeding? I mean, I imagine she's starting to need more sustenance, and although she's doing great with BLW, there are days when not all that much goes in, IYKWIM, especially when I compare it to the amount of puree being shovelled into some of my friends' babies. We were on a pretty solid EASY routine for milk feeds, every four to five hours, but am wondering if I need to offer her milk more frequently? For the past couple of days I have been offering her an extra feed after breakfast and lunch and she's taken them quite enthusiastically....but she's still woken that night. The wakings are at a different time each night, but always between 12.30 and 3.30am.
Our EASY on a good day looks roughly like this:
E: 6.30 (BF)
E: 7.45 (solids)
A: 6.30 - 9
S: 9-11
E: 11 (BF)
E: 12.15/30 (solids)
A: 11 - 1.45/2
S: 2 - 4
E: 4 (BF)
E: 5.15 (more of a snack than proper dinner at this stage)
A: 4 - 7
Bedtime routine at 6.30: bath, final BF, stories
Bed at 7
Thanks!
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could it have anything to do with the fact that we're doing BLW instead of spoon feeding? I mean, I imagine she's starting to need more sustenance, and although she's doing great with BLW, there are days when not all that much goes in,
Nope! In fact most BLW babies get more cals than spoon fed as those jars are usually less than 70cals/jar. Plus you are getting more natural fiber from whole foods which is more filling in itself.
Remember food before 1 is just for fun. You babe still needs to get most cals from BM orFF.
Was that her first 2 teeth? She could have 2more coming in right behind the others. That or GS (if she didn't have a big 6mo one) would be more of a culprit than food.
What sort of BLW foods are you letting her have? Are you giving all food groups or are you focusing on fruits and veg? I always gave my LO's the more starchy type foods at super as that can help them feel a little more full through the night.
ARe you EBF? My DD was EBF and she took night feeds on and off until around 8 or 9mo. She could go for weeks and months STTN and then have a night feed for a few days or weeks and then go back to STTN. She was always small, so I just took every opportunity I could to feed her. For me the NF were a blessing.
HTH some
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Was that her first 2 teeth? She could have 2more coming in right behind the others. That or GS (if she didn't have a big 6mo one) would be more of a culprit than food.
Yes, they were her first teeth - but she's not acting at all now like she's teething, just hungry at night! So I think a growth spurt is most likely. I'm happy to be getting up in the night for a while actually if that's it, I just don't want to be misreading what's happening and starting bad habits if a better solution would be to change what we do during the day.
What sort of BLW foods are you letting her have? Are you giving all food groups or are you focusing on fruits and veg? I always gave my LO's the more starchy type foods at super as that can help them feel a little more full through the night.
We're doing all food groups but she's not usually that interested in solids in the evening (and we only started offering recently, we stuck to two meals a day for a while). I've been trying favourites like banana and toast for the past couple of days and she's eaten a bit more.
Thanks for the thoughts, it does help!
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I read it's quite normal for the last meal of the day to be smaller than the others for young ones. Big breakfast, maybe a smaller lunch (not with my DS though, he's eating me out of house and home!) and even smaller dinner.
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Just jumping in!
My bubs is 9 1/2 months old now and was a pureed food addict until this week. She has now made the decision that purees are not for her, bring on the stuff that she can chew :)
I feel like I just got a handle on prepping purees for her (I was making it all) and now i have to learn all over again!
I got a microwave steamer today so that I can steam her veggies/fruits until soft (she only has her two bottom teeth and they just came in last week).
The biggest frustration I have right now is that she can't self-feed. She is picking things up, but freaks out and shakes her hand until it drops off - quite amusing really! She eats whatever I offer so far ;)
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Papaya - She might just be after a little more A time during the day and a little less napping ;)
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Hello everyone! Just found this thread. We're doing BLW, he's 6 1/2 months, its going very well. He had a few days strike this week when his first tooth arrived, it was frustrating as I felt like I was preparing and offering food all day which kept on being refused. But he snapped out of it yesterday and is going whole hog. He loves lettuce! Ha, so odd. :-). Anyone else just starting BLW?
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Welcome Bluehour!
Funny, until I read your post it had never occurred to me to offer my LO (7.5 months) lettuce...turns out she's pretty keen on it too. Should have known really, she always tries to eat the leaves off my tomato plants and it's sort of similar :)
I'm going through the same on-and-off interest in food at the moment, I think due to teething also. When her gums are bothering her, my LO is most interested in nice cold things she can rub against her gums, like strips of tomato and cucumber sticks. Although yesterday she had a good long chew on the crust of a (home-made) pizza. Suppose it was a bit like a teething rusk.
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Hi everyone,
I am new to this post but very grateful there is one in here about BLW.
DD has been doing BLW since 5month - she takes food really serious. She is doing very well - no allergy, no rejection to any food so far. She has tried/tasted every dish we normally eat in the house - mostly veggies and fruits. On occation we would have BBQ so she gets to try well cooked stakes and chicken. She really wants to satisfy her palate.
DD is 6 months and 1 week or 27 weeks yesterday. Since week 26 she started to be fussy with milk feeds during the day. She'd rather playing with the bottle than drinking it. I have to keep offering every 30min all so but she does not show any interest. She has been sleeping very well at night since week 10. STTN every night except growth spurt which usually only last a night. But the past 8-9 days she has been waking up every other night or third night wanting a bottle (drained 5-6oz in a flash). She is also very mobile and talktive in her sleep. I think she really wants to crawl now that she is so good at rolling over but she can't get it.
I have read that around week 26 babies go through a huge mental leap. There will be not so normal behaviors. I just wonder if anyone here doing BLW has gone through or is going through the same thing. I just want to make sure that I don't have to sweat about the sudden reducing of milk intake as it is just the way DD is dealing with getting use to Solids, and many other growing she is going through. It is very frustrating seeing her so happily eating solids but not with the milk. She was drinking about 7-9oz each feed but now if I can get in a total of 5 I would be lucky.
Thank you
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Hi pond and welcome.
Your DD sounds like my DS. He is also very serious about solid food and went on to 3 meals per day straight away, eating like I'd been starving him! He cut his milk from about 900-1000ml per day down to 500 very quickly and has now dropped even further (he is almost 8 months). Today only took 180ml total (2 bottles of 90). It worries me, I might talk to the paediatrician about calcium supplements. I already give vitamin drops daily although he does get a wide variety of fruit and veg.
I don't really know what to suggest, they should have 500-600ml of milk per day on top of their solids until 12 months, so you could monitor her intake and speak to your health care provider if it falls below.
Dairy used in cooking also counts towards the daily intake, milk on cereal, cheese, yogurt, so you could increase some of those, but remember cheese is quite salty so keep a check on that.
I think we are both very lucky our LOs have taken to solids so happily when some people struggle, but the lack of milk does worry me.
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Hi Creation,
Thank you for reply and sharing your experience. I am sure happy to know that DD is not along. I have read on other websites and discussion board that it really varies with each baby.
The wonder week believers reported that baby has poor feeding and off rail sleeping pattern around 26 weeks because it is a big mental leap for LOs and they really get affected by the growing and learning. But utually the offs will be end anywhere between 1 to 5 weeks.
Others going through the same things are mostly doing spoon feeding so they just say cut back the oz you feed to a baby.
My family doctor actually told me (just yesterday) to FOCUS on solids. He said milk intake dropping is normal and guidelines are only guidelines. Most important is to form healthy eating habbit - as this is for life time. As long as baby is happy I should not worry about it too much but try to keep offering milk feeds.
So I am back to square one. Today, DD finished her 6oz morning bottle from 7am till 9am. Then her 7oz 11am bottle from 11am till 12:45pm. I did not give her lunch, just want to see if that will make her hungry and eat better at 3pm. But the BLW book said to let the baby take the lead... baby takes the lead! It is very scary to let baby take the lead while all you read are telling you that milk has to come first....
Are you doing juice and water? I am also worried DD is going to dehydrate if she drops milk intake drastically.
I am in agreement with the dairy thing. She really likes yogurt.
One more question, may I ask what is your typical breakfast and dinner menu? So far, DD eats whatever we are having at dinner time - a happy family meal. For breakfast I do a mixed baby oatmeal (loaded spoon for her to feed herself), breads, fruits and yogurt.
DD is also pooing every second day now and her poo has gone a lot solid the last few days -- again I am thinking of the lack of fluids. Do you have any suggestion on that?
Thank you
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Sometimes I think I should cut back on the solids and try to get him to take more milk, but I don't think he'd take it anyway! And I'd feel bad leaving him 'hungry' by not allowing him to lead in his solids eating you know? I basically give him food until he is full and stops.
I had DS weighed this week and he is on the same centile line he has followed since birth so no weight loss with the low milk intake, I just get concerned about nutrients so I give infant vitamin drops. I just read a thread about calcium requirements and am not worried about that any longer as it seems he would be getting plenty in his food.
I don't give juice. I do offer water at meal times and a few occasions throughout the day (like if he wakes from a nap and it is not milk time yet or he's just had a reflux sick up a couple of hours after milk/food) usually it's a few sips he takes. I'm now offering milk in the sippy cup at meal times to try to get a little more in him. They can have as much water as they need now they are on solids so you don't need to be shy with the water, but as DS takes so little milk I try to offer that more. I can't offer milk for long periods or throughout the day apart from meal and milk times because he has to have thickener in for his silent reflux. I don't offer a bottle beyond 15 mins, if he hasn't had the milk by then he isn't going to take it.
Breakfast I was giving baby cereal (porridge or wheatabix type but salt/sugar free) every day because I made it with his formula - another way to get milk in! But now he is refusing it. So now it's a variety of things like eggy bread, banana french toast, home made fruit pancakes, toast, poached egg etc. And always fruit.
Lunch and dinner are a very big variety of things from stew to curry to pasta or a simple sandwich (variety of vegies and sauces, fish, poultry, pulses) but again always fruit too. Yogurt I have to limit because it is quite acidic for his reflux. Just tried creme freche today as I think it is less acidic than yogurt, I also noticed it is lower in salt than yogurt too. I'm always worried about going over the salt allowance esp when he won't have cereal as bread is quite high too (I think UK bread is higher in salt than other places possibly there was a news report on it recently). I do make cheese sauce on pasta but there's a limit to how much sauce they can pick up without a spoon! I give small cubes of cheese after most meals too, partly for the dairy and party because I heard it neutralizes the acid from fruit so helps to keep teeth healthy.
I home bake savoury muffins and fruit pancakes so I can take some out with us for a picnic or if we aren't going to be home in time for a meal.
I tended to spoon feed the porridge/cereal because he got so frustrated that he wanted it in his tummy and not on his face that he wanted me to help him. He isn't great with sloppy food on a spoon but he uses a fork wonderfully.
Poop is bound to change with the alteration of eating habits. Every other day is just as normal as several times per day (DS does up to 6 per day at the moment!) and well-formed is fine so long as it is not hard. There's a thread in the solid food board (a sticky under the BLW one) on laxative foods. It's worth browsing through as you can learn how to naturally control LO's BMs. For example I never thought carrots could cause constipation. Carrots do seem to firm DS up possibly a little too much if I give them often so now I balance it with a prune. If he gets a little loose I put carrots on the menu :)
There's also a FAQ on poop somewhere which you might find handy too!
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Hello Creation,
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I enjoy cooking for my DD at breakkie time. It delights me so much to see him eating so happily.
Did your DS sleep through the night when he dropped the milk very quickly at 6 months? Is he sleeping through now? I am worried the inconsistent waking at night is caused by reducing the milk.
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I personally don't believe in solids getting a LO through the night. DS officially slept through the night from very young, a couple of weeks old (5 or 7 hrs in one stretch which is classed as sttn) but it never felt like sttn to me!
He still has a dream feed now which I want to wean but I'm a bit cautious to do so because of his low milk. He sleeps 6.45 until the DF (around 10.30) which he actually wakes for but stays drowsy and goes straight back to sleep after, then sleeps until about 6 - 6.30 although it could be as early as 5am or as late (please!) as 7am.
He had several unexpected night wakings after solids were started, could have been digesting food or wind or anything really but I believe it was food too close to BT and then not having enough milk to see him through. I made his last meal earlier to give him time to get more hungry for his BT milk and that worked.
I have read quite a few babies are waking at the start of solids.
You might want to start a thread on the bottle feeding board?
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Pondofstillwater - I read on another post that you have introduced breakfast and dinner, but not lunch. I would really suggest that you drop dinner for a while and move the second meal of solids to lunch time. As mentioned by creations, solids close to BT can cause NW due to that little tummy working hard.
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Hey Kara - how's DD doing with the finger foods now? Any improvement with the self feeding or is she still frustrated?
What did everyone have today?
We had what felt like a really 'naughty' lunch today (pie and chips!) although it was all home cooked and healthy and had lots of veggies too. DS and I really enjoyed it. This has been one of the few occasions that he has taken more than one piece of potato, he usually has one piece of whatever variety is offered eats it and then politely refuses the rest, this time though he had about 5 or 6 chips (home made, little oil, roasted in oven so not killer-chips). The rest of the meal he devoured as though he hadn't eaten in a week despite being offered milk only half and hour before and double-banana pancakes for breakfast. My, that boy can EAT! The grocery bill is extortionate!
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Hey Creations :) Thanks for asking about DD! She has finally figured out the art of the pincher grasp so things are going much better now!
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Thank you for your suggestions.
I sort of combined 11am and 3pm into 1 bottle and gave it between 12:30 and 1pm and it worked. DD drank at least 7-8oz each of the 3 bottles. and She slept through the last 2 nights. I did offer another half bottle at around 4pm just to see if she is hungry. She took just 3oz.
I read that some baby does drop to 3 bottles earlier. Hopefully DD is one of them.
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That's great pondofstillwater! I have a friend whose LO dropped to 3 bottles around 6 months and she still gets 24 ozs a day... with 4 bottles, it was less.
My LO dropped to 3 bottles but I still give her a little top up before her AM nap to get lunch closer to noon... she wakes at 6am and would never make it from solids at 8am to lunch at noon :) It works for her so I offer the 3 ozs to her each day... there is the odd day that she refuses, but she does generally take it.
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Hey!
So we've been doing BLW for over a month now, since the end of july, but we aren't really making any progress... some days DS won't eat at all, sometimes he'll have a few bites, and rarely he'll eat a ton. Lately food ends up on/in his ears more than his mouth ::)
Because he doesn't eat much we haven't really moved further than fruits and vegetables, when did you start giving your LO's more of the same foods you are eating? DS is going to be 8 months in 11 days.
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Hey Kara - good to hear DD is getting to grips (literally) with her food :)
PondOSW I have milk envy. DS only took 9oz the whole of today :( I've left a message with his paediatrician that we need some help and will hear back in a few days. I am now starting to suspect that the more dairy I put in his solids the less milk he will take at his bottle feeds, just a hunch.
Hey Heather. For a couple of weeks I only offered one or two tastes at each meal because a tray full of food seemed to be overwhelming. But DS took to solids so quickly that I really had to go to 3 meals per day when he was 6 months and after those couple of weeks we got into more and more 'meal' type things pretty quickly. I still have a tendency to put things out separately on his tray and name each thing as I put it down, so from a stew rather than plonk all the stuff in one mound I put each item down in a line across the tray so he can see what's on offer (maybe I am very weird!). Also, I think a big thing is to show LO that you are eating the same thing. At about 5.5 months DS got a suck and lick of melon, same of banana, then he had a gum on garlic bread and then his real eating started: baked apple, baked potato wedges, quarter teaspoon of ice cream, ready brek, melon, lemon and corriander humous, mackerel, baby porridge, avocado, rice cake, pasta in sauce, yellow pepper, carrot, asparagus, pear, beef, yogurt, toast...those were his first tastes. I always felt like I focused more on fruit and veg (I still do) but looking at my food diary this is the reality of it. He is now 8 months 2 days and has pasta, stew, curry, all sorts really. But I cook everything with his needs as priority so it's kind of a compromise between what I'd normally eat and what his baby needs are, for example making curry I know he won't eat much of the chicken in there (almost none if it's in chunks, he'll gum a bit though so shows willing) so I chucked in a can of lentils too which he is more likely to eat so i know he is getting protein and I make sure some veg are available in big chunks for him to grab.
The problem with us though (as mentioned) is that he doesn't take his milk!
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Thank you Kara! Without the threads and discussion on BW, I would not have thought of that! I really love to be here and to be a small part of it.
And creation, I am thinking you might be right about the dairy... I really feel your pain... Let me know how it goes with you ped. The other only possibility is that your DS is advanced in his palate and skills of eating solids and he is actually getting caloeies from every bite he takes. I read online the other day from a mum who had the same problem as you. It turns out, according to her ped. that her lo is all good because he is eating like a 9 month should. I am sure your DS is fine.
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Hi heather,
DD wanted to start solids when she just turned 5 months. I started with different cooked veggie and fruits but very soon I found that with her fast improvement at gripping, I can give her more things with all kind of texture and shapes.
I always offer things that she can definitely manage and then some that she can try. Since 5.5 months, she is pretty much eating the same thing at dinner as we do. Now the same for lunch. She eats breakfast alone so I cook thing just for her specifically. She is already picking up blueberries!
So I would suggest to give pieces of whatever you are eating and have specially cooked just-for--her food ready on the side for few days to see how is she getting on. I am sure if you give opportunity, your lo will surprise you. It is blw so try to give a chance to your lo to lead and have fun watching your lo showing off eating skills.
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DSAN (Sorry, I don't know real names like everyone else!), I think the hardest thing with BLW is waiting for the baby to really start eating. I found it VERY frustrating when he was just not really eating the food. Then one day - BAM- he started eating. And teething definetly put him off.
In my opinion, if you're worried or if it seems like a good idea to you, try some spoon feeding. We're doing both because DS will have to go to day care soon and they'll spoon feed him. There is no harm in mixing, if that works for you. Strict BLW people say not to, but I think a different approach works for each baby.
Also, as I'm sure you're doing, keep offering different things, and things over and over again. My DS will turn his nose up at something one day and eat it the next.
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Thanks everyone!! I took your advice and started making sure I eat what he is eating and he was pretty thrilled to have me 'show' him and then copy me. Still not eating a huge amount but I think that's just his nature! I also introduced a few things recently, like eggs... I worried about it being to soon but he seems ok with it! He got to have pancakes with us today which was a hit :)
Bluehour, my name is in my siggy so that's how PP knew it :) don't feel left out! :) And I did try and spoon feed him a bit but he will rarely take food that way... I guess mamas milk is just to good to eat real food, lol.
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I'm assuming that it's normal (not sure how it wouldn't be) but wanted to get some input - is it normal for most of the food to come out whole? Most of what DS eats (which isn't much) comes out pretty much the same shape it goes in (i give him small pieces)
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bug blues - I'm sure it is normal as I've read so many posts about people seeing the meal in the nappy!
I think all (most) kids have a tendency to swallow things whole if at all possible and only chew what they really have to and I think it goes for trad weaning or BLW. It's a cliche to hear a mother saying 'you've got to chew your food!' but my mum keeps saying it to DS and I keep telling her off as I think he should be allowed to just get on with it, he eats great.
Heather I'm sure you will get more and more success with a little time, there's no hurry. I do always make a point of eating the same and I know DS checks out every morsel I put in my mouth and compares it with what's on his tray. I always start out the meal showing him we have the same. He usually tries everything but once or twice with a new food he has looked at it not recognised it and gone for something on his tray that he knows. Then when he sees me eating my 'new food' that's when he tries some.
DS started eating off his spoon again this evening which has made me happy. He seemed to forget for a while that it was a tool as well as a play thing to bang with and wave around.
And update on the low milk intake. The paed has come back saying there is no problem whatsoever with the amount he is taking (about 9oz or 10oz per day now). His weight is fine he gets vitamin drops and he eats bucket loads of solids so I'm going to stop stressing over it.
Incidentally for you breastfeeding mummies - have you been told to give vit drops to your LO? My health visitor said yesterday all bf mums should be giving vit drops from the 6 month mark, I didn't know that.
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In Canada, you have to give Vit D drops to BF babies from birth ;)
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It is very common in my experience for food to come out whole. Everything i read says bf babies need vitamins at 6mo but my gp and hv said not to worry. Not sure i trust them to be up to date though. B seems really ready to eat but i am waiting until 6mo. Anyone else start under 6mo? Did you find they ate much? What age did they get good enough with a spoon?
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Khalam's Mama,
I don't have lots experience as I only have one baby and she is 6.5month at the moment. But She wanted to try food at 4.5month. I started at 5month. I personally don't believe the 6month rule. It is Baby Led. So if you think your baby is ready you should start. But just be a bit cautious when starting out.
DD was eating pretty much the same thing we eat at 5.5 month. She just had her first taste of curry last night. And though it is too early she has decided to drop to 3 bottle.
Every baby is different. Only your LO and you can decide how to do BLW.
Good luck though, it is such a fun and learning experience for us. We all enjoy our meal time everyday.
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Khalam's Mama, I was determined to wait the full 6 months. DS was showing lots of interest in my food and watching me eat, and trying to get bits from about 3 months. By around 4.5 or 5 months he was getting upset if I ate in front of him because I wouldn't let him have any and I almost stopped eating! I was grabbing a bite of something (usually sugar packed and totally unhealthy just for the energy boost) a couple of times per day and trying to get a proper meal after he went to bed at night but it was very hard. On two occasions I thought I could have a quick meal because I had only just given him his bottle (which he never drained so had eaten to his fill), big mistake, he wanted the food and got SO upset. I offered him his milk again and he went into a rage. I felt I had to give him something so held a piece of melon for him to suck on. I still wanted to wait though as he couldn't sit on his own or grab the food so from then on I didn't eat in front of him at all (I was starving!). Then at about 5.5 months his cranial osteopath told me off for letting him pull to standing holding my hands and told me I mustn't let him, he must crawl. So I stopped offering my hands and 2 days later he was sitting totally unaided.
Next an unexpected delay at the hospital when he saw his ped meant he was fed (milk) but his nana and I were ravenous, we decided to go for a pub lunch and I couldn't bare the idea of DS screaming in the pub so I let him hold a piece of raw cabbage from the salad. Not happy with that he ended up having a bit of garlic bread - and I had SUCH big plans for a totally healthy diet and a big introduction to solids on his 6 month birthday! A few days later I was to meet up with nana and her twin for lunch, and rather than be caught out and end up giving him something terribly unhealthy and salt filled I thought I better take some food along. Baked potato wedges and apple wedges. he didn't just play with them and taste them, he ATE them, finished them all, and looked for more. Auntie was having ice-cream, DS's eyes were popping out at the sight of it, and I was suddenly under huge pressure to let him have some (what about the healthy diet?) including a full table of old ladies near us who had watched with delight when he'd been eating his wedges. I ended up saying that if it was given to him on a spoon and if he could feed himself then he could have some (about quarter teaspoon full). Auntie loaded the spoon and offered him the handle, he took it and in one very well aimed swift motion deposited the ice-cream bang on target first attempt. (Huge applause from the old ladies) So that was it and I hadn't even got to offer his first foods myself!
Naively I still thought I could hold him off another couple of weeks. No chance. After that he spent all day every day asking for food, smacking his lips the way he had done as a tiny baby looking for milk. I even offered milk several times outside of his EASY times but he got quite annoyed and continue to ask for food. I had to go to 3 meals per day from then on there was just no turning back. Disregarding his first ice-cream spoon, he was offered cereal on loaded spoons from our 'day one' breakfast and he ate a lot. Yes he got some on his face and bib and he dropped about 6 spoons to the floor as he seemed to think once they were empty best thing is to just dispose of them. I had to take a dozen teaspoons to the table each breakfast time for this reason but the food was for sure going in. The other thing was day one porridge spoon was a baby spoon, plastic and curvy. I loaded it, handed it to him and he again went into a rage that I had cereal and had tried to fob him off with some stupid plastic toy. he did not recognize it as a spoon. he really cried at me. I ran off got tea-spoons came back, loaded one and he took it and ate. He really knew what it was and how to use it even though he had not seen me eat in about a month or more. I was astounded by all of this. And also overwhelmed at the amount of meal prep I suddenly had to do.
He is now 8 months, eats mainly with his fingers, uses a fork better than he uses a spoon, and eats the fridge bare. I no longer need to have more than one spoon to hand as he has learned I need it back to re-load.
So, yes we started under 6 months and he could use a spoon immediately.
Feeding him is hard work because I cook and bake so much but it is truely so enjoyable.
I hope he doesn't have delayed development in some other areas due to focusing so much on learning to self-feed!
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Incidentally for you breastfeeding mummies - have you been told to give vit drops to your LO? My health visitor said yesterday all bf mums should be giving vit drops from the 6 month mark, I didn't know that.
Vitamin drops? Really? The thought would never have entered my head. Quite sure I couldn't get them here even if I wanted to, but I thought the latest research was that they weren't necessary...?
I've also been wondering about spoons...so far my LO seems to see them primarily as a tool to bang on the table, and by the time she puts one in her mouth, which she is quite capable of doing, any food on it has long since gone. This is despite the fact that I'm almost always eating with a spoon and fork rather than knife and fork so she sees me with a spoon all the time. Usually we just forget the spoon and she uses her fingers, which she is a pro at, and she occasionally lets me know that she wants me to spoon feed her when she's having something particularly tasty and she knows that'll be faster. So I'm wondering if it's better to give her a spoon every day so she can get lots of practice, and hope the novelty of banging and flinging food everywhere wears off; or if I hold off and just offer a spoon occasionally will she let me know when she wants to use one?
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Vitamin drops? Really? The thought would never have entered my head. Quite sure I couldn't get them here even if I wanted to, but I thought the latest research was that they weren't necessary...?
Yeah as far as I know the recommendation is that the only vitamin supplement needed is Vit D for BF babies. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to sell something...
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The recommendation in the UK is all bf babies from 6 months should have the vit drops, but here you don't have to buy them. There's lots of stuff for babies you *can* buy but equally *can* ask the GP for a prescription for which is free for LOs.
Not that I really know about vitamins Heather, and I'm not questioning your info about the recommendations in Canada, but don't we get vit D from sunshine? Seems weird to me that you would get a vitamin supplement for just that and not the other vits?
The ff babies don't need the drops because the formula has a whole stack of vits added, but I give drops to my DS because he takes so little milk for his age and although he takes a lot of solids I wouldn't want him to miss out on his vits.
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We can't get enough sun here, at the right strength, to get enough Vit D, we are to far north! And breastmilk apparently only contains about 10% of the recommended amount for babies, so thats why we are told to supplement. And plus 'they' tell you not to expose ANY of babies skin to the sun for the first 6 months. So you can buy it in drops to give to them.
Other vitamins aren't necessary because breastmilk contains all other nutrients/vitamins that babies need (except iron, but there is a good reason for that... taking calcium and iron at the same time inhibits the absorption of both! But babies have enough iron for the first 8-10 months any way), and formula should too (as it is modelled after breast milk, after all).
Thats awesome that you can get them by prescription! Here that is not the case. But they aren't expensive. Its probably a good idea to give your LO vitamin drops if he isn't getting much milk. I would say though that if a baby gets the recommended amount of milk (formula or breastmilk) they probably don't need any extra.
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I have the same info as Heather for Canada and vitamins for babies... BF babies should get 400 IU of Vit D a day, unless they live further north than 55 latitude (about the level of Edmonton, Alberta) should get 800 IU/day between October and April :)
Formula fed babies are supposed to be given 400IU a day until they reach 24 ozs a day (which is generally only the first few weeks of life). I think I gave them to DD until she was about a month old.
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Yes, I have read about giving Vit D to babies that wouldn't otherwise get enough - not generally a problem here in the tropics I don't think, usually I'm more concerned about too much sun, as you say Heather! Although it is the middle of the rainy season at the moment... might see if the combination of my Thai and my LO's doctor's English is enough to ask about this at her next check up :)
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We can't get enough sun here, at the right strength, to get enough Vit D
oh, it makes total sense now!
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Hello there! We started BLW today and it went great! DS ate almost an entire pear, about 1/4 a large banana, and some pork we made for dinner last night. I was wondering what to do with skins of fruits since babies can't digest them? It was hard for DS to grab the pear so I gave him a piece with skin which was easier for him. If he ate any of the skin, it wasn't much. Also, was wondering about if he can eat small things such as peas/blueberries, etc?
Re: Vitamin D - I was advised to give DS Vitamins since he was born. We did a multi vitamin drop for awhile and now just do Vit D drops. :)
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We started yesterday but not as much luck as you. How old is your lo jay? We also did pear and he ate 1 8th but the pasta broccoli and cauliflower he wasn't interested in. I think he is too tired by the evening. My blw book arrived today so i Will know what i am doing soon!
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Hey Justine - a great start eh? You must have been very please and excited with it!
Skins - when we started I left almost all skins on to make it easier for DS to pick up the fruits as it helps with grip. he either swallowed them or didn't. Sometimes he did and then hacked them back up (whilst I held my breath). These days (3 months on) I don't hold my breath any more, I know he can handle them, he still sometimes swallows one or a bit of one but usually the fruit goes in his mouth with the skin on and a few moments later the skin alone comes back out, or, he keeps hold of the skin and gums and scrapes the fruit off of it then puts the unwanted skin down on his tray and gets another piece of fruit. he pretty much knows it's not the best part to eat. The skins just come out in the poop, I doubt any harm is done.
Small fruits, blueberries, grapes, cherry toms, raisins and things like peas and sweetcorn I avoided for a good while. Even much much older kids can choke on a grape so I cut them in half or quarters now. He's been having all these things for a while now although I'm not exactly sure how long I waited, I based it on my observations of him eating and how I felt he was progressing (really well, like yours he went for it immediately). At the start I was always happier with big things than little things. The temptation to cut things up to bite size doesn't work for me, I felt the bigger then better really so he knows what he is biting off and when it is entering his mouth.
For easier handling of fruit (if you really want to remove skins) you can cut rings with a hole in (ie core the pear then slice into rings) rather than the 'finger' shape. Or try moon or 'V' shaped cuts which are easier to pick up. Softer fruits I eventually discovered if you squish it a bit (just poke your finger into the wedge of melon/nectarine etc) it gives one part where it is 'roughed up' for them to grip. it's the totally smooth cut sides that are so difficult to pick up.
You can also roll in wheat germ or baby rice which gives an initial dry and grippy surface, although I found this went to mush pretty quickly.
Khalams mama, there are very very few things my DS won't eat, but cauli and broccoli are top of the list. I try him every so often but always with other things I know he likes so he won't go hungry! He will put a little in his mouth, maybe even swallow it but he will not pick up a second piece. So it could just be your LO doesn't like those things yet.
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KM- he's 7.5 months and already started to "chew" things which is why I think he picked up on it quickly. I've been giving him little puffs recently too.
creations thanks for the info. I'll probably wait on the small stuff then. Some mom already said something negative (not on this forum) about 'you should really give him smaller pieces because babies DO choke!" I thought that was the thought behind giving larger pieces?? I guess that is the major downfall/fear about BLW....if he DID choke and it was traumatic....that would be nightmarish. :(
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'you should really give him smaller pieces because babies DO choke!"
A button fell off DS's cardigan the other morning. I saw it on the carpet next to where he was playing and my heart skipped a beat. I felt SO lucky that I had spotted it before he did and swore never to put him in things with buttons ever again (ok stupid idea but ykwim).
So which would I rather my DS get a hold of and shove in his mouth? A button or a plastic plate/rattle/wooden spoon/building block?
I go with the big food every time.
I would be far far more frightened by lumps in sloppy puree as they are hidden and LO is not expecting them.
I avoided hidden lumps until I really felt DS could handle them so porridge never had any hidden lumps of fruit when he was expecting smooth slop. Now though I give him everything.
Almost separately but kind of interlinked, I've noticed food of a certain (smaller) size DS just swallows rather than chews/gums which are sometimes too big and he goes red in the face and hacks it back up (this is not choking, the food is swallowed ok and the wind pipe is not blocked), so again I prefer him to have something he KNOWS he can't swallow whole so that he doesn't try to, he has to get a bit off it or move it around his mouth first. I've heard a lot of kids will just swallow food if they can, regardless of weaning method.
I think you will know when to try the smaller foods.
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The broccoli didn't even make it into his mouth so i dont think it was the taste. I thought he seemed ready but he isn't as keen as i thought he would be. I Will just keep offering. I didn't do blw until 7 mo with my now 2yo and he wasn't eating anything much before that.
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makes total sense, creations :) thanks again!
KM- I dont think DS would have done much more than play with the food at 5 months either. Just stick with it :)
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Hi Justine, good to see you here! Sounds like you've made a great start. I started off offering a lot of things (mango, potato, even banana) with skins on to make them easier to pick up and she'd either spit the skin out or eat it and it'd come out at the other end ;) Now she usually prefers her fruit cut into smaller pieces so she can just pop them in her mouth. I was amazed at how fast her pincer grip improved once we started - at 7 months she could pick up even quite small pieces and manipulate them well, and from then on I was happy to give her smaller things to eat. She knows what to do with them! I also cut grapes, cherry tomatoes etc in half (although she picked a cherry tomato straight off the plant the other day and popped the whole thing in her mouth before I could stop her - she squished it up no trouble, yum yum!). I agree that you'll know when your LO is ready for smaller bits.
Khalam's Mama, when we started at 6 months my LO really wasn't interested in dinner - we stuck to just breakfast and lunch for quite a while. Now she loves dinner and will usually scoff almost anything we're having, especially if it's got plenty of spices in it... No need to rush, there's plenty of time.
Think we're teething at the moment so we're on a bit of a food strike - unless it's mango or watermelon! Anyone else teething? How does it affect your LO's eating?
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I remember DS1 wasn't that interested in food until about 7mo so I am not too worried. B wasn't interested at all in eating anything today, even the porridge that he lapped up yesterday. He had a great time squiding a carrot around his tray at dinner. I had to not watch as it was so messy! He had a play with some cheerios for breakfast and a piece of Turkey for lunch he just stared at.
Are you all offering water now? I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be offering Water now he isn't EBF. He didn't want the cup anywhere near his mouth, should I be offering a bottle at this age? I doubt he would drink it. Not too worried as he isn't eating much yet but he didn't poop today so I don't want to back him up. I haven't got to the part about drinks in the book yet.
In reading the book I am thinking maybe I am not doing BLW since I have been doing porridge??? I held out the spoon and he dived onto it but it all fell off when he held it himself. He really wanted it though???
DS1 (27mo) wanted to eat horseraddish sauce today. It was really hot and at 1st I said no, but then I figured it would be toddler led so I let him and even though it was burning up my nose he loved it! I didn't offer any to B though.
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Are you all offering water now?
I've been offering water since we started solids. At first I used a sippy cup. He's just not ready. So, I started to give him some with a straw (cover the tip with my finger so that a small amount stays at the bottom of the straw and then empty that into his mouth) or I give him little sips from a tiny plastic cup. I heard water helps with constipation so I try to give him a few sips with every meal. It's no where near 4 oz (what I was told is the daily maximum) so I don't measure.
In reading the book I am thinking maybe I am not doing BLW since I have been doing porridge???
I guess I'm not strictly BLW either since we've been doing purees this whole time, I'm still giving him oatmeal at breakfast but feeding it to him. And I gave him some puree at dinner last night. The only meal that's strictly BLW right now is lunch.
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In reading the book I am thinking maybe I am not doing BLW since I have been doing porridge??? I held out the spoon and he dived onto it but it all fell off when he held it himself. He really wanted it though???
Personally I think the "no spoon" rule is a little artificial when it comes to things that we as adults would only eat with a spoon - like porridge or yoghurt. My LO still has trouble with a loaded spoon just because she likes to play with the spoon first, before putting it in her mouth, by which time all the food is gone. But I don't think this indicates she's not ready for the food on it, kwim? So I hold a spoon in front of her and if she seems keen, I hold her hand around the spoon and guide it into her mouth. Then she's allowed to play with it for a bit if she wants, before I take it back for a new spoonful. If she pushes the spoon away, we leave it. I don't see how else she's meant to learn to use a spoon, if I don't help her with it when she wants help?
Also, when we have something sloppy like rice with a yummy sauce, I just put a pile on her tray - which she can pick up, but sometimes it's a bit slow and frustrating for her. So if she's really keen on it, she basically asks me spoonfeed her by leaning towards MY spoon with an open mouth. She knows she'll get the yumminess faster! So then I do feed her a bit, just for as long as she wants me too. I figure this is baby-led though, it's following her cues!
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Justin,
Read your post, just want to say that baby led really is baby led... baby really will tell you what works and works not... given that you are allowing the opportunities.
Sometimes I wish DD is not so into Solids because her milk intake was barely 15oz a day and she is not 7 months yet. But again, baby led. She follows what her body tells her to eat.
Regarding small fruits like berries... I think you can definitely offer to your baby. DD is eating blueberries at just over 6 month. Baby led really let the baby practice grips. Finger movement stimulate the development of the cortex.
I would really just go ahead and offer whatever you are eating at meal times and have fun.
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Are you still offering milk 1st?
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Are you still offering milk 1st?
I definitely am. We do milk straight after she wakes up, and solids 1 hour to 1hr30 later, depending on the meal (2 naps a day, so this works out. We eat together as a family, with early dinner at 5.45ish).
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Nuala - if Felicity is really into solids and doing well, you could try moving her to 3 bottles to increase her milk intake... it worked for us :) I think my DD was about 8.5 months when we made the change. Her intake went back up to the 24 oz mark... three 8 oz bottles - one at wake, one before the PM nap and the last at BT.
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Am i a really bad mama that i let b ib e a good suck on a donut? He just dived on it and i didn't have the heart to stop him. He really enjoyed it. He also had some bread today but he wanted to suck it while i held it. I offered it to him to take but he just leaned forward and sucked it. He tried his hardest to pick up a bean but just squashed it on the tray. Bless. I think something must be going in as his sweet smelling ebf pôo is now a bit stinky.
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He also had some bread today but he wanted to suck it while i held it. I offered it to him to take but he just leaned forward and sucked it.
I haven't read the BLW book so can't say anything about what's advised or 'right' but I think it's totally natural for them to do the little bird mouth and want mummy to hold the food after all they've been having hands-free eating since they were born and doing the bird mouth to get boob or bottle so in my eyes it makes total sense. DS had me hold his food for the first few tastes and then after a short while I handed each item to him and from there he progressed to taking it off the tray himself.
DS took a spoon and fed himself the very first time he was offered but after that we did a bit of a mixture of him taking it or me feeding him porridge with the spoon. Then he went off that, now I make really thick porridge or muesli that I can dollop on his tray and he picks up fist fulls of it. He won't be fed by me at all now...apart from his vitamin drops off a spoon and his reflux meds out of a syringe as he somehow knows I really need to be in control of those.
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Oops, I hadn't read further up so thought that previous question was more general than it actually was, Khalam's mama...no problems with milk supply here! My LO is pretty keen on solids, but shows no sign of wanting to give up any of her precious milk yet :)
I let her try little tastes of things that aren't ideal on the odd occasion (like your donut), if she sees us eating it (deep fried samosas = yum!!) - and also, when we're eating out I try to order the most appropriate thing for her, but also accept the reality that it's almost impossible here to order something completely without salt, because most dishes have fish sauce or soy sauce in them anyway. Almost everything she eats is prepared by me so I don't worry too much about the occasional 'bad' nibble here and there.
It is tough here though to ask exactly what's in things. We had another reaction when we were out a couple of nights ago - exactly the same skin reaction as she has to dairy, a mild contact rash, but it really didn't seem like there would be dairy in anything she had (pad thai and seaweed soup with rice). My thai is good enough to ask "is there milk in this?" but not quite good enough to explain adequately that I also mean any milk products, whey powder, etc. People don't really eat much dairy here, and milk allergies are almost unknown, so they don't understand. So either there was some hidden milk product, or we have another mild allergy on our hands...to something... will just have to keep an eye on things.
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Hi papaya,
it could be a citrus rash? my ds gets a mild skin rash from eating tomatoes, surely a healthy squeze of lime in thai food could do this? They grow out of it apparently.
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I'm joining this thread as I'm interested in doing blw with my DD2. She's 5 months in a week. I did pureed with DD1 and only heard of blw recently. She seems interested in food; tried to grab my cupcake today! Is 5 months too early ro start? Any tips?
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I think the general idea with BLW is that you do wait until LO is nearer 6 months for safety reasons. They need to be able to sit unassisted.
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I agree with Kara that sitting unassisted is needed. My DS was interested in solids form about 3 months, and seriously interested by 5 months but still not sitting. At 5.5 months he did sit unaided, it came to him pretty much over night and only a couple of days later I started letting him have his first tastes (he was very very insistant on getting to the solids).
One tip - if you are allowing your LO to stand up with your help stop doing it. DS's cranial osteopath saw me offer my hands to DS as he was really into sit stand sit stand whilst holding hands. She gave me some serious words about spine development, brain development etc and I immediately stopped offering my hands (pulling up unaided using furniture comes later and is fine as they do it themselves at their own ability level). In 1.5 days DS could sit unaided. I had been inadvertently encouraging him to focus his development on standing instead of sitting and then crawling.
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The book does recommend 6mo but it says it is because this is when they have the necessary skills so before that they Will likely not be able to do is. Could you sit lo in a high chair put food on the tray and would she pick it up and eat it? We are not quite at 6mo but have been offering foods but he mainly just pushed it around the tray. Only last wk he has started getting it in his mouth. Before that i could have put it in his hand but the book says not to do that.
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My LO was was sitting unaided from about 4.5 months, so I think we could have started earlier - we did start a few days before 6 months and at her first meal she could already pick everything up and get it straight in the mouth. So I'd say 6 months is a guide, some are ready earlier, but 5 months is probably right at the lowest end. Maybe wait a couple of weeks and then see how she goes in a highchair? But really, there's no hurry - she's got years of eating ahead of her :)
Creations, what your osteopath told you is interesting - did she recommend any research etc to read? We always let F pull herself up on us when she wanted to (she too was really really keen to stand), but she was already sitting by then. She has hit ALL of her physical milestones early - sitting unaided, crawling, going from crawling to sitting and back, pulling up on furniture and now she's so close to walking. So I don't think it did her any harm! But I'd be interested to read more if you have any links.
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did she recommend any research etc to read? We always let F pull herself up on us when she wanted to (she too was really really keen to stand), but she was already sitting by then
This is me too.
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Creations, what your osteopath told you is interesting - did she recommend any research etc to read?
No, she didn't give me anything to read but then I never asked for anything either. What she explained was that the weight of their head is too heavy for their spine so going to standing too early can cause a problem in the spine which would probably not show up until later life (something to do with compacting the spine and discs I think and putting weight pressure where it is not ready for it). Also things like tummy time (which DS hated so I rarely enforced any!) are very important to develop correct standing posture, without it the posture can be too straight in the back and this can also cause problems later in life (she gave herself as an example and I too have been told by an osteo that I stand too straight - funny, we are always told to stand straight eh?). The natural progression through the stages is the best way, in just the same way as BLW is about not hurrying baby to eat solids from 6 weeks or 12 weeks like people have done in the past but waiting until baby is developmentally ready and has the skills to do it themselves. The crawling aspect helps with brain development and coordination. There was some research done into a link between skipping crawling and dyslexia some time back but I'm not sure if this theory has been dis-proven now (they were 'curing' adult dyslexics by enforcing a no walk rule so they had to crawl for a period of time which trained their brains to get things the right way around). Sometimes LOs go to standing on their own prior to crawling but they can still learn the full crawl (ie on their hands and knees) and parents can encourage it by offering tunnels, chairs and tables to crawl under, tents to crawl into, bean bags to crawl over etc (often things like this a typical bum shuffle doesn't work).
When my LO was pulling to standing using my hands as support he couldn't sit unaided (barely a second before wobbling over) and could not have pulled himself up on furniture either. We all know LOs develop different things at different times depending on what their current learning focus is (DS was late rolling but very early on could correctly identify animals on flash cards when given a choice of two and an animal name and sound, he couldn't sit but could already let go of objects and pass them from one hand to another which he 'shouldn't' have been able to do so early), for us I think it was just a matter of stopping helping him stand so he stopped focusing on trying to learn that and he refocused on learning to sit and then get himself around (bum spinning and bouncing for some time and now more knee crawling).
A mum at baby group discovered her child has cerebral palsy (I think she said there was a slight imbalanced noticed in his crawl) and he now goes for regular physio, they've told her to encourage a lot more floor play, crawling etc even though he can walk, as it will help with his muscle development, they think as it has been caught early and he is getting physical training he may well be fine.
But hey - I'm not here to lecture or tell anyone what to do with their LOs.
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Thanks for elaborating, creations! :)
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Slightly off topic but it is not good for the hips or spine to bear weight at an early age. Lo who are placed in sitting before they can sit or in standing before they can stand are more likely to have issues when they are kids. This may be linked to what you're referring to creations. It is different systems that control muscles for balance in sitting and standing so it makes sense to work on sitting 1st. And back to blw. B is having a go at lots of things today and really enjoying it. I am keep busy for ages while we eat. We have been doing lots of carbs but am home tomorrow so Will prep some vegetables. He is getting good at picking up smaller things and can now manage cheerio and sheddies.
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Just about early starting of BLW-- its not just the motor development, ie, sitting up and getting food into mouth, but also at 6 months their digestive systems are more developed and can handle table food better. Thats why when you do BLW you don't have to be as careful about allergies etc-- although I think each BLW mama has to decide what approach to allergies works for them. I've heard its better to wait to allow their digestive systems to mature...
Personally we started at 5.5 months; he'd been sitting since 4.5 but I wanted to wait until closer to 6 months for the reasons about. And we only did occasional food until 6 months. He started eating loads at 7 months and is now feeding himself 3 meals a day of table food at 8. Don't rush it mamas! They have their whole lives to eat food!
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Is it possible to combine purees and blw?
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Is it possible to combine purees and blw?
I'd say short answer, no - if you spoon-feed purees for some meals or for part of each meal, then it's not BLW. You can certainly introduce finger foods alongside purees, or let your LO feed themselves for some meals (once s/he is ready for this) - but it won't be strictly BLW. And part of the BLW philosophy is to hold off on introducing solids until the baby is developmentally ready to feed themselves, so it's not like you start with purees and then move on to BLW, IYKWIM. Have you seen this thread?
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=92560.msg870613#msg870613
Any reason you wouldn't just do BLW? It's lots of fun ;)
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The difference between BLW and traditional weaning is pretty much you don't do purees or anything they can't feed themselves.
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I am definitely considering it. I just don't know what I'd give her! ??? Especially when we're not home. And I imagine it must be very messy, lol ;)
Must have a look at the thread and perhaps consider buying the book
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Am currently reading the book and even if you don't decide to go with it there is lots of useful info in there. Baby lead weaning is so muc easier than purees when you are out and about just give her what you eat!
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Which book do you have? I found 2 about blw. Thanks!
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This one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0091923808?ie=UTF8&tag=babyledweanin-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0091923808
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I agree, it's definitely easier! We found ourselves unexpectedly out for lunch yesterday, and F just ate rice and curry from my plate. No bib or anything, and remarkably little mess :)
It can be pretty messy at the start, but we found that since F has got the hang of it it's not too bad at all. Or maybe our tolerance has just increased... It helps to have a wipe-down floor under the table, eg tiles, but if you don't have that you could get a big mat to go underneath. Pelican bibs are great, I would highly recommend getting a couple.
You can start off with similar foods to what you'd normally introduce first, just not pureed - fruits and veges cut into a stick or wedge shape are good, as they can grab one end and put the other in their mouth. So banana sticks, carrot sticks (cooked :)), baked apple, pumpkin or potato wedges...these are all things we introduced in the first couple of weeks. But pretty soon you can just start giving them what you're having, without the salt. Things like porridge, you can just make quite thick and put in a pile on their tray to help themselves. Same with rice, pasta, cottage pie, that sort of thing. It'll go everywhere for a while, but the look of delight on the little face is just priceless! And much less work for you in preparing special food :)
I also found this website helpful: www.babyledweaning.com
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I imagine it must be very messy
I found the first month or so was the messiest (even then if you have a hard floor it takes 5 mins to wipe the highchair down then wipe up the floor). DS has been on solids for just over 3 months now and tbh almost nothing goes on the floor any more. When he is full he gives a sign, I'm never 100% sure if he means he'd like his cup of water or if he is full and finished, if he's full then he will start to 'clean up' his highchair tray himself which involves sweeping all the unwanted food onto the floor. That can be messy! But paying attention to his communication means I can catch him just before he does this, and he is only 9 months so some mess is only to be expected. Accidental drops or plain messy eating are rare now. A full roast dinner in a pub and he only accidentally dropped half a potato which was very easy to pick up at the end of the meal.
Also talking with mums at baby group, I hear they are still spoon feeding their 12+month olds (and reverting back to stage 1 puree when stage 2 is refused) who have been traditionally puree weaned. I simply cannot imagine getting to 12 months and still not allowing DS to have the independence he enjoys so much with self feeding. I even heard one mum complain that her 1 yr old insists on holding something at meal times (a spoon a toy or a piece of finger food) as though this is a problem. They have to go through the learning and messy stage at some point.
I didn't read the book, we just did it our own way.
Out and about I rarely give DS just what I'm eating due to salt levels in cafe or restaurant food but I do sometimes give him the same. Other wise things like home baked sugar-free muffins (either sweet or savoury) or pancakes are great to take out, not too messy to eat, and some pre washed and chopped fruit (wedges of ripe pear, nectarine etc)
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Hi There,
Just wondering anyone's LO has stopped eating when teething. DD has not eating for 2 full days other than few bites of rice rusks. The total oz of the day is barely 7. She wakes up few times during the night but then put herself back sleep fine. Last night she was very hungry at 4am and downed 7oz.
It has been 3 days like Tracy mentioned. The tooth is visible under the gum (top right tooth) but not yet through... She also sleeps like crazy in the day. 2 naps of 3 and 3.5hr. I feel like I am back to the newborn days.
Should I worry about her food intake and the disrupted sleep? She always sleep through the night before this. When she was cutting her bottom 2 teeth at 5 months, she did not exhibit anything like this time. This time, she is so dosy all the time and really is not the angel baby I know of.
I hope to hear moms who had similar experiences and would like to know that it will all go back to normal...
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if he's full then he will start to 'clean up' his highchair tray himself which involves sweeping all the unwanted food onto the floor.
Same here :) - but she's slowly learning to sign all finished instead. Baby sign language and BLW compliment each other well!
I also haven't read the book as when I wanted it the lead-in time for order and delivery (rural Thailand) was about three months. I've just read heaps online. Most people seem to say it's worth getting if you can though.
Pondofstillwater: my LO goes off food too, although she'll usually still eat a little. Understandable if it's uncomfortable or sore, I think. For solids, I offer things like strips of tomato and cucumber sticks, straight out of the fridge, that she can rub against her gums, and she'll usually go for those. It does pass! The top two were worse than the bottom two for us too/
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Thanks for all the info! I did buy the book actually and have decided to try it this way. I never had problems with DD1, she was always a good eater, but blw does seem to make sense and I know friends who have had difficulty with traditional weaning when it comes to lumps etc. I guess I was lucky with DD1. It sounds like lots of fun too :). S is only just 5 months so I'll probably give her a bit longer.
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You have reached 30 pages so I am locking this thread!
Please continue chatting on;
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=219175.0
:D